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
Tuhoto Ariki Trail was a first for the Rotorua area... a dual use MTB and walking (running) trail through Department of Conservation (DOC) land. The name of the trail celebrates Tuhoto Ariki, the famous Tuhourangi
tohunga who predicted the Tarawera eruption and then survived it. He was
dug out of his debris covered whare after being trapped for 4 days.
The bad news first... Tuhoto Ariki starts at the highest point of the Redwoods/Whakarewarewa Forest Park.... so climb, climb, climb.
There are many different ways to get to the trail, Keith Crook and I ran it the other way a month or two back. Running it in reverse makes the trail a steady climb followed by a rapid decent... todays route made it a steep climb followed by a long steady decent through fabulous native bush trails.
Ok the first step is getting there... turn into the main Waipa Mill entrance just out of Rotorua on the Taupo road. Drive straight by the main MTB carpark on the left and carry on down the road, you will see the Mill barrier arm appearing ahead... however just before that take a right turn. Follow this road for about one and a half kms and you will see the hoist off to the left of the road for lifting logging trailers onto the main truck bed when empty. Just past this the road sweeps around to the right and on the outside of this curve is a parking area. Find a spot and get ready to run.
Head past the barrier (above right) and you will see a map ahead (left). Take a left here into Larch Road and a hundred or so metres along the trail veer right into Nice Road... and it is a nice road. Follow this to the end of the road and then turn left and follow the road to a 4-way intersection... you will find it hard to miss as it is just after a nice wee climb. At the intersection you will see another MTB map... but you don't need that, turn hard right into Direct Road and climb.... for me, this is a walk, run, walk, run road... there are two intersections of roads on the way up, take the right hand option both times - take the left at the first if you like punishment as it comes out at the same place but you just work harder.
Eventually you will climb a road that ends at Hill Road, If you veer left here you will see another MTB map (they get looked after well here) and to the left of that the entrance to a MTB trail called Frontal Lobotomy - yup, that's where we are going. Despite the name, this is a nice climb for that takes you all the way up to the start ramp for the National Downhill MTB trail. Carry on past the start and head up the road for the last part of this climb to the start of Tuhoto Ariki.
Before you head down the trail, if you head to the towers opposite the entrance you will get some glimpses of distant Mt Ngongotaha and some idea of how high you have climbed.
Ok, so this is what we climbed up here for, head into Tuhoto Ariki and enjoy... right at the start you will see the start of a new trail Te Tihi o Tawa... this was still to be opened when I wrote this and is due to be opened on the 1st December 2011 so you can be sure I will be testing my Salomons either up or down it soon.
Tuhoto Ariki, is great forest running, roots, mud, flowing downhills and sharp corners. There are 4kms of running from the start, although we will be leaving it slightly before the end to extend the run through the other trail through the DOC land.
On the run you will come to a nice grass clearing.... just run through and look for the continuation of the trail off the left of the clearing. Shortly after this you get a bit of a wake-up with a 50m (vertical) climb... but it is all runnable and then it's off down again... lots of fun here with more roots, mud and tight turns.
Keep an eye out for the sign (left) and head right down Hatupatu. This is a Grade 5 MTB trail, but makes for a nice downhill run. Knarly at times and a couple of "ooh, better be careful down here" spots. But overall it is a nice run that finishes on Moerangi Road almost directly opposite the start of your next trail (signposted with an exit only MTB sign).
That trail is an 'almost never used' MTB trail that winds down nicely to another MTB intersection (right). You can do as I did and head down Chestnut Link into RollerCoaster or you can take the right-hand option and follow the road through to the road at Hill Road. If you take this option, take a left at the road and follow it down to the intersection where you will see the Shuttle queuing area, follow the road to the left here and follow it back to the start.
If you take the route I took down the MTB trails, beware of MTB riders behind you (you can usually hear them a long way off). They don't generally mind as long as you give way to them. As you head down the trail is pretty cool to run. You will see the sign to RollerCoaster and the only split in the trail is a t-junction where the main trail appears to go right and that's the way you head. The trail will eventually come out on another forestry road with the continuation of the trail just over the road.
At the end of the MTB trail you come back to the road. Take a sharp left and follow the road for just over 1.5km and you will find yourself back at the start having covered just under 16km. Keep an eye out for a short road to the left just before the finish - especially if it's hot - because it leads to the Waipa Spring which provide much of the water to Rotorua. On the post is a tap with pure spring water... a great way to cool down and fabulous days like today.
There are a myriad of ways to get up to Tuhoto Ariki, but they are all worth the effort (during summer you can even cheat and catch the MTB Shuttle up 90% of the way). Best time to run is during the week as there are less MTB riders around, but today was Sunday and the weather perfect and I only saw 5 riders on the trails I was on and as I got out of the way quickly there was no problem. Below is my link to my Garmin and as always, give me a bit of notice and I will come with you and show you the way!
Nice, Direct, Frontal L, Tuhoto Ariki and down Roller Coaster by mike3950 at Garmin Connect - Details
