Your favourite driving road?

[Murdock]

As per the title - any particular road which you favour for the Sunday morning jaunt? I've only recently started to explore the roads around Auckland - so far the drive from Clevedon to the SH2 linkup (via Miranda) takes all the plaudits.

[Esprit]

That Clevedon-Miranda road is nice... driven it a couple of times

My personal pick long-distance is the Napier/Taupo road.... lovely mix... the 60km out of Taupo ain't to interesting, but further towards napier it's lovely

The Summit road (dyders pass) in Christchurch is lovely, also the run over the port hills from the sign of the Takahe down to South christchurch is awesome too

[kylie]

I havent got too much to choose from out the back from home. But I usually go via Whenuapai then through Riverhead forest and back through Kumeu and back home. Its nice going through the forest twisties and small hills. My two favourite bits of road that I don't seem to get to drive these days would have to be the winding roads around Akaroa 10/10 for sure. (Not shit hot for passengers though) And also the fastest stretch with sweeping corners which I equally love is going through the Lindis Pass Wouldn't mind taking black beauty down there one day.

[crm]

Kaikoura inland road!

Hundalee's, Kaikoura Coast,Whangamoa Hill - Nelson, West Coast South Island, Kawarau Gorge - Queenstown.

Forgotten World (Taumarunui - Stratford, exhausting) and 55km winding road north of Wanganui SH4.

[Photochromatic]

Kopu to Whangamata, especially the second leg.

[Kiwi LE]

Mmmmmm - well
NZ -
Thames to Coromandel to Whangamata to Waihi - epic road with wide range of twist, a must do.9/10
Huna's - Miranda Rd etc - 7.5/10
Akatarawa Valley Rd Wellington - sick road never done it in the Elise but one day 8/10

France -
The mountain road behind Nice, it's where all the James Bond stuff was done, 11/10
Sardinia - all the mountain roads 11/10

There so much to choose from.......

[GravelBen]

hmmmm......

Highcliff rd, along the top of the Otago peninsula

Taieri beach road, especially for manic gravel-junkies (does take some commitment in places tho, Juha Kankkunen hustled a BDA escort through it within 10 sec of Chris West's gpN WRX in last years Otago rally)

Kawarau Gorge, Queenstown - Glenorchy rd, Crown range, Lindis pass (all central otago area)

Haast pass (and most of SI west coast)

no shortage of options anyway

>> Edited by GravelBen on Wednesday 16th November 11:22

[Izza]

crm said:

Kaikoura inland road! Hundalee's, Kaikoura Coast

The inland road is GREAT. Switchback climbs, straights, its got everything. When heading North the best place is to turn off just north of Parnasses (Leader Waiau Rd) and head into Waiau, and then north to Kaikoura.
Best thing is the lack of traffic.

Used to love the Hundalees, but I ALWAYS get stuck behind a truck, boat, campervan or grannie and it just pisses me off now. :grr:
It's ok at 1am though!

The best part of the summit road on Banks Penninsula is from the Hilltop Pub around the top to Akaroa. Awesome, and very quiet too! It's worth dropping down into some of the bays while there too. Okains Bay and Le Bons Bay especially!
Only driven it in a Mazda Bounty thou.

Backline road, from Otaio through to Cave is great for shingle fans.
Lots of blind, highly cambered corners. Best time to do it is to enter into the Spring Rally.
Danseys Pass is another great shingle road.


Remember, back in the day, when NZ Performance Car used to have a great driving road in it every month? Too many readers would loose body kits or neons if they did that now.

[RobDickinson]

Esprit said:

The Summit road (dyders pass) in Christchurch is lovely, also the run over the port hills from the sign of the Takahe down to South christchurch is awesome too

Thats literaly on my doorstep - I live in sumner, shame the forester isnt the ideal dive for it, one day i'll get a fun car.

[Mustang-man]

I second Highcliff road, get an awesome view from up there. For a change one day i went down Portobello road. Well its one of the narrowest and bumpiest roads i know of in the city not to mention the blind corners etc.