TWIN COAST CYCLE TRAIL

2 DAYS 84km

Trail Info

Boats, © Northland Inc. BELOW LEFT: Hokianga Harbour BELOW MIDDLE: Hundertwasser toilets, Kawakawa © Northland Inc. BELOW RIGHT: Upoko © Te Puia 2 Days Enjoy a relaxing journey through some of refl ect the rich culture of this region and 84km provide an artistic feature to this trail. ’s earliest settlements on the Some sections of the trail are open, Twin Coast Cycle Trail – Pou Herenga Tai. while others are still under planning and TRAIL GRADES: construction. It’s anticipated that the ocated in the Far North, this In parts, the route follows a disused rail TO KAWAKAWA entire 84km trail, from Opua to , - GRADE 1 (EASIEST) trail is steeped in historical corridor, crosses private property and will be completed in summer 2016. KAWAKAWA TO signifi cance of early New follows road reserve. L - GRADES 1-2 (EASIEST-EASY) Zealand settlement dating from before The trail includes off-road and on-road The Twin Coast Cycle Trail offers a truly OTIRIA TO KAIKOHE the land wars. The Far North is where riding. The off-road trail is built on an unique experience for riders, traversing - GRADE 1 (EASIEST) New Zealand’s founding document, the old rail corridor, making it suitable for rural farm country and passing through KAIKOHE TO OKAIHAU , was signed back riders of all ages, abilities and fi tness - GRADE 1 (EASIEST) a number of small towns as well as in 1840. The north is also where you’ll levels. The trail is generally fl at and OKAIHAU TO HOREKE many sites of historical and cultural fi nd some of New Zealand’s most wide with a smooth surface and only - GRADES 1-2 (EASIEST-EASY) signifi cance. Look out for the hand- Mainly fl at with one downhill beautiful scenery and warmest weather. gentle climbs. carved pou along the route, which section. MOBILE PHONE COVERAGE: Coverage is limited along most LOOK OUT FOR... sections of the cycleway. Hokianga Harbour Kawakawa Toilets Carved Pou DRINKING WATER: Water from a river should be boiled The beautiful Hokianga Harbour The Hundertwasser toilets in Kawakawa A unique feature of this (3min), fi ltered or treated before includes the twin settlements of Omapere are not your usual public loos. The trail is the series of Pou drinking. You can buy bottled water and Opononi, quirky structure erected along the route. from businesses along the trail, or famous for the features Hand-carved by local ask to fi ll your water bottle after a golden sand curved shapes iwi, these Pou recall the coffee at a café. During the hotter dunes that and brightly history and stories of months make sure you carry 1.5-2.5 monopolise the coloured both Maori and Pakeha litres of water per day. view from the ceramic tiles settlements in and shoreline. and bottles. around the area.

18 Horeke Okaihau Kaikohe Otiria Kawakawa Opua TWIN COAST CYCLE TRAIL 24km 14km 26km 6km 12km

MAP LEGEND

open section i-SITE Visitor car park Centre ay Of Islands section under accommodation B construction town 10 camping EAST COAST Omahutaferry Forest Puketicafé/restaurant Forest Russell state highway start / fi nish point toilets Rangiahua Paihia point of interest 1

OPUA MANGUNGU OKAIHAU MISSION HOUSE Lake Omapere 1 11 Horeke KAWAKAWA Railway Station Lake Owhareiti 1 Wairere Boulders OTIRIA KAIKOHE Ngawha Springs WEST COAST 1 Hokianga Harbour Ngapipito to Whangarei 12 KAIKOHE © AA Traveller 2015 AERODROME

RIDING THE TRAIL

The Twin Coast Cycle Trail is generally Otiria to Kaikohe fl at and wide with a smooth cycling UNDER CONSTRUCTION surface and only gentle climbs. Only HIGHLIGHTS: Ngati Hine Forestry some sections of the trail are open with completion due in 2016. Construction will begin in October 2015.

