NZToday-Collectors Edition Walks and Cycle Trails 2022

Walk & Cycle Trails 2022 Collector's Edition NZTODAY RV LIFESTYLE Walk & Cycle Trails 2022 Collector's Edition 30+ North & South Island trails including: JOIN THE E-BIKE CRAZE 12 NZ Cycle Trail Great Rides with 10 PAGE GUIDE 4 Top E-Bike rides, 7 NZ Great Walks, Multiple Urban & Heartland trails. Twin Coast trail The Motu trails Auckland Lake Taupo trails Coromandel The Timber Trail Coastal Walkway Hauraki Rail Trail Kinloch’s Lakeside Loop Tongariro crossing Able Tasman Coastal Track Lake Waikaremoana Hawke’s Bay Heaphy Track Ruahine Forest Park Paparoa Track Great Walk Manawatu Gorge West Coast Wilderness Trail St James Cycle Trail Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park Lake Dunstan trail $14.95 TRADING AS MAGAZINE SOLUTIONS Central Otago inc. GST The Routeburn Track ISSN 1176-3051 Welcome Rock Dunedin 01 9 771176 305008 Clutha Gold Trail A Great Walk on Rakiura

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NorCtohnteIsntlsand Te Ika-a-Māui The Motu trails 42 8 Twin Coast trail 14 Whangārei The Timber Trail 34, 40 Lake Taupō trails 70 17 Auckland Coastal Walkway 80 30 Coromandel 24 Hauraki Rail Trail Tongariro crossing 74 66 Kinloch’s Lakeside Loop 32 Rotorua 52 Lake Waikaremoana 59 Hawke’s Bay 90 Ruahine Forest Park 84, 86 Manawatu Gorge

8 Northland Twin Coast Trail NZ Great Ride -Top E-Bike ride Hitting the trail from one coast to the other, the Twin Coast trail is a Great Ride. 14 Northland Whangārei regional feature 17 Auckland City Urban Trail Hitting the urban trail from Auckland City to the Northwestern cycleway. 24 Waikato Hauraki Rail Trail NZ Great Ride -Top E-Bike ride Exploring the new southern extension on the Hauraki Rail Trail. Vol 5 30 Coromandel area feature 32 Bay of Plenty Rotorua regional feature 34 Waikato - King Country Timber Trail NZ Great Ride The Timber Trail through the Pureora Forest offers up biking/hiking adventures, magnificent forests, and historical tales. 40 Waikato Timber Trail regional feature 42 Eastland - EBOP Motu Trails NZ Great Ride The Motu trails include the Dunes Trail, Motu Road, Pakihi Track, and Rere Falls Trail. 52 Hawke’s Bay - Lake Waikaremoana NZ Great Walk Lake Waikaremoana is a Great Walk between Gisborne and Rotorua regions. Vol 11 59 Hawke’s BayTrails NZ Great Ride - Top E-Bike ride The trails are a network of waterways, wetlands, vineyards, and cultural wonders, Napier-Hastings-Havelock. Vol 4 66 Waikato - Taupō District Kinloch Lakeside Loop- NZ Great Ride Kinloch 92s Lakeside Loop joins the Great Lake Trails near Taupō. Vol 6 70 Waikato - Taupō District - Lake Taupo NZ Great Ride Following the falls and flows of the Waikato River, and Lake Taupō trails. Vol 5 74 Central Plateau - Tongariro Northern Circuit NZ Great Walk Tongariro is a Great Walk like no other tramping experience. Vol 9 80 Taranaki - New Plymouth Coastal Walkway Urban trail The Coastal Walkway is ideal for cycling or walking along the coastline. 84 Manawatu regional feature 86 Tararua - Manawatu Gorge Heartland walk EG-pUB9IID3KEE A scenic walk through the Manawatu Gorge. DOC 90 Tararua to Hawke’s Bay Heartland hike Sunrise Hut in the Ruahine Forest Park, 74km from Napier. DOC

SouCtohnteInstlsand Te Wai Pounamu Able Tasman Coastal Track 106 Heaphy Track 113 Paparoa Track Great Walk 150 118 St James Cycle Trail West Coast Wilderness Trail 158 Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park 124 129 Lake Dunstan trail 136 Central Otago 164 Routeburn Track 144 Welcome Rock 148 Dunedin 138 Clutha Gold Trail 171 A Great Walk on Rakiura

106 Tasman Able Tasman Coastal Track NZ Great Walk exploring rocky headlands and sandy bays on a gentle track along the Able Tasman coastline. Vol 9 113 Tasman Heaphy Track NZ Great Walk Kahurangi National Park Heaphy Track Great Walk & Cycle track Vol 3 118 Canterbury NZ Great Ride St James St James Cycle Trail 14km from Hanmer Springs, offers a natural hot spring and backcountry hut stay. Vol 4 124 Mackenzie Mt Cook Heartland Walks Stunning day hikes in the foothills of New Zealand’s Southern Alps, at Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park. Vol 1 129 Central Otago NZ Great Ride Lake Dunstan trail The newly opened Lake Dunstan trail with many elaborate bridges follows the lake foreshore. 136 Central Otago regional feature 138 Central Otago NZ Great Ride Clutha Gold trail Clutha Gold Trail from Roxburgh to Miller’s Flat. Vol 6 144 Southland-Otago Welcome Rock NZ Great Ride Stunning mountain vistas on the ride to Welcome Rock, near Garston outside the Queenstown area. Vol 2 148 Otago Dunedin regional feature 150 Westcoast Paparoa Track NZ Great Walk and cycle Paparoa Track Great Walk is the longest on sub-alpine mountain tops to the coast. Vol 7 158 Westcoast Wilderness Trail NZ Great Ride Top E-bike ride Fossicking in Wilderness on section four of the West Coast Wilderness Trail. Vol 4 164 Fiordland Routeburn Track NZ Great Walk The most popular and shortest Great Walk in Mt Aspiring and Fiordland National Parks. New 171 Southland Stewart Island NZ Great Walk A Great Walk on Rakiura, short walks, and a three-day adventure on Stewart Island. Vol 5 93 E-Bikes are the latest craze, we check out what it’s all about 104 Subscription page - digital and physical magazine subscription options

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Kiwis take to the roads and trails by foot and on wheels The remains of G etting out into New Zealand’s backyard has become the new norm for recreation and icebergs float in the holiday travel, and Kiwis have been making full use of the walking and cycling trails Hooker Lake, with all over the country. Aoraki/Mt Cook on DOC figures for September 2021 show a drop in visitor numbers in the obvious places the horizon (Jane like Milford Sound (down 73 per cent) and West Coast glaciers (down 72 per cent), but Dove Juneau) by contrast, the Otago Central Rail Trail showed a 24 per cent increase compared to previous years. The North Island trails also show huge growth in interest with the Timber Trail up 104 per cent, and the nearby Ohakune Old Coach Road is up by 137 per cent, a reflection perhaps of North islanders exploring nearby regions. Between November 2020 and May 2021 78 per cent of New Zealanders reported visiting the outdoors for recreation. We are out and about locally in our urban reserves, exploring nearby regions and planning holidays across the country, ticking off must-do lists and preparing where- to-go-next lists. It is a joy to see so many families out and about with their children in tow. From littles to teenagers and up to grandparents the bicycle has been embraced, as we pedal our way to health and happiness. This is a collection of our favourite tracks and trails from Vols 1 to 12, plus some current trails to titivate. I hope they inspire you as much as they do me. Enjoy the adventures. Robyn Dallimore Editor Publisher TRADING AS MAGAZINE SOLUTIONS ISSN 1176-3051 Editor Robyn Dallimore – [email protected] Sub edit + proofing team Thiers Halliwell, Allan Walton NZTODAY RV Lifestyle Collection is published by RnR Publishing Ltd Advertising Enquiries Bruce Mountain – [email protected] – 021 657 090 Ph: + 64 6 306 6030 Office / Subscriptions Laura Atkinson – [email protected] PO Box 220, 28 Oxford Street, Design Cameron Leggett Martinborough, 5711, New Zealand Contributors Sheryl Bainbridge, Robyn Dallimore, Alex Diethelm, Jane Dove Juneau, Gary Patterson, Jim Robinson, Alex Stone, Julia Wells DOC, Bikes & Beyond Cover Photo Top image: Welcome Rock – Artistic Photography. Bottom image: Dunes Trail – Mandy Hague Disclaimer RnR Publishing Ltd uses due care and diligence in the preparation of this magazine, but is not responsible or liable for any mistakes, misprints, omissions or typographical errors. RnR Publishing Ltd prints advertisements provided to the publisher, but gives no warranty and makes no representation to the truth, accuracy or sufficiency of any description, photograph or statement. RnR Publishing Ltd accepts no liability for any loss that may be suffered by any person who relies either wholly or in part upon any description, photograph or statement contained herein. Advertisers are advised that all advertising must conform to the ASA Codes of New Zealand Advertising; full details and codes book available from asa.co.nz. RnR Publishing Ltd reserves the right to refuse any advertisement for any reason. The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher or editor. All material gathered in creating NZTODAY RV Lifestyle Collection magazine is copyright 2022 RnR Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved in all media. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the publisher. NZToday RV Lifestyle Walk & Cycle trails Collector’s Edition 2022 7

