Trail Bike Riding in Rotorua Forest
Have now arrived in Middle-earth — New Zealand that is — for a painting tour and to see family. We got right into the true spirit of New Zealand and went trail bike riding the next morning. The air is SO fresh, the water SO clear. It’s nice to be home and it always inspires me to get out my paintbrush and canvas and create new landscape paintings!
Here we all are below, from left to right, Simone (sister), Bruce (husband), Kurt (nephew), me, Monique (sister) and Dave (brother-in-law). What fun!!!
This area in Rotorua is called the Whakarewarewa Forest. I have done a number of paintings of the forest but there is no end to its beauty. It has one of the oldest mountain bike networks in the country and some of the best trials I have been on — with a great blend of riding surfaces, topography and scenery. There are around 60 miles (90 km) of continually evolving trails, catering for all levels of rider, from beginners and family groups through to experts looking for extreme action.
The trails weave their way through lush native ferns beneath soaring forest canopies of Redwood, Radiata, Douglas Fir, Eucalyptus and Larch. Riders are often afforded glimpses of Rotorua’s lakes, geothermal activity and brooding Mt. Tarawera. It’s little wonder that Rotorua is renowned among mountain bikers as the location for a huge range of premier mountain biking events such as the 2006 World Mountain Bike & Trails Champs, the Single Speed Nationals in 2008 and the annual 12 and 24 hours Cateye Moonride, Xterra and N-Duro Winter MTB Series to name but a few.
You can take a 2.5 hour ride without any repeated sections, while never getting further than about 2 kms in a straight line from the trailhead. Even when the carpark is full, the mainly one way system keeps the forest from feeling crowded. The trails are ideal for introducing friends and family to the sport, as they are generally pretty mellow. But they have enough challenges if the speed is cranked up that expert class riders come back again and again. The trail system is continually being extended and enhanced. Further afield there are heaps more trails than a fit rider can do in a weekend and various groups are always building new ones.
More adventures and New Zealand scenery coming up!
Leisa
