Coast to Coast, Twin Coast Northland Trail

WHERE ARE WE RIDING TO:
We are going to ride the Coast to Coast, Twin Coast Northland Trail.
Day 1: We depart our motel (Twin Coast Adventure Motel) and head WEST over to Horeke on the beautiful Hokianga Harbour.

Day 2: We depart our motel (Twin Coast Adventure Motel) and head EAST over to Kawakawa and after a little train ride we make our way to Opua in the stunning Bay of Islands.

THE RIDE:
Friday or (early) Saturday morning: Drive up to Kaikohe, about 231kms (3 hours) from Auckland and check in.
Saturday: We depart the motel carpark at 1030am and head towards Horeke. We start by going up a long but gentle uphill, through a railway tunnel, around Lake Omapere to Okaihau – all up 14kms. There we have a light lunch before riding through some orchards and down a cliff – literally. The first time you see it you ask which lunatic designed this but in reality it is not as steep as it looks and quite walkable if uncertain. Once you get to the bottom you proceed along a long stretch of rough gravel road before getting to the boardwalk – 1200 metres over the harbour before getting to Horeke. Puts any other boardwalk I have ridden to shame. At Horeke there is the Mangungu Mission House and the Horeke Pub. From there we catch a shuttle back to Kaikohe. Total distance day 1: 42km – about the same as Paeroa to Waihi and back.

Sunday: The second day is a real mixture where you start with sandy forestry tracks, then bush tracks, gravel roads and finally tracks besides roads heading into Moerewa. Mostly flat some downhills. After Moerewa you head across a causeway over a swamp to Kawakawa where you contemplate the local loos and have some lunch. After lunch you cycle 3.2 km to Te Ake Ake where you catch a train to Taumarere where you disembark and cycle the last 4.4km to Opua for the shuttle back to the motel. Total Distance Day 2: 45kms. Drive Home Sunday night or stay and enjoy some time at the Bay of Islands.

RIDE DIFFICULTY:
I'd rate this ride difficulty at the lower end of intermediate level.
You will need to have a reasonable level of confidence and experience as we will be cycling along, road, gravel and firm forrest tracks. Although to be fair, we are not in a rush and stop frequently for photos, a swig from our drink bottles and a chat.
Suitable for all bikes, but acoustic riders should be fit.
Ebikes would be my recommendation.

LOGISTICS:
Drive up on Friday or early Saturday morning. Our preferred operator is Twin Coast Adventures https://twincoastadventures.co.nz/
Their address is 30/36 Raihara Street, Kaikohe. Ph 094012743 who offer an all in one service. Motel Reservations are circa $150 for a twin suite and shuttles are priced dependent on the number of passengers. There are unfortunately no single suites however if we get enough singles you could rent a family suite and share that.
IMPORTANT NOTE: YOU NEED TO BOOK YOUR OWN ACCOMMODATION. IF YOU NEED TO SHARE, SUGGEST CONTACTING SOMEONE IN THE GROUP TO BUDDY UP WITH.
We do not mandate staying at Twin Coast Adventures Motel, if you prefer to stay somewhere else, but you can still use the motel shuttle. A note of warning: just check security for your bike and car. There tends to be some theft issues at times.

As per our usual ride protocols:

Please bring a spare tube for your particular bike wheel size.

We travel at circa 20ks an hour except for down hills.
We will cancel for rain but not for showers.
We have a tail end Charlie to make sure riders do not get lost. We are not too fond of leaving people behind.
Assistance will be rendered for any mechanical issues but we are not bike mechanics.
If you are signed up for the ride but change your mind at the last minute please text or phone me (Graeme) on 027 2853779 to advise.