The Abandoned Manawatu Gorge Road by bike and drone

[@markallison4794]

Traversed that road probably a couple of hundred times in the 1960s and early 70s, had no idea til now it was abandoned. I still recognised a lot of the bends from the drone! Also flew through it once in a Cessna 180 with the tops in cloud when I and my pilot really, really needed to get back to Hastings from Whanganui. Probably a stupid thing to do, but it was exhilarating! That has triggered a lot of memories. Thanks.

[@choppersworld5094]

now they make us go over the saddle and that rd can't handle the traffic and keeps falling apart. a new one is built buy its 2 years behind finish date

[@napoleonnz]

Brought back memories from the 1950's when a mate and I would ride through the gorge early morning from Palmy on the motorbike so we could fish the Mangatainoka Stream before it joined the Manawatu river. Caught some lovely brown trout there...Wrapped in wet newspaper into the embers of the campfire then eaten while hot for breakfast! I guess there are other temptations for 18 year old boys now . Always a thrill to ride through in the dark, about 3am with all the gear strapped on. That's why I love watching Geoff's videos, so much beautiful NZ unspoilt country still to be seen, even if at 79 years now it's vicarious viewing....

[@brucet8551]

Thanks Geoff for another great video.you certainly went the extra mile for us there by doing it by bike.

[@StephSancia]

road aside there is some absolutely breathtaking scenery here, absolutely stunning ! fabulous work with the filming 🙃

[@Phil-oj5nr]

Another great video, Geoff! Drove the gorge road many times from the 1960’s until closure.

[@BradMottram]

A couple of years ago I walked somewhere between 2 to 3 km’s of it from the Ashhurst side. Such an amazing experience seeing nature take over again the little trees growing in the middle of the road where the cracks had formed.

[@donhodson68]

What beautiful Highway, shame it has been abandoned, gd to see you are going to keep well hydrated, thanx 4 sharing , cheers Don

[@davidwisternoff5548]

That's a great video Geoff, a very spectacular bit of road. Maybe next time you are at Arthur's Pass you could fly your drone over the Otira zig-zag. That's post-apocalyptic too.

[@warrenjohnknight.9831]

One can definitely appreciate the concerns and extreme difficulties of maintaining such a highway, it's basically not a normal highway that can just continue as it is,

[@mauricebrown9094]

I love the Manawatu Gorge. Have fond memories of riding the old bone shaker trains through there.

[@chriskiwi2601]

Very good Geoff. A unique view of a once well used road. Many thanks. 😊

[@PS-Straya_M8]

Thanks for the video. Loved the drone shots! 😁

[@laurencecharlton8760]

People in danniverke said it was a joke when they closed it!!Railway still going however,happy days,was there in 2019.🇬🇧👍

[@crochetingaroundnewzealand]

Always hated driving thru there with the bits of road broken off. Someone told me the Americans wanted to build a bridge right down the middle during the war days. Practical but ugly. Great video.

[@yogibear4682]

wow, think of the billions spent building that road, now worthless. Incredible. Looks like a few good fishing spots in the river. Thanks for sharing.

[@T.O.516]

Home! Miss that place, lived on the hill behind Ashhurst, house looked straight up the gorge, blows like a bugger. My thing was to ride my old Honda XL175 through the gorge and back. Sad to see it closed. Thanks for the memories

[@uncriticalthinkerNZ]

Twenty years living in Wellington, and travelling to Hawke’s Bay to see family made that route a very familiar one.

[@LiamClaytonMedia]

The Waioeka gorge could easily end up the same. Hope not though as we don’t have many alternatives haha. Epic vid as always 👍

[@jasinmarch8240]

Ole mate is sure set for an adventure 😂😂😂”we’ll that’s lunch sorted” 😂😂

[@1magnit]

A rare geological feature where a river cuts through a mountain range. The mountains will keep rising, the river will keep cutting through the mountain and the sides will keep falling into the river.

[@paulveenings6861]

Not that rear in NZ . 🙂

[@1magnit]

@@paulveenings6861 name another?

[@paulveenings6861]

@@1magnit Buller gorge , Hokatika gorge even the Hunua gorge . Or are they different , honest question . 🙂

[@1magnit]

@@paulveenings6861 Not one of them cuts through a mountain range

[@selfpowerenquiries3154]

@@1magnit Ohinemuri river , Karangahake gorge?

[@shaunandsqueak]

always wondered why they didn't put concrete like "tunnels" where it was eroding hardout and just let the rock carry on falling over the top...or was the road or base pretty shit too? any opinions out there? I wont say how fast... but man this road at night...so much fun...

[@mikemtbyeti1]

Hi Geoff, do you live nearby to it.i aim to do it very soon

[@waynesmith2287]

Love the helicopter sound track over the drone video!

