NI1600 2016 - A South Islanders view
Copied from original here: NI1600 2016 - A South Islanders view - Blogs - Kiwi Biker forums Being a South Islander first challenge was the 715 km to the start point. I had a typical Southerners view of North Island roads i.e. boring, congested, and with a speed cop behind every tree. The torturous, traffic laden ride from the Ferry terminal to Levin in heavy rain didn’t do anything to dispel this. But once past Foxton the traffic began to lighten and with it my mood. Beyond Mangaweka the landscape changed to rolling hills and the road began to twist and turn. There was still the rain but I could ignore that with a road worth riding. Then it was the last section of this trip from from Waiouru to Turangi. This is the famous, or perhaps infamous, desert road which appears regularly on news bulletins about road closures or accidents. I’d imagined something like SH8 between Tekapo and Lake Pukaki with its wasteland feel. However, it was a softer more welcoming landscape - despite the obvio