Thermal By Bike - The other side of Rotorua
Rotorua is one of the most popular MTB destinations in New Zealand. But what happens when you venture outside of the Redwoods?
Rotorua is well-known as a MTB holiday destination for Australian mountain bikers. And Air New Zealand can take you there.
Rotorua landed on the tourist map in the late 19th century, thanks to the Pink and White Terraces of Rotomahana. After a volcanic eruption destroyed the terraces in 1886, the New Zealand government made a major investment to build a bathhouse, and the Ngati Whakaue people gave the land as gift to Rotorua. The Bath House was opened in 1908, and still stands.
Thermal activity shaped Rotorua geologically, historically and financially. The thermal pools still play a major role in life in Rotorua and geothermal properties of the region made the land habitable for the Maori people, providing a source of heat and cooking.
For mountain bikers, the natural thermal pools can provide a relaxing dip after a hard ride in the Whakarewarewa Forest or at Rainbow Mountain, or an insightful experience visiting Wai-O-Tapu. But the thermal hot spots aren’t only in Rotorua. Te Ara Ahi – Go Thermal by Bike, is one of the 20 Great Rides listed within the New Zealand Cycle Trail network, and it links many of the locations with thermal activity in the Taupo Volcanic region. The trail is an intermediate grade, but it takes you right to some awesome mountain biking too, and all the way to Lake Ohakuri.
FOLLOWING THE ROUTE
The Thermal By Bike route is 66km long, starting from the Prince’s Gate Archway in Rotorua. Depending on your level of fitness, and the side trips you want to take, you could ride it in one day, break it into two by stopping at Waiotapu, or even longer if you chose to camp at designated areas on the route.
The trail starts as a gentle ride around Lake Rotorua, and then travels upstream to Hemo Gorge, a great little start to the mountain biking to come. Hemo Gorge is right on the edge of town, above Te Puia. It’s well worth planning a tour here, to see the wood carving school, the geysers, or book a steam box lunch. Geothermal activity cooks chicken and corn pretty well!
The route leads you past the Whakarewarewa Forest, home to about 160km of graded singletrack. It’s not part of the route, but it should be part of any mountain bikers riding. These are the trails that you travel for!
The trails in the forest are graded, so it might be worth sticking to lower grades at first if you’re not sure of what to expect. You could easily spend a few days exploring the Whakarewarewa Forest, but chances are you’ll find your favourite trails pretty quickly. Corners is a favourite for many Australians, it’s grade 3 (Intermediate). It’s fast, flowy, fun – and full of corners.
Leaving the Whakarewarewa Forest via Waipa Mill Road and the café at Planet Bike, the route runs alongside the main road to Taupo. This is an unfortunate mistake in planning, as the concrete cycle path runs along (but separate from) a main road, but also right next to the forest, where it’s said permission was granted for grade 1-2 singletrack.
RAINBOW MOUNTAIN – GO NATURAL
After crossing some farms, and past Lake Okaro, the route hits the trails again on the way to Rainbow Mountain. Originally a hiking trail, the climb to the top of Rainbow Mountain is now open for bikes as well. And it’s a worthwhile detour. The climb is challenging, with enough sustained steep and sometimes technical singletrack to catch out even the most gifted rider. The climb tops out at a fire tower, and the views from the top are magnificent. It’s well worth taking a breather and looking out over the lakes before tackling the descent.
The descent is Grade 4, and some of the ruts through steep corners do require experience and commitment. But that shouldn’t put you off. It’s an awesome descent from the top of the mountain right back down to the car park and the Thermal by Bike route. You traverse rocky sections, cross through dry forest and scrub, and plunge through dark temperate forest as you near the bottom. Some sections will draw your concentration in to a very narrow tunnel of vision. You might just have to ride up again for a second descent.
Right at the bottom, you can roll to Te Ranga (Kerosene Creek). The thermally heated creek is popular amongst locals, as well it should be. The creek has a few pools that are ideal for post ride soaks. The water is shallow, and the experience isn’t wild, but it’s not manicured either. If you’ve got a picnic in your backpack, the banks of Kerosene Creek are an ideal place to indulge – just take your rubbish out with you.
The Thermal by Bike route continues on past Waiotapu to the thermal pools of Waikite Valley (with camping and eating options) all the way to Lake Ohakuri. What you choose to do on this route is highly personal. Maybe you will just hit the trails in the forest and at Rainbow Mountain. Or perhaps you will cycle tour along the route, and camp, or stay in hotels. New Zealand is a great playground for mountain bikers, and this part of the New Zealand Cycle Trail Network is a great tool to connect some great riding, and brilliant experiences.
You can find out more about the route here: NZbyBike.com
Check out route maps for Air New Zealand online: Route Maps
