East Cape Long Adventure · short arc

Waypoint introductions and full write-ups

1. 1. Fuel stop near Titirangi

   Titirangi calls itself the gateway to the Waitākere Ranges, and it fits the role: a bohemian village of artists, writers and bush-clad houses, built on steep slopes above the Manukau Harbour, where the suburbs of Auckland end and the native forest begins. The finish is a few kilometres from the village, on the harbour side towards Lynfield and Blockhouse Bay, and it serves as a calm finish for long rides back from Northland.

   Read the complete Fuel stop near Titirangi write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   East Cape Long Adventure is where the day begins. Next is East Cape Long Adventure high point.

2. 2. Titirangi

   Titirangi feels like the last stop before the wild west of Auckland, and in a sense it is. The village sits on a ridge at the edge of the city, with cafes, a few shops and houses hidden among native bush, and beyond it the Waitākere Ranges roll west toward the Tasman Sea. The name is usually translated from Māori as fringe of heaven, and on a clear evening, looking out over the Manukau Harbour with the light fading behind the hills, it is hard to argue.

   Read the complete Titirangi write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   You top out here; the road stops climbing. Next is East Cape Long Adventure checkpoint 8.

3. 3. Near Rosebank

   After a long ride around the East Cape, with its lonely beaches, Māori villages, steep hills and the lighthouse at the easternmost point of New Zealand's mainland, coming back into West Auckland can feel like a rude awakening. The finish is in the western suburbs, between Te Atatū and Massey, near the upper reaches of the Waitematā Harbour, a suburban area of houses, parks and shopping centres, and it is the finish line for that long adventure.

   Read the complete Near Rosebank write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   The route ends here after 292 km. Next is Scenic stretch near Rothesay Bay.

4. 4. Scenic stretch near Rothesay Bay

   Planning note

   Scenic stretch near Rothesay Bay, about halfway. Next is Photo stop near Warkworth.

5. 5. Photo stop near Warkworth

   Planning note

   Photo stop near Warkworth sits at 195 km, about halfway. Next is Auckland / New Zealand return.

6. 6. Auckland / New Zealand return

   Thames, the nearest town, lies at the southern end, and behind it the Coromandel Range rises in a long, dark, bushy wall. It is a landscape of wide skies and low light, with the tide drawing off across the mudflats and the hills turning from green to blue as the day wears on.

   Read the complete Auckland / New Zealand return write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Auckland / New Zealand return comes up 243 km in. Next is Food stop near Pukekohe East.

7. 7. Food stop near Pukekohe East

   The soil around Pukekohe is a deep chocolate red, the gift of old volcanoes, and it grows a startling share of New Zealand's vegetables. Market gardens, many started by Chinese and Indian immigrants in the twentieth century, cover the slopes with neat rows of onions, potatoes and greens, and the area remains one of the most productive horticultural districts in the country. Pukekohe East is a rural community on the low hills to the east of the town, with long views over the fields.

   Read the complete High point near Pukekohe East write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Food stop near Pukekohe East closes the day.