East Coast roadie

[treedoc_imp]

Well seeing as I let the team down with the Coro Loop post, today I took a few pics on my ride down the East Coast of the North Island, New Zealand.

I had the day off and the weather was nice so I took a few hrs and went for a ride to Waihau Bay. Normally I am towing the boat for a kingfish mission when I head to Waihau, so it was good to be able to enjoy the roads without towing.

On the bike I hunt out back roads, so the first part of the ride was through farmland and kiwifruit orchards.



Lots of nice curves, but gotta watch out for the boy racers!



Then out to the coast to Matataa, its pretty straight but the scenery is alright, along the coast with Pohutakawa trees lining the road.



Then over the hill from Whakatane to Ohope, a quick stop at the lookout.



There is lots of places to stop for a view.



There was a nice little longboard wave at West End.



Then on to Opotiki, and from there to Waihau Bay the roads and scenery are real old school NZ.



The road follows the coast, over mountain ridges of native bush and down valleys to the coast again.
The road is epic with plenty of 25-55kph (recommended speed ) corners.



At the bottom there is usually a beach or a river.



Looking along the coast you are greeted with endless headlands ahead.



A lot of the roads are framed with Pohutakawa and Kanuka trees, beautiful.



Opposite the coast are native bush valleys, there are a few secluded tracks heading up into the bush.


It wouldnt be an East Coast roadie without a few dirt roads.



The coast is beautiful, with sand or pebble beaches and rocky bays. Good fishing.



The mighty Pohutakawa is a coastal tree that has masses of bright red flowers around Xmas. They live for hundreds of years often growing precariously out of near vertical rock cliffs overhanging the beach.



After a mince and cheese pie it was back home to Kiwifruit country.



Cheers fellas