Around Taranaki Road Ride

Angela and Andrew (support crew: Sally)

Summary

A weekend in the 'naki for a clockwise circumnavigation of the Mountain by road bike staying in Stratford.  At 153.5km it should have been a bit less really, but more about that later.  No big hills although a fair few ups and downs from a bit before New Plymouth through to Mt Egmont Village.  It took a leisurely 8 hours and everything went according to plan; in retrospect we might have gone counter clockwise to get the hills and busy roads out of the way first but otherwise we wouldn't change a thing (apart from a couple of turn-offs, but more about that later).  It rained for the last third of the ride but it wasn't unpleasant.  Staying in Stratford was a good (cheap and convenient) option.

The Ride

Angela is getting into the swing of her new (second-hand) carbon frame road bike.  It's so sweet to ride after the cast iron MTB she's been riding for years that she just keeps looking for bigger challenges.

A couple of trips over the Akatarawas to Waikanae were the longest excursions so far but with the 'round Taupo ride in her sights she was keen to try something longer.  Mike had booked a weekend family tramp with about 70 other people so a chance suggestion of a ride around Mt Taranaki quickly turned into: A Plan.

The weather forecast for Saturday's ride is a little dicey but we figure rain's OK provided the wind isn't too bad. The Friday arvo trip from Wellington up SH 1 is the usual nightmare; taking an hour and a half to get to Waikanae.  However, Heaven's Pizzas has our phone order ready and the traffic clears so we head north in the night in no great hurry, arriving in Stratford around 9:30pm.  It pretty much rains the whole way.

We're staying at Digs Cottage.  It proves to be a good size, cheap ($40 each per night), warm, clean and has everything we need.

Saturday morning is overcast and cool but the cloud is high and we head off about 7.40am.  We don't bother carrying a map; how hard can it be?  Andrew cycles blithely past the first turn to Opunake but fortunately Angela is a little more awake and we're back on track after only a minor detour towards Eltham.

Opunake Road is a quiet back country road, undulating along with little traffic and a reasonable surface.  Rural life continues around us; we play leap frog briefly with the rural mail van and a pukeko launches itself across the road from the top of a cutting.  On our right Mt Taranaki has a dusting of snow near the top thrown like a handful of icing sugar from the south.  You can see the bands of vegetation fading into alpine herb fields then into bare volcanic rock higher up the slopes.

We just about miss our turn, where Wiremu Road takes the main traffic northwest (offering a shorter route).  Instead, we find the continuation of Opunake Road (southwest), which is now much narrower but still good riding. At the end there is a left then right to get onto Eltham Road.

Opunake, at about 40Km sees us join the Surf highway (SH 45) which will take us from about 7.30 to 12 o'clock on the Taranaki clock face.

This stretch of road is reasonably flat (by Wellington standards the whole ride is!).  It skirts the coast about 3km in land and crosses regular streams that radiate down from the mountain.  Small towns (a few with shops) are scattered along the route and there are regular sign posts pointing towards surf beaches on the coast.

At one point we cross Parihaka Road.  There is no indication of the significance of the location.  We have heard rumour that the community is looking at setting something up and that other museums (such as at Tawhiti) are not stepping on their toes in the meantime.  It's a shame though as we didn't see much more than oblique references to the historic events (admittedly we weren't looking too hard).

We stop at Warea for no real reason other than that it is directly opposite Stratford through the top of the Mountain and theoretically about halfway.  The old garage and the newer hall (opened by the Rt Hon J Bolger) are pretty much all there is.  Fantham Peak has started to sneak around behind the shoulder of Taranaki and the Mountain is starting to gather clouds around it's shoulders.

Half way

The view from Warea

Progress from Warea is marked first by Pouakai Range (north of Mount Taranaki) starting to claim the view on our right, then the saddle at Pukeiti and finally the Kaitake Range. 

After Okato (cafes and shops) the road gets markedly busier and a bit more hilly.  To the north, the chimney at Paritutu and Nga Motu/Sugar Loaf Islands indicate we are approaching New Plymouth.  Oakura is the last significant rural town, with plenty of cafes it looks to be quite a good Saturday morning destination from New Plymouth.

About 10km out the rain starts and stays with us for the rest of the trip.  The Mountain disappears behind the northward ranges and clouds; we don't see it again.

We try to get clever in New Plymouth but our shortcut turns into a tour of the suburbs of Westown, Frankleigh and Vogeltown.  A bus stop provides relief from the rain for a bite and check the map on Angela's phone, we find our way back to SH 3 for the final stretch via Inglewood.

It's quite lumpy through this part of the ride and the traffic is busy.  There's another wee stop (literally) at Burgess bush for the loo. Then we tick off the towns as the cars and trucks swish past in the rain.  A tube of gel at Inglewood gives Angela a lease of life for the last 21km or so to Stratford. 

We arrive a bit before 4pm, about 8 hours and 153km after departure. Maybe not a record breaking time but we're pretty pleased to tick it off and it's quite clear that Angela is well placed for Taupo later in the year (more hilly but plenty of time to practice).

The proof (and note the rain)

The support crew has been doing her job keeping the unit warm and in fact hasn't shifted, not even to see the famous Stratford clock.  The Kindle has taken a bit of a beating though.  She agrees to drive two tired cyclists to New Plymouth for a posh celebratory dinner at Andre's Escargot Restaurant.  The food is superb and generous ($45 set menu).  All home and asleep by 8.30.

Sunday

The trip home is broken by a slap up breakfast in Whanganui (Cracked Pepper Cafe - there's some good cafes on the main street down towards the river) and the obligatory coffee at Liz's cafe in Foxton (Foxton Villa Cafe - look for the sign on the left travelling south, a few hundred metres past the Mobil at the north end of town).

The search for the perfect iced coffee continues

Back at home we get on Google maps to see what other geographic features we might knock off in future rides.  Ruapehu, Tongariro and Ngauruhoe?  East Cape?  Watch this space.