Yeah, I’d heard of a number of cyclists going around Cape Turakirae in the last couple of years and had got the impression that Orongorongo Station had got a lot more relaxed about it than they used to be. I think their main concern is motorbikes and four-wheel drive vehicles (and fair enough too – the four-wheel drive hoons have been churning up the grass terraces around the mouth of the Mukamukaiti, just on the far side of where Orongorongo Statiion have their barrieir up. It used to be a nice camping spot and now it’s a mess with broken glass scattered around.)
I cycled back around Cape Turakirae at Anniversay Weekend and didn’t have any access problems (although admittedly I didn’t actually run into the land owners). I walked my bike along the pedestrian acccessway on the seaward side of the fence from the Cape Turakirae scientific reserve to the Orongorongo River bridge, just to be on the safe side. The big fence barrier that Orongorongo Station used to have up at the bridge is gone, replaced by a lower fence that you can just lift your bike over.
It’s a great ride around there, although tough on a road bike with panniers! It would make a good weekend Club trip in combination with the Rimutuka Incline – there’s an excellent DOC campsite at Ocean Beach.
– Harry
