Hidden Trail - Woods Mill Track (Updated)

As part of my job I regularly travel around the Bay of Plenty and Waikato in New Zealand's Central North Island. So, of course, I am always looking for a run on the way home from my meetings. As they are mainly morning meetings I generally have lots of time.

I have struggled to find much to run on the way back from Hamilton to Rotorua... there is a nice trail on the link road from SH5 to Putaruru, but other than that I usually have to detour over to the Kaimais to find something.

However between Tirau and Rotorua, about a kilometre on the Rotorua side of the big passing lane, I had noticed for a while the sign in the picture to the right. 

It kinda looked like there might be some kind of trail, but I guessed it was probably just a hunters track, however I decided to go for a run and see what was there.

After the first 200 metres or so, I wasn't holding much hope, overgrown with grass and just a trodden path that looked very 'un-trail' like.

Then it reached the bush and cleared to a 'real' trail and a sign (left) to confirm it. A Loop Track... yippee... love loop tracks.

So about another 200 metres down the trail comes to a 'T' junction. As I nearly always run clockwise I turned left and set out. Turns out the decision was correct, next visit I ran right and after about half a kmit reaches the road just up from where you parked... so left is the way to go!  The main trails was a nice wide trail with the odd boggy patch and of course the ubiquitous orange triangles.

A bit down the track you run through more grassy area with signs of the old mill railway that the track was built on in many places.


The grass trail is just that... a grass trail, so some care is needed as the grass covers some unevenness in the ground and you could easy roll an ankle in this stretch. However it is only for a couple of hundred metres at most before you head back into the bush.

All in all the first 4km or so is pretty cruisy with not much in the way of hills and just nice running - which suited me as I had the Tussock Traverse coming up a couple of days later. However at about 4km the trail starts to head down, being a loop trail (I thought), I could either head down or double back.... I hate doubling back, so down I went.. and down... and down. 


At the bottom was a lovely waterfall and river... and a dead end to the trail!!!

There were vague signs that the trail may have gone further in the past, but no way that I could see to get through, so back up the hill (slowly though, to conserve energy for the race) and I retraced my steps back to the car.


At just over 8km all up, this was a nice run and one I will repeat. I will also take the right turn at the T-junction next time and see where that takes me and possibly update this blog then.


So if you are looking for a nice wee run between Tirau and Rotorua... keep an eye out for the 'Light no Fires' sign on the left hand side (heading to Rotorua) about a kilometre up from the big passing lane.

Garmin link: Woods Mill Track by mike3950 at Garmin Connect - Details