A couple of years ago I happened to have a weekend to myself and decided to do a little exploring. Part of my planned trip was State Highway 49 from Hastings to Taihape.
Known as Gentle Annie, this is a road that every NZ petrolhead needs to try, it really is a great drive. When I drove the route it had around 15km or gravel in the middle section, but I’m told it is now fully sealed.
Overall impression – wow, what a great road!
Lots of flowing bends, great visibility so you could safely take the racing line on corners, no traffic at all going my way in over 130km. Loads of up and down bits, mountains, clouds, falcons hovering by the roadside. It really was excellent.
There’s really not much else I can say so here are some of the photos I took along the way.
I remember when there was a gate in the middle of steep section that was a right bugger to park a motorcycle on, get off, watch the bike fall over, pick the bike up, open the gate, ride through, drop the bike on its side, close the gate, pick the bike up and kick things straight and then fishtail up the wet clay track that last had gravel on it in 1949.
I may have to give the modern iteration a go.