Mountain Biking Lake Taupo, New Zealand

With the ongoing trail expansion and some lofty future goals, the MTB scene in Taupo looks set to explode as Huw Kingston reports.

Hot water; very hot water, soothed limbs tired from a week’s solid riding. The crystal clear waters of Lake Taupo stretched south for 40km from my toes, my elbows resting on rocks forming the edge of my own infinity pool. Scalding hot water bubbled up to mix with the cool lake waters. Across the lake, steam rose from the smouldering volcano of Mt Tongariro. “When Lake Taupo blows, most of the North Island will disappear,” Thomas casually offered up. “Yeah, apparently it happens every 2,000 years and we’re due another eruption,” added Simon.

It would seem such a shame, with all the current effort and investment in mountain biking in the Taupo region, for all this fantastic work to be undone by something so trivial as an exploding lake.

Eventually I dragged myself out of the bath and back onto the beach at Taupo. Whilst Rotorua, an hour north, has a long established reputation as a mountain biking mecca, Taupo, a town of some 20,000, is fast catching up. Already well known as the location of New Zealand’s largest road cycling event, the Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge, and as home to the New Zealand Ironman, mountain biking is on the big climb to prominence. This is due to a lot of hard work and the aligning of the planets; Bike Taupo, an incredible local cycle advocacy group, a ‘big picture’ project promoted by the NZ government and a supportive local tourism organisation.

Peter picked Danien and I up at Wairakei Resort. He’d started Great Lake Shuttles only six months earlier, offering a service shuttling riders and bikes to and from the numerous ride destinations for which Taupo is a hub. We drove into town to meet Simon and Thomas at the aptly named Eruption Café (lava bread a specialty). Simon was an old mate from Oz now living in Taupo who’d taken a few days off work to show us his new backyard. Thomas, ex helicopter pilot turned computer nerd, was a local rider and recent chairman of Bike Taupo.

Great Lake Trail Pt1 – Open for Business

Peter dropped us off at Chainman’s Creek Trailhead off the Whangamata Road. Our plan was to ride all the open sections of the Great Lake Trail (GLT). The 19km section from Whangamata Road to the village of Kinloch was opened in December 2011 adding to the 22km Kinloch to Whakaipo Bay (including the Headland Track diversion), which had opened some years earlier. We were soon whooping and hollering along machine cut singletrack that twisted and turned its way down the Orakau Stream for 10km toward the lake. The riding on the trail was not technical in the sense of drops and jumps but it had you preparing for every corner, trying to pick the best line and avoid washing off too much speed.

Thomas explained that the trail was multi use for bikes and walkers and had been designed to ensure blind corners were not approached too fast. I also liked the fact that signage indicated walkers had to give way to bikes. To me that showed a maturing of the sport where, so often, land managers new to mountain biking, automatically do it the other way around.

We caught glimpses of the lake before reaching the water at the pebbly sweep of Kawakawa Bay. A swim would have been tempting but rain started to fall; for 30 minutes and the only rain we saw in 10 days on the North Island. Farmers were complaining; mountain bikers were not. From the bay we had 200m to climb to Te Kauwae but it was all an absolute pleasure. Hardly have I ridden such a well graded climb, switchbacking its way up to a rocky lookout with spectacular views across the lake. The GLT was virtually designed for single-speeds!

One great advantage of being in a volcanic region is that the pumice stone making up much of the landscape is completely free draining, meaning trails are rideable soon after any rain. The run down to Kinloch had us grinning from ear to ear. What was apparent was the Great Lake Trail was an everyman’s trail. Provided you had a bit of fitness, it is manageable by beginners and enjoyable by all.

Kinloch nestled on the flats behind Whangamata Bay offers a perfect caffeine stop at the general store or Tipsy Trout café. It’s also another access point for riders on the Trail. With fuel in our stomachs and a clearing sky, we crossed one of the steepest footbridges I’ve been on, to begin another well graded 200m climb up to the Headland Track. This 10km loop trail, heading out across the top of the Whangamata Bluffs is a must do; not only because you’ll want to ride as much of the GLT as possible, but it takes you to a perfect lookout with views of snow-capped volcanoes and a bench engraved with the names of the dozens of people who built the trail.

