Best driving roads in New Zealand

[stira]

 aim']

[quote name='stira said:

The opotiki to gisborne gorge (140km) or the gisborne to napier road. Both plenty of corners and buggerall traffic. Great drives and long enough that you feel buggered at the end.

/quote]

I know that road like the back of my hand (grew up in Wairoa). The layout is nice, but the surface is pretty s***. There are much better roads

Yes there are, but most arnt any where near as long or as traffic free plus actually have a destination at the end other than turn round and go back the other way

[Koom]

 stira']

[quote name='nt_a_foz said:

And noones mentioned the best roads around coromandel peninsula, amazing views and mint drives...and i get to drive them heaps for work yusss haha

Also yeah koom clints mums house has some mint roads around it haha

/quote]

Why are you two visiting clunts mum, is there some sort of american pie thing going on?

She cooks me dinner anytime I'm in her area of the North Island

[kwikaus]

south island inland Kaikoura road, this road was the high light of our south island trip, Hanmer to Kaikoura and

north island gentle annie even when it was gravel and just as good in tarmac form

[thorpy]

Not sure of the name but the main highway between Blenheim and Nelson

And for some reason I love the drive from Nelson to Motueka

[T.Rev]

I recently enjoyed the back road Kinleith to Cambridge.

[Joker]

nelson to mot not the same with new by-pass

[thorpy]

Havnt been there for about 4 years , has it changed since then?

[Joker]

yup you skip alot of the ocean road now

[subieboy]

 DRFVDR']

Para paras (I live in Raetihi at one end of it) actually really cool in a fire truck under lights and sirens

River Road from Raetihi to Wanganui via pipiriki NOW THAT IT IS FULLY SEALED

+2 For both those!

Pipiriki is sealed???? Remember doing that in old army Landrovers...

[quote name='Koom said:

Hakataramea Pass from Kurow to the Mackensie Basin (best scenery i.e. farmland to semi-high country to wild, open wilderness)

Yea baby!

Also a good stretch is up towards Whangarei (The Branderwyns).

From Kamo to Horahora via Gray rd, Pearson rd, Kara rd, 7 SH14...

Roads up near the Russell...

Almost all South Island roads (except that looooooong straight boring bit south Of CHCH)

And Nelson to Mot then onto Takaka - Did that with the little man in tow last year! AWESOME

[boon]

Ohakune Mountain Road when it's not full of Aucklanders in X5s who think a spattering of rain is good reason to drop it into low-range and crawl up the road at 5kmh. I get it, you have lots of torque. I don't until I hit 2800rpm and then I'm roaring up your trumpet. RARGH!

[Scoobydoo]

Turangi to Matamata via the back road around Lake Taupo.

Not met a cop on that stretch of road once!

[Nick_96_RSB]

Takaka Hill In 3rd Gear is pretty awesome ;D South island is all good driving nice open roads and some nice curvy ones too, too Many towns close together in north island done it in a rental subbie wagon i think and my old mans 94 tx, yet to take the RS down so far but will be planning a trip for later in the year, Kaikoura beckons for a visit.

Last night of holiday after cannan downs festival a couple of years ago drove from Mot at 4pm to Kaikoura arrived around 10pm was nowhere else i would have rather stayed, had lambs cheeks for breakfast and brought about 10 cray home

Queen Charlotte Drive is also another pretty cool drive from picton as long as your not stuck behind muppets

 kwikaus']

south island inland Kaikoura road, this road was the high light of our south island trip, Hanmer to Kaikoura and

north island gentle annie even when it was gravel and just as good in tarmac form

Did the inland road a couple years a go in july, covered in grit, damn crazy road i think the RS would be more suited to it if i did the trip again.

[quote name='JoKer said:

I feel an oncoming fail-train - FUN police will be all over this like white on rice

Paekock hill Kapiti

Saddle Road Manawatu

Vinegar Hill to Fielding

Rimataka's were cool

/quote]

Add the Pahiatua Track, where you can have fun under the speed limit.

I lived in woodville when the massive floods happened in manawatu a few years back now and the gorge collapsed, i drove the pahiatua track to and from work in palmy every day for weeks crazy road that one, the turnoff you take to that brings you out by the adventure bridge at the woodville side of the gorge is pretty nuts too.... and the saddle road i drove a fair amount of times once they put the bailey bridge up

[94 Leone]

Westport to Murchison, Providing you don't come accross any campervans on some of the one lane parts, it's actually quite a nice road.

[DRFVDR]

 boon said:

Ohakune Mountain Road when it's not full of Aucklanders in X5s who think a spattering of rain is good reason to drop it into low-range and crawl up the road at 5kmh. I get it, you have lots of torque. I don't until I hit 2800rpm and then I'm roaring up your trumpet. RARGH!

After doing 1.5 million Kilometres on this road,it has lost some of its appeal

Oh and they have just about finished doing a bit of straightening and cleaning up will make it quicker

[Joker]

www.ohakunegiant1000.com

that deserves its own thread thou

[calibre]

+1 for the Parapara's between Raetihi and Wanganui, awesome bit of road as the speed limit is often plenty fast enough to be enjoyable, just choose your time of day/year as black ice and slips can be a problem in places.

[Munkvy]

The road out to Whangamomana is possibly one of the best stretches I have been on, and I get to drive it while its closed once a year too Mind you any closed road gravel or tarmac is good in my books.

[aim]

Closed roads, haha yep. The whole thing to your self

[ben-jamminn]

I recently did the Lindis pass heading towards Cromwell, Really enjoyed that, seemed to flow really well, well until I caught up to some noob in a B4 that didn't know how to drive (went flat out on the straights, and went straight to the brakes at any slight bend in the road)

[TypeR rated]

The scenic drive round the catlains coast way down south aint bad for keeping you entertained corner to corner.

The pig route from dunners through to alex is good too, some good wee hills to climb and wind around

Devils staircase in qtown, best time to drive that is in middle of night to miss those bloody campers doodling around the lake!

Allll the way up West coast starting from Hawea is an awesome stretch for any driving enthusiast.

Also last but not least is the sh1 stretch between chch an picton is a good test for cornering ability.

Great roads down south Island alrite

[Guest vf20/21bg5]

I live in the tron but travel the greater waikato area daily for my job and find alot of the roads around the Matamata/Piako/Hauraki/Thames area great! Lots of variety with windy and str8 long roads that run along side tidal canals with fark all cars on them as they are mainly farmers access roads and gr8 for high speeds without seeing a cop and encountering 1 car every 5mins of driving...PLEASURE!! :

[Guest]

The forgotten world highway between Stratford and Taumarunui. If you want to test how well your car will go round a corner this is the place to do it, it's the only place I know of with 10kmhr corners.

[Johnnynz]

 EVILB4 said:

The forgotten world highway between Stratford and Taumarunui. If you want to test how well your car will go round a corner this is the place to do it, it's the only place I know of with 10kmhr corners.

Oh hell yes good pick, got lost my first time coming back from Hamilton to Wangas (aka GPS had a fat cry) I was sick as a dog and thought I was just tripping balls and couldn't remember the way I had come up ha ha.

Ended up ringing my GF at the time half way and asking her where the hell I might possibly be

[D-Style]

Forgot the old back road from Rotorua to the Mount AKA Pyes Pa road (sh36)

Remember when that use to be half unsealed, good times in the work van

[Guest vf20/21bg5]

 D-Style said:

Forgot the old back road from Rotorua to the Mount AKA Pyes Pa road (sh36)

Remember when that use to be half unsealed, good times in the work van

man that must have bem a long time ago!