[@antipropo461]

Lived in Woodville,drove that road many times,best at night because you could cut the corners,see the lights of oncoming vehicles.

[@joanforrest3141]

Drove this road many times North pulling a trailer loaded with timber on the trailer, often anxious but the views were stunning.

[@R580NZ]

Nice work Geoff. My father bolted on lot of older guard rail sections hanging over side in Ministry of Works days. Check out my run through in a Scania few years back, one of NZ’s iconic driver roads of all time.

[@miken4591]

The local council needs to open this road to hikers and bikers. This a perfect post-disaster route and would be major attraction. I often walk the road one way and return via the hill track. Good 3-4 hour hike. The council doesn’t need to do anything - just clear a path over two of the slips. However I expect that nanny state safety rules mean they can’t do that (?) It’ll be fascinating watching it slowly revert to nature.

[@Sharel-ik2rn]

Moved from Hastings to porrirua in the 90s always use to travel this gorge back to the bay to Visit famz ... I can't even remember the last time I travelled this way because eventually I moved to the waikato before the gorge was abandoned ... Tbh I would love to bike this road an ebike or scooter maybe lol good work .... 👍

[@dufus7396]

I couldnt believe it..thought it was closed because of cyclone Gabriel..when I saw trees growing in it ..such a fun drive..it was

[@keacoq]

I would appreciate more comment about actually using it. Can you (walk/ride.ride while walking the bike sometimes) the whole length? Are there parts that are evidently dangerous to walk/ride. Are their signs/fences/gates that limit access?

[@danielread7642]

The answer to your question is no your not allowed to walk or ride on the road . Yes there is parts that are just to dangours to even be . The section in the vedio were he walks over the slip and says there's a road under there I can tell you there isn't at all we had cleared the slip enough to see that . Over night it come down again and re buried everything again not long after that we were pulled out of there for good .

[@Tomdogful]

Daniel Read, who is ‘we’?

[@madpete6438]

Yep - I rode this road so many times on various motorbikes - stunning.

[@selfpowerenquiries3154]

Never a option to reopen as a road. but I think it would be great as a cycle trail Put a predator proof fence down the centreline , that would double as a small rock fence. Close when heavy rain is likely to cause major rockfall.

[@danielread7642]

@@soniamartin2007 you reckon so do you I worked on there clearing the slip that closed it the road has complete gone under the slip we saw that when we cleared it enough that's not long after that we were pulled out of there it was just to dangours to work in there any more especially after what they found above the slip huge cracks . Accept the fact the road has had its day and is closed for good .

[@GordonWishart]

Spectacular scenery. Great video

[@ianknapman-smith4972]

I was wondering exactly this when I watched your video of the train heading through recently. I grew up in Ashhurst.

[@glendafield9797]

Is it my imagination or does that river look cleaner these days

[@jacqepapara7898]

So sad they closed the Gorge😢was a beautiful scenic drive between Palmy and Woodville. At least the train still rolls through there😊 ❤

[@johncarman7182]

Hey Geoff, when was this filmed. Heard they just barriered it up but im keen to explore. Same as you, interested to see when nature takes back

[@user-uy6uc5ey5q]

He climbed around or over the barriers - it why he didn't film it.

[@tonymckeage1028]

Great Video Geoff, well done

[@crnwalker]

Hahaha I loved the beginning. The lunch pack 🤣

[@jimcrawford5039]

Very interesting. Stunning gorge!

[@allgood6760]

Thanks mate... nice scenery 👍🇳🇿

[@K1VV1939]

Yes what will New Zealand look like after we destroy ourselves - I think that question comes with age - I can only say that if I don't spray my driveway every year it turns into a 4x4 track and now since Gabrielle some of my 4x4 tracks are a 7 meter drop - awesome video thanks

[@976mmcd]

Few places you could drop a hook into that creek right from behind the guardrail. Good stuff 👍😎

[@brucehowe194]

You can also do this sort of exploration on parts of the old Taupo to Napier road.

[@stevehutchesson1321]

What a shame the road was damaged, great location and even better motorcycle riding. I guess it was a combination of cost and safety that it has not been repaired.

[@rossinnz]

Nice one. Cheers, mate

[@craigperry7376]

Can’t believe the Gorge road has been abandoned. I use to live in Eketahuna & had many trips to Pamly across that route. It looks like it could be fixed up, after all the Govt spent billions on Kaikoura Coast road. Perhaps give it back to the Maori & they could make money by putting Toll on its travellers. That works here in SE Qld🇳🇿🐨

[@user-uy6uc5ey5q]

The section where they had to ride up over the dirt was checked extensively by several different geotech engineers and due to fault-lines and geology there was no cost effective wsy to safety remove what is basically a slow moving landslip. The Kaikoura Coast road rebuild was, despite its massive slips was made much easier as the coast along where the really massive landslides happened also had a lot of new land lifted sometimes 6 metres out of the ocean. Large parts of the new state highway 1 along the coast have been realigned away from the cliffs it previously had been cut into the side of previously. The new highway across the Ruahines are about halfway through building just to the North of the Gorge, has projected costs something like a 3rd of what trying to get a permanent fix for the Gorge rd would have been - with the engineers saying even throwing all the extra money at the gorge route wouldn't have guaranteed a fix as they ultimately wouldn't know the detailed geology until a huge amount of excavation had taken place.

