Redwoods: New Zealand's favourite for mountain biking

Downhill events are among the wide range of options open to visitors to the Whakarewarewa Forest.

Rotorua's network of mountainbike trails has been voted by cyclists as their favourite place to ride in New Zealand.

The competition to find New Zealand's most popular places for biking was run by Bike Wise New Zealand which called for Kiwis to nominate their favourite spots around the country - including national cycleways, off-road mountain bike tracks and daily commute paths. More than 200 nominations were received.

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A top five was created based on voting and then Bike Wise NZ asked people to vote for their favourite cycling place, with Rotorua's "The Redwoods" coming out on top.

Rotorua District Council's Sport & Recreation Strategy portfolio lead, Councillor Charles Sturt, said the Whakarewarewa Forest was home to one of the oldest mountain bike networks in the country.

"'The Redwoods' area is very popular throughout the year," he said

"With more than 140km of trails there is something for riders of all abilities - from beginners and young families to experts looking for thrills and spills."

Oscar Nathan, general manager of the council's tourism unit, Destination Rotorua Marketing, said Rotorua had become the mountain biking Mecca of New Zealand.

"We've got single-track trails that have been voted as some of the best in the world. You only have to see the number of people heading into the Redwoods every weekend to see how much of a driver for visitors the trail network here is.

"Our research tells us that Kiwis are drawn by natural attractions and activities like our lakes, forests, geothermal pools and mountain bike trails. So it's good to see that word is getting out there about the fantastic mountain biking we have in Rotorua."

Bike Wise NZ's top five favourite cycling places in New Zealand were: Rotorua's Whakarewarewa Forest (The Redwoods); Hauraki Rail Trail; New Plymouth Coastal Walkway; Port Hills in Christchurch; and the Otago Central Rail Trail.