MOTU Trails
GREAT RIDE • MOTU TRAILS
Motu Trails shelter © Mead Norton Photography
TRAIL INFO BEST FOR: A challenge steeped in reward, no matter what your ability.
ŌPŌTIKI to MATAWAI 1-3 days
121km
Many great things come in threes: musketeers, French hens and the Bee Gees. And if you’re a keen cyclist – the Motu Trails.
F
eaturing three wildly different rides, this year-round track can be completed as a full 91km loop or as separate sections, but this will depend entirely on your fitness and ability.
The Dunes Trail kick-starts the mission, starting from the Pākōwhai ki Otutaopuku Bridge (Memorial Park) in Ōpōtiki. Considered the easiest section of the three, a softly undulating pathway skims
Pākihi Track, Motu Trails © StudioZag
SEE P49 FOR CONNECTING HEARTLAND RIDE 44
the edge of the Pacific Ocean, providing plenty of opportunity for seaside picnics and refreshing dips. Enjoy this leisurely amble before entering the second phase of your journey. The Grade 3 Motu Road is an historic byway that will test your fitness. Diverting away from the coast, the mostly-unsealed road climbs to almost 800m via forest and farmland. Don’t be put off by the mention of road, this spectacularly remote section is seldom used by cars. You’re now on course for the third and most challenging section of the trail: the Pākihi Track. Buckle in for a sensational 20km Grade 4 trail that’s been weaving its way through these parts for over 100 years. Delve into mature forest and bushy backcountry terrain, follow the Pākihi Stream, navigating 25 bridges and, in places, exposed cliff edge. Know when to stop and walk short sections and be aware that bad weather can bring slips and windfalls. TOP TIP – If you’re not inclined to conquer the hardest part, the Pākihi Track, stay on the Motu Road Trail then do the short side trip to spectacular Motu Falls.
1-3 Days 10-91km
TRAIL GRADES: DUNES TRAIL GRADE 2 (EASY) MOTU RD TRAIL GRADE 3 (INTERMEDIATE) PĀKIHI TRACK GRADE 4 (ADVANCED) MOBILE PHONE COVERAGE: Limited outside of Ōpōtiki, very patchy on the Motu Rd and nonexistent on the Pākihi Track. REFRESHMENTS: Dunes Trail riders will readily find refreshments in Ōpōtiki and a shop midway along the trail. Inland, there’s a shop in Matawai. Motu Rd and Pākihi Track riders should be self-sufficient and carry plenty of water and food. TYPE OF BIKE: Hybrid or touring bikes with knobbly tyres are fine for the Dunes Trail, but a mountain bike is recommended on the rougher Motu and Pākihi trails. E-bikes are welcome, so long as you have good battery capacity on the Motu Rd. You must be able to lift/ carry the e-bike on Pākihi Track. GRADE 2 (EASY) GRADE 3 (INTERMEDIATE) GRADE 4 (ADVANCED)
