Gravel Riders based at Taupo and our Explore Day

A Free Day and we explore Pureora Forestry Park

Being based at Taupo in the centre of the North Island quite often, we find we are forever on the lookout for interesting places to visit and to explore.  The day was looking great so looking for a little action, and, also having a club-ride looming, we decided we would head over to our very favourite scenic forest park and find some new roads to take our Gravel Riders over.  My son Tim owns the white F800GS and RIDES THIS BIKE LIKE IT IS TOTALLY STOLEN!!!   Yes, pillion BEWARE!!!   Son Tim and husband Jim both being seasoned enduro VETS,  well what more can be said!!!   Tim's partner Jess of six years will always be pictured on the back of.  She has fast become accustomed to some ADVENTURES of her own on the back of this big bike.  For this PLAY DAY with the boys I decided to take along my small Yamaha XT250cc as often Jess enjoys to ride the bike and we take turns.  Jess being very new to riding bikes in general so this terrain offers a great base for those wanting to get to grips with basic tracks and trails.  Excellent, so we share the bike and today it was Jess's turn to learn. 

Jess and Tim - we are entering the Pureora Forestry park. The big F800GS looking MEAN!!!

Jim parks up the big F800GS and waits for SUE to make sure she is taking the correct entrance into the forestry park!!!  WE had just had a big shower down on us and the many potholes dotted along the road made for some interesting times when you hit those at speed.  The forestry park can be very brilliant and sunny or it can be extremely overcast being a rain forest and the rain can just seem to bomb you from out of nowhere.

Phew it did come down and the roads quickly turn to mush.  The forestry park offers a warren and a maze of roads to explore.  We venture down one of them and come across a concrete Fjord.  This just one of the Fjord crossings.  It was lovely looking over the edges to see the dead woods buried deep underneath the streambed.  We were on the lookout for trout, but not this visit.  They were wary of the rumble from the engines of our big bikes as we invaded their terrain.

The water was picking up speed and gushing from out these pipes from the Fjord.  The recent heavy deluge bestowed upon us on our entry adding to this also.  Come prepared shod with knobbly tyres on your bike.  We now decide to take a brief break and explore the hunters quarters that we found nearby also.  Many hunters use this park to capture pigs.  It is quite normal for us to meet 4 x 4's with their dog-hunting teams when we ride along some of the more narrow forestry roads.  I also noticed the fire had just recently been doused also, the hunters were not tooo far away.

Taking a brief break after travelling over many of the side roads. 

Tim decides to put the XT Yamaha 250cc through some paces as we find an overgrown trail and need to find if That Trail Leads Someplace???  The trail narrowed as Tim progressed further through it and ended up in deep mud,  TIM LOVED IT - but not great for the two bigger bikes.  Times like these the small XT comes into her own, and the BOYS love it.  The more mud the better!!!

Another heavy downpour has now added raindrops to my cam lens as I snap the boys (and pillion Jess) having fun in the stream crossings.  This was just lovely and a very nice touch to be added in to our ride.  WE all loved it.

 JIm now powers the big F800GS easily through it.  The big bike loves this terrain. 

More heavy rain, it has now decided to bucket down and my cam is taking a pummelling!!!   grrrr

We are now exiting our exciting trail and on the lookout for more further up ahead.  This is so exciting.

Taking in some history from many centuries ago, you realise our earth is alive.  I decided I wished to actually view some of The Buried Forestry itself.

Seen here just some of the rotting and putrified log corpses. hmmm nice.

Whenever we visit Taupo we always come to visit the forestry park.  It is a day of riding that we really enjoy and keeps us coming back for more.  There are many more historic and scenic areas to visit that are hidden amongst the many tracks that run through here.  It just needs the time to explore it all.   The exploring makes this all so very worthwhile and done on our 2 wheels also.  Love it!!!