Opua to Kawakawa Kaikohe to Okaihau HIGHLIGHTS: Kaikohe Monument, HIGHLIGHTS: Opua Marina, Taumarere Lake Omapere Estuary, Long Bridge This 14km section of trail is open and From the car park in Opua there is 7km of ready to ride. This section is well trail complete and ready to ride through signposted from the main highway, just to the United Kawakawa Rugby Football 500m west of the main Broadway Kaikohe Mangungu Mission House © AA Traveller Club in Taumarere. This follows a coastal shopping centre. estuary and is very scenic. The connection between Taumarere and Okaihau to Horeke Mangungu Mission Kawakawa is a Vintage Rail experience. UNDER CONSTRUCTION Historic Hokianga Harbour Please check the following website for HIGHLIGHTS: Okaihau Memorial Gates, the train timetable: Okaihau Township www.bayofi slandsvintagerailway.org.nz This fi nal section is currently being

Construction of a separate cycleway link Photo: S. Burgess constructed. The trail from Okaihau, will begin in October 2015. down the Utakura Valley to Mangataraire Kawakawa to Otiria Rd pops out onto Horeke Rd. Parts of the cycleway are constructed. A track HIGHLIGHTS: Hundertwasser Toilets, diversion (3km) from Okaihau is currently Kawakawa Railway Station under construction. The remainder of the For more information & opening hours A 6km section from Kawakawa to Lucas trail will open in 2016. mangungumission.co.nz Proudly cared for by Rd, Otiria, is open and ready to ride. Mangungu is the western terminus point for the twin coast cycle trail. visit nzcycletrail.com

19 TWIN COAST CYCLE TRAIL things to do...

Haruru Falls

Only 5km west of Paihia, the Haruru Falls cascade in a rare horseshoe shape. The Waitangi Haruru Mangrove Walk links the

Paihia waterfront Treaty Grounds with the falls, a RIGHT ABOVE: Haruru Falls - Bay of Islands 90-minute hike each way. RIGHT BELOW: Kauri trees in Puketi Forest ALL © Northland Inc.

Many visitors to the Bay of Islands Trip’, the Hole in the Rock (conditions ALONGSIDE choose Paihia as their base. Nestled permitting), the R Tucker Thompson between rolling green hills, blue Tall Ship, sailing, cruising and fi shing harbours and biscuit-coloured beaches, trips, charter boats as well as dolphin THE TRAIL Paihia is the ultimate destination. The encounters. range of attractions here varies from The historical signifi cance of the area the indulgent to adrenalin-pumping. is evident in the nearby Waitangi Treaty You may wish to catch a culture show, Grounds and also Russell, where the Puketi Forest You will have the opportunity go souvenir shopping or just laze on country’s fi rst capital was established. the beach. to explore this region’s Just behind Paihia is Opua Forest The Puketi Forest is easily incredible natural beauty and However, with more than 150 islands (4924ha), a regenerating forest with a accessible from both the Bay of to explore in the Bay of Islands you’ll signifi cant cultural heritage small stand of kauri, and many streams Islands and the Hokianga Harbour want to fi nd your sea legs. A wide range as you traverse this trail. and untouched wetlands. Walking tracks and features a diverse range of of boat tours depart from both Paihia range from 10 minutes to fi ve hours and walking and tramping tracks. and Russell, including the ‘Cream there are a couple of good lookouts. Kerikeri to keep on digging • 28km NW of Kawakawa

126 Kerikeri Road, Kerikeri Reservations: 0800 407 394 Woodlands Email: [email protected] motel & conference venue www.woodlandskerikeri.co.nz

• 12 executive studios with ensuite & private patio • 8 tourist fl ats with shared bathroom & kitchen facilities • Fully licensed restaurant and bar • Pool & spa • Room service • Sky TV • FREE WiFi • BBQs and plenty of alfresco dining areas • Bush walk to river • Luxury studios & apartments • Warm & sunny outlook • 150m to town centre • Secure bike storage • Quiet and central location • Swimming beach/ restaurants/ Paihia • Sea views • Serviced daily wharf 250m here’s a good place (missionary Rev Henry Williams) • 23km SE of Kerikeri • FREE WiFi & internet kiosk • FREE bikes/tennis & BBQ

