Bike Festival returns to Wairarapa

PERFECT SPOT: Jonathan Kennett and Mike Palmer enjoying last year's Ruamahanga Trail Ride.

Wairarapa is offering the chance for families and serious cyclists alike to enjoy a variety of biking activities this coming Wellington Anniversary Weekend.

Huri Huri: Wairarapa's Bike Festival returns on January 20-25 to coincide with the New Zealand Cycle Classic, a UCI 2.2 race featuring the world's premier male road cyclists. The race covers a distance of over 625km that will be held solely in the Wairarapa from January 20 to 24.

Festival event manager Catherine Rossiter-Stead is encouraging people to make the region a must-visit destination over the weekend and to bring along their bike and join in.

"Summer in the Wairarapa is gorgeous and the region is just perfect for cycling," she explained. "From the rolling hills that lend themselves to superb road cycling, to a range of excellent cycle trails easily accessible to families, and this year a one-off opportunity to mountain-bike up the Atiwhakatu Valley in the Tararua Forest Park, the Huri Huri Bike Festival is a fun-filled excuse for people to get on their bikes in the Wairarapa this January."

Festival events and activities will be held across the region and cater for all levels of involvement in biking. There will be a bike swap and market in Martinborough Square, a Ruamahanga Trail Ride along the banks of the Ruamahanga River to Lake Ferry, Pedal for Parkinson's road cycle challenge up Admiral Hill in Gladstone, A Very Posh Pashley Picnic sponsored by Blackwell and Sons on the Greytown-Woodside Rail Trail, Town to Tide multisport race from Masterton to Riversdale, a kids criterium along the final stretch of the New Zealand Cycle Classic race and the inaugural Atiwhakatu Trailblazer.

The festival will also be promoting a month-long treasure hunt for young cyclists and families involving a selection of cycle trails and tracks across the region.

"Huri Huri is an opportunity for families to get out on their bikes during the summer holiday and explore what the Wairarapa has to offer as an excellent cycling destination," added Rossiter-Stead.

The New Zealand Cycle Classic also gives people a chance to see some of the world's leading road cyclists tackle challenges such as Admiral Hill. Spectators are encouraged to get roadside to enjoy the spectacle. Every year the race unearths new talent, and a number of riders have gone on to win stages in the Tour de France, the Tour of Italy and world championships.

Destination Wairarapa general manager David Hancock said the region's relatively flat, pretty rural and meandering roads are a major draw card for visitors. They sit alongside the region's touring routes and Rimutaka Cycle Trail, one of the Great Rides on Nga Haerenga, the New Zealand Cycle Trail.

"We have a series of touring routes that make it easier and safer for cyclists to ride to the Wairarapa and then enable them to experience all the other activities on offer here ... from cycling around the vines in Martinborough and Opaki to visiting our townships like Greytown where visitors can enjoy first class restaurants and boutique shopping," said Hancock.

For more information on Huri Huri: Wairarapa's Bike Festival, visit www.hurihuri.co.nz.