It was always going to be a feat to
top last year’s Southern Alps Rallye,
yet trading up epic mountains for
breathtaking coasts – and throwing
in an Ultimate Race challenge for added
entertainment – resulted in a truly
remarkable week of adventure for the
2018 KTM New Zealand Adventure Rallye
riders.
For six days and over 1700km, 101 KTM
adventure riders, three pillions and 25
staff were treated to the best tracks
the Northland and Coromandel regions
had to offer, through way of local route
coordinators Barry Reiher, Mike Johansen,
Shaun Prescott and KTM Adventure
Ambassador Chris Birch – who just so
happens to be a Coromandel local.
Throw in special guests, V8 Supercars
legend Greg Murphy, 5-time American
National Enduro Champion Russell
Bobbitt as well as riders from 13 different
nationalities, and the third annual KTM
NZ Adventure Rallye was set to deliver an
unforgettable outstanding experience.
Starting at the iconic Bay of Islands, riders
explored the Northland region for three
days with highlights including: stopping by
Tane Mahuta, New Zealand’s oldest living
Kauri tree; riding East Beach with its pure
white silica sand; visiting the lighthouse at
Cape Reinga, the northern most accessible
point of NZ; traversing the zig-zagging
Te Paki Steam, next to the great Te Paki
Dunes to access the iconic Ninety Mile
Beach; and exclusive access to outstanding
sandy pine forest tracks and private farms
overlooking stunning coastal waters.
A final send-off from Northland at The
Butter Factory in Whangarei saw plenty of
laughs as stories started to emerge - the
winner being an epic tale of a drowned
1090 rescued from a 10-foot-deep hole
to one side of a water crossing. Riders
were then off through Auckland to
Thames on Day 4 for the Coromandel leg,
as well as the start of the Ultimate Race
Qualifications.
KIWI RIDER 93