Two men injured in quad bike accident

Photo / File

Two men suffered critical injuries after a head-on collision between quad bike and motorcycle on a remote track north of Wellington today.

Rescue helicopters from Wellington and Palmerston North were called to Karapoti in the Akatarawa Forest, north of Upper Hutt, about 12.30pm.

Life Flight Rescue Helicopter crewman Colin Larsen said the men were believed to be in their 20s.

They were flown by both rescue helicopters to Wellington Hospital's emergency department.

The crash happened at a "slight bend" on the forestry track, Mr Larsen said.

Members of the public discovered the crash and alerted emergency services.

"The guys who came across the accident did well in getting some out - they had to ride about 20km back out to the Karapoti carpark to get coverage."

After getting a good description of where the crash happened, one of the rescue helicopters was able to land about 150m from the scene.

The Karapoti area is known for its open bike tracks and is the site of the Karapoti Classic, a gruelling annual mountain bike race.