Mountain madness in Kiwiland!
The amazing ride over the Rimutaka Range from New Zealand’s capital, Wellington, to the Wairapapa region is worth the cost of getting to Kiwiland. But the effort is worth even more in late March, when the bike-mad locals run the annual Cliffhanger hillclimb.
The King of the Cliffhanger title goes to the fastest rider up a 6.1km closed road that climbs 300m in altitude and has 27 corners. It’s located on Te Wharau Road at Gladstone, near historic Greytown, last year named New Zealand’s ‘most beautiful small town’.
The event caters for professionals, amateurs, weekend heroes, or anyone who wants to scream up this primo twisty hill in a race against the clock.
Only Ireland has more real road racing than New Zealand, and all the events are run by clubs or groups of individuals who have formed associations to meet legal requirements. In this instance, co-founder Doug Fairbrother and his mates in the Greytown Racing Team have formed Cliffhanger Promotions to manage and run their event.
It also relies on a huge effort from homeowners and farmers who live on the road, as well as co-operation from the local council, paramedics and police.
Fairbrother grew up in the area and ever since he blatted up Te Wharau Rd as a teenager on a Triumph, he realised the potential. But it took him until the late 1990s to get the event going.
The road is spectacular. It even passes a hydro dam as it reaches towards the clouds, and the road surface is good, with only a few bumps and ruts to challenge rider and machine. But there are blind, fast corners. For half its distance the road clings to the hillside, then cuts through the surrounding farmland in a series of sweeping curves.
Anyone can enter. Riders are given clear instructions on the potential dangers, and organisers keep a close eye on individuals and their abilities during the first day of the weekend-long event.
Trials are timed, with riders leaving one minute apart. ‘The closed road means having the full width to yourself, which newcomers take a couple of runs to understand. Racing the clock with an empty road ahead can become very addictive and many riders return year after year. Or are they just building up a thirst for the obligatory debrief at the Greytown Hotel, run by fun-loving Irish couple Ursula and Tony?
A regular Cliffhanger participant, Tony’s hardest decision is which bike to race.
Perhaps the words of world-famous Kiwi mountain climber, Sir Edmund Hilary, sum this weekend up: “It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.”
Men and their machines
Jon Ryder
Suzuki GSX-R1000
“I’m the proud owner of a 2009 Suzuki GSX-R1000, and a keen follower of Ireland and the Isle of Man road racing scene, as well as New Zealand’s Paeroa and Wanganui street races.
“It took me a decade or so to find the ‘plums’ to give the Cliffhanger a go. That all changed last year when a mate and I rode down on our ‘run what ya brung’ bikes, along with fairly average tyres – and had a blast!
“The road, the valley, the twists and turns, the personal challenge of pitting yourself against the clock, the social camaraderie with like-minded people, the larrikinism that takes place in the paddock on the Saturday evening… it all makes for a welcome breath of fresh air, a fantastic weekend of camping, and wide open throttle action away from the busy-ness of life.”
Grunta Homan
BMW S1000R
“Ever since reading an article on the Cliffhanger in AMCN a decade ago, I dreamed of riding this road. After being gifted some dosh for my 60th I finally did it this year.
“I shipped my BMW S1000R over from Brisbane and set out from Wellington to find the Gladstone road. An hour or so later I was over the Rimutakas and outside the Greytown Hotel, where I ran into Tony, the publican and a committee member of Greytown Racing. Then the infamous Doug Fairbrother turned up for a beer. Brilliant. I was set.
“This is an awesome stretch of bitumen and on race day you own the road, from top to bottom and both sides! The challenge is to see how far and how fast you can push yourself. The comradeship is incredible and I will be back.”
Drew Mair
Kawasaki ZX-12R outfit
“I’ve been racing the Cliffhanger for about 10 years.
“The first year was a pissing contest between my brother Jimmy and myself. I never expected to win it outright; I just wanted to be quicker than him. But I did win it, in front of an international reporter (AMCN’s then editor, Mick Matheson) and all!
“I race a sidecar now (a Kawasaki ZX-12R) with Alan Denovan as my swinger. We’re fairly motivated to win the event outright on a chair. So that’s the goal now.”
Craig Howley
Kawasaki ZX-10R
“If you can’t get to the Cliffhanger, try to make the sprints. This year was my second flying quarter-mile and I was blessed to have a friend lend me his 2004 Kawasaki ZX-10R. So I was out to push for the fastest I have ever been on a bike.
“The feeling I had coming round the first corner and opening up the throttle can’t be described. Nothing else is going through your mind, just the here and now. It is bliss to me. I got a 264km/h for the day. I will be back and aiming for 300km/h.”
By Berni Homan & Hamish Cooper