The fi rst motel in central Paihia on the waterfront • Stunning sea views 2 Marsden Road, Paihia, Bay of Islands • Newly refurbished 2 MacMurray Rd, Paihia • Ph 09 402 6236 Ph/Fax: 09 402 7447 www.anchoragemotel.co.nz • Air-conditioning [email protected] Email: [email protected] • Salt-water pool • Covered spa Freephone www.admiralsviewlodge.co.nz • Free WiFi 0800 505 100 Reservations Freephone 0800 247 234 20 detailed whare runanga, a beautiful TWIN COAST CYCLE TRAIL NEARBY meeting house with intricate carvings, ROMANTIC which was completed in 1940 to mark DESTINATIONS the centenary of the treaty. The naval RUSSELL fl agpole in the grounds marks the spot If you want to know more about Maori where the Crown representatives and and European history in New Zealand, Maori chiefs signed the treaty. the Waitangi Treaty Grounds is Kawakawa is paradise for where you need to start. The grounds trainspotters as the Bay of Islands are part of the 506ha Waitangi National vintage steam train now runs down the Trust Estate. A must-see is the Treaty middle of its main street to Taumarere House, which was built in 1832 for Station on Fridays, weekends and every the fi rst British resident, James Busby. day during the school holidays. Across the lawn is the magnifi cently Russell © Northland Inc.

Russell is a quaint town With abundant fresh local produce and seafood, Russell has a range of top-class with luminous harbours, restaurants and cafés. It also has more lovely accommodation and than its fair share of restored historic exceptional restaurants. buildings and excellent galleries. Visit Christ Church (1836), the country’s oldest church, and the Pompallier Mission, the sole surviving Russell is one of the country’s oldest building of the French Catholic mission European settlements and was a major headquarters. Russell is the base for whaling and trading centre. It’s hard to water activities and there are walks from imagine now, but the town was once Russell itself and in nearby Ngaiotonga known as the ‘Hell Hole of the Pacifi c’ Forest. due to a period of drunken lawlessness. Waitangi Day, Waitangi Treaty Grounds © Northland Inc.

www.breakwatermotel.co.nz • Family-run café located on the E: [email protected] waterfront in Opua Reservations: • Award-winning chowder and 0800 273 259 toasted espresso coff ee • Twin Coast Cycle Trail bike hire • Fantastic selection of home-cooked cabinet food • Full menu available • Open 7 days: 8am-4pm Marina Café Unit 26, Opua Marina Retail Building, Opua Phone: 09 402 6991 • Email: [email protected]

• LUXURY • ABSOLUTE BEACHFRONT Opua Boutique • FREE Unlimited WIFI • Guest Select 70+ SKY channels • All suites with air-con/heat pumps Seaview Motel • Two minutes walk to wharf, cafés and town centre • 1km from start of trail • BBQ • 25 suites • Corporate rates • Drop-off/pick-up from trail • Outdoor Hydrotherapy Spa Pool • Bike parking & hire (2) • Bicycle storage • Self-contained studio & 2-bedroom units • Cycle groups from $50 per person (seasonal) • FREE WiFi 1 Bayview Rd, Paihia, Bay of Islands • 5km to Paihia, 1km to Russell car ferry

• P 09 402 7558 24 Franklin St Opua • 0274 481 294 • 09 402 7632 • [email protected] • www.opuamotel.com 21 TWIN COAST CYCLE TRAIL Outriggermotel things to do...

FREEPHONE: 0800 762 7737 • CENTRAL PAHIA - 1 min to cafés, shops, beach • Secure bike storage • Local expertise • Hot bubbling spa pool

45 Williams Rd, Paihia • PHONE: 09 402 8569 EMAIL: [email protected] www.outriggermotel.co.nz

ALONGSIDE The Wairere Boulders are the unique geomorphic formation of a 1.6km valley THE TRAIL with thousands of fl uted basalt boulders.

