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Biking

If you are into biking, then you have definitely come to the right place. Central Park is an absolute mecca for mountain and road bikers alike, offering hundreds of kilometres of outstanding mountain bike trails through forests and volcanic terrain, as well as wide open highways to get some road training (or races) under your belt.

Mountain BikingMountain biking in Central Park gets you up close and personal with some of the most spectacular scenery you will find anywhere in the world – and most of it is only accessible on two wheels.

Rotorua alone has more than 100km of pristine single tracks through stunning forests and alongside lakes, catering for all skill levels.

For a mountain biking experience with a real difference, take a trip around Craters of the Moon in Taupo – a volcanic area that really lives up to its name, with steaming landscapes and boiling mudpools.

Halfway between Rotorua and Taupo is the Whirinaki Forest which offers a variety of tracks through untouched native bush, while Ruapehu offers the 42 Traverse and alpine heli-biking. You can also find a myriad of mountain bike trails in the Bay of Plenty, often alongside its stunning coastal scenery. For a biking tour with a real difference, take a wine tour on your bike in the Hawkes Bay.

You can hire quality mountain bikes and all the other gear you need in each centre, with a number of groups providing shuttle buses to key trails or tours through the forest. There are also a huge number of mountain bike events and races, including the Taupo Day Night Thriller and the Whaka 100.

If thinner wheels are your thing, Central Park offers wide open highways and cycle-friendly towns and cities. The different regions in Central Park are also close enough to move between them under your own cycle power.

If you want to take the challenge up a notch or two, Central Park also offers some of the best road cycling events in the Southern Hemisphere. The Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge is now of New Zealand’s most popular sporting events, for more info on the Taupo Cycle Challenge, check here

Featured: Rotorua – Central Park’s cultural centre

Rotorua is regarded as the cultural hub of Central Park and has cemented its place as an international tourism icon. Rotorua offers everything from relaxing spa treatments to freefalling from 15,000 feet, backpacker hostels to luxury hotels, so whether its relaxation, adrenalin, a romantic getaway or a family vacation, Rotorua has it covered.

The city is best known for its geothermal activity with geysers and bubbling mud pools apparent throughout the area. Perhaps the most distinct feature of Rotorua is the intense sulphur scent which is unmistakable upon arrival. This is created by numerous sulphur vents throughout the area.

While learning about and experiencing Maori Culture is one of the main attractions to the area there are many other activities which draw visitors to the city. Boasting 16 lakes throughout the area, Rotorua is a haven for anglers with its vast quantity of trout providing excellent year round fishing. Ideal for many other activities, the lakes see a large number of holiday makers utilizing the sparkling waters for kayaking, waterskiing and boating.

Water activities are not the only enticing feature of the region with many land based adventures available. Possibly the most popular of them is mountain biking with Rotorua offering some of the best mountain biking trails in the world. The Redwood Forest is home to some of New Zealand’s best trails and the tracks are referenced relative to the level of difficulty and signposted making it easily navigable.

The Skyline Sykride is a popular attraction with the Gondola rising to 487 metres above sea level on Mt Ngongotaha. The adventure starts at the top of the mountain with the Luge and Skyswing. A 5km track descended on 3 wheel carts is a fun-filled option for all ages while the Skyswing sees thrill seekers swinging through the air at 120kph, offering stunning views of the lakes and Rotorua city at the same time.

For those feeling a little less adventurous, there are many walking trails through spectacular forestry and around the lakes. Some of the most popular trails are found in the Hamurana Springs, Lake Tikitapu, Rainbow Mountain and the Tarawera Falls.

Experiencing Rotorua’s geothermal landscape from the air is a unique and exhilarating adventure and is available through a number of operators in the area.

Renowned for its healing qualities, the thermal hot springs of Rotorua draw thousands of visitors to experience the natural therapies, from soaking in the hot waters, relieving aches with a mud wrap with mud sourced from local geothermal sites, to relaxing with a therapeutic massage.

No trip to Rotorua is complete without experiencing a bit of local culture. There are many places throughout the city to watch master carvers and weavers at work and sampling a ‘hangi’ – a traditional method of cooking food in the earth, is a must, along with cultural performances including the world famous ‘Haka’.

Exploring New Zealand’s volcanic Ruapehu region

Home to the Tongariro National Park and the Whanganui National Park, the Ruapehu region is one of the most visited areas in New Zealand and it is not hard to understand why thousands of visitors journey to this majestic region every year.
Boasting some of the most breathtaking and unique landscapes in the world, the Ruapehu [...]

Wattyl Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge | Lake Taupo – 27th November 2010

Wattyl Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge
It’s huge! With more than 11,400 riders taking part in 2005, riding around Lake Taupo has become one of the biggest Cycling events in the Southern Hemisphere. Enduro, Solo or Relay come and take part in this 160km journey around NZ’s largest lake.
When: 27 Nov 2010
Website: http://www.cyclechallenge.com/

2010 BMX North Island Titles | Rotorua – October 2010

2010 BMX North Island Titles
Rotorua BMX Club is the venue for this year’s North Island Titles being held over Labour Weekend with top class racing 23rd and 24th October. This competition is the second largest on the BMXNZ race calendar but what sets this meet apart, is the annual Trans Tasman Mighty 11 and Senior [...]

Galaxy Travel NDuro Winter MTB Series | Whakarewarewa | Rotorua – 15th August 2010

Galaxy Travel NDuro Winter MTB Series
New Zealand’s most popular MTB Race Series on some of the world’s finest single track.
Events designed by mountain bike owners for ALL mountainbike bike owners. These are classic, old-school style MTB races over one lap of challenging terrain in the world-renowned Whakarewarewa trail network.
All courses will take riders into the [...]

K2 Cycle Race | Coromandel Town | Coromandel – 30th October 2010

New Zealand’s toughest one day cycle race!
2010 sees the 9th K2 race take place. Every year the event starts in a different Coromandel Peninsula town, circumnavigating the Peninsula. There are a range of different options for various abilities, with the full 200km solo race probably the toughest one day road cycle race in the Southern [...]

The Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge

The Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge first started in 1977 and is now of New Zealand’s most popular sporting events.
In 2006 it was admitted to the prestigious UCI Golden Bike Series, meaning it rates as one of the world’s top seven rides.
Every year more than 10,000 riders line up at the start line to ride one [...]

Mountain Biking Taupo

Taupo offers tracks ranging from gentle to heart pumping. Many of the tracks follow beautiful bush trails, catching glimpses of the lake, rivers and mountains. There are many biking and cycling options for all ranges of fitness, experience and budgets. Taupo has some of the best mountain bike trails in the world. Try biking the [...]

Bularangi Harley Tours

Harley Davidson Tours & Rentals
Cruise the Coromandel on a Harley “It’s about the journey not the destination!”
Chauffered Pillon Passenger Tours available from 1 hour up to a full day – no expeerience required, just be driven and enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells of the awesome Coromandel. Rental of a Harley Davidson available if you [...]

Oropi Grove

Oropi Grove is a mountain bike park with plenty of good single tracks. This park offers many challenging trails and is not for beginners.
To get there, take Oropi Rd off Highway 29 south of Barkes Corner to the carpark, then check out the map board to plan your ride. The area is all forest and [...]