The best motorcycle roads in New Zealand's North Island
The twistiest paved roads in New Zealand's North Island, from Ahu Ahu Valley Road in Whanganui District on down. Distances, how twisty each one is and how to string them into a ride.
New Zealand’s North Island has a lot of tarmac. We sorted through 301 named paved roads to find the ones worth leaning into.
The headliners
Ahu Ahu Valley Road
In Whanganui District. 15 km, about 20 minutes at a relaxed pace.
Twistiness: ●●●●● Hairpin heaven
Kaiwhata Road
In Carterton District. 13 km, about 15 minutes at a relaxed pace.
Twistiness: ●●●●● Hairpin heaven
Kauarapaoa Road
In Whanganui District. 16 km, about 20 minutes at a relaxed pace.
Twistiness: ●●●●● Hairpin heaven
Aotea Road
Near Aotea Great Barrier. 21 km, about 30 minutes at a relaxed pace.
Twistiness: ●●●●● Hairpin heaven
Makara Road
Near Wellington. 11 km, about 15 minutes at a relaxed pace.
Twistiness: ●●●●● Hairpin heaven
When you want to settle in
Not every ride is about hairpins. These are longer paved roads that keep twisting the whole way, good for a long cruise where you can find a rhythm.
- Akatarawa Road, near Upper Hutt: 30 km
- Wharerata Road, in Gisborne District: 29 km
- Opaki Kaiparoro Road, in Masterton District: 28 km
How we picked them
We looked at the shape of every named paved road in New Zealand’s North Island and measured how much each one bends along its length. Then we ranked them by bends per distance, so a short hairpin road and a long mountain highway are compared fairly. Gravel, tracks, residential streets and anything under about 10 km are left out.
What this does not tell you: how nice the scenery is, how good the surface is, how busy the road gets, or whether it is closed for snow. Check before you go, especially in the mountains and in winter. Then ride it and see for yourself.
Turn it into a ride
Open the MotoRidez planner and link a few of these into a loop, or hit Surprise Me and let it pick a twisty route from wherever you are. Every ride you record is remembered, so next time it can send you down roads you have not tried yet.
Questions riders ask
What is the twistiest motorcycle road in New Zealand's North Island?
Ahu Ahu Valley Road in Whanganui District. It is 15 km long and bends more for its length than any other named paved road of that size in New Zealand's North Island.
How do you work out which New Zealand's North Island roads are twisty?
We measure how much each road bends along its length from its shape on the map, then rank roads by bends per distance. Gravel, tracks and residential streets are left out.
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