Day 109, Friday 8 December 2017.
I’ve passed the sign for Waiwhiu-Conical Peak Road in Dome Valley hundreds of times, and wondered what was up this gravel road. The road came to public attention about 18 months ago when a woman was badly beaten and left at the side of the road, and her attackers were put on trial early this year. Six months ago I rode up this road on my sports-tourer, but I stopped at the summit although the road continued.
Today I took my adventure bike along the road. It’s all gravel, and quite rough in places. I think it has deteriorated since six months ago. There are views from the Conical Peak summit, but the views in most directions are reduced by trees. The road continues north eastwards, with increasing number of potholes, and finally there is a set of metal bollards across the road, which I took to mean I wasn’t welcome to proceed, although it would have been easy to have ridden between the bollards, especially so since one was lying on its side.
Waiwhiu Road diverges from Conical Peak Road not long after leaving State Highway 1, but it ends at a locked gate.
Distance travelled: 158 km. Total distance so far: 15,666 km
Motorcycling Streak 