If uncertainties caused by COVID are not enough, a major music festival has recently been given permission to run their event in Whitianga on the same weekend as the K2. While the festival is on the Sunday, it will increase traffic volumes on the road and reports from cyclists are that it is already putting pressure on securing accommodation in Whitianga.

We fear that the running of a safe and sustainable event will be put in jeopardy if we stay with the start and finish in Whitianga.

For these reasons, we have decided to move the start/ finish location to Coromandel Town. This will mean that K2 cyclists are less likely to encounter festival traffic on the Kopu- Hikuai Road than with a Whitianga start. There is plenty of accommodation in Coromandel and we are currently working with local providers to obtain discounts for K2 riders. We will provide you with a list of those we have been able to secure next Tuesday.

It also brings us back to our Coromandel routes for the 20th running of this event.

We do apologise for any inconvenience that this change may bring, especially for those of you who have booked accommodation already, and hope that it does not distract from your experience of this epic ride.