DAY ONE
The summer solstice was upon us and on a whim I decided to ride my motorbike to the southern most tip of mainland New Zealand.
On our previous ride around the South Island I had a wee tumble on a gravel road near Takaka, and events like that can create mental blocks, holding one back from attempting similar activities. So, I knew I had to jump back on the metaphorical horse and ride as many gravel roads as possible š
Scanning Google maps I soon worked out that by hugging the east coast from Dunedin to Taieri Mouth to Kaitangata that the road was nearly entirely gravel! So I packed my tent and some gear, hugged the family, and off I went.
I felt more confident with some new tyres on the bike and really enjoyed the gravel riding south of Dunedin. In Kaitangata kids waved as I rode passed, and I hit tar seal again as I rodeĀ the scenic highway through Owaka, Papatowai, and onwards to the campground at Curio Bay. Along the way I stopped at caravan parked on the side of the road selling fish and chips, which were sensational.
After setting up camp with a few of the ocean I cracked open a tin of creamed rice for dessert only to realise I didn’t bring any utensils, so I pulled a spanner out of my toolkit and used that. At least one other camper gave me strange looks, haha!
DAY TWO
Waking up to the sounds of the ocean – is there anything better? After a quick brekkie I was on my way to Slope Point, the southern most tip of mainland New Zealand. I’ve explored much of New Zealand but this was one place I’d never visited, so it was great to do it. A nice contrast to reaching the northern most point of the South Island on our previous adventure! Down here the trees grow small, and literally sideways – warped by the winds whipping off the southern ocean. They acted as a remainder of how bad the weather can get down here, and how grateful I was for a nice blue sky day!
From Slope Point I’d already mapped outĀ the return journey to Dunedin, againĀ via as many gravel roads as possible. I travelled inland through the Catlins Forest Park, Clinton, Clydevale, andĀ along the stunning Tuapeka West road to Lawrence. After a short ride on State Highway 6 and a cheese roll I headed for more gravel – via Lake Mahinerangi and Waipori Falls, popping out on the Taieri Plains at Berwick.
This was an awesome overnight motorbike trip and one I’ll definitely be repeating. I was also pleased to do a solo ride and reacquaint myself with gravel roads!
If you have any questions about the route please drop me a line!
Cheers, Steve
