Northland Bay of Islands Weekend
A 435 km loop
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Why this ride
A rider’s loop: clean exit, memorable middle, calm return. The stops in between: Auckland / New Zealand, near Parakai, Waiuku and Titirangi. The climb of the day is near Pukekohe East.
Roadbook
- Fuel stop near Pakuranga
fuel
Fuel at 0 km.
- Auckland / New Zealand return
swim
North of Auckland the coast road thins out and the land becomes greener and wetter, with dairy farms, tidal creeks and little harbours cut deep into the hills. The ride is the start of a long weekend towards the Bay of Islands.
Warkworth, with a little over three thousand people, is the town that serves the region, set on the Mahurangi River at the head of a long tidal inlet. Early settlers shipped kauri timber from here, and old wharves and stone buildings from that era remain. A short run east lies Matakana, a village that has transformed itself into a magnet for food, art and wine, with a lively Saturday farmers' market. Nearby Kawau Island, reached by ferry, was home to Sir George Grey, one of the early colonial governors, who planted it with exotic animals, and wallabies still hop through the scrub.
The coast here is a series of broad, shallow beaches, such as Omaha and Pakiri, where white sand runs for kilometres and the swell comes in clean from the Pacific. Further north, at Leigh, a marine reserve near Goat Island was established in 1975, the first in the country, and snorkellers can swim among snapper and crayfish that have grown fat and fearless. The sea is cold, even in summer, so bring a wetsuit if you plan to swim.
The riding itself is straightforward. State Highway 1 runs north through the Dome Valley and over the Brynderwyn Hills, with long climbs and open bends, but it carries heavy traffic and many trucks, so the quieter coastal roads are better. Weekend holiday traffic, especially at the start of summer and at Easter, can back up for kilometres. Fuel is available in Warkworth and Wellsford, a smaller town about eighteen kilometres to the north, and you should fill the tank there before heading to the more remote stretches. The weather can change rapidly, with squalls blowing in from the Tasman, so pack waterproofs.
- Food stop near Parakai
food
A break here at 120 km.
- Waiuku
photo
Waiuku sits at the head of a long, muddy arm of the Manukau Harbour, south-west of Auckland, and for centuries it was a crossroads. Māori travellers hauled canoes across the short portage between the Manukau and the Waikato River here, linking the harbours of the north with the great river system of the interior, and early European traders used the same route. Today it is a quiet country town serving farms in the surrounding hills, with a main street of shops and cafés and an easy, unhurried rhythm.
Just north of town, the giant Glenbrook steel mill turns black ironsand, dredged from the dunes at the mouth of the Waikato River, into steel, a uniquely New Zealand process. On weekends, the Glenbrook Vintage Railway runs steam trains between Glenbrook and Waiuku, through green farmland.
The real reward of coming here is the coast. To the west, Karioitahi Beach is a long, wild stretch of black sand on the Tasman Sea, battered by surf, with huge dunes behind it; the colour of the sand comes from the same iron-rich volcanic material that feeds the steel mill. To the north stretches the Awhitu Peninsula, a narrow finger of land between the Manukau Harbour and the open sea, with a winding road leading to the Manukau Heads lighthouse at its tip, where you can look across the harbour entrance to the Waitākere Ranges.
The roads around Waiuku are typical rural New Zealand: narrow, often bumpy, with tight bends, few straights and plenty of farm traffic. The Awhitu road is especially rewarding, rising and falling over green hills with sea views on both sides, but it can be greasy after rain and is occasionally decorated with cow dung. Waiuku has fuel, supermarkets and places to eat, so it is a good base to start or finish a ride. The west coast weather can change fast, with wind and showers sweeping in from the Tasman, so pack a layer.
- Near Titirangi
finish
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.
The painter Colin McCahon, often considered New Zealand's greatest artist, lived and worked in a small house in French Bay, below Titirangi, in the 1950s, and the house is now a museum with a residency for artists. The village has galleries, cafés and the Lopdell arts centre, and a relaxed, slightly eccentric atmosphere.
From Titirangi, Scenic Drive runs along the crest of the Waitākere Ranges, through dense native bush of tree ferns, nīkau palms and kauri, with views over the city and the harbour. The Arataki visitor centre, perched on the ridge, has a lookout and information about the forest. Many walking tracks in the ranges have been closed in recent years to protect the kauri trees from kauri dieback, a fatal disease spread through soil, so check which tracks are open and clean your boots at the stations.
