A New Zealand Must Do
Having just arrived in Rotorua for the first time since 2006, I have been eager to check out the MTB destination that everywhere in Australia is hoping to emulate.
Having just arrived in Rotorua for the first time since 2006, I have been eager to check out the MTB destination that everywhere in Australia is hoping to emulate. Last time I was here I arrived at dawn after an ovrnight drive from Wellington, where we had arrived late at night.
We couldn’t check in to our accommodation so rode the Redwoods on no sleep. That’s not a bad experience – but it’s a long way from getting off a direct flight to Rotorua, having your bike bag in about 10 minutes, then driving for about 10km down the road. That’s just hard to beat for convenience.
Having snuck out into Whakarewarewa for a few hours after a ‘Steam Box’ lunch, I’m set to explore what I’m here for – riding the Te Ara Ahi trail – Thermal by Bike. Rotorua has a lot of geothermal activity going on. Even better, some geysers are coming back to life, after limitations on boring to geothermal waters were introduced a few decades ago.
The Te Ara Ahi trail runs right from the lake all the way through to Lake Ohakuri. Predominantly cycle path, both sealed and not, it links not just a range of thermal pools and attractions, but a couple of wicked mountain bike parks too. Brew, ride, soak, ride, relax, craft beer.
What’s not to like?