With the headland loop complete, it was another 7km to our pick up point at Whakaipo. We were running well behind time and I had an appointment with a jet boat. It was on the gas all the way and what laughing gas it was. Corner after corner on a steadily descending profile, with just a few kicks to keep us honest. Dripping with sweat we reached the bay and the waiting shuttle bus, it was hot and sunny now but there was no time to cool off in the 20-degree lake waters.

Who’s at Fault?

If I felt somewhat in control on the bike (others might say otherwise), I felt out of control on the Huka Falls Jet. Entrusting a mad Kiwi to soak us, spin us and send us hurtling towards trees at 90kph in 15cm of water, only to pull out with millimetres to spare. Jetboats and NZ are clichés but I’d never done it before. It brought home to me again the big difference between us and our cousins across the Tasman. New Zealand has built a reputation worldwide for adrenalin-charged tourism.

Whilst for many visitors the landscape, food, wine and warm welcome is reason enough, there are always operators happy to throw you off cliff or bridge, drop you down a waterfall or helicopter you and your bike, kayak or skis into remote places. I pondered on why it seems easier to make things happen on that side of the Tasman. Tourism is so important, making up some 10 per cent of the economy, four times that of Australia. There is a ‘can do’ attitude whereas back home it seems we’re much better at finding reasons not to do something, and those that do try often get battered and bruised by the negativities and naysayers in government at all levels. What also seems of key importance in New Zealand is the ‘no fault’ scheme. So often in Australia the first line of defence of any land manager is concerns about liability, of people getting injured, of legal action. That is largely taken out of the equation in NZ. It seems on the surface an excellent system—unless you’re a lawyer!

Bureaucracy is alive and kicking in NZ for sure but it seems there is a willingness to work through issues, with the driver being the tourism dollar.

Great Lake Trail Pt2 – A Sneak Preview

Soon after this magazine reaches you, another 13km of the GLT should be open from Weston Bays Bridge to Waihaha Road End. Thomas took us to ride the trail. After running the gauntlet of some angry bees disturbed from their hives and clambering over an electric fence (those of us with short legs always view them with trepidation…) we were on the trail. It alternated between forest and open country until we reached some views down to Waihaha Bay and the river of that name snaking into the lake.

The newly cut trail, white pumice blinding in the hot sun, followed high above the river with impressive cliff scenery and a waterfall cascading into a perfect plunge pool. Reaching some trail machinery signalled the end of this particular section. “Pete told me it is only 100 metres of bush-bashing to the next part, just follow the orange tape,” said Thomas. So we followed the orange tape. Only thing was it was the wrong tape, perhaps a line they’d scoped but then disregarded. After an hour of stumbling through thick bush – pedals caught in creepers, jerseys ripped on branches – we reached the track on the other side. We pedalled on for another couple of kilometres until we reached another line of bush. Knowing it was 800 metres to where the trail crew were working in from Western Bays End, we turned back. This time, finding the right line of orange tape, yielding a mere 10-minute bush-bash to the other side.

Back at the car, we threw the bikes on and drove out to the blacktop and on to Western Bays Bridge. On the bikes again we rode across the new swing bridge and down very fresh trail to Mike working on another timber bridge crossing some boggy ground. He had the contract for most of the timberwork on the GLT and, true to form, was a keen rider; his single-speed leant up against the work trailer. Mike invited us across as the first riders on his latest structure and, 500 metres further, we bumped into Chad and his Kubota digger. In front was a huge boulder and Chad was contemplating whether to reroute around it or bring in the dynamite. “We aim for about 100m of trail a day but sometimes it might only be 20m,” Chad said fatalistically. “Give us another week and we should have this section all connected up.”

Craters of The Moon

“Just wanted to give you a heads-up that the Craters of the Moon trails have been logged massively due to wind damage,” read an email from a friend months before I headed to Taupo. Indeed, back in 2012 a huge storm felled hundreds of trees across the Wairakei Forest, home of the Craters of the Moon trail network. Thousands more were logged when the forest managers decided the best option was to continue the work done by the winds of change. Since then, a huge amount of work has been done by Bike Taupo to resurrect trails and get Craters back to where it was.

