The Milk and Honey Race 2012


DATE: Sunday 28 October 2012 -8am-9am registration
Start and finish in Takaka, Golden Bay. Start will be from Library carpark, rolling start down Reilly St, turn right into Commercial St. Actual start point at 100kph sign at south end of township. Finish at same point, roll into town and back to carpark.
Meeting Point: Library Carpark, Takaka, off main street (Commercial St).
Times:
Registration 8-9am.
Start time: 10.00 am.
Race briefing: 9.30am.
Cutoff at transition: 12.30 pm
Prizegiving: 3.00pm Roots Bar, Commercial St, Takaka
Winning Time: Leg 1    1.11.36    Leg 2      1.31.88    Total 2.43.24
Slowest time:    Leg 1    2.30.25    Leg 2      2.39.75    Total 5.10.00
The Golden Bay “Milk and Honey” race is a special event that incorporates the two disciplines of road biking, and mountain biking combining them into one ride. It includes a road climb of 790 metres up Takaka Hill, and continues down the Rameka track, one of NZ’s classic downhill single track mountain bike rides.
The Milk (road bike section)
Starting from Takaka, riders will head south for the first 22km up the Takaka valley to Upper Takaka where the hill climb starts in earnest. From Upper Takaka you will have a climb of 10km gaining another 690 metres making this side of Takaka hill the biggest paved road climb in New Zealand, in terms of the height gained in the shortest distance.
The Honey (mountain bike section)
At 36km there will be a transition from road to mountain bike and a further 28km to negotiate back towards Takaka by way of Canaan Downs, incorporating the ‘Rollercoaster’ and the Rameka track, the original route into Golden Bay as travelled by the early settlers.
Having dropped to 670 metres at the transition point there is still a climb of 200 metres to Canaan Saddle.You will turn off the road at 45km and take in 2 km of the grade 3 ‘Roller-coaster’ section of the Canaan Main Loop, before exiting in the car park of Harwoods Hole. A short uphill climb takes you to the start of the Rameka track, signposted left before the top of the climb. From here you are in for a treat. Almost 15km of prime technical singletrack awaits you, including the grade 3+ Rameka Track, The Pack Track (3+),  the grade 2 Great Expectations. Across the creek the “The Klicks” have two more grade 3+ sections of track that run alongside the road. Out onto the road you will follow Glenview Rd, Central Takaka Road, Dodsons Rd and then the main highway to a finish at the entrance to Takaka.
Entry Fee Details:
$45 per person. ($90 for teams). $30 for under 18. Payable to Golden Bay Mountain Bike Club.
Registration Details:
Registration closes Monday 22 October 2012 at 10.00pm. Registrations online at www.milkandhoneyrace.com or by post to 48 Rocklands Rd, RD1 Takaka 7183
Contact Details:
www.milkandhoneyrace.com 
Rob Dawson: deezal@gmail.com, 0212603216
Brian Alder: brian193a@gmail.com, 027 2921799
More information:
The Milk and Honey Race involves two disciplines (for most), mountain biking and road riding. Whether riding as a team of two or solo, bikes and for teams, people, need to be transported up to the transition area at the Canaan Rd junction of Hwy 60. It is essential that bikes and second riders are loaded and travelling by the required times.