Where to Ride
Mountain Biking
Rotorua Mountain Biking. Pic by www.paulpetch.com
Rotorua Riding
Whakarewarewa Forest is just a few minute’s ride from central Rotorua, and the forest’s 100+km of single-track is renowned as offering some of the best mountain biking in the world.
Whether you want a flat family-friendly ride, old-school cross-country, suicidal downhills or a back-country native bush trek, Whakarewarewa has it all.
The tracks are well marked and large map-boards are dotted around the forest, but for $5 a full colour waterproof trail map is one of the best investments a Rotorua rider can make. These maps are available at all Rotorua bike shops, including of course Kiwibikes!
These websites are also worthwhile:
- Ride Rotorua – good trail info
- Online Rotorua MTB Trail Map – View the Redwoods trail map online
- SouthStar Shuttles – the easy way to get to the top of the forest
- Planet Bikes – lots of options for guided trips and group services
- Redwoods Visitors Centre
- Tracks.org.nz - GPS-generated track maps overlaid with Google mapping trickery.
- Let’s Go! MTB who have great local knowledge plus a customised van and trailer ready to pick you up and take you off for whatever type of mountain-biking experience you feel like.
- TrailGuides - great service from the legends at NZO.
MTB Rides Near Rotorua
Looking South from the W2K track
There are some great day trips to be had from Rotorua too.
- Top of the list for fit riders is the Moerangi Track that starts around 20km past Murupara and finishes at Minginui. The best write-up of it is the PDF file here – a unique back-country experience. It’s not a loop track so the best bet is to get a lift to the start from Scott and Vanessa at Jailhouse Shuttles. An hour’s drive from Rotorua.
- At Whirinaki itself there’s an easier 16km track, through a forest so stunning Dr David Bellamy personally acted to help save it from logging some 25 years ago. Ride it at daybreak and hear the Kiwi calling! Details here. An hour’s drive from Rotorua.
- The Taupo W2K Track is a must-do on a good day. An hour’s drive from Rotorua, it connects Whakaipo Bay to the holiday resort of Kinloch. Not technically difficult, it can be done as a there-and-back, and make sure you do the headland loop at the top at least once. Food and coffee at Kinloch, but not Whakaipo Bay, so we reckon it’s best to make Kinloch your half-way point. Details here.
Road Riding
Annual 'Bike The Lake'. Pic from www.rotoruanz.com
Rotorua has some beautiful quiet countryside for road riding.
- A ride out to Kawerau will take you past four beautiful lakes, the main roads out to Tirau and Maketu are quiet enough on a Sunday morning, and the ride out to Lake Tarawera can send you past the Blue & Green Lakes and Lake Okareka as well – all different, all beautiful.
- The ride up Mt Ngongotaha (from the west end of Clayton Road) is a great climb. Throw your bike over the car-barrier half-way up and continue car-free to the summit (warning – no view!).
- The Paradise Valley ride around the back of Mt Ngongotaha (head towards Paradise Valley Springs) is one of the best short rides around.
- Plus the Waiketi Valley south-west of Rotorua is a maze of many quiet rolling roads and few short tough climbs to keep you honest.
- Note: these Waiketi roads are marked on most maps as unsealed but are in fact sealed: Bryce Rd, Rehi Rd, Parsons Rd, Poutakataka Rd, Totara Rd and Mangatete Rd.
We’ll put up more guides here soon, but for now there’s over 250 Rotorua road cycling routes listed here on MapMy Ride.com.
Plus, if you’re heading out for a big one it might pay to check the Bay of Plenty Police’s Twitter feed – if there’s a detour or road closure this is the way to find out: http://twitter.com/BOPPolice