A North Island Road Trip

[DrewBroadley]

This is something I spent planning and researching for a month or so before partaking in.

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8& ... 198436&z=7

The drive is amazing, with lots of sections I still didn't even know existed, even after travelling in parallel with them over the years.

Low Point: Tihoi Rd (SH32) has a rather vicious bump at the base of a valley, and you're probably doing a speed much over the allocated speed limit to send a thump through your spine and out the top of your head which makes your ears ring.

High Point: Middle Rd (parallel to SH2 from Clive to Waipawa. Beautiful dipping roads with camber to boot, close behind was SH43 (The Forgotten Highway), the windy roads, the quaint hotel in a valley surrounded by sheer cliffs.

[KiwiBirkin]

Looks like a great road trip Drew how many days are needed to enjoy this trip with some stopping to vist places of intrest.

[DrewBroadley]

We did it in two days, leaving Sunday morning @ 8am, arriving back by 5pm on Monday. This was averaging a high amount of km's per day with little to no stopping, and though it didn't phase me at all, the other two were not too conditioned to as much long distance driving.

I would give this three days to make it comfortable with stops for road side attractions, the first overnight stop being the quaint hotel on SH43 (Whangamomona Hotel http://www.whangamomonahotel.co.nz/) and then a stop around the Hawkes Bay areay for the second night getting yourself rested for the Middle Road drive. This would be the general consensus when putting it up to my friends next time

[Reynolds731OS]

If you live around Auckland take a drive to Coromandel via Hunua, Miranda coast, Thames, up the coast road all the way to Colville. It's not really practical to go further north than Colville in a small low sportscar as the road is gravel from there on. Come back from Colville to Coromandel and take highway 25 to Whitianga, Whangamata, Waihi, Paeroa and back home. The roads on this trip are not too bad, and there are plenty of hilly, windy bits just made for these cars. Lots of good places to stop too. You could do it in one day but two would be better. Go mid week if poss to miss the SUV set on their ventures out of the city. Have fun!