You don’t have to look far for cycle fun in Whakatāne. The Warren Cole trail runs 4.5km beside the Whakatāne River. It’s a very popular ride for locals and visitors alike, passing right by the isite Visitor Information Centre.
Several other easy rides are on hand. You can cruise the sealed roads alongside Ohope beach and Ohiwa Harbour and you can pedal up historic Burma Road, which passes through forest roamed by wild kiwi.
Burma road also rises up and over a farmland ridge, offering a bit more challenge. That ride links to Rawhiti Forest in the high hills behind Ohope, where there are trails to warm up even the strongest legs.
Perhaps most of all though, Whakatāneis a fantastic hub to do rides a little further afield. Moerangi and Whirinaki tracks are only a 75 minute drive to the south. The Motu Trails is a 40 minute drive to the east. Onepu Recreation Park is barely 20 minutes to the southwest.
Whakatāne makes an ideal holiday hub for rides like Moerangi and Motu Trails - with great stuff to do off the bike.
You can head out in the morning, hit the trails for the day, then return to Whakatāne and relax with great dining and accommodation. Then next day, hit another trail….
Moerangi is in the heart of Te Urewera, an epic 35km of wilderness. You pass through magnificent podocarp forest, rising to 900m altitude before a huge descent to the finish.
Nearby Whirinaki Forest Track is a sharp choice if you’re with family or more recreational riders. This purpose-built trail is 16km of easy riding, with options to further cut distance. Again, the forest is sensational.
For an easy spin, the Dunes Trail section of the Motu Trails is ideal. You can make a bigger day of it by heading on to Whakaumu track, or by doing the Pakihi. You can even do a Motu Trails weekend package with Air Chathams, flying down from Auckland on their historic DC3 and riding the trails, with all accommodation and transfers included (airchathams.co.nz).
There’s plenty to do besides cycling. Whakatāne’s a walking and trail running paradise, highlighted by the 17km Nga Tapuwae o Toi track, which circles the hills and coastline between Whakatāne and Ohope.
To find more about cycling in and around Whakatāne, get in touch with us or pop in and visit us at the isite Visitor Information Centre.
