Pieke
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South Island ▷ Wanaka Region ▷ Wanaka Township ▷
Motatapu Track
Rode this on my bike in the annual Motatapu Bike event - holy cow what an epic journey!
It would be an amazing walk as well (I think it is normally only open as a walk.....). The first part is pretty much up, then an undulating section that goes on for a while before the descent into Arrowtown. A few river crossings along the way, the most significant being at the Arrowtown end. Load up on water as I wouldn't recommend drinking from streams especially with the amount of stock cruising round. There is a river infected with Didymo along the trail so it is worth washing your boots after the trip so that other waterways aren't destroyed!
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South Island ▷ Wanaka Region ▷ Wanaka Township ▷
Rocky Mountain and Diamond Lake
Great walk rewarded with primo views over Glendu Bay, Wanaka township and Treble Cone.
The walk takes an easy 3hours return; this includes checking out all the view points along the way and a beer at the top! The walk is a circuit, I would recommend doing it in a figure-8 style (a mix of the Eastern and Western track). This will make sense when you are up the hill walking. A swim in Glendu Bay post experience is well worth it!!
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North Island ▷ Rotorua Region ▷ Rotorua ▷
Planet Bike Mountain Biking
These guys are absolutely AWESOME!!
Great bikes and wicked guides. I was in a group of 15 and these guys ensured that everybody had a primo experience and pushed everyone to their limits. The coffee and muffins were great after the ride, and the whole place is the coolest looking warehouse in the land, super stylish. Would recommend Planet Bike to anyone!
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North Island ▷ Rotorua Region ▷ Tikitere ▷
Eastern Okataina Walkway
Nice for the first hour, then this track tends to just go on and on and on and on and on, with not much change in view.
The lake level is really high so beach access is really limited. DOC has done a good job of fixing up the tracks that had been eroded away. Nice views of pohutukawa trees. This would be a good trail run as opposed to a touristy walk.
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North Island ▷ Hawkes Bay ▷ Napier ▷
Waipatiki Beach Holiday Park
Beautiful spot in a remote setting.
I am not sure if the facilities had been cleaned for a very long time though.... Even I wanted to get the water-blaster out and give the bathrooms a good scrub. The BBQ's had also seen better days. The cabins looked good though, so maybe that would be the way forward as opposed to camping? Cool walks nearby around the cliffs and through the forest.
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North Island ▷ Bay of Plenty ▷ Waihi ▷
Waihi Beach to Orokawa Bay walk
Really nice walk, good views along the way.
The beach at Orokawa Bay is beautiful, not that safe for swimming as it is a really steep beach. This is most stunning when the pohutukawa flowers are out in late December!
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North Island ▷ Ruapehu ▷ Tongariro / National Park Village ▷
Fishers Track
This track has recently had a massive upgrade due to the development of the NZ Cycle trail.
We went a little extreme and decided to ride it without a shuttle from the end, so did a round trip from National Park back to National Park. The start of the track is freshly gravelled which is ok but a bit slippery, and gets increasingly better as you hit the track rolling thorugh farmland. At the end of the farm track you ride along really nice country roads for a while and end up at a monument - good place for lunch and to get ready for either a pick up by a local operator, or ride up the relentless hill to Raurimu. Check out the AMAZING driftwood sculpture outside Wades Landing Lodge.
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North Island ▷ Ruapehu ▷ Ohakune ▷
Ohakune Mountain Road
AWESOME!!
Thought it was a good idea to ride up to the top of the hill. Arrived at the top 2 hours later and ripped down 17km's dodging the odd camper along the way. Wicked views with heaps of vegetation variety. I would think twice about doing this ride in the wet. Wore through my brakes......
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South Island ▷ Marlborough ▷ Picton / Marlborough Sounds ▷
Queen Charlotte Track
Fantastic ride.
Completed it over 2 days, the first day was short and a bit of a shock to the system it was very hilly, the next day was great, still lots of hills but it seemed easier. Our bags were carried from place to place, so we managed to bring a few treats along for the trip. I would recommend this to all, an intermediate level of fitness is required for sure. Bring lots of water, not many streams along the hilltops.
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North Island ▷ Ruapehu ▷ Tongariro / National Park Village ▷
42nd Traverse
A solid ride with heaps of hills and good views in the middle of nowhere.
We rode this in May when the daylight hours were pretty short and didn't leave much room for error. The track is great when its dry as the clay on the downhills can be lethal when they are wet. The track is fully ridable apart from one river crossing with a steep uphill straight after it - you definately know when you are here. The last hill is quite relentless. Be aware of the quads driving thorugh.