[@jessn7542]

Very cool bike adventure!

[@gibraltarbritish6871]

Why is it not possible to do what the Swiss have done? A series of gantries to shield the road from rockfalls etc. Not hard to do..

[@waiskuxx]

Cost

[@glynnismacpherson504]

Is it a cycle trail already? Would love to do it if it was. I would like the train ride as well, not chance of that I suppose. Enjoyed going on the trip via the video with you, it will have to suffice for now me thinks👍👍

[@user-uy6uc5ey5q]

The active landslip which closed the road prevents a safe legal trail being built. Geoff had to climb over a barrier and ignored a number of large signs warning of the danger. Hence why he doesn't film from the beginning of bike ride, just this central section.

[@glynnismacpherson504]

@@user-uy6uc5ey5q Thanks for the info, makes alot more sense now I know. Thanks again 👍

[@okcantbelieveit294]

Judging by the gurgling and gasping I’d say someone is close to having a heart attack!😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@waiskuxx]

The river looks like it’s filled with algae. Yikes.

[@leswroe8803]

What’s the point of having your helmet hanging on the back and not on your head. Hate to see even a small Rock hit you 🤔

[@brittenv1000]

Been through there many z time. Can't believe I won't drive it again

[@anthonyclayden7717]

Man! why is your helmet dangling off the back of your bike? you can still skid on loose gravel and go down that drop whether or not there’s any cars

[@billyhume59]

it don't look to bad they should open it up again maybe only to light traffic . Keep the heavy trucks off it .

[@michellepatterson5487]

Beautiful

[@Kiwiluv4tunes]

Didn’t even know they road was inactive…..wow,

[@paulholmes1181]

the helicopter noise loled me

[@merledoughty5787]

The Awakino and the Waikoweka Gorge are ones that have problems so why not fix this up, hell in Europe they have far worse well difficult terrain for traffic and they create things that any slip will slide over, I would take a trail bike over this road

[@paulcritchley464]

I don't understand why anybody would carry their helmet on the back of the bike. No use on the back when you come off. Are the cops going to do anything. So why take the helmet. Its a bit dumb Ho maybe they don't want to upset their hair Nice video work Cheers

[@Tomdogful]

Yes I agree. And ones head cracks like a water melon when impacted with a hard sharp surface.

[@geoffbracefield6271]

It would be good to see this scenic route upgraded for cyclists to use

[@rerehuia709]

Awww man that was a awesome road. Why close such a jewel. Improve it and make walk trails, picnic and overnight camp spots......tourism etc And just for us Kiwis too.

[@BenDavey-xp1cv]

Geoffrey stop what your doing and get out of the gorge before you get hurt or killed by a lose boulder rolling down the gorge hills and stay away from the gorge bush walk areas the gorge and bush walks were closed permanently for safety reasons.

[@geoffmackley]

Yo Ben, I just read your message, hectic, Lord Jesus, I ran for my life.... thank you. PS, are you currently time travelling in interstellar space, faster than the speed of light, because I left the gorge 2 years ago ...?

[@boboften9952]

Road crew's a bit late lol

[@bennygeorge922]

Looks like s very good place to grow some real weed I can smoke and enjoy for my self won't be short of water

[@Polysingh_]

Life after humans lol

[@stevenwhite7496]

Strange How its safe to hike and bike ride yet a few hours work with a Cat 966 or 996 would clean that small pile dirt up The mad left wing in charge over there million $$$ road closed just as to a small rock pile

[@bazza3643]

Bit more than a small pile of dirt. At 2.30 the road bridge has collapsed and at 5.30 another large slip. The sides of the Manawatu Gorge are very unstable, and the vibrations of the 500 plus, 50 to 60 tonne trucks that used the road every day through the gorge have added to the earth slips in the gorge.

[@user-uy6uc5ey5q]

It closed to hikers and biking. Geoff and his mate had to climb over barriers and walk pass sign telling them its not safe. That section where lots of drone footage is an active slip the engineers couldn't stabilise despite many attempts. . Eventually the viaducts will get taken out and the unpredictably of when this will happen is the reason for the closure.

[@elgreyham2789]

I'm sure if it was as easy as moving a small pile of dirt they would have done it.🤦‍♂️