NORTHLAND Twin Coast cycle trail From one end 1 to the other Opportunities for walkers along Northland’s Pou Herenga Tai Twin Coast cycle trail Words Sheryl Bainbridge Photos Neill and Sheryl Bainbridge or as credited 2 8 NZToday RV Lifestyle Walk & Cycle Trails Collector’s Edition 2022

3 22 Great Rides, stretches 87km from the Bay much easier to traverse from the Ōkaihau of Islands to Mangungu Mission House on the end, being mostly downhill going in the west- W e’re walkers, not cyclists so it seems Hokianga Harbour and incorporates some of erly direction, before reaching the river flats a bit odd to be writing about a the earliest Māori and European settlements. and the 1200m boardwalk to the trail’s end. cycle trail, but Pou Herenga Tai Cycleway co-ordinator Adrienne Tari says Twin Coast cycle trail is about Its four sections can be ridden or walked that new businesses have enhanced the trail getting out there on wheels or in either direction, but it’s fair to say that the experience for users. feet, and we’re always up for the latter. Our last section between Ōkaihau and Horeke is northernmost cycle trail, one of the country’s The first section of the trail begins at Ōpua, and follows the old railway track across Long Bridge, the longest curved rail bridge in the southern hemisphere, to the old railway sta- tion at the once-thriving town of Taumarere. Converted from a bush tramway to a metal track in 1870 to carry coal from the mines at Kawakawa to the wharf, the line was extended to Ōpua in 1884. This, the oldest track in the North Island, then became part of the North Island line, including the first passenger route in 1925 until the Railways withdrew the service in the early 1990s. 1. Rail tunnel between Ōpua and Kawakawa now closed for safety reasons 2. Long Bridge, Kawakawa 3. Vintage steam engine at Taumarere Railway Station 4 4. Te Hononga Civic hub NZToday RV Lifestyle Walk & Cycle Trails Collector’s Edition 2022 9

56 At present there is a diversion around the only especially as the train ends its journey by trav- behind the complex, and a tree-planting pro- tunnel on this section, for safety reasons, due elling along State Highway 1 to the Kawakawa gramme is about to start, so it will become a to unstable brickwork. As Provincial Growth station. If cyclists choose not to travel by very pleasant place to overnight. Created by funding will enable the Bay of Islands Vintage train, the next little bit of the trail follows the Whangārei artist Te Wharahi the bird on the Railway trains to resume journeys to Ōpua state highway. roof of the building represents the rare white after many years, the trail is being modified tūī, and like its namesake, looks amazing. in this area, albeit still within the rail corridor. At present there are plans to redirect The Ōpua–Kawakawa section of the trail is the trail away from the highway through Although the 34km Kawakawa to Kaikohe approximately 11km and is widely used by Kawakawa and along the riverbank at the rear section that begins just west of Kawakawa is locals as a means of exercise as well as by tour- of the Te Hononga community hub. Built in mainly through wetlands and pastoral land, ists, so it’s quite a busy part of the cycleway. the Hundertwasser style and situated behind the truss bridges over the Orauta River not the Hundertwasser toilet building, this only provide an opportunity to look way Now all that’s left at Taumarere is the sta- amazing space was opened by Prime Minis- down at the stream that is surrounded by tion. From there the last 3km to Kawakawa ter Jacinda Ardern last year and includes a native bush, but to marvel at the skill and is on a railway track shared by the Bay of library, atrium and visitor information centre. ingenuity of our forebears, who pushed the Islands Vintage Railway. As the trains are now They’ve catered for visitors by providing toi- railway through extremely difficult terrain in set up to carry cyclists and bikes, a train ride lets and showers that open from the outside challenging conditions to improve access to is an option that many choose to experience, of the building. There’s room for RV parking and from the north. 7 10 NZToday RV Lifestyle Walk & Cycle Trails Collector’s Edition 2022

8 Just five miles east of Kaikohe, which is more or less the middle 5. Artistic public toilets at Te Hononga of the cycle trail, Waiariki Ngāwhā Geothermal Hot Springs have 6. Renovated vintage carriage accommodation (photo Ōkaihau Railstay) recently re-opened following an extensive year-long redevelopment. 7. Pou at newly refurbished Waiariki Ngāwhā Geothermal Hot Springs Since pre-European times the springs have been renowned for their (photo Peter Heath, Due North Public Relations) curative properties, and what better way to relieve the tension in aching 8. Relaxing after a day’s ride (photo Ōkaihau Railstay) limbs than a soak in a relaxing hot pool after traversing the longest 9. Made it! Cyclists arrive at Ōkaihau Railstay (photo Anika West) section of the trail. At Kaikohe, the 1910 heritage BNZ bank building has been trans- formed into the Left Bank Bar and Mint Restaurant. With five luxury en-suite rooms and an area for backpackers the Left Bank caters for cyclists by offering not just accommodation but options for bike hire and shuttle transport. The owners pride themselves on using local produce where possible including free-range eggs and Bella Vacca milk. (Bella Vacca featured on the Country Calendar TV programme on April 14 this year.) 9 ORDER ONLINE www.rnrpublishing.co.nz 11NZToday RV Lifestyle Walk & Cycle Trails Collector’s Edition 2022

10 11 Heading from Kaikohe to the small, pleas- interest if anyone’s heading in that direction. to reach the yellow rātā, it’s something that ant settlement of Ōkaihau, the gradient is Along the ridge at Ōkaihau, with sensa- people are unlikely to see anywhere else out- easy. There’s a tunnel to go through so it’s wise side of Great Barrier Island. to have a headlamp, but otherwise the 14km tional pastoral views into the Waihou Valley, section is a really nice, easy ride or walk. The Ōkaihau Railstay has renovated vintage rail- Snow says the trail is being increasingly trail goes past Northland’s largest lake, Lake way carriages into boutique accommodation used by Aucklanders and visitors from Ōmāpere, which although 5km long only has where visitors can relax in the peaceful rural Whangārei, many in the 65+ age bracket. a depth of up to 2.6m, less in dry weather. setting and enjoy native birdlife including He adds that about 80 per cent of the riders kererū. Noeline of Ōkaihau Railstay says that travelling east from Horeke to Ōkaihau are Most of the cycle trail follows old railway as a local with local knowledge, she can help on electric bikes which makes getting up the corridor, but the tunnel at Ōkaihau marks advise with the logistics of doing the cycle hill easier. “Covid made a difference to us and the end of the line that was actually used trail. “Sometimes it’s very busy, other times things were quiet for a while,” he says, “but in as a functioning railway, and readers who it’s quieter, but we just go with the flow,” she the last couple of weeks numbers have begun were around in the 1950s may well remem- says. As well as the carriages there is an area building up again and the previous day, for ber a song called The Ōkaihau Express, sung available for RVs, and this area is planned for example, we had more than 100 visitors.” basically to the tune of The Wreck of the expansion within the next few months. Snow has constructed seating on the riverside Old ‘97’. From Ōkaihau a zigzag track was and his sister Mary has opened a small kiosk. formed down the steep incline to Rangi- Then it’s downhill all the way to the river Backpackers’ accommodation is available by ahua in the Waihou Valley below. This flats. The trail runs through Snow Harri- arrangement and room for self-contained part of the line was never fully completed, son’s property in the Utakura Valley, one of RVs can be made available by contacting and only ever carried passengers and light the prettiest parts of the trail, as it’s along- Mary on 021 1107914. freight as a service to the community while side the river and through mature native construction was under way. Due to costs bush. The Harrisons have made a feature Heading into Horeke and the end of the and land instability the then Public Works of one of the ponds by planting pastel-co- trail, riders or walkers follow the longest Department gave up on the project in 1931. loured waterlilies that make a stunning sight boardwalk on the cycle trail network. It goes But the concrete remains of the terminus at when they’re in flower. Also in bush near through the mangroves and is a great place to Rangiahua can still be seen on the edge of the trail is a very rare Northern yellow rātā. see a variety of birdlife including white-faced the state highway, where a plaque describes It flowers in late January–February and heron and increasing numbers of spoonbill. its historic significance as the northernmost means a diversion to a bush track at the end point of the railway in New Zealand. It’s a little of Waikerikeri Rd. Waikerikeri Rd is off Man- While the trail officially ends at Mangungu, way away from the existing rail trail, but of gataraire Rd which connects to Horeke Rd. for some this is just another stage in an excur- Although it’s a good 3km walk into the track sion that might go as far as Cape Rēinga. Owners of the launch Ranui have seen the 12 13 12 NZToday RV Lifestyle Walk & Cycle Trails Collector’s Edition 2022