Riding back to Auckland after the long road from the Bay of Islands, the last part of the day is likely to be on the motorway through the city, with heavy traffic. Once you reach the western suburbs, the roads become quieter. Scenic Drive itself is narrow, winding and often wet, with tight bends, cyclists and buses, and it demands concentration. The local shops in Titirangi and the surrounding suburbs have fuel, food and coffee. A late afternoon finish, with the sun dropping over the Manukau and the bush glowing gold, is a fine end to the trip.
- High point near Pukekohe East
pass
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.
The landscape is part of the South Auckland volcanic field, a scattering of eroded cones, tuff rings and craters, softer and older than the volcanoes of Auckland itself. Pukekohe Hill, the most prominent, rises above the town, and the Bombay Hills to the east mark the traditional boundary between Auckland and the Waikato. On a clear day, the views stretch across the Manukau Harbour and to the Hunua Ranges.
Pukekohe also has a place in motorsport history. Its racetrack hosted the New Zealand Grand Prix for many years, drawing famous drivers from around the world, and it remains a venue for horse racing. The roads around it are pleasant, rolling and fairly quiet, with sweeping bends over the hills and through farmland. Watch for tractors and trucks carrying produce, and for mud on the road near farm entrances. The weather can change quickly, with showers sweeping in from the Tasman.
Pukekohe has plenty of fuel stations, supermarkets and cafés. Roadside stalls sell fresh vegetables and fruit in season. It suits a short halt before heading north through Auckland towards Northland and the Bay of Islands, a long ride through farmland, forests and along the coast.
- Scenic stretch near Papakura
scenic
Papakura grew up on the Great South Road, built by British troops in the early 1860s to move soldiers and supplies south for the invasion of the Waikato, a key episode of the New Zealand Wars. Redoubts and military settlements dotted the route, and Papakura was one of them. Today it is a busy town on the southern edge of Auckland, with a main street, a railway station and expanding suburbs.
The town lies between the Manukau Harbour to the west and the Hunua Ranges to the east, a forested range that provides much of Auckland's water. The landscape around it is a mix of suburbs, farmland and remnants of native bush, with views of the ranges and, on clear days, the volcanic cones of Auckland to the north.
The riding here is mostly about getting through. The Southern Motorway and the Great South Road carry heavy traffic, and the town centre can be congested. But the roads heading east into the Hunua Ranges and south towards the Waikato offer more interesting riding, with curves, climbs and quieter traffic. The weather can be changeable, with rain and wind sweeping in from the west, and the roads can be slippery after showers.
Papakura has fuel stations, supermarkets, cafés and fast food, making it a practical stop. A pie from a local bakery is a New Zealand tradition, and the town has several good ones. Fill up here before heading north through Auckland towards Northland, or west towards the Waitākere Ranges and the wild black-sand beaches of Piha.
- Back to Northland Bay
finish
Waiheke, a short ferry ride east of Auckland, is a hilly island of roughly nine thousand residents, with bays of white sand, wooded gullies and, over the last few decades, a collection of vineyards that makes it the country's most famous wine island.
A weekend in Northland and the Bay of Islands is a long run, with hundreds of kilometres of highway and winding coast, and it usually ends back in the Auckland region rather than on a ferry. If you do finish here, the bike goes on a vehicle ferry from the city, which takes about forty minutes and gives a lovely view of the harbour and the volcanic cones of the Gulf. The roads on Waiheke are narrow and hilly, with tight bends, sheep and cattle grazing beside them, and loose gravel on the verges. Speed limits are low, and the island is best taken slowly, with stops at lookouts over Hauraki Gulf.
The vines grow well on the sunny, dry slopes, and the island is known for red wines made from Cabernet and Merlot blends, and for olive oil. Restaurants at the wineries serve platters of local seafood and cheese, and booking is wise in summer. The island also has a thriving community of artists and craftspeople, with studios open to visitors. Beaches such as Onetangi, a long sweep of sand, and Oneroa, closer to the ferry, are popular.
Fuel is limited, with a couple of stations in the main villages, so fill up in Auckland if you can, and check ferry times and fares, since the island fills up in summer. Pakuranga and Manukau on the mainland have all services. Weather is mild, but wind and showers can arrive fast, so bring a light waterproof.