Rode up Wainui hill rd.... Up Labyrinth. down labyrinth, Beeline, Banker (rocks!), Directa, Jungle Gym, Snails, Directa, Lower Beeline, Banker again then the whole of Jungles and back down the hill to home in Pet-one.

Not huge but hugely satisfying finding the limits of my tyres lean-liness...

Went around Karapoti course for the first time, took a packed lunch and meandered along. Was pretty cool, might do it again next weekend...

A bit of a catch-up is in order after losing my internet for the better part of two months (thanks Telecom and Slingshot).

In early January whilst hanging with the parentals out by Cape Palliser I thought it would be a great opportunity to give the Aorangi Crossing a go. Quite a nice ride with a monster of a hill and great views. Unfortunately a lot of the downhill was overgrown with gorse or consisted of recently graded mud track. Overall it was good fun and worth the effort.

But wait there's more:

Late January and early February took me to Rotorua and Nelson for a week each. Needless to say Rotorua is always awesome. I'd only been riding once in Nelson so I was expecting some sweet riding. I was not disappointed.

How can one come to Nelson and not ride the recently upgraded Dun Mountain Trail. Back in the day when I used to do a lot of mountain running I did this same route in reverse. I remember it being one hell of a climb to the saddle and then a gentle downhill back to town. Depending on your point of view people will either love it or hate it when technical track gets upgraded to appeal to the masses. The Dun Mountain Trail is a perfect example of this situation. It WAS an awesome ride with fantastic native bush, great views, historic stuff, and a great downhill to finish BUT it at times felt clinical and sanitised. Judging by the number of people that were out riding then the upgrade is an overall success though.

The next day saw me head out past Collingwood to the Aorere Goldfields. The track mainly followed an old water race up to Druggans Dam. On the way there were some caves but unfortunately I didn't have a torch. It was a sifty but really interesting ride.

For the next day I headed out to Kahurangi National Park to do the Flora Saddle to Barrons Flat track. This was awesome. After riding an old mustering track through sensational Beech forest for about 10Km the track quickly degenerated into some outstanding singletrack. If I had had the time I could have ridden all the way through to Upper Takaka. Along the way there was a natural rock overhang bivi, a Blue Duck, mad European tourists in plastic raincoats, Sea Shepherd criminals/activists/loonies, and an epic drive just to get to the car park. A highly recommended ride.

Back in Nelson I finished off with a couple of runs of Involution. A bastard of a hill to get there but another awesome track.

Great stuff - those sound like some awesome rides. Was meaning to do Flora saddle last year but never got around to it.

I've had an interesting couple of days - yesterday headed around the Karapoti Classic course with a mate, and today headed around backwards on my lonesome before riding back to Karori.

Hows the conditions around Karapoti Dr?

Me and a mate popped put to the Makara windfarm for a couple of loops, then a swim at makara beach, great wellington day . The single track down to the sea is quality, pine forest, then tussock, then regenerating bush with enough rock and roots to keep things interesting. The challenge is the road back to the start, from half way up your hitting over 20 percent.

This would be a perfect training loop for those strange people who enjoy the karapoti. I'm keen to go out again and try to ride back up the single track, would be interesting.

The singletrack back up is hard work, but nothing good ever comes easy I guess. I'm not sure if it's worse that way than the road, but it sure makes the pain last longer!

thelongwalk wrote:Me and a mate popped put to the Makara windfarm for a couple of loops, then a swim at makara beach, great wellington day . The single track down to the sea is quality, pine forest, then tussock, then regenerating bush with enough rock and roots to keep things interesting. The challenge is the road back to the start, from half way up your hitting over 20 percent.

This would be a perfect training loop for those strange people who enjoy the karapoti. I'm keen to go out again and try to ride back up the single track, would be interesting.

If I was an event-organiser-type, I'd think it would be a perfect spot for a Super D race. I can't imagine a better spot to be shuttled up the hill!

agreed, the 4WD is brutal but I don't see the point in anti-clockwise loop (as indicated on tracks.org.nz). Seems a waste of wOOt riding up such a cool singletrack. Have done a ride there where rode down Singletrack then back up it...not a bad ride at all.

A nice figure-8 loop is the opau loop clockwise then past bunkers down to Makara beach via singletrack > back up road (or home).

Did a transient > redrocks then back today with son and his mate. Good times, transient was very quiet.

Took the wrong long way home.

Wind Turbine is sort of between the cbd and Grenada Village.

Flippin' sweet ride today!

I started out with a fast climb from Aro St to Hawkins Hill, where I met my wife for a run back down to Aro St (BE, CPx, CP, RC, HiBro, Transient). Then I headed out through town, and along some skanky tarmac to the top of Wainui Hill, and along Rata Ridge. Had flashbacks of Black Diamond Ridge in Nelson, and rode everything on the way down (apart from having to dismount for a fallen tree - forgot to slide a bush saw into my bibs before I left, soz).

Headed up the Konini firebreak, then along Towai Traverse for the first time - what an awesome trail. Thanks Shane & co.

After some 491/Spoonhill action, I ducked down to the wetland, up Jungles and down Beeline, before heading back to town. Sifted along the waterfront, enjoying the sun, then hit a lap on Mt Vic. Back up the hill to Karori, and took a detour through Makara Peak before I got home.

Where the FUCK was this weather last weekend!?

Good grief man! now you wont have anything new to ride tomorrow... Maybe a lap of Karapoti to check the damage, both ways of course.

salvation- fenceline - transient - and then back the way I came. I just love the fact I can go from Karori to Aro Valley without going on a road (apart from the 75m on Wrights Hill)

Khandallah, up Broadmeadows hill to Kaukau, Skyline to Karori Park, grand loop of Makara Peak, back through Karori to the Sanctuary, down Transient and back through town, up the Bridal track & home.