On our final day in Taupo we rode out from town, following the Rotary Trail to Huka Falls, then taking an ingenious route through a tunnel into Craters trail network. I was impressed that the trail builders had managed to tunnel under a main highway until Thomas explained. ‘We found this totally overgrown tunnel, almost filled to the roof with mud, and approached the NZ Roads to see if we could use it. At first they refused saying it was important for their maintenance crews who used it. We then invited them to view it with us and showed that no crew had been near there in decades. They still wouldn’t give us permission but said if they didn’t know anything they didn’t know anything! So we put the call out and over 100 people turned up with shovels and within the day had it open and clear to ride through’.

The repaired and railable berms of Tankstand then took us back into the forest and up the Grinder. Mr followed lovingly by Mrs showed the benefits of marrying great trail design with the perfect topography (and reminded me of Mr&Mrs game show, the precursor to all reality TV programs and never bettered. Google it! Do you know whether your wife fills the kettle holding it in her left or right hand?)

Better Than P and Young Pines continued the odyssey through the forest, trails at times hardly discernible for the layer of pine needles. We popped out of the trees onto Mr Wiggles and on through Tourist Trap and Inwards Goods. All very, very good and a fitting way to end our riding in Taupo. There’s over 60km of brilliant singletrack in Craters and enough to keep any trail rider happy for days.

Taupo has a very different vibe to its neighbour Rotorua. Whereas Rotorua is very much about trail riding, Taupo is about jumping off onto destination rides; rides with views, rides with a relaxing swim in the middle, rides traversing remote country. All in a setting dominated by that magnificent lake and those distant snow-capped volcanoes.

Meanwhile the man celebrating his 70^th year by riding 70 x 160km loops of Lake Taupo in three months still had over halfway to go. We drove away from Taupo just in time; the town set to erupt into applause with smouldering rock (stars) Pat Benatar, America and Bachman Turner in town.

 

General Information

When to Go

It gets a bit cool in Taupo during the winter months and you’ll certainly be seeking out those hot pools for your swims. However, with the free draining soils, riding throughout the year is possible—you could even combine this with skiing up on the volcanoes in winter. Most people choose to head over in the warmer months. 

Getting There

Taupo is about four hours’ drive from Auckland and five hours from Wellington with flights to Taupo available from both these cities. Australians can also fly direct from Sydney to Rotorua with Air New Zealand, only an hour’s drive away.

Where to Stay

We stayed at the Bayview Wairakei Resort (www.wairakei.co.nz), which backs onto the MTB trails that lead into Craters of the Moon. It’s 8km from town and is a very comfortable option. There are dozens of accommodation options in town. Check out www.greatlaketaupo.com 

Where to Eat

Again, dozens of options in and around town. Eruption Café (right next to Top Gear bike shop) is a good place for breakfast and lunch. Vine Eatery (37 Tuwharetoa St) is a treat for dinner. It’s a tapas style restaurant on one side of the counter and a bottle shop on the other so there are hundreds of wines on the wine list! I’d never normally recommend a burger chain but NZ based Burger Fuel does a good job at sustainability and they make an even better veggie burger. They’ve even got a branch in Iraq! 

Bike Stuff

Bike Taupo – Great resource for trail info, maps and news. www.biketaupo.org.nz

Great Lake Shuttles – They’ll get you to or from the trailhead and can also arrange bike hire. www.greatlakeshuttles.co.nz

Bike Shops

- Top Gear, 19 Tamamutu Street.

- Avantiplus Taupo, Corner of Horomatangi and Ruapehu Street. 

Bike Hire

Rapid Sensations, 413 Huka Falls Road (near Craters of the Moon). 

Trail Maps

Bike Taupo trail maps are available in local bike shops. 

