Woodcock Road

[Dave Ross]

#1571

Just got back from a ride. We went on Woodcock Road. That road has deteriorated very rapidly. I suspect the logging trucks are causing the damage. Some guy is making loads of money from trees and the rest of us can pay for the roading he has ruined.

Highway 16 is not much better, a huge part of the road has collapsed and they've fixed it with a Give Way sign. Well done. The seal seems to be already melting in places. I suppose it's time to go slow.

[Xan]

#5565

We missed you.
We rode SH16 and Woodcock Rd today too.

I noticed that many parts of roads were "shiny" that the seal was melting...
Someone told me before that they mix too much diesel into the seal to make road works cheaper 🙁

[Jim Young]

#5566

We were talking about the amount of shiny tar on the roads at lunch today.
Ive never seen so much of it before and it certainly doesnt inspire me with confidence cornering through it in the dry and it will be really dodgy in the wet.
It was bad enough with the tar "snakes" but at least you could avoid them but these cover the whole road, so take it easy out there Guys and Gals as it will only get worse as the weather warms up.

[Anonymous]

#5567

Youngjim wrote:

We were talking about the amount of shiny tar on the roads at lunch today.
Ive never seen so much of it before and it certainly doesnt inspire me with confidence cornering through it in the dry and it will be really dodgy in the wet.
It was bad enough with the tar "snakes" but at least you could avoid them but these cover the whole road, so take it easy out there Guys and Gals as it will only get worse as the weather warms up.

These no tar on gravel rides!!!! 8)

[Arne Rohde]

#5568

Kokopelli wrote:

Some guy is making loads of money from trees and the rest of us can pay for the roading he has ruined.

With the current high NZ dollar, and the low commodity prices, I doubt anyone is making loads of money from trees. Exporters are really hurting at the moment, while importers are making 'loads of money' by not reducing prices in line with exchange rates. Except for a few like Honda, who have reduced the prices of some of their bikes.

Trees take a minimum of about 25 years to mature. During that time the landowner is paying rates to the local council. Including roading charges for roads that are unused for all except a few weeks or months at harvesting time. Compare this to a dairy farm, paying perhaps the same rates, but being visited by a huge milk tanker almost every day of the year, for the same 25 years.

[Dave Ross]

#5569

The reason I wrote this is because I know that the road was in excellent condition prior to the logging on top of that hill. I am sure that the roading charges that trucks pay do not make up for the damage trucks cause, be it logging or general transport. In the mean time the rail system is being underutilized.

Reads to me like you might own some trees yourself :-)? I am not a great fan of trucks, although I know that we would struggle without them.

On the otherhand it could be that the roads were substandard to begin with. Considering that there is no frost to speak of, these roads should last forever.

New Zealand businesses do have a history of taking advantage of monopolies to the detriment of their fellow countrymen. People who plant trees do it for potential profit. They take a risk, they expect to make money. I am not about to feel sorry for them if they get their timing wrong.

Bottom line is that the roads are in a pitiful condition and I doubt that the cars were the culprit.

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