Thanks to my unplanned White Island adventure I arrived in Opotiki late afternoon. After sorting out my accommodation, with Glenis at Ranui Motel, I assembled Rapid Rob for some exploration. I had already decided to stay an extra day, to ride the Motu, and Opotiki has a perfect place to check ride the bike in preparation for that adventure.
The Dunes Trail is easily found from the end of the main street thanks to a landmark at the beginning. While it’s no Golden Gate the Pakowhai ki Otutaopuku cycle/pedestrian suspension bridge giving direct access to the the beach from town is impressive!
The Dune trail is a gravel path through the dunes, duh, which is about 10km one way. From the end you can continue onto the, altogether more serious, Motu Trails or just return to Opotiki. Although the highest dune is just 18m lots of ups and downs meant my Band recorded 200m of ascent and descent over the 20km ride!
A portion of the track traverses soft sand, no problem thanks to the boardwalk, or is it a boardcycle?
As the tide was low I did some of the return journey on the beach.
An evening finish meant I could join the local crowds watching a beautiful sunset!
The ride seen here is just one option for riding the in the Opotiki/Motu region. Plan your own Motu Trails Adventure, including multi-day or shuttle assisted rides and other tracks in the area, at www.motutrails.co.nz. I’ll certainly be going back!
