New Zealand - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.

[davetapson]

Oh, and if you looking to eat out, do yourself a favour and hit La Spiaggia in Murrays Bay - best steak in the country so far.  You should be able to walk...

Trying Bushman's Grill tonight which is supposed to be good.

Edited April 16, 2021 by davetapson

[Kenneth]

Thanks Dave. I did a similar ride through Longbay over Easter. I’m also rather unfit at the moment so keen to go for a ride. Maybe next weekend

 

The other nice ride is straight down Beach Road the other way to Devonport.

 

There are some nice tracks across bridges etc, not MTB, but pretty entertaining.

 

If you have Strava I'll point you to one of my tracks so you can see the route.

 

I'm a bit busy this weekend, and unfit, so riding with me would not be a huge amount of fun.

 

Can point you to some folk who ride Saturdays, but they've all moved to eBikes, unless you have one? Ebikes with them doesn't = gentle ride.

Edited April 16, 2021 by Kenneth

[Kenneth]

Thanks for the advice. Will give them a try

 

Oh, and if you looking to eat out, do yourself a favour and hit La Spiaggia in Murrays Bay - best steak in the country so far. You should be able to walk...

 

Trying Bushman's Grill tonight which is supposed to be good.

[Slowbee]

Oh, you guys are actually talking cycling.

 

I was begining to wonder if they even knew how to cycle in NZ.

[DJR]

Lame "dad joke" - If you want to emigrate to New Zealsnd, you better be a morning person, because they are going to make you rise and shine way before the rest of the world for the rest of your life!   

[Wayne Potgieter]

Hey Kenneth - just head off down Beach Road Northwards until you see the turn off for Long Bay Regional Park (Google Peter Blake Marine Education centre, that's the road), take a left accross the bridge into the park then head through the park on the road, to the boom gate, through that, look for a turn on a walking path to the left, follow that - will take you into the park - not rough MTB, but got some nice up and downs and beautiful.

 

On the track, take the 100 acre wood loop to the left - it will bring you back onto the track but adds a bit off off road. 

 

The path will take you to the Okura River Mouth which is turnaround point.

 

It's a nice ride from RB and doesn't require driving to Woodhill.

I liked your suggestion so much, I ran it on Saturday. Kept stopping to take photos! Then, I dragged the wife and kids back there for a walk on Sunday.

 

Good little track.

 

From the parking at the south end of Long Bay to Okura turnaround and back (with 100acre and nature trail) is 12km.

 

Strava link for those that want to see elevation and path.

 

https://www.strava.com/activities/5138912962/overview

Edited April 18, 2021 by Wayne Potgieter

[davetapson]

Lame "dad joke" - If you want to emigrate to New Zealsnd, you better be a morning person, because they are going to make you rise and shine way before the rest of the world for the rest of your life!   

We have Sunrise Ave that goes up the East side of the ridge, and a Sunset Rd that runs down the West side...

 

Somebody being cute in the past.

[davetapson]

I liked your suggestion so much, I ran it on Saturday. Kept stopping to take photos! Then, I dragged the wife and kids back there for a walk on Sunday.

Looks like you got the track covered!!

 

The view as you rise up and over from the initial climb is just spectacular. I love it.

 

Your next mission, should you choose to accept it, is to find a route from Okura River Mouth back to Long Bay somehow through the farmland. 

 

I've seen people walking it, but not managed to find a cyclable track.  Maybe at low spring tide it might be possible to cycle the beach towards Okura.

 

 

 

Have a look at at this track at Devonport - it doesn't look much on the map, but is one of the most entertaining rides I've found around the area - it takes you up to the North Head and across some funky bridges on the harbour side of the track with views over to the city.

 

I cycle this from Murrays Bay / Mairangi Bay / Windsor Park (where we are now) along Beach Rd to the starting point of this route on Lake Rd.  Stop for a coffee on King Edward Parade.

 

There are a couple of alternatives leading up funky climbs in Devonport village as well as a route to Stanley Bay and back over a bridge over the Naval Base but that is too fiddly for me.

 

https://www.strava.com/routes/2819001694226079444

 

The route is created as a run as if you set it up as a cycle it doesn't allow some of the zigs and zags.  I have a back route off North Head, but Strava won't agree that there are paths there.

 

If you were to run it, you could run along the beach to North Head.  I've tried cycling it but the sand is very loose and uncyclable, unlike Takapuna beach etc.

 

 

As an aside, if you are looking for routes, follow Braam Swanepoel on Strava, he's ridden just about everywhere there is to ride around the North Shore...

 

https://www.strava.com/athletes/39332328

Edited April 18, 2021 by davetapson

[davetapson]

(note to self: learn to use multiquote)

 

Edited April 18, 2021 by davetapson

[davetapson]

Trying Bushman's Grill tonight which is supposed to be good.

Bushman's Grill is like Spur with better steak house ambience, and small kids play area.  If you looking for Spur experience (i.e. if you have young kids!) it's well worth a go.  

 

https://www.bushmansgrill.co.nz/

 

[Wayne Potgieter]

Just an FYI - Pohutukawa beach in Long Bay regional park is a nudist friendly beach.

 

I learnt this the hard way yesterday with my wife and kids in tow.    

[davetapson]

????????????

 

Yeah, and the sights you see are not quite what ones fantasies might mislead one with when one imagines nudist beach...

[Wayne Potgieter]

 

Yeah, and the sights you see are not quite what ones fantasies might mislead one with when one imagines nudist beach...

Net Voel. Ou man Voel.

[Craai]

Just an FYI - Pohutukawa beach in Long Bay regional park is a nudist friendly beach.

 

I learnt this the hard way yesterday with my wife and kids in tow.    

 

When you say "hard way" do you mean....

 

Scratch that... just saw your follow-up comment. Ugh

Edited April 19, 2021 by Craai

[davetapson]

Need to get an mtb for 10 yo.

 

Bit stymied with the 'but he will grow out of it' but that's part of the deal I suppose.

 

Small adult 27.5? Probably Torpedo 7?

[patches]

Need to get an mtb for 10 yo.

 

Bit stymied with the 'but he will grow out of it' but that's part of the deal I suppose.

 

Small adult 27.5? Probably Torpedo 7?

 

Whilst my last attempt at judging the size of a kids bike was horribly incorrect (ask Wayne, haha), I can concur that Torpedo 7, 99 Bikes (formerly Bike Barn) and Evo Cycles are likely your best bet for new.

 

Alternatively there are 2-3 large FB groups for buying and selling MTB's in NZ, if you want to try the previously-loved route. There may be some sweet deals up for grabs.

 

These are the 2 main groups:

 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1771529079799907

https://www.facebook.com/groups/273350502828890