Events & Social Rides

- Taupo MTB Club www.mountainbiketaupo.org.nz

- The Huka Challenge – 85km MTB event held on same late November weekend as The Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge road event (www.cyclechallenge.com) 

 

Other Rides

The local tourist organisation along with Bike Taupo has produced an excellent map and appetite whetter; 10 Great Rides Great Lake Taupo. It highlights some of the MTB tours around the district including epic adventure tours like 85km The Timber Trail west of Taupo (one very long day but better tackled in two days and featuring numerous bridges including one 140m swing-bridge), which will be complete in 2013. There are little gems like the 19km Tree Trunk Gorge deep in the beech forests south of Lake Taupo and easy riding on the Waikato River Trails north of Taupo.

Bike Taupo

Back in 2002 a few cyclists in Taupo got to talking about how they could promote better and safer cycling for kids in the district. Some mountain bike trails already existed at Wairakei Forest (Craters of The Moon) and from this grew a desire to expand the network of off-road cycling close to town. The Rotary Trail was the first trail they built in 2003 and was notable for the fact that it was the first MTB trail in NZ to be built in a Scenic Reserve. Bike Taupo worked with the Department of Conservation and Rotary on that trail and ever since have engaged with land managers, the local council and the community—now Bike Taupo is very much the ‘go to’ organisation for cycling in the region. They are still very much a community-based not for profit group but now have some eight full-time staff, produce trail maps and work with bike shops and operators in and around the town. They don’t run events or races, leaving that to the local Taupo MTB Club (which gets over 100 riders to their weekly summer races) and private promoters.

Grand Plans

Some years ago the idea of an MTB trail looping right around Lake Taupo was floated. Rather than waiting around to develop a master plan for the entire trail, Bike Taupo made a start and built the first section back in 2007. This was the section from Kinloch to Whakaipo Bay (known as the W2K) and the Headland Track. This first section of the Great Lake Trail (GLT) was built by local volunteers and detainees doing community service under the supervision of Bike Taupo.

Then, as luck would have it, the NZ Government announced their plans for the NZ Cycle Trail. Bike Taupo applied for some funding to complete further sections of the GLT, using the existing W2K section as collateral. They received nearly $2.5 million, which was then used to complete the stage from Chinamans to Kinloch and further sections that will be open soon. All up there will be 60km of singletrack open by mid-2013 and work will start on yet another 17km section. With all the twists and turns a full loop of the lake will probably amount to some 200km of trail!

A passionate trail builder, Pete Masters (Bike Taupo Operations Manager) is a forceful character and a great advocate. He filled me in a little on their long-term approach. “Whether or not we completely loop the lake is not an issue; the main thing is we’re building trail. At various spots we have landowner issues to deal with (including local Maori lands) but we’ll work through the hurdles as and when and find solutions. For example, we don’t have permission to link the track from Kawakawa Bay west toward our next planned section, so we’ll get a boat to run shuttles across that 10km stretch.”

When I questioned Pete on how a shuttle boat in the middle of nowhere would take off, he brushed away my doubts, “There are plenty of people looking for this sort of adventure riding opportunity and if we show a need we’ll have operators ready to fill it. Funny you should mention ‘nowhere’. We have an awesome ride south of Lake Taupo called The Bridge to Nowhere. It’s bloody amazing; 35km on stunning trails and at the end you can get picked up by a jetboat for the trip back to the trailhead. The guy running it is flat out.”

I told Pete how impressed I was by the gradient of the climbs on the GLT. “We won’t employ any trail builders unless they ride a bike. They soon get to learn what gradient is enjoyable to ride!”

Nga Haerenga – The New Zealand Cycle Trail

Throughout my time in NZ, it became apparent how important this initiative was—it had been the catalyst for the development of a number of MTB trails that I’d been riding or been told about. The idea of a New Zealand Cycle Trail, put out in early 2009, was to build a network of cycle trails that would provide a healthy and enjoyable way for locals and visitors to see the country and would also offer economic, social and environmental benefits for local communities.

‘Nga Haerenga’ means ‘The Journeys’ in Maori and trails in the Taupo region such as the Great Lake Trail and the 85km Timber Trail are key developments in the network of MTB journeys.

It’s worth checking out the Nga Haerenga website (www.nzcycletrail.com) as it highlights some of the fantastic riding experiences that are popping up right across New Zealand.