14 literal gap between the south and north sides increasingly finding favour with experienced 10. This waterlily pond is a feature at the Harrison’s of the Hokianga harbour and will, by arrange- riders, especially adventurers taking the chal- Utakura property 11. Cyclists chilling by the river ment, ferry cyclists from the upgraded jetty lenging Tour Aotearoa journey. It’s hoped at Utakura (photo Mary Goodhew) 12. Kiosk and at Mangungu to the historic town of Kohu- that further extension to the trail in time will accommodation at the Harrison property (photo kohu in the north. From there it’s roadside make this a future adventure for all levels of Mary Goodhew) 13. Mangungu Mission Station – travel only as far as Ahipara at the south end cyclists. end of the trail 14. For those who want to go further, of Ninety Mile Beach, but it’s a journey that’s the launch Ranui is available by arrangement Getofoutowt n 13NZToday RV Lifestyle Walk & Cycle Trails Collector’s Edition 2022





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AUCKLAND North-western cycleway WoWWndeilsrdot,us Along with the morning sunrise, Alex and Lesley Stone take their bikes out from Auckland city, on the Northwestern Cycleway. Words Alex Stone Photos Lesley Stone 1 17NZToday RV Lifestyle Walk & Cycle Trails Collector’s Edition 2022

2 Or the vaulting curves of motorway spaghetti and safety.” junction in the sky, over a significant and Most riders use the cycleway to come into T hecyclewayrunsduewestfromAuckland well-preserved heritage site. city, describing a shallow curve like a the city in the morning, and back out again slowly-spreading smile. So, although it’s a daily experience in the evening. For the purposes of this story, Which is appropriate, for the for literally thousands of cyclists, the we go against the flow, and that’s just fine Northwestern Cycleway into and out Northwestern Cycleway is also stacked with with us. We hope it’s OK with you too; for we of our biggest city traverses a wide range superlatives. imagine you dear reader are not necessarily a of cycling experiences, though some are ‘commuter cyclist.’ strangely juxtaposed. Like a serene view of As its website intro says, “The Northwestern tidal ecotones in a marine reserve over one Cycleway is Auckland’s premier ‘commuter’ The cycleway starts in downtown Auckland handlebar of your bike, with the hectic rush cycle route. It runs alongside SH16 from with two options to head out west. One is up of a busy, six-lane highway over the other. Or Lincoln Road to the City Centre, and is almost a protected cycle lane in Nelson Street, which tunnels of greenery within the city suburbs. entirely off-road, providing great convenience leads directly onto the famous pink-carpeted 3 18 NZToday RV Lifestyle Walk & Cycle Trails Collector’s Edition 2022

Te Ara I Whiti Lightpath. “It’s even more a smartphone app on the STQRY platform, was granted 232ha instead. After a riot, his spectacular at night when the lights come on”, which has more than a hundred stories about ‘colonists’ went their own separate ways. De the publicity blurb gushes. “You can race them the cemetery and its history, and how half of it Thierry continued to agitate for a French along and watch them change colour.” was destroyed to make way for the motorway colony led by himself, but this ended with coming through in the 1960s – almost all of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840. The other option is to take the shared path the Catholic section, and a big part of the up from Beach Road, that skirts the Grafton Anglican area too. See https://ssc.stqry.app/ Or poor Eliza White, whose missionary Gully and the Symonds Street Cemetery. en/1 or download the STQRY system on husband fell from grace (he ‘went native’ in your smartphone. It will tell you where your the narrow view of settler society), so she The two routes meet at Upper Queen nearest stories are to be found – including, on was ostracised too. Street, and from there the cycleway parallels this route, MOTAT and the Auckland Zoo. the Northwestern Motorway to the Te Atatū Or Constable Michael Naughton, who Peninsula. On the way, it crosses Auckland’s Most fascinating for me at Symonds Street once tried to save his wife when she was two biggest rivers – and each has a story to Cemetery were the many stories of the lives blown off a boardwalk at Helensville. She tell. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves; we’re of the interesting people buried there. There’s went floating down the creek, buoyed up not there yet. a historical novel waiting to be written in by the air under her voluminous skirts, almost every tale – of Baron Charles Philip while he got stuck in the mangroves’ mud. The cycleway is Auckland’s fastest-growing Hippolytus De Thierry for instance, who on bike route. Ridership tripled between 2012 his way to the antipodes attempted to establish 1. The stunning pink deck of Te Ara I Whiti and 2018, with links and additions to make it his own sovereign state in the Marquesas (the Light-path) is a fitting beginning – or easier, safer. These included the Grafton Gully Islands (now part of French Polynesia) when ending – to Auckland’s North-western cycleway and Lightpath St at the city side, and he proclaimed himself “King of Nukuhiva”, Cycleway, which is full of surprises the Waterview Path, a southwards branch the biggest island there. 2. The Northwestern Cycleway takes on a route from Waterview to the SH20, and the side-dressing of greenery as it heads towards extension of the Northwestern Cycleway itself In July  1837, he reached Sydney and the Auckland Zoo and Western Springs Park along SH16 as far as Westgate. It’s well worth recruited colonists, raised money, and sailed 3. A multi-coloured surface serves as a visual the ride, even if you’re not commuting, because for New Zealand on the ship Nimrod. On warning to a blind corner then you can do it in your own sweet time. arrival, his previous (and huge) ‘purchase’ of 4. Enduring landmark: the old Carrington land was repudiated by Māori leaders Tāmati Mental Hospital buildings, now part of Unitec For a start, you can linger at the Symonds Wāka Nene and his brother Patuone, but he Street Cemetery (there are gates off the cycleway into this quiet, green space). I wrote 4 19NZToday RV Lifestyle Walk & Cycle Trails Collector’s Edition 2022

The final incident in his busy life was when he pulled the dead body of the cook, Harris, from a fire at the hotel. This proved too much for Constable Naughton. His mental unease manifested itself in a mania for money. Soon after, he was committed to the Whau Lunatic Asylum. Or Lady Katharine Blanch Daveney, who lies under a distinctive church-shaped gravestone in the Anglican section. She died of typhoid, a surprisingly common disease in early Auckland, aged 28 on about May 1, 1874. Her descendant Dr Roslyn De Avene, provided these family notes: “She and her husband Captain Burton John Daveney (of the military) and two little sons were on a shipwreck off the NZ coast in 1868 and my grandfather was born the following year in 1869. “Katharine in fact was an aristocrat by birth, but her life followed no even course – Lady Katharine Blanch Springett … leaving family in England, to get stranded on a shipwreck (they lost everything in the shipwreck)... . then dying at a young age of fever …” Others have found the tales compelling too. A post-posting analysis of the app’s traffic found an average of seven minutes spent by 5 people absorbing each story. That’s unheard of Cruiser ELECTRIC BIKES Vantage w2arYrEaAnRty “First Choice” for Motor Homers Cruiser eziRIDER Vantage FULLY UPGRADED Front and Rear DISK BRAKES $1695 All bikes Aircraft Alloy Vantage Ideal off road frame 85-70-30 a NZ first ! Bike trails 5000w Cruiser & Vantage Cruiser & Vantage Regenerative Pure Adrenaline 25Kg weight Bikes Fold up off road 90km/h 300 watt 1895$Braking NZ LEGAL LIMIT Puts power back into battery 50 / 75Km range www.ezirider.nz Contact Peter: 0274 937 025 20 NZToday RV Lifestyle Walk & Cycle Trails Collector’s Edition 2022

6 in the impatient world of mobile phone apps. here by changing displays of state-of-the art 5. Te Auaunga Oakley Creek silently meets It told us that people were really getting into technology too. the sea under a maze of motorways, at a the listings – perhaps reading them out loud site rich in history 6. Commuter riders on to others, or acting them out. At the Auckland Zoo, there’s an interesting the North-western Cycleway safely avoid the new attraction where you sometimes are able traffic by passing under arches of elevated Beyond the cemetery or the shocking pink to watch through a wide picture window as vets roadways 7. Just off the cycleway is the section, the cycleway takes on a new character perform surgery in the theatre of their state-of- Waterview Heritage area; which features the as it heads towards Western Springs, the Zoo the-art New Zealand Centre for Conservation remains of an historic mill, and also, the best and MOTAT (the Museum of Transport and Medicine. kids’ playground for miles around Technology). Each place is worth lingering 8. Motu Manawa Pollen Island – Auckland’s at too. The cycleway’s colour-settings change Between MOTAT and the Zoo is the closest marine reserve –  is on both sides, from pink to green – and then to blue. popular Western Springs park and lake. The and flows under, the Northwestern Cycleway. water from these springs comprised all of The prohibition signs disguise the fact that The giant working steam engine at MOTAT, Auckland’s supply in the early days of the city. marine reserves give to us far more than they attended to every day by two cheerful (and Now they’re an urban haven for wildlife. Lesley take away surprisingly young) fellows is awe inspiring. found black swans (and their fluffy pale-grey Old machines are always complemented cygnets) and cruising eels to photograph there. 78 21NZToday RV Lifestyle Walk & Cycle Trails Collector’s Edition 2022

9 Picnic places aplenty! But do be careful – these brickwork from the foundations of the mill, Kua kite te kohanga kuaka? (Who has seen pleasant stops all lie across a busy road from and an old boiler too. If you have kids along the nest of the kuaka?) the cycleway. with you on your bike ride, one of Auckland’s best playgrounds – including water play Then the cycleway crosses the Whau River, There’s another tricky spot near the features, basketball and volleyball courts, and which was a significant waterway in early grand old main building of the Carrington a grouse skateboard park, is right next door. Auckland allowing large scows upstream Mental Asylum, now Unitec, where the bike And if you’re caught short, public loos too. to load bricks at the famous factories in path appears to double back, to find a safer New Lynn. Before then, it was part of an crossing of the busy road. Just before this But the home-bound bike commuter would important Māori portage route between the point you can divert to the cafés in Point probably sweep past all this and on to what two harbours. In those days, the river was Chevalier, including one in an old theatre. is perhaps the most surprising part of the the highway. In later years, it was a venue for It’s a cosmopolitan wee centre, with eateries cycleway – where cyclists on the path (and rowing and speedboat races. The first water- representing many ethnicities. Also, it’s here people in cars on the motorway right next to skiing in New Zealand was done here. that the Waterview Shared Path diverts to the you) pass through the closest marine reserve south. This is a worthwhile ride in itself. to Auckland. So, the modern and the mysterious are equal parts of the atmosphere of the Northwestern Then down to water level where Te Motu Manawa Pollen Island Marine Cycleway. Many may ride this path every day Auaunga / Oakley Creek meets the sea at a Reserve was gazetted in 1995, thanks to as bicycle commuters, but it’s just as valuable significant historical site. Just upstream is sustained lobbying for it by the Forest and to any riders who’d prefer to take it slow, and Auckland’s most famous in-city waterfall. Bird Society. Curious fact: Motorway traffic soak up all its stories. over Traherne Island (which holds a small The walkway along the creek was freshwater cabbage tree swamp) makes it 10 immortalised by a profoundly moving piece the most traversed – yet least visited – small 9. Since the building of the causeway that carries by Kennedy Warne, editor of NZ Geographic. island in New Zealand. Like nearby Motu Auckland’s North-western Cycleway and motorway, He wrote, “Where can the city dweller look Manawa Pollen Island, Traherne Island is a the tidal dynamics of the inner part of Motu Manawa for the inexhaustible wild? Perhaps it lies little-known wilderness. (This from one of the Marine Reserve have changed, creating a new but closer than we think, on the flipside of the interpretation signs that my mate Jan and I rich ecosystem of mangroves and mudbanks ordinary, along the unkempt edges of the enjoyed doing here.) 10. Commuter cyclist in a hurry; but there’s plenty familiar. An urban green space can become to be charmed by on the Northwestern Cycleway – a site of pilgrimage, a place to discover a We also told the stories of the complex if you take your time waterfall by moonlight.” tidal dynamics of the shallow bay, made more complicated by the motorway causeway, and Now there’s a thought! Why not do the the tidal outlets under its few bridges. The North-western Cycleway on a full moon islands in the marine reserve harbour some night? Certainly the pink section of the path rare species, like the shy moho pererū banded is fully worth it in itself, for at night there are rail (apparently inured to the motorway noise) guiding lights all along the stanchions, which and kuaka bar-tailed godwits that feed on change their colours as you pass by. the mudflats here, in sync with the different tides on this, the Waitematā, and the nearby The heritage precinct at the mouth of Te Manukau Harbours. The kuaka, of course, Auaunga  / Oakley Creek would have been are the birds that migrate annually to Alaska snuffed out if the soaring arms of a complex to breed, and make the return flight non- motorway junction were down at ground stop, which led to the famous whakatauki, a level. As it is, they form a kind of vaulted, metaphoric way of expressing great mystery: open ceiling to the site of an old flax mill. On the ground, you can still see remnants of the

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WAIKATO Hauraki Rail Trail Aonnetwhefrpolanitniesr 1 Exploring the new southern extension of a popular cycle-trail network Story Gary Patterson Photos Gary Patterson and as credited 2 24 NZToday RV Lifestyle Walk & Cycle Trails Collector’s Edition 2022

3 Together we squeeze through a narrow slot storytelling via its themed exterior, my wife in the bank that widens theatrically to reveal and I begin our own journey at the trailhead Bilbo Baggins is not the only one to take The Shire. Our first glimpses are of the pretty of the Hauraki Rail Trail. Our bikes and shut- an unexpected journey from The Shire. and colourful hobbit holes numerously scat- tle service were kindly provided by the Te I too am in Middle-earth in search of tered across the hillside like a community of Aroha Motel for this ride, so with GPS units an adventure – in the form of a nearly flash rabbit burrows. The authentic richness recording we head away on the new off-road completed section of the Hauraki Rail is heightened by my fellow flock of folks in frontier that connects Matamata to Te Aroha. Trail. The trail is freshly laid and passes close cloaks who are just ahead of me – I am one of The trail navigates through the bustling rural to several attractions that I am keen to record their fellowship followers. Each hobbit hole town before turning north and striking out and explore. The first must-see is just off the has a round door, a portal to the semi-subter- into the vastness of the Hauraki Plains. Here trail on the outskirts of the quaint rural ham- ranean homes. Outside each hole are tools that the trail is flat, wide and straight. At the first let of Matamata. My thoughts are that any are unique to the individual who lives here. It’s bend in the trail, we arrive at the Firth Tower legendary journey should start at The Shire. incredible … it is as if the hobbit had, just min- Museum. This is the original site of Josiah So in Matamata I park my cycle and join the utes earlier, downed tools and headed off on an Clifton Firth’s Matamata estate dating back to cloaked throng. I say ‘cloaked’ because as I hop unexpected journey. We continue on our tour the late 19th century. Most of us Kiwis might on the coach I am surrounded by The Lord Of wandering around the winding garden paths know him as the champion of Kiwi con- The Rings (LOTR) fans adorned in full-length which lead up to the big tree where I spot Bag crete. We are first struck by the magnificently medieval cloaks. Looking down at my bike End – the home of Bilbo Baggins. If I was a manicured grounds around the homestead. shorts I panic. Fossicking desperately in my little Baggins, I would feel pretty lucky and backpack I snag my ticket and check the entry reluctant to leave here with its view over the 1. The trail is a real flat ride instructions as dark memories of forgetting village, the ponds and the glorious gardens. through the Waikato countryside school mufti-days spring to the forefront of my Our tour is completed with a scrumptious feed 2. The train just metres before mind. Others get on the bus and I am washed at the Green Dragon Inn, where everything is entering the Kaimai tunnel with relief as they are dressed like me in more in theme right down to internal furnishings 3. Look over the top of the North modern attire. As I relax into my seat we head and the thatched roof. It was fun. True LOTR Island tallest falls off in search of The Shire, crossing the rolling fans would be in paradise. 25NZToday RV Lifestyle Walk & Cycle Trails Collector’s Edition 2022 countryside of heartland Waikato. Once back at the Matamata i-SITE, which I arrive and wow, what an entry to this also celebrates Tolkien’s masterful and magic mythical world. Our guide gathers us at a quaint-looking lamp post before we enter.

4 On a hot summer day this place would be As we leave the museum I see that the site extra wrinkles and the missing hair on my magic for cyclists – the overarching branches welcomes overnight motorhomes for a small crown. We continued on for an hour to reach of the mature oak trees providing some fee … it would be great estate escape for those the top and get up close to the massive drop. welcome shade – while wandering around from the nearby cities. On that fine day, we saw for miles and miles appreciating the heritage. out over the flats to where the trail passes, and Back on the trail, we continue along another we marvelled at the patchwork of farms that Our second impression is how little time we straight and past Okauia Springs Road. This make up the green pastures of the Hauraki have allowed ourselves here on this beautiful side road is not part of the trail, but we had Plains. It is sweet. morning and we are disappointed. I am no headed out along it a few days earlier. It took history buff but I would recommend allowing us past Opal Springs and to the base of the Back down on the track, we continue north. plenty of time to explore the historic school, Kaimai Range. The purpose of this earlier trip The trail follows the road with the Kaimai’s gaol, church and many other buildings that was a reminiscent detour to visit Wairere Falls, bulk hovering over our right shoulder. After will surely grab your imagination. Oh, there a place my wife and I last visited a quarter of a few more kilometres we reach a bridge over is a folly too! Yes, one of the most obvious a century ago when dating. Some things had the East Coast main-trunk railway line. Like features seen from the trail upon arriving at changed since our last visit such as the impres- this section of cycle trail, our eyes follow the Firth’s place is the Firth Tower. The 16-metre sive carpark, but we were happy to see that straight line east to the Kaimai Ranges where tower made from early-era concrete is a real the walkway still retained its natural rough, the line disappears into a hole in the hillside. At treat to enter and climb. After several flights of rooty and steep character. The first lookout to 8.879 kilometres long, the Kaimai tunnel pips steps I reach the top and look out the narrow the largest waterfall in the North Island has the Remutaka tunnel by 100 metres (which windows. The view takes me right back to a a fantastic outlook. We were near the base lies beside the Remutaka Cycle Trail) as the time when this view might have been of vast of the 153-metre drop and the dense forest longest transportation tunnel in the country. acreages of grain fields and of wheat being framed the falls perfectly. We tried to re-enact The original line once used the Karangahake harvested for Firth’s Auckland flour mills. a photo we took 25 years ago, laughing at our Gorge to connect Auckland to Tauranga and is 26 NZToday RV Lifestyle Walk & Cycle Trails Collector’s Edition 2022

56 now masterfully used as part of the cycle trail. the Kaimai Range. The Kaimai Air Crash We continue on. Here history is scattered Construction of this more direct line through Memorial commemorates the 23 passen- along the way as plentifully as the new gravel the Kaimai Range began in 1969 and it was gers and crew of the NZ National Airways on the trail. I had heard about another of opened by former Prime Minister Robert Mul- Corporation (NAC) Douglas DC-3 Skyliner. Firth’s heritage sites just off the trail some- doon in 1978. Today, over 20 freight trains pass The flight encountered poor weather con- where. We cycle slowly looking out for the this way daily, and if we stay here for much ditions and plummeted – just short of site. I eventually spot it, just a discrete sign longer we are sure to see one. Tragically four the ridgeline – from a suspected violent at a small vehicle pull-off area. After crossing men were killed during a tunnel construction downdraft. At the time in 1963, it was the the road, a fence stile and a paddock are all collapse and there is a memorial near the falls worst-ever aircraft accident in NZ and it that separate us from Stanley’s Landing. The that remembers these workers. Not far from continues to be a solemn reminder of the landing is named after the Welsh journalist this memorial is another in remembrance of challenging terrain, weather and transpor- and famous explorer Sir Henry Morton Stan- the fateful day when Flight 441 crashed into tation of our country’s history. ley – of “Dr Livingstone, I presume?” fame. He was also famous for his expeditions through the African jungle not only when looking for the doctor but also in search of the source of the Nile. While my off-trail expedition through the scrub looking for the bend in the Waihou River was not on Stanley’s epic scale, it too required some determined searching down the hillside through a jungle of weeds. 4. Hobbiton grounds and dwellings are so otherworldly (Hobbiton Movie Set Tours) 5. It’s a steady climb to the top of Wairere Falls 6. Twenty-five years later at Wairere Falls and some things have changed 7. The last peaceful riverside steps to the 7 top of the Wairere Falls Your next cycling adventure starts with us! 96 Richmond Street, Thames 3500, New Zealand phone +64 (0)7 867 9026 | www.jollybikes.co.nz 27NZToday RV Lifestyle Walk & Cycle Trails Collector’s Edition 2022

I reach a historic steel industrial wheel. 8 of cow country. “Sir Stanley’s Landing I presume?” – there was whether the café would be closed on our late With our tummies full of flavoured milk we no answer. While this spot offers glimpses to arrival. Time passes and we begin to fade as the upper reaches of the Waihou River it is we enter the settlement. From a distance, we shake Te Aroha West and our GPS units plot deadly quiet today. can see staff packing away the café’s flags. Oh us toward the highest peak of the Kaimais – no! Are we too late, did we linger too long Mt Te Aroha (953m). Our ride turns toward Yesterday’s history book tells us that this was at the heritage sites? We reach the café and the range, and we cross over the Waihou River once the busy port of the Firth estate. Here note the closing time on the door matches before heading northward to the place of love shallow-draft barges arrived from Auckland our arrival time … we hope we might still get – Te Aroha. The last minor climb is on a paved via the Firth of Thames to deliver fertiliser, service. We are parched. Pushing open the surface and we soon arrive back at the motel manure and machinery while wheat, chaff closing door we are greeted by the friendly beside the i-SITE. This seems to be the perfect and other produce from the 56,000-acre estate manager who assures us we can still order a spot for reflection with the pretty Edwardian were shipped back to the city. Note that the drink, and moments later, outside in the sun, buildings and the domain with its geothermal Firth of Thames was not named by the estate our parched mouths are quenched as we gulp spa and the start of the forest walk to the top owner but in earlier times by Captain James the much-anticipated milkshakes, while just of the mountain. Our ride on this new sec- Cook who considered the ‘Firth’ (Scottish/ across the road the fascinating façade of an tion of trail across the plains was full of sights English term for an inlet) of the Thames old dairy factory confirms we are in the centre – one that took a few days to enjoy. I cannot (now called the Waihou) River resembled the think of any other cycle trail in the country outlet of his homeland’s waterway. From vis- that encourages riders to visit a world-famous iting the museum earlier we had learnt that it movie set, a museum, a grand waterfall and took several years to clear this stretch of the undertake mountain walks, all the while being Waihou River of obstacles … sometimes using just an hour’s drive from major cities. Just like explosives. Despite the effort, the landing was urban growth in recent years, the cycle-trail only operational for six years before the Mor- network is expanding. These growing trails rinsville to Matamata railway line opened and explore new frontiers and with each section freight was railed and the landing railroaded. opening are another pedal stroke closer to joining half our country’s population on Ngā Onwards across the open plains we ride to Haerenga – ‘the journeys’. the small settlement of Manawaru. Here we stop under the shade of large phoenix palms growing in the centre of the community. Across the road, we see that school is nearly finished for the day. As we sit and rehydrate we watch parents arrive and chatter while the playground is alive with the loud squeals of playful exuberance. The trail crosses the road here before continuing to take us northward. We pick up our pace as we are keen on reach- ing the next settlement of Te Aroha West and The Old Forge Kitchen before closing time. As our legs pump our pedals and eyes take in the views we are in deep discussion as to 9 8. The Firth Tower Museum has 28 NZToday RV Lifestyle Walk & Cycle Trails Collector’s Edition 2022 incredibly manicured gardens 9. Visitors having high teas at Firth Tower (Firth Tower Museum)

Stats 37km, Easiest (Grade 1) Great Rides App: App Store or Play Store 29NZToday RV Lifestyle Walk & Cycle Trails Collector’s Edition 2022

HAURAKI GULF KAIAUA Shorebird Coast A Pūkorokoro / Miranda B PIPIROA NGATEA Well known as the place where Kiwis love to holiday, Hauraki Plains Thames-Paeroa The Coromandel is blessed with iconic beaches and great surfing and fishing spots. But there are many The rural hub of Thames is good for bike hire and refreshments, other reasons to visit; getting on your bike is one of the best ways and a walk up the historic main street to The Depot, a creative to explore Hauraki and the southern part of The Coromandel. precinct and home to the Coromandel Distilling Company. You will catch a glimpse of the gleaming copper still through Following old railway lines between charming rural towns, the the window in the brick wall of the restored building. Heading grade one trail is one of New Zealand’s easiest Great Rides. south, Matatoki Cheese Barn is a fitting rest stop, the Showcasing some of the best scenery, with plenty of reasons hand-made cheeses reflecting the grass-growing renown of to stop off along the way. The five-leg trail is a leisurely three- neighbouring farms. On to Paeroa the home of L&P, “World or four-day ride, beginning in any of the main towns where famous in New Zealand”, and known for antique dealers and accommodation, advice, bike hire, and shuttle transport a completely different vibe. Stop at the Paeroa Maritime Park are available. Or pick off a section to map out a great day of for a paddle-boat cruise on the Waihou River and to browse the enjoyment and exploration. fascinating collection of historic artefacts. You can also camp at the Maritime Park, and Paeroa has bike hire and good cafes too. Shorebird Coast Kaiaua - Thames Karangahake Gorge Paeroa - Waihi and back Skirting the Hauraki Gulf along coastal stop banks, this section This dramatic leg is home to the native bush, swing bridges, is a must do for bird enthusiasts, especially in spring, attracting gold mining ruins, waterfalls, and tunnels of the spectacular thousands of migratory birds, from as far away as the Arctic Karangahake Gorge, once the site of a major gold strike. Circle. Other reasons to get off your bike include the Kaiaua The 1.1km long tunnel through the mountain is a clue to the Fish and Chip shop and the thermally heated mineral pools at past, and more is revealed at the Victoria Battery in Waikino. Miranda Holiday Park, a good base for trail adventures. A short side trip takes you to the Owharoa Falls for a cool 30 NZToday RV Lifestyle Walk & Cycle Trails Collector’s Edition 2022 off and maybe a picnic. The Waikino Pub and Station Cafe

WAIOMU TAIRUA Places of Interest PAUANUI TARARU THE COROMANDEL C OPOUTERE THAMES ONEMANA A/ Shorebird Coast B/ Miranda Holiday Park D MATATOKI WHANGAMATĀ PURIRI HIKUTAIA C/ Coromandel Distillery D/ Matatoki Cheese E N WAIHI BEACH F PAEROA WAIHI G LM HK E/ Paeroa Maritime Park F/ Riverside, Paeroa KARANGAHAKE GORGE J I TE AROHA are popular pit stop, and if you run out of steam, board the G/ L&P Bottle H/ Karangahake Tunnel historic Goldfields Train to chug on to Waihi, with your bike too. The award-winning Waihi Gold Discovery Centre is a unique I/ Owharoa Falls J/ Victoria Battery Site interactive experience not found in a traditional museum. Across the road, a visit to the iconic Cornish Pumphouse and K/ Waikino Pub L/ Karangahake Gorge the spectacular pit of the Martha Mine completes your insight into man’s quest for fortune. M/ Waikino Station N/ Cornish Pumphouse Hauraki Plains Paeroa - Te Aroha - Matamata This leisurely leg passes through lush Waikato farmland to Te Aroha, where a soak in the historic mineral spas will soothe pedal-weary muscles. Fertile plains, horse studs and goat farms lead you on to the Firth Tower and Matamata, the southernmost point. Whether you have a day, a long weekend or time for an end-to-end trail adventure, an exploration of the Hauraki Rail Trail by bike will reveal the stories, the natural beauty, and the richness of the small-town local culture. For further information visit www.thecoromandel.com 31NZToday RV Lifestyle Walk & Cycle Trails Collector’s Edition 2022

The best keeps getting better Here’s hoping a new mountain biking trail becomes the country’s next NZ Great Ride 32 NZToday RV Lifestyle Walk & Cycle trails Collector’s Edition 2022

The world-famous network of mountain THE NEXT NZ Advertorial biking trails in Rotorua’s Whakarewarewa GREAT RIDE Forest consists of trails suitable for nearly trail entry and exit points, but it’s recom- every age, experience and fitness level. So, The trail planners and build- mended to start at Te Pūtake o Tawa carpark you’d be forgiven for thinking that the nearly ers have really outdone or Waipa carpark as both hubs offer the facil- 200km would be enough to satisfy all types themselves on this one, and it’s ities mentioned above, especially if you need of riders. hoped that by the time you’re to hire bikes. Plus, there’s plenty of parking at reading this story, it will have these two locations, making them perfect for But, what they say about builders’ houses gained New Zealand Cycle RVs and larger groups. always being under construction can be also Trails’ Great Ride status. said about trail builders in Whakarewarewa, Clearly marked one-way trails allow you and that has resulted in a brand new, must- Story boards along the trail to go with the flow, including a few detours ride 33km trail that offers variety, culture feature interesting stories and noted (read: shortcuts!), and you’ll have and views. information on the region’s mobile phone coverage throughout most of Māori culture, and you’ll be the trail, should you need it. WHAKAREWAREWA FOREST LOOP riding among iconic stands of California redwoods and geothermal features. As the name implies, the new Whakare- The slightly more technical downhill sections warewa Forest Loop is a circular route, one also provide a bit more excitement than other way, through its famous namesake forest. The trails in the Great Ride network. forest is located just 10 minutes (by car) from Rotorua’s city centre, making it quick and easy With high quality facilities available – bike to get to and fit around your other sightsee- rental outlets and services, bike wash stations, ing activities. Of course, if you’re heading to shower and toilet blocks with accessibility fea- Rotorua solely to ride, that’s perfectly fine tures, and coffee and food vendors – there’s and there are plenty of trails to delight and/ really no good reason to skip this trail. or challenge you! HOW TO GET STARTED The Forest Loop, which is a Grade 2 to 3, has been designed to be accessible for people Similar to a roundabout, there are multiple of almost all ages, abilities and fitness levels, and riders – including those on e-bikes – are loving it. You don’t have to be a professional downhiller; as long as you’re a confident rider, you’ll find the variety of uphill, downhill and flat sections interesting, fun and fairly easy to navigate. The trail should take you between two and a half to five hours, depending on your pace. You’ll also want to factor in some time to stop to take in the views at strategically built points along the way that reveal stunning views. They also provide a great excuse to rest your legs and lungs and rehydrate. If you find you’re running low on water or energy bars, you’ll be happy to know that along the trail there are three spots to pur- chase food and drinks, and four taps to refill water bottles, as well as three accessible toilet blocks. Head to www.RotoruaNZ.com for more information 33NZToday RV Lifestyle Walk & Cycle trails Collector’s Edition 2022

WAIKATO Timber Trail mATnuidcmhmbmeuroc!h!re, The Timber Trail through the Pureora Forest in the central North Island, offers up biking/hiking adventure, magnificent forests, and absorbing historical tales in equal measure. Words Alex Stone Photos Lesley Stone, Mark Coker 34 NZToday RV Lifestyle Walk & Cycle Trails Collector’s Edition 2022

1 2 Getting there of interpretive design. For another time, Pureora, Piropiro and Ongarue, the usual start, B efore the Timber Trail was officially maybe. middle and end of the Timber Trail are among opened in March 2013, the mountain- the most remote locations in the North Island. bike community had already discovered The Timber Trail fills a unique niche in the To get catering supplies, the accommodation this unique journey through the Pureora New Zealand network of hiking/biking trails. outfits at Piropiro must travel for over an hour Forest in the central North Island. Like the famous Otago Rail Trail down south, to get to Te Kuiti, their nearest town. We came across a video posted online by it mostly follows the route of bygone railway Access to Ongarue is via State Highway 4, just one of those early gatecrashers – complete tracks – only these ones were laid down by north of Taumarunui. It’s 4km off the state with (very) shaky video footage from his a private, native-timber harvesting company highway, along a sealed road. helmet-cam as he barrelled along the pum- for their diminutive and gutsy locomotives To get to Piropiro, take the well-signposted ice-covered track. Every so often he would (each of which had their own pet names, like turning off State Highway 30 between Te Kuiti screech to a halt and the camera would pan Martha and Matilda). and Rotorua. The midpoint of the Timber Trail across to focus on a trackside interpretive is some 20km along this sideroad, with the sign, with the moving camera indicating that By the time DOC had decided to open the last 16km being on gravel road. he was absorbing it from start to finish. trail, that route was mostly forgotten and The road in to Pureora is also off State covered by regenerating forest. The unique Highway 30 but closer to the settlement of This pleased us, as a mate and I had written railway spiral – one of very few in the world Whakamaru on the Waikato River. and designed those signs. We reckoned stop- built for a logging tramway – had also become ping a hard-core mountain-biker in full flight overgrown and, yes, lost to local memory. It road through the more convenient route of was a wee triumph. There’s another story in had to be rediscovered. A fast-flowing creek the bottom tunnel (apparently cheaper for that – on the challenges of the art and science had been diverted by a later logging-truck them than building an extra bridge). Much hard work – a mix of re-exploration, archaeo- logical discovery, track construction, and new bridges to be built – was needed to get the Timber Trail up to biking/hiking standard. Unusually, the track is largely surfaced with light-coloured pumice. Like other rail trails, the Timber Trail is mostly easy going, fol- lowing a gradient acceptable to the old locos. 1. The giant trees of the un-logged part of the Pureora Forest tower over me at the start of the trail 2. Crossing one of the many river bridges along the Timber Trail 3. A pou guards the entrance track to the Timber 3 Trail Lodge at the mid-point at Piropiro 35NZToday RV Lifestyle Walk & Cycle Trails Collector’s Edition 2022

4 And it can be followed in either direction, challenging – a loop around a shoulder of campervanning options along, or near its though the vast majority of bikers opt for the forbidding Mt Pureora. For this reason, route. And photo locations to die for. [See the Pureora to Ongarue route, taking advan- good planning for all weather conditions is boxes] tage of an overall drop of 400m over the necessary. 85km length. However, depending on your Some superlatives – along the Timber choice, the start or end section is a bit more As an added bonus, the Timber Trail Trail, you’ll cross the one of the highest, lon- has some really cool accommodation and gest suspension bridges ever built for any New Zealand trail. (A tip – if you’re brave 56 and steady enough, it’s actually better to cycle across, as the smooth motion of wheels Being there doesn’t get it bouncing, like tramping feet will Some good planning with regard to your outdoor gear is necessary for the Timber Trail. The trail stays do). open all year round and is regularly ridden. But the area can be – how shall we say this? – a wee bit more than pleasantly cool. When we visited in early May, they had already experienced two stern The railway spiral is a unique construc- frosts at Piropiro. Be prepared for all weather conditions. tion in the annals of New Zealand low-tech, The DOC campsite at Piropiro is fine for campervans, but is pretty basic with its amenities – water, can-do civil engineering. You’ll also see some and some corrugated iron shelters. But plenty of flat parking/camping places. restored timber railway bridges. In total, the Camp Epic, the glamping option nearby, will offer campervan parking, and access to the world’s best Timber Trail crosses 35 bridges. hot shower (tested and approved by us!), generous communal cooking facilities, and the great social hub of a roaring campfire. At the northern end of the trail, you’ll Going upmarket, there’s the fully serviced Timber Trail Lodge at Piripiro. And just off the trail is experience the cathedral-like majesty of the Blackfern Lodge, with the added attraction of being on the banks of a fine trout stream. Blackfern last stand of old-growth forest in the North Lodge accesses a private track that connects to the trail. Island. This was where protesters camped Cellphone reception is patchy to non-existent in many places along the Timber Trail. up in the trees to stop the logging of native timber there, and captured the headlines – 36 NZToday RV Lifestyle Walk & Cycle Trails Collector’s Edition 2022 remember that? It was way back in 1978. The logging finally stopped in 1982. The DOC website on the Timber Trail sums up the natu- ral attractions: “Magnificent podocarp forests of rimu, tōtara, miro, mataī and kahikatea, as well as some exotic forestry and more open vegetation, offering extensive views of the surrounding landscape.” And at the midpoint of the trail, you’ll be in one of the most remote locations in the North Island.

7 At river crossings, you’ll likely come across weeks later, with money intact (!) Or the epic 4. In the lounge of the Timber trail Lodge, pairs of the elusive whio, the blue duck most running race between two great Māori ran- relief managers Jade Miller and Max Ramon of us have only seen on the ten-dollar note. gatira to confirm their claims to this part of 5. Camp Epic, the glamping option at Piropiro You’ll pass through the sites of ghost towns the country. Or the two loggers, brothers, who is managed by brothers Josh and Julian (some only identified by relic exotic plants; a shared accommodation in a hollowed-out Gouldin, helped by their pointer Meeko rose bush perhaps, or a fruit tree lost in the tree stump – until one returned from ‘town’ 6. The Maramataha River, 60m below the forest). (Taumarunui) with a girlfriend, and chucked deck of the suspension bridge his sibling out. It’s not recorded how long the 7. The huge suspension bridge crossing the Our interpretation work involves offer- girlfriend lasted there. Maramataha Gorge has a sculptural presence ing people stories along differing ‘avenues of interest’. There are terrific stories aplenty Brown signs reflect on the logging industry. 37NZToday RV Lifestyle Walk & Cycle Trails Collector’s Edition 2022 along the Timber Trail. We colour-coded the Here you’ll learn a bunch of arcane and lovely signs. A green background denotes natural new words (as I did). What a bogie is; a skid, history stories (or un-natural; my favourite a lokey, a jigger, a brakey – and more. Often was the tale of a giant blue lizard spotted once, these signs are the only remnant of what were and never again by a gang of loggers. I suspect once substantial logging camps in the bush. alcohol was a factor.) You can rent mountain bikes for the A red background denotes a social-interest route, at Ongarue and at Pureora. We were story. Like the time the paymaster’s horse car- impressed by the proliferation of electric rying all the cash pay-packets in saddlebags, bikes for rent and along the trail. We asked bucked him off and bolted into the forest – Nicola ‘Bones’ Smallwood and Clement Hol- only to be discovered quietly grazing a few gate, the inaugural managers of the Timber Superlatives: Maramataha Bridge Length of deck – 141m Height above the river – 60m Main cables – 24mm diam, 6x19, 206m long Main cable anchors: True left side (facing downstream) – 32mm Rebar, drilled 12m into rock True right – two 6m x 800mm diam. concrete piles Helicopter flying time to set the main cables and drop rods – 4 hours per side Total helicopter flying time for bridge construction – 18 hours Design life – 50 years

9 8 10 11 Trail Lodge, and top-end mountain-bikers the trail they had met was only five years old. sheltering there. Someone had replaced the themselves, what the feeling was towards the And yes, they do rent out child-sized moun- word ‘camera’ with ‘gun’. Fair enough – the electric-bikers. They said the mountain-bik- tain bikes as well. hunters do help DOC with pest control, by ing fraternity welcomes them, as they expand maintaining traplines and shooting possums their beloved sport to wider participation. All Julian told me only one of our interpre- and goats when they encounter them. good! The midway stops at the Timber Trail tive signs had been “amended by graffiti”. Lodge, Black Fern Lodge and Camp Epic all The bush blocks surrounding the Timber We have learnt through feedback that the naturally now offer recharging facilities for Trail are frequented by hunters. But don’t most popular sign for school groups is one electric bikes. worry about them – they will be far away from with a picture showing a hunter exiting the the trail, just like the pigs and deer they’re bush with a giant Captain Cooker boar on his Julian and Josh Gouldrin, two brothers who after. One sign said that you can stick your back, carried like a backpack. Perhaps it’s an run Camp Epic and their bike-hire and shut- camera into dark holes under tree roots and unusual sight for city-based kids these days. tle operations, told us the youngest rider of perhaps, with your flash, capture a possum The huge suspension bridges along the 12 route of the Timber Trail are a terrific feature 38 NZToday RV Lifestyle Walk & Cycle Trails Collector’s Edition 2022 too. The Maramataha bridge, just south of Piropiro, is the third-largest ever built in New Zealand. Our sign there, outlining the con- struction challenges of building this bridge, provides another popular (if unexpected) avenue of interest. For some facts about the bridge, see the sidebar. The 85km length of the Timber Trail is easily accomplished in two days of riding. For most riders, this means about 4–5 hours of easy riding per day. Of course, longer stops at the Blackfern Lodge, or at the Piropiro options, are at your own choice too. In all, a traverse of the Timber Trail is an unforgettable experience; and a certain conversation stopper when recounting your campervanning travellers’ tales!

13 8. From the bottom of the spiral, looking towards the tunnel. The remains of the old 14 15 railway bridges are seen to the left and beyond the new trail crossings Rust rules: Photographers’ delight 9. Martha and Matilda, two Price lokeys of the The three locations along the Timber Trail – Pureora, Piropiro and Ongarue – were all, back in the day, Ellis & Burnand tramway, pose at the spiral in bases for extensive logging operations and timber mills. But only memories (and old photos) of these a famous picture. They were both built in New remain. But then there’s Endean’s Mill. Zealand at Thames Just off the road to Piropiro is the abandoned Endean’s Timber Mill, where the ‘art of decay’ can be 10. Just below the Ongarue Spiral, the Trail photographed in all its rusty glory. The owners of the mill site, perhaps mindful of the health and passes below this impressive cutting, which safety considerations attendant to the collapsing buildings and teetering stacks of timber, have had to be made to make space for a flat placed ‘Private – Keep Out’ signs, but do offer guided tours. Call 07 894 5834 or 07 894 5832 in section for the tramway advance to book. It’s a photographers’ first prize as an evocative shooting location. 11. Inside the tunnels at the Ongarue Spiral. A further 15km up this road is Blackfern Lodge, which offers characterful accommodation at a When it was first built, the walls and ceiling converted forge, or in a lodge-type setting. They have a private access road to the Timber Trail for were lined with tōtara panels, reinforced with bikers. And on the Timber Trail itself, the forests, birds and rivers provide endless photographic curved sections of railway track. A stream that opportunities; and the huge suspension bridges have a statuesque, sculptural quality. All worth was diverted through the tunnel washed all photographing too! that away 12. A surprising sight in the bush: sometimes the only markers of old logging camps are remnant exotic trees. These old-variety apples were delicious! 13. The art of decay, and an opportunistic tree growing from a truck bed, on display at Endean’s Mill 14. Stories to tell: an old home at Endean’s Mill 15. The art of decay, and an opportunistic tree growing from a truck bed, on display at Endean’s Mill 39NZToday RV Lifestyle Walk & Cycle Trails Collector’s Edition 2022

Come and discover what everyone is raving about! Book with official Timber Trail Partners for great service. timbertrail.nz

Ride a trail or two across the Central North Island Discover the Timber Trail, and ride the Hike the famous Tongariro Alpine Crossing and then spend connected pathways of Mountains to Sea. some time on your bike! Two of the premier Great Rides in our special part of the world. Mountains to Sea trails can be ridden as day rides, connected as one big adventure or taken in bite size chunks. With over Descending from Tongariro National Park's volcanic grandeur 349kms of single track, jet boat ride, quiet gravel roads to the magical wilderness of the Whanganui River and the and historic meandering quiet rural roads, there is many an untamed Tasman Sea coast – discover the sights, places and adventure to be had. people that make our regions so special from your bike seat. Our connected pathways – 'Ngā Ara Tūhono' will take you to • Ohakune Old Coach Road – Built through the landscape new adventures in a remarkable part of the world. Connecting in the 1880’s. two national parks the ride navigates alongside the tributaries and waters of the Whanganui river – with all their special • Mangapurua – the road to the Bridge to Nowhere. stories for you to discover. Connecting the Whanganui river, and home to now abandoned post WWI settlements. • Kaiwhakauka – a true adventure single track connecting with the Mangapurua valley with its shared history. • Fishers Track – takes you on a downhill ride along a special public road through a rural heart. • Whanganui River Road – the sidles alongside the important Te Awa Tupua as it flows towards the sea, blending history, culture and scenery. • Upokongaro to the Tasman Sea (Whanganui) – as you celebrate in the coolest little city. No matter how you connect your journey – you can be assured of warm welcomes, and a window into a special place rich in history, culture and ecology – so stop dreaming and book your trip now! mountainstosea.nz @M2SNZ

EASTERN BOP Tairawhiti MomMeontutum More and more cyclists are discovering the natural beauty of the Motu Trails, writes Jim Robinson. Words Jim Robinson Photos as credited 1 42 NZToday RV Lifestyle Walk & Cycle Trails Collector’s Edition 2022

W ith many New Zealanders heeding the call to explore their own country, the eastern Bay of Plenty and Tairāwhiti/Gisborne districts have been busy with visitors – it seems that Eastland was on a lot of must-do lists. That’s been great for Motu Trails, because healthy usage is a powerful spark for more accommodation and ride options to become available, in turn making the experience even better. Motu Trails riders now have the choice of a range of guided and supported tours with Cycle Gisborne and, especially on Rere Falls Trail, there are excellent new accommodation options. Motu Trails stretch between Ōpōtiki and Gisborne. Trails include the Dunes Trail, Motu Road, Pakihi Track, and Rere Falls Trail, with the riding ranging from easy and short, all the way to multi-day back-country missions. The trails are not just for cyclists, either, with the Dunes Trail and Pakihi offering excellent walking and running, and with lots of other walking options close at hand. 43NZToday RV Lifestyle Walk & Cycle Trails Collector’s Edition 2022

2 DUNES TRAIL windblown sand which can quickly accumu- coastal views. With two shelters and multiple late in some of the more exposed spots. seats and benches along the trail, you get lots Ōpōtiki’s Dunes Trail was constructed in 2011 of opportunity to pause and enjoy the magnif- and officially opened in the following year. The Dunes Trail starts from War Memorial icent vistas. Several information boards share The trail is 10km long, most of that distance Park at the northern end of Ōpōtiki township. details of the area’s significance. meandering up and down and around the You’ll find good parking, toilets in the centre coastal sand dunes of the beautiful Pacific of the park, a water fountain, and a shelter. The Dunes Trail has a strong record of ocean. This trail is rated grade 2/easy. The Ride over the spectacular Pakowhai ki Otut- community engagement. Well over 20,000 riding is not technical, being gravel almost the aopuku bridge and you’re onto the trail, then trees, shrubs and flaxes have been planted whole way; however, do stay alert to possible it’s about a kilometre until the first panoramic since 2015, playing their part in an extensive 3 4 44 NZToday RV Lifestyle Walk & Cycle Trails Collector’s Edition 2022

5 regeneration of the coastal environment. Their official partner membership goes 6 Local riders are very much a part of the track straight to Motu Trails Charitable Trust, maintenance team, helping to prune back supporting maintenance and so on. East- 1. Dunes Trail (Neil Hutton) vegetation, clearing windblown sand from land Pacific motor lodge, Tirohanga Beach 2-5. Dunes Trail (Mandy Hague) the trail, putting up signage and bench seats, Motor Camp, Bush to Bay Holiday Stays, and 6. Kafe Friends in Opotiki (Mandy Hague) and more. Ōpōtiki Holiday Park are some of the accom- modation options. Kafe Friends and The Hot In your planning, be aware that the Dunes Bread Shop are also official partners, good Trail has squeeze bars to block motorbikes. choices for a coffee stop. These are installed so that most adult bikes will pass through; however, shorter adult MOTU ROAD riders, children, and those on bikes with drop bars will need to dismount and wheel their Those who recall the annual visit to New bike through. Zealand of the World Rally Championship (WRC) will likely also remember how the There are lots of accommodation options 47km of epic Motu Road gravel used to deliver in and near Ōpōtiki. Ideally, choose Motu driving and mechanical carnage. The WRC Trails official partners, because then you’ll was last held on these shores in 2012 while be supporting ongoing operation of the trails. Full Cycle Bikes Whakatane, 13-15 Commerce Street your locally owned and Whakatane operated bike shop, for all ph 07 3080 505 your cycle needs, including email: [email protected] a full workshop for repairs. Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm Saturday 9am - 2pm Closed Sunday & Public Holidays 45NZToday RV Lifestyle Walk & Cycle Trails Collector’s Edition 2022

7. Motu Road (Neil Hutton) the narrow winding road through the Motu Gisborne (Gisborne). Minimum group sizes 8-9. Motu Road (Mead Norton Photography) gorge – not used as part of the WRC Rally always apply. of New Zealand since 1996 –is still classed by many as one of the most brutally brilliant Along the Motu Road journey there are stages in international rally sport. The record six shelters, most of them near the hill sum- for the Motu was set in 1994 by Scottish rally mits. Two of the shelters have been installed ace, Colin McRae, at 37m 21s. since 2019, both made possible by a generous donation from Garth Barfoot to Motu Trails The pace is a lot slower when pedalling, Charitable Trust. Garth’s support for the trails with riders typically taking one or two days has been really important and is much appre- to travel the 75km journey from Matawai to ciated by the trust! Ōpōtiki, or vice versa. The hilly road offers a remarkable ride through a mix of forest and If you’re starting your ride from the south- historic farmland, showcasing how rugged ern end of Motu Road, it’s a good idea to stock the ranges are. In places the road seemingly up on food at Matawai Camp and Store. Motu clings to the steep slope, with slips taking village makes a peaceful base for a longer stay, large bites of the hillsides above and below. with accommodation available at both The Weka Nest and Motu Community House. From Motu, you climb to the highpoint Motu Falls and Whinray Scenic Reserve are of almost 800 vertical metres, rewarded by well worth the short side-trip. great views if the weather is sweet. Heading on towards Ōpōtiki, you have hilly but mostly PAKIHI TRACK downhill riding; whereas riding inland from the coast, it’s mostly uphill, with main climbs Pakihi Track was cut through steep, forested of 7km, 3km and 6km long. If you’re not so hills in the early 1900s, with the initial vision fit, it’s wise to consider organising a hilltop that it would one day become a coach road shuttle drop-off. Transport is available with to connect Ōpōtiki with Motu. That overly Motu Trails Hire and Shuttle and with Motu optimistic goal was never going to be real- Trails Limited (both Ōpōtiki) and with Cycle ised, because the rocky hillsides are loose and prone to massive slips. Within a few years of 7 46 NZToday RV Lifestyle Walk & Cycle Trails Collector’s Edition 2022

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