August 22, 2014 -

Or you can ride to Okoroire from Tauranga through Rotorua. Leave early, have lunch at the Okoroire Pub, and be back in Tauranga mid afternoon.

Leave Taurange on the Pyes Pa Rd, 40 km or so through some nice curving roads, follow the lakeside round to Ngongotaha, turn up the hill onto SH5 (marked Tirau or Hamilton). Pass through Fitzgerald Glade, careful in winter for wet leafy surface, turn right onto SH28/Harwoods Rd at Tapapa and about 2 km on turn left on to Somerville Rd towards Okoroire Hot Springs Hotel. This was one of the old overnight coach stops on the Auckland to Rotorua route, a gracious old building. Ride round the back of the hotel, there´s a parking area which will be full of motorbikes on a weekend. The back bar is called the "Bike Shed", you can sit and look at the bikes.

Turn left out of the Okoroire Pub, straight on Okoroire Rd back to a left hand turn onto SH28/Harwoods Rd, through some rich Waikato pastureland, turn right onto Rapurapu Rd (marked Tauranga) through to a right hand turn onto SH29 and the climb up the Kaimai Ranges.

Fantastic uphill sweepers, dual lane so if you keep an eye on the mirrors you can use both lanes, lookout at the top of the hill gives views back over the Waikato. Gentler ride downhill to Tauranga, heavily policed so keep to the speed limit, wider downhill sweepers.

I prefer to ride over the Kaimais from west (Waikato) to east (Bay of Plenty), that way the tighter corners are uphill with dual lanes so you can ride them and not get stuck behind other slower/heavier traffic. Going down the eastern side often means trailing the rear brake waiting behind a lorry for a passing lane.

November 27, 2013 -

Run to okororie from Hamilton..