Zerode Shred in Rotorua

DAY 1

Arrive Rotorua, Ride Whakarewarewa Forest

Our trip begins in Rotorua – the capital of mountain biking in New Zealand and the birthplace of Zerode. You’ll see what we mean by “Hero Dirt” when we head into the Redwoods, as there’s a trail to suit anyone. So depending on how jetlagged you are, we can get a sense of what you’re after and hit the perfect trail – smooth flowy goodness with berms galore, drops to tight and technical. Rotorua is famous for its “Hero Dirt” – tacky, with minimal rocks – all set up for maximum fun.

ACCOMMODATION: Rotorua Riding House  RIDE TIME: 3-5 hours  DISTANCE: Up to you  MEALS: (L,D)

DAY 2

Ride Rainbow Mountain & Rafting

A very short drive south this morning brings us to “Kerosene Creek”, where the Rainbow Mountain ride begins. We’ll start out with a 40 minute climb to the summit of Rainbow Mountain. From the summit, the views out to Lake Taupo and North to Rotorua and the surrounding forests are awesome. Then it’s time for the steep, tight, technical descent through the forest on winding single track, all the way back down to Kerosene Creek. The beauty of this run is that we can do it all over again and double the fun! There’s a chance to soak in the natural hot springs after the ride, then we’ll head back to Rotorua. If you’re up for some more gravity action, we’ll do it again this afternoon, only a whitewater raft on the Kaituna river – home to the highest commercially rafted waterfall in the world.

ACCOMMODATION: Rotorua Riding House  RIDE TIME: 3 hours  DISTANCE: 11 km  CLIMB: 500 metres MEALS: (B,L,D)

DAY 3

Redwoods – Private Shuttles

Rotorua is, without a doubt, home to the best single track riding in New Zealand. Today we’ll have access to every corner of it. Our Redwoods Shuttles day means we’ll have access to an entire network of 200km of single track, have it to ourselves and do it in style on our very own Land Rovers. We’ll tailor the day to the type of trails you want to ride, and there’s very little need to pedal uphill!

ACCOMMODATION: Rotorua Riding House RIDE TIME: optional  MEALS:(B,L,D)

DAY 4

Heli biking the Moerangi Trail

Things are always better when you introduce a helicopter into the mix, and the fun factor is ramped up even more when we’re dropped off in arguably one of the worlds most beautiful forests – and then we get to ride through it with absolutely no one around. After the chopper drops us into the mix, we’ll ride the tight single track through pristine forest, traverse big bluffs, take on some grunty climbs and enjoy a lengthy downhill descent to the end of the trail to finish it all off. It really is the jewel in the crown of New Zealand riding and the ultimate way to round off our trip.

ACCOMMODATION: Rotorua Riding House  RIDE TIME: 5 hours  DISTANCE: 32 km  CLIMB: 400 metres  DESCENT: 800 metres  MEALS: (B,L,D)

DAY 5

A bit more Redwoods – backcountry!

It’s back into our shuttles and straight to the goods. Today we’ll get a little rowdier and delve deeper into Whakarewarewa Forest, exploring some of the lesser known gems and check out some local secrets. If you thought our first shuttles day was epic, then you’ll be frothing by the end of this day. With trails that have names like Kung Fu Walrus, Billy-T and Hot X Buns, you KNOW it can only mean it’ll be a tonne of fun, and just a little bit rowdy.

ACCOMMODATION: Rotorua Riding House RIDE TIME: 5 hours DISTANCE: open CLIMB: none! DESCENT: As much as you want MEALS: (B,L,D)

DAY 6

Depart

Today is the last day of your Rotorua Hero Dirt riding adventure with New Zealand Mountain Biking. We hope you’ll have enjoyed your time here, having ridden some of the best trails in New Zealand and taken in the best scenery on the planet in the process. Our specialty is first class guiding, being welcoming hosts, taking care of all the logistics and nitty gritty details, and ensuring it’s all done in style. We’ll send you home relaxed, refreshed and looking forward to the next epic ride.

MEALS: (B)

TOUR DEPARTURE DATES 

Departure dates

Ask us if we have any departure dates that suit your travel dates and we’ll see what we can do!

THE Zerode Hero Dirt NZ trip is 5-10 March, 2023