Ōpōtiki’s spectacular coast

Jim Robinson

Meandering 9km along the coastline east of Ōpōtiki in the eastern Bay of Plenty, the Dunes Trail is part of the Motu Trails Great Ride, a popular journey for both cyclists and walkers.

Now there’s an option to extend the coastal wandering, with the Waiotahe Trail heading along the coast — west of Ōpōtiki.

The new Waiotahe Trail is a mostly flat gravel trail that stretches 9km from the SH2 Waioeka bridge, on the entrance to Ōpōtiki, out to Te Ahiaua/the Pipi beds. Heading back into town, from the Waioeka Bridge, the Waioeka Trail links with the Dunes Trail.

Writing at the end of March 2023, the Waiotahe Trail still has some finishing work to do, and trail signage for both Waiotahe and Waioeka Trails is in development. If you’re looking to visit and walk the full distance in the next few months, you could check in with Ōpōtiki i-SITE or email jim@motutrails.co.nz for a trail map and directions.

But from Te Ahiaua/the Pipi beds, the first few kilometres of the Waiotahe Trail are easy to follow — just