WAIKATO RIVER Trails
Cycling Waikato River Trails © Jodi Sweetman Photography
GREAT RIDE • WAIKATO RIVER TRAILS
TRAIL INFO 1-4 Days 107km
BEST FOR: A ‘dam’ fine way to marvel at the brilliance of natural and human ingenuity.
KARĀPIRO to ĀTIAMURI 1-4 days Off-road and upstream, this southward-bound trail traces the banks of New Zealand’s longest river: the almighty Waikato. A dot-to-dot trail of river dams strewn between great stretches of forest, wetland and rock, it’s a landscape engineered by both Mother Nature and mankind. 36
107km
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his Grade 3-4 trail does incur a good deal of alternating sharp ascents and descents, as well as approximately 600m of climbing, so a decent level of fitness is beneficial. Cycle from Pokaiwhenua Bridge to Little Waipa Reserve on the edge of Lake Karāpiro and stop in Arapuni for lunch at The Rhubarb Café; a firm favourite with locals and visitors alike. Not far from here, Mangarewa Suspension Bridge is one of the route’s most photogenic focal points, as well as the gateway to your first dam of the excursion: Waipapa Dam. Notable behemoths include this dazzling monstrosity and later, Whakamaru Dam and Maraetai Dam. Awesome in the true sense of the word, there is beauty to be found in their crude
TRAIL GRADES:
Bridge the gap The bridges on this trail span from scenic to thrillingly high. The Arapuni Suspension Bridge is a staggering 152m long and 54m above the river; the Mangarewa Suspension Bridge is 80m long and 42m high.
concrete features. At certain times of the year, Lake Maraetai appears to be swathed in snow, but it is the fallen fluffy seeds from surrounding poplar trees. Mangakino boasts a distinct lack of development (the locals won’t mind telling you there isn’t a single McDonald’s here) and the lakefront is a sleepy nugget of paradise, popular for boating, fishing, birdwatching and kayaking. Move onto Whakamaru, where, as well as the hydro dam, there is a dazzling sheltered lake. From here, push on to Ātiamuri, your final destination. Not wanting to be the odd one out, Ātiamuri also has its own power-producing hydro dam.
TOP TIP – This 107km track is split into five sections so you can do it all or pick your favourite part.
KARĀPIRO (POKAIWHENUA BRIDGE TO ARAPUNI) GRADE 3 (INTERMEDIATE) ARAPUNI (ARAPUNI TO WAIPAPA DAM) GRADE 4 (ADVANCED) WAIPAPA (WAIPAPA DAM TO MANGAKINO LAKEFRONT) GRADE 4 (ADVANCED) MARAETAI (MANGAKINO LAKEFRONT TO WHAKAMARU DAM) GRADE 3 (INTERMEDIATE) WHAKAMARU (WHAKAMARU DAM TO ĀTIAMURI BRIDGE) GRADE 3 (INTERMEDIATE) IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Sometimes trail sections are closed due to logging operations. Before starting out, check www.waikatorivertrails.com and respect closures and signage. Dogs are prohibited on many sections of the trail. MOBILE PHONE COVERAGE: Mobile phone coverage is reasonably reliable on the Karāpiro, Whakamaru and Maraetai sections. It gets patchy beyond there, particularly on the Arapuni and Waipapa sections. TYPE OF BIKE: Mountain bikes are recommended. E-bikes are also permitted. WATER: Taps to fill your water bottles in the villages along the way, namely Arapuni, Mangakino and Whakamaru. GRADE 3 (INTERMEDIATE) GRADE 4 (ADVANCED)
