Last Sunday Run – Parua Bay Old Coach Road – April 2023

The Parua Bay Old Coach Road is our alternate location for April’s last Sunday run. We are running a mostly single trail loop, with sections of gravel road especially for the longer distance options. Everyone who has done this loop has said it’s excellent but can be technical depending on the conditions.

RULE #1: You will be running through a live farm, make sure everyone closes all gates. Don’t let Hatea down by leaving a gate open please.

RULE #2: We are fairly remote, in an unfamiliar location, please make sure you take packs, with some nutrition, water and basic safety gear (safety blanket) and a rain jacket weather depending. Be safe… there’s limited cell coverage. However, there is an access road from the top along the ridgeline which you will run along.

RULE #3: The course could be quite muddy and slippery, please wear trail shoes. If you don’t, that’s your choice, you were warned.

When & Where?

We have 3 different start locations for this one, since all options include the loop and to spread out the parking availability each distance gradually starts further along the road.

9.5km The Loop

Parking is at a premium for this loop, so if you can, please car pool. The owners of the property have requested that we do NOT park in the layby next to their gate. But instead park in the layby before that one.

This is a photo of the 2 laybys, with my back to the first gate you will need to close as you pass through. I’m looking towards the direction you will arrive from in this photo. People use the space marked with the red X to turn around.

Click the image below to get directions, do this before you head out, since there is no cell coverage once you get further along the road. But, the roads are well sign posted, you turn off Whangarei Heads road, onto Taraunui road and you stay on that one through various junctions. Eventually Taraunui road will end and you will have the choice of turning right for Telfer Road or Waiparera Road… you need to turn left down Waiparera. Park in the layby with the red soil/gravel.

It’s best you follow this course counter clockwise and for those of you with maps on your watch, please load it up before you head out. There’s next to no cell coverage, so having the map on your watch as a fall back is a good thing. Click on the image below to check out the course profile and statistics.

17km The Loop plus gravel road

For this option, you just park sooner / earlier and run to the location where the 9.5km runners start. There is some space to park on the side of the road just after the bridge and before the various junctions. Click on the image below to get directions to this location from where ever you are.

From this start point, the gravel roads start straight away and you are soon running through the bush. Again this loop is setup to go counter clockwise. Click on the map below to check out the Strava route.

22km The Loop plus gravel road plus tar seal

The longest option I’m going to upload to this post starts from a layby just after the first bridge you drive over heading along Taraunui Road. It’s likely farmers are coming and going through this layby, so please park considerately. Click on the image below to get the GPS waypoint for directions.

This route starts and ends on tar seal. So you will get a nice variety of surfaces on this baby with some nice vert and runnable hills in parts. Counter clockwise is recommended, but if you want to hike up some grunty vert then run down some easier declines, then you can tackle the loop clockwise instead. Click on the map below to check it out on Strava.

Post Run Coffee

We will be going to Smith & Local Parua Bay at the Parua Bay shops this time. Coffee is great and the food decadent. For those who just want to run further… park at the shops and do the loop for a 27km run, the last hill coming back up Taraunui Road is a true delight.

See you all there!!