Riding along the old Hapuawhenua Viaduct;284m long and 45m! Photo / Lee Slater
Sarah Bennett witnesses a cycling revolution as Ohakune is transformed from 'Carrot Town' to a bicycle mecca
Ohakune's bid to be a bone fide bike town started with a bunch of locals who rediscovered a long-forgotten cobblestone road and turned it into a walking and biking track. All hail the Ohakune Old Coach Road, now 10 years old and regularly touted as one of the country's best half-day rides.
Since then Ohakune has remained pretty much a one-trick pony on the biking front, the only new trails added being the kids' pump track and a short river trail linking the two ends of town.
Biking has boomed beyond the town boundaries, though. The official Ruapehu visitor guide claims there are more than 400 kilometres of "epic trails … with rides for all abilities, all year round".
Much of this falls under the umbrella of the Mountains to Sea Ngā Ara Tūhono Great Ride, which includes not only the Old Coach Road but also backcountry MTB classics the 42 Traverse, Fishers and Mangapurua tracks.
Stretching all the way to Whanganui city, the Mountains to Sea network has eight trails in all, with two more planned. Te Ara Mangawhero will wind down Mt Ruapehu from Tūroa ski field, and the other will link the Old Coach Road to the new Marton Sash and Door trail near National Park. That section of trail will take in Uenuku iwi's Pōkākā eco-sanctuary project, which has just received Mahi mō te Taiao/Jobs for Nature funding.
Mountains to Sea trail manager Lynley Twyman is irrepressibly optimistic about future developments. "The trails' reo Māori name is Ngā Ara Tūhono – connected pathways – and that's the goal," she says. "And Ohakune is the beating heart of that network. It's the perfect place to fuel up and explore."
Synonymous with skiing and its super-sized carrot, Ohakune sits at the southern foot of Mt Ruapehu, the North Island's highest peak and the mightiest of Tongariro National Park's three volcanoes. It's also less than an hour's drive from Whanganui National Park.
Ohakune has two ends, town and junction, both of which have their own vibe. It's five minutes ride from one to the other.
Unmissable from most angles, Mt Ruapehu makes it pretty much impossible to get lost anywhere around this end of the volcanic plateau.
For town detail including the Old Coach Road trailhead, collect the free town map from the iSITE which also stocks individual maps for the Mountains to Sea trails. The official trail website is excellent, too, as are on-trail wayfinding markers and other signage.
More or less flat with wide streets, Ohakune is a pleasure to pootle around. Pleasant biking byways include the Jubilee Park pathway to the Carrot Adventure Park, and Mangawhero River trail connecting the two ends of town. Look out for Te Pepe Pump Track and the new frisbee golf course around there.
The Old Coach Road is the must-do. A mix of singletrack and old cobblestone, it links Ohakune and Horopito. Ride the 15km trail both ways if you're fit, or catch a shuttle to Horopito to ride it one way in a slightly downhill direction.
Allow two to four hours, or longer for forest bathing and a picnic. You'll want to linger at the two amazing historic viaducts, spooky tunnel, excellent storyboards and fantastic viewpoints. Finish with beer and chips at the Powderhorn.
The newest trail in the Mountains to Sea network is the Marton Sash and Door, a neat wee ride starting from National Park Village, 25 minutes drive from Ohakune. Taking two hours or so, the 18km trail follows the railway line and then climbs briefly to reach a bushy ridge across which a logging tramway was built a century or so ago. The trail is named after the logging company that built it.
The story here is one of extraction and regeneration, revealed in recovering native forest interspersed with experimental exotics along with various tramway relics including sleepers, pumice cuttings and a mossy old log dam. A planned series of storyboards will soon share this hidden history, and in time, Uenuku iwi's Pōkākā eco-sanctuary project will bring even more life back to this special corner of the volcanic plateau.
From Ohakune, it's a 20-minute drive up the Mountain Road to Tūroa ski field car park, 1700 metres from sea level. So, that's your epic sunset sorted.
Off the Mountain Road is the short, but rewarding DoC walking track to Waitonga Falls, the highest cascade in Tongariro National Park.
The Mountain Road is also the first section of the full 231km Mountains to Sea ride through to Whanganui city. What a way to start – a ripping 18km freewheel down 1000 vertical metres. Hitch a ride up, and hold on!
Our new Ohakune fave is Toastie, a trendy toasted sandwich cafe serving Supreme coffee, Six Barrel Soda, and seven different sammies starring pastrami, kimchi, and vegan bacon-aise. The "Owen from Ohakune" nