Last updated November 2026
Old road tunnels are a feature of north Taranaki’s back roads, and the Uruti Valley Loop takes you through the longest of them.
The Taranaki Trails Trust lists it as a 45 km loop on a mix of tar seal and gravel, suggesting a start and finish at Café 487, and puts it at the “just starting out” end of its gravel rides.
The loop includes about 12 km of State Highway 3 and passes through the 200 m Uruti Tunnel, built in 1916. Herenga ā Nuku gives it a bike grade of 3 and notes the route is not signposted.
For a longer, hillier day near Uruti, the Five Tunnel Loop over Mt Messenger is described below. Neither ride has a status page, so check NZTA’s state highway updates before you go.
Practical Information
- Start
- Café 487, Uruti (Taranaki Trails Trust gravel page, 2022)
- Distance from the city
- The trust’s riders drove about 40 minutes north to Uruti (ride report, March 2026)
- Length
- About 45 km loop
- Surface
- Tar seal and gravel, including about 12 km of State Highway 3
- Grade
- Bike grade 3 (Herenga ā Nuku)
- Tunnel
- Uruti Tunnel, 200 m, built 1916; lights recommended
- Signage
- Not signposted
- Roads managed by
- New Plymouth District Council and NZTA
- Status
- Check NZTA’s traffic and travel updates for State Highway 3 closures before you ride
About Uruti Valley Loop
Gravel riding sits between road cycling and mountain biking, and the Taranaki Trails Trust picks the Uruti Valley Loop as the place to start. It mixes sealed and gravel country roads in the Uruti valley in north Taranaki, with a stretch on the state highway to close the loop.
The highlight is the Uruti Tunnel, sometimes called the Tangitu tunnel. Built in 1916 to join two roads through a steep ridge, it is the longest road tunnel in Taranaki at 200 m. The trust notes that its floor is not level and steepens partway through. Lights are recommended inside.
Because the route is not signposted, load it onto a device or carry a map. The trust points riders to the Find My Adventure listings for its gravel routes.
The Five Tunnel Loop
The trust’s gravel page also lists a Kiwi Road loop based near Uruti, a 55 km ride with a few more hills, and Herenga ā Nuku lists the Kiwi Road Loop at 56 km with about 750 m of climbing.
In March 2026 the trust wrote up a Five Tunnel Loop ridden on e-bikes from Uruti, using Kiwi Road and Moki Road, both gravel. The route below follows that account; it gives no total distance.
Mt Messenger and Okau Road
The loop starts with about 9 km on State Highway 3 north to Mt Messenger and through the Mt Messenger Tunnel (1916), the shortest of the five.
After the descent and about 2 km more on the highway, it turns off at Ahititi onto Okau Road, a narrow sealed road beside the Tongaporutu River. About 5 km on, the road crosses the river and goes into the Okau Road Tunnel, built in 1932 under a government employment scheme during the Depression.
Kiwi Road
About 7 km further up Okau Road, Kiwi Road brings the gravel and a 5 km climb through native trees to the Kiwi Road Tunnel (1915), sometimes called the Eastern Kiwi Road Tunnel.
Beyond it the road crosses farmland for about 13 km of gravel, past the Rerekapa Track entrance. There are gates across the road: leave them as you find them. Sheep often wander on the road, so slow down and give them room.
Moki Road and back through Uruti
At the end of Kiwi Road, turn right onto Moki Road and climb about 2 km to the Moki Road Tunnel (1913), 180 m long and sometimes known as the Western Kiwi Road Tunnel.
Moki Road follows a ridge on gravel past grey papa rock cliffs, where the trust saw signs of rock falls, then drops about 5 km to Uruti Road. Turn left up Uruti Road to the Uruti Tunnel, the fifth, then ride about 11 km down to Uruti. Take care crossing State Highway 3 at the end.
Riding on State Highway 3
Both loops use State Highway 3, the main road north from New Plymouth. NPDC’s riding advice is to stick to off-road paths and local roads and avoid state highways where you can, so plan these stretches carefully. Check NZTA’s traffic and travel updates for road works or closures before you set out.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How long is the Uruti Valley Loop?
About 45 km, on a mix of tar seal and gravel.
Where does it start?
The Taranaki Trails Trust starts and finishes it at Café 487 at Uruti, on State Highway 3.
How hard is it?
The trust lists it for riders just starting out on gravel, and Herenga ā Nuku gives it bike grade 3. The trust’s Kiwi Road loop is longer, with more hills.
Do I need lights?
Lights are recommended for the 200 m Uruti Tunnel.
Is the route signposted?
No. Take a map or GPS route with you.
How many tunnels can I ride through?
The trust’s Five Tunnel Loop takes in five: Mt Messenger (1916), Okau Road (1932), Kiwi Road (1915), Moki Road (1913) and Uruti (1916).
Does it use the state highway?
Yes. The Uruti Valley Loop includes about 12 km of State Highway 3, and the Five Tunnel Loop rides it over Mt Messenger.
Spotted something incorrect on this page? Let us know.
Related links 2
- Taranaki Trails Trust: Gravel riding: the Uruti Valley Loop, Kiwi Road loop and other Taranaki gravel routes.
- Taranaki Trails Trust: Five Tunnel Loop: a ride report with the tunnels and turn-offs. Herenga ā Nuku Aotearoa, Outdoor Access Commission, from LINZ and DOC data (CC BY 4.0).