The Worldwide Cyclery
New Zealand Escape

DAY 2

Ride Waihaha Hut Trail

We’ll head south this morning towards New Zealand’s largest lake – Lake Taupo, and make our way west to the beginning of the Waihaha trail. We’ll start off meandering alongside the banks of the Waihaha river. Things get more technical as we leave the shrubland and enter into dense podocarp rainforest. There’s some quick fire intense climbs and descents en route to the Waihaha hut where we’ll have lunch and make our way back to the trail head. After our ride we’ll head back to our pad in Rotorua.

ACCOMMODATION: Rotorua Riding House RIDE TIME: 4 hours  DISTANCE: 19 km CLIMB: 673 metres DESCENT: 673 metres  MEALS: (B,L,D)

DAY 3

Redwoods Land Rover 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 Land Rover 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 no need to pedal uphill!

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

DAY 4

Ride Rainbow Mountain

A drive back north this morning brings us to “Kerosene Creek”, where the Rainbow Mountain ride begins. We’ll start out with a lung busting 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 riding, then we can easily stop for some flow trail laps in the Redwoods for good measure.

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

DAY 5

A bit more Redwoods – backcountry!

Today we’ll delve deeper into Whakarewarewa Forest, explore some of the lesser known gems and check out some local secrets. It’ll back into our Land Rovers and straight to the goods. 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

Free Day in Rotorua

Rotorua is the cultural heart of New Zealand, and a fantastic place to explore, given the variety of options available – from zip lining, to lake cruises to rafting. We can point you in the right direction and help you reserve any activities you might like to do. Or if you’re keen to kick back and relax, it’s also a good idea to have a non-activity day to be rested for the following days riding!

ACCOMMODATION: Rotorua Riding House   MEALS: (B)

DAY 7

Ride & beach time –  Mt Maunganui

We’ll ride some proper native forest today – the soil and root structure of our native trees and sub canopy means here retains enough moisture to stay tacky, but also drains perfectly – and the loam factor is high!! Notably, there are very few rocks or tree roots here, making the flow factor high, but with some spice for those who are keen!

We’ll compliment our ride with a post ride beach swim at Mount Maunganui beach – one of the most beautiful beaches in New Zealand. If anyone is keen, there is a classic short hike to the top Mauao – an extinct volcano overlooking the coastline.

ACCOMMODATION: Rotorua Riding House RIDE TIME: 4 hours DISTANCE: 15-20 km  MEALS: (B,L,D)

DAY 8

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: 2331 metres  DESCENT: 2513 metres  MEALS: (B,L,D)

DAY 9

Depart

Today is the last day of your North Island riding adventure with Worldwide Cyclery and 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)