For a large part of this route there's not much in sight that grows any higher than the top of your riding boots with the exception of a few stunted pine trees at the side of Lake Onslow, no doubt planted in the hope that they'd provide a little shelter in this otherwise very exposed countryside. At the Paerau end of the ride you pass through paddocks littered with standing rocks. Most unusual country.
Click
here to link to the route map in Google Maps
This is one of several rides that converge on Paerau (also known as Styx, or The Styx) in the Maniototo. If you start from Roxburgh you can choose at Paerau to turn right and head along the Old Dunstan Road to Clarks Junction and Middlemarch, turn left and and follow the Old Dunstan Road to Galloway and Alexandra, or continue ahead up the valley to Ranfurly and Naseby. And from Naseby you can head north on a series of
gravel road rides that take you on to Albury in South Canterbury. A gravel road rider's paradise.
This 76km ride runs across very exposed, open country. It's closed during the winter, and is has several sections that become puggy and difficult following wet weather at any time of year. There is very little in the way of help available along the route, little traffic, and cell phone coverage shouldn't be counted on, so take care. Having said that, it's one of the highlights of our 80,000 km of motorcycling around New Zealand, and we made the journey in April 2009 with no problems at all, in spite of it having snowed in the area the week before. A check with the locals before you set out would be worthwhile.
From the Roxburgh end you climb up from Roxburgh East to the plateau, (light green route on the map) or if you prefer head further down the valley and approach the route from Millers Flat (darker green section on the map). Either way you end up on a plateau above Roxburgh with views of the Old Man Range to the west, and rolling open land to the north-east towards Lake Onslow.
The landscape features open, rolling ridges and shallow valleys.
The road surface was mostly well-formed tracks on hard clay, and easy riding.
There are however, sections where the clay becomes soft and puggy, in places for the full width of the roadway, and care is needed. In places the pug has dried leaving a hard rutted surface - all good challenges for the gravel-road rider.
This is the only photo we have that shows the pug - it's an insignificant example but you'll get the idea. Imagine it across most of the road, and extending 20 or 30 metres along the road. We were riding adventure bikes (Suzuki DL650 V-Strom and Kawasaki KLE 500) and had no problems at all, but I think we were fortunate with our timing.
Lake Onslow is a bleak place. There are a few cribs / batches near the side of the lake, and no other amenities.
We spotted a fisherman on a boat out in the lake. Bleak place.
The road from Lake Onslow to Paerau continues in the same open, wind-swept country until you begin the descent down towards Paerau. Here the landscape is littered with large rocks standing in the paddocks.
The road winds down to the flats, then continues on to Paerau on some of the best gravel roads we've ever ridden - wide, smooth surface, and with little loose stone.
This a trip like no other. If you strike suitable weather and road conditions you'll see landscapes we've not seen anywhere else in New Zealand.