Located near Horeke in the Hokianga, freshwater pipi. There were several pa the Wairere Boulder’s unusual fl uting on the lake’s edges and Okaihau was the occurred due to the kauri trees releasing site of a major battle in the Northern tannin into the soil. The size of the Wars between 1845 and 1846. boulders at Wairere are far greater than ABOVE: Caves © Wairere Boulders Nature boulders of other valleys formed in a Park similar way. HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION OVERLOOKING THE BAY The valley is open as an eco park and is accessible through a footpath featuring Ngawha Springs 22 engineered wooden structures. 22 Paihia Road, Paihia, Bay of Islands • Panoramic Seaviews Phone 09 402 8134 • Fully self-contained with balconies Visitors are led under, around and About 7km from Kaikohe, there paradise@retreatbayofi slands.co.nz • Close to Opua Cycle Trail over the boulders (some up to 30m in are eight authentic mineral hot • Secure Parking height), through rainforest and past pools to soak in. These springs Genuine Kiwi Hosts • Direct access to Coastal Walkways native trees, palms and ferns. Holiday Home available • Tariffs: $95-$205 (2 persons) may be more modest than some Nearby Lake Omapere was an of the country’s other hotspots, www.retreatbayofi slands.co.nz historically important source of food for but they’re just as therapeutic. Maori and was valued for its eels and

Discover the Rail Trail CYCLE HIRE & CYCLE TOURS

Twin Coast Cycle Trail Bay of Islands • Cycle Hire • Transport TOT BOOK: • Tours CALL 0800 TOP TRAIL (867 872) • Baggage Transfer Kaikohe • For Information: 0274 535 176 • Assistance Email: [email protected] • Accommodation • Transfers from Paihia www.toptrail.co.nz 22 TWIN COAST CYCLE TRAIL COLOSSAL KAURI

Waipoua Forest is the domain of New Zealand’s largest living kauri tree – the mighty Tane Mahuta, ‘Lord of the Forest’.

If the great kauri forests of Northland are New Zealand’s untamed jungle,

then Tane Mahuta is the undisputed Kohukohu, Hokianga © Mitch Norris king of this domain. The largest living kauri in New Zealand, Tane Mahuta has a 13.77m girth, a trunk height of EXPLORE THE 17.68m and a total height of 51.5m. HOKIANGA HARBOUR Just a 5-minute walk from SH 12 on Northland’s west coast, Tane Mahuta is easily accessible and well worth he beautiful Hokianga the short walk. Nearby are The Four Harbour is famous for its sand dunes and includes Sisters, a group of kauri trees that, T the twin settlements of Omapere though smaller, are still spectacular and Opononi. Along the harbour Tane Mahuta - Waipoua Forest due to their clustered planting. are the history-fi lled towns of © Northland Inc. Rawene, Kohukohu and Horeke, New Zealand’s second-oldest Russell European town. Look out for the after Lord John Russell, Secretary for Colonies • 9km N of Paihia home-based studios and galleries and visit the Omapere Museum RRussellussell - OrongoOrongo BBayay HHolidayoliday ParkPark for a photographic history of CConvenientonvenient bbasease ttoo eexplorexplore tthehe BBayay ooff IIslandsslands the area. Hokianga Harbour was the departure point of legendary Maori navigator Kupe when he returned to his homeland of Hawaiki. It’s said he left behind two taniwha – mythical creatures which guided the safe landing of • Close to Twin Coast Cycle Trail other Polynesian arrivals – and • Bike hire & storage declared he would return one • Convenient to Bay of Islands attractions day. So the harbour became • Accommodation to suit all budgets known as Te Hokianga-nui-a- Kupe, the place of Kupe’s return.

Kawakawa Kaikohe name of a mountain shrub • 16km S of Paihia to eat kohekohe berries • 85km NW of Whangarei on SH 12 Centrepoint Motel

Quality & reasonable accommodation close to Paihia • Bike storage available and evening meals on request • Internet access. Walk to steam train & Hundertwasser toilets • 15min drive to Paihia & 2min drive to hospital • Tariff: from $75-$165 (2 persons). Seasonal Cnr SH 1 & Vogel St, Kawakawa • Ph: 09 404 1175 Explore, Discover & Enjoy the rich history and beauty of Northland’s Bay Email: [email protected] • www.kawakawamotel.co.nz of Islands to Hokianga adventure. 23