Why this ride
From Titirangi it runs 650 km to Titirangi; allow about 11 h 42 of riding. It goes by way of Rosebank, Scenic stretch near Parakai and near Rothesay Bay. The climbs: near Titirangi and Titirangi. Much of it runs through woodland.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Hobbiton Waikato Easy Ride + East Cape Long Adventure
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 650 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 11 h 42
- Journey
- One way; return travel is separate
Distance and timing basis
The recorded total and the leg detail need reconciliation. Inspect the leg notes before using this record for timing or navigation. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. 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
Hobbiton Waikato Easy Ride is where the day begins. Next is High point near Titirangi.
2. High point 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
You top out here; the road stops climbing. Next is Hobbiton Waikato Easy Ride checkpoint 8.
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 636 km. Next is Scenic stretch near Parakai.
4. Scenic stretch near Parakai
Planning note
Scenic stretch near Parakai, early in the day. Next is Photo stop near Rothesay Bay.
5. Photo stop near Rothesay Bay
Planning note
Photo stop near Rothesay Bay sits at 170 km, early in the day. Next is Auckland / New Zealand return.
6. Tamaki
Planning note
Auckland / New Zealand return comes up 212 km in. Next is Hobbiton Waikato Easy Ride food stop.
7. Red Hill
Planning note
A break here. Next is Back to Hobbiton Waikato.
8. Back to Titirangi
Return visit. Read the place description above.
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
Finish at Back to Hobbiton Waikato. That is the ride. Next is East Cape Long Adventure.
9. Fuel stop near Titirangi
Return visit. Read the place description above.
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
Next is East Cape Long Adventure high point.
10. Titirangi
Return visit. Read the place description above.
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
East Cape Long Adventure high point tops the climb. Next is East Cape Long Adventure checkpoint 8.
11. 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
Finish at East Cape Long Adventure checkpoint 8. That is the ride. Next is Scenic stretch near Rothesay Bay.
12. Scenic stretch near Rothesay Bay
Planning note
Scenic stretch near Rothesay Bay, late in the day. Next is Photo stop near Warkworth.
13. Photo stop near Warkworth
Planning note
Photo stop near Warkworth sits at 509 km, late in the day.
14. 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 551 km in. Next is Food stop near Pukekohe East.
15. 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
A break here. Next is Back to East Cape.
16. Back to East Cape
Where Auckland ends, New Zealand begins, and this is the place to see it. It is a far cry from the East Cape, whose long journey the label describes, and is a fine place to finish a day.
Read the complete East Cape write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Back to East Cape closes the day.
Leg by leg
High point near Titirangi to Near Rosebank
High point near Titirangi → Near Rosebank is 24 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Scenic stretch near Parakai to Photo stop near Rothesay Bay
Scenic stretch near Parakai → Photo stop near Rothesay Bay is 22 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Photo stop near Rothesay Bay to Tamaki
Photo stop near Rothesay Bay → Tamaki is 52 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
Fuel stop near Titirangi to Titirangi
Fuel stop near Titirangi → Titirangi is 16 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Scenic stretch near Rothesay Bay to Photo stop near Warkworth
Scenic stretch near Rothesay Bay → Photo stop near Warkworth is 21 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Photo stop near Warkworth to Auckland / New Zealand return
Photo stop near Warkworth → Auckland / New Zealand return is 96 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
Auckland / New Zealand return to Food stop near Pukekohe East
Auckland / New Zealand return → Food stop near Pukekohe East is 34 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Food stop near Pukekohe East to Back to East Cape
Food stop near Pukekohe East → Back to East Cape is 73 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
More motorcycle rides nearby
- East Cape Long Adventure · short arc · 308 km
- East Cape Long Adventure · part 2 · 243 km
- Northland Bay of Islands Weekend · 626 km
- Waitākere Ranges and Piha · part 3 · 138 km