14 Photos
Masterton–Akitio loop
A gravelly overnight loop to Akitio Beach, through the quiet backblocks of the Tararua and Masterton districts.
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Bike
Masteron to Akitio
Looking to bash out some training mileage, test out some new camping kit and mostly just get out for a mission over the weekend, we turned our sights to the little-visited northern Wairarapa. We'd done a similar trip a couple of years prior which I'd dubbed the Route 52 remix – Route 52 is a known cycle touring route and we'd overlapped with sections of it, with lots of deviations in search of quieter gravel backroads. We were planning to retrace some of the best sections of that trip and explore a few new roads.
Typical last-minute planning had us packing late on Friday night and driving up to Masterton early on Saturday, perfectly timed to hit the magnificent Clareville Bakery the moment they opened. It was our first visit and already a highlight of the weekend.
The loop wouldn't really miss much by being shorter and starting in Pahiatua, Eketahuna or Alfredton, but I was intentionally eeking out a bit of extra distance, so we cruised up the pleasant-enough paved roads from Masteron. Things get a little more interesting east of Pahiatua, heading towards the Makairo track.
The Makairo track is the only bit of trail riding on the loop – a quiet 4wd track through a lovely block of bush with some nice views opening up at the top. It's mostly straight-forward double track, though it gets sloppy and slippery with some rain. The rougher descent had me picking lines through the ruts and offers some fun, engaging riding.
From there, the route joins Towai Road and heads over the very defined spine of the Puketoi Range, where a fresh layer of thick, chunky, country-style gravel made for a squirmy descent. On our previous trip I'd been totally oblivious to the existence of Waihi falls, just a 3km detour away, so we popped over for a look. We were surprised to find the impressive falls deserted on a sunny weekend.
A short while later we were back on pavement, loosely following the Akitio River all the way out to the coast. It's a scenic little cruise alongside the beach to the settlement of Akitio, where the friendly campground and fish and chip shop await. We dashed off for a quick shower, and made it back for last orders, enjoyed with a couple of mates that were riding a different route from Napier to Wellington and also overnighting in Akitio!
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Akitio to Masterton
The night testing out an Outdoor Research Helium bivvy bag for racing (while Andy slept in his fancy Hyperlite Mid 1 tent) had not won me over. A mosquito had gotten in before I'd managed to seal myself in the body bag and proceeded to feast on my face and neck all night long before I managed to kill it in the early morning, leaving traces of blood smeared across the bivvy. Many coffees were required before the pedalling could recommence.
Again, the day was a combination of previous hits (Marainanga and Spur Roads) and some new lines spied on the map that needed exploring (Waihoki and Puketoi Roads), both of which were winners. Puketoi Road in particular was a great stretch, gravel petering out to grassy double track as it took us back over the Puketoi range.
Grey skies and occasional drizzle hovered above us for much of the day, making the landscapes look a little flat, but otherwise they weren't too threatening. We joined back up to Route 52 for a stretch, then some other backroads let us to loop back to Masterton and our car on a mostly different route and more new-to-us roads.
We reconvened for an early dinner with our mates in Greytown at Cuckoo Pizza. A large would feed two people they advised, so obviously we all ordered one each. A solid weekend outing bookended with tasty treats!