Graeme Simpson: Motu Trails making a name

The Motu Trails is an attraction for mountain bikers. Photo/Neil R Hutton

With summer not too far away (hopefully) it's time to think about planning some away trips.

One of those will be to the Motu Trails. Jim Robinson is the executive officer of the Motu Trails Charitable Trust. Here's his take on what the Motu is delivering to a growing number of bikers:

Six o'clock most Thursday evenings, even in winter darkness, the B, B & B rolls out of the Motu Trails compound at the north end of Opotiki and heads for the Dunes Trail.

It's the Bike, Beer & Barby, an informal bike ride organised by 81-year-old Denis Lindesay and often more than 15 riders turn out for a spin and a yarn.

Motu Trails is one of 22 Great Rides on The New Zealand Cycle Trail and is a fine way for Eastern Bay of Plenty/Eastland region to showcase its not inconsiderable cycling opportunity.

Spanning Dunes Trail, Motu Road and Pakihi Track, it is over 100km of cycling in all.

The Pakihi twists down through steep hills and is for more skilled riders. Now runners have discovered it too, track use is on the rise with more than 3000 people a year.

In the warmer months, there are regular groups journeying between Motu and the Opotiki coast.

Some stay overnight at Toatoa Farmstay or at Motu Community House; some carry on to Rere Falls, the spectacular Eastwoodhill Arboretum and Gisborne; some head back to Motu on the historic Wharekopae road.

The Motu has big hills, big trees, and big weather. Yes, it requires puff (or an e-bike) but it's stunning back country, with valleys that feel truly like a lost world.

The Dunes Trail, by contrast, is a coastal breeze, drifting over low sandhills that are covered in tussock, spinifex, and blankets of muehlenbeckia.

An 18km out-and-back Dunes Trail ride rewards you with many views of the Pacific Ocean and the far ranges of East Cape. Quite likely, too, views of a North Island weka boosting it down the track, all mad-flapping stub-wings and waggling bum.

Cyclist numbers on the Dunes Trail also continue to rise. At peak spots, counts now sit around 18,000 cyclist-uses per year.

Plus, there are many walkers and runners. In January, counts soar upwards of 1000a week, which even accounting for repeat use is quite something for a small town.

Fair to say, you see a lot more bikes in Opotiki than you used to.

But while the Motu Trails is making a name, it's pretty much certain that you've never heard of the B, B & B. And that's the point of my story, really.

Cycle trails nationwide are booming. Trails are bringing in people, bringing in positive business and promoting the visitor brand, for many places around the country, like Opotiki. That's awesome. Optimistic. Exciting. Even better is that the same trails are also bringing in the community.

From the morning walking group, to the "girls on bikes", to the teens wandering off to the beach, to the school enviro care kids, to the joggers and dog walkers and yoga stretchers and bird watchers and sunset photographers and all the other people just out there doing their thing.

Bringing the community onto trails like Opotiki's dunes in the B, B & B. That's the best thing of all. Brilliant.

Motutrails.co.nz
www.facebook.com/motutrails/