The Kahurangi 500 is one of those routes that sits in the back of every New Zealand bikepacker’s mind. It loops around the northwestern side of the South Island, weaving through the Kahurangi National Park and the rugged landscapes that surround it. Most riders start in Motueka and cover roughly 500 kilometres. For filmmaker and rider Lester Perry, the lap got stretched a little longer. To simplify logistics, his crew rolled from Nelson instead, turning the route into a 610 kilometre mission that they now call the K6.
The Kahurangi loop attracts all sorts of riders. Some chase fastest known times. Others settle into holiday mode and cruise hut to hut with no rush at all. Lester’s crew was a mix of personalities and past lives: ex-downhillers turned Enduro dads, an Ironman, and even a winner of the iconic Melbourne to Warrnambool race. They wanted the perfect middle ground. Push hard enough to feel it, but keep the wheels on with decent sleep, proper food, and time to sit around and talk about the glory days.
Lester brought a Kona Hei Hei Carbon along for the ride as part of a long-range test for NZ Mountain Biker Magazine, putting the bike through every type of terrain the K6 had to offer. Long climbs, rough backcountry descents, river flats, gravel, singletrack, and everything in between. The Hei Hei was built for big days and mixed terrain, and the Kahurangi loop gave it the exact kind of workout it was designed for.
His film captures all of it. The riding. The terrain. The characters. The tired laughs. The moments that only happen when a group of riders spends four days pedalling, eating, and drifting between effort and storytelling.
Hit play and take a trip into one of the South Island’s most rewarding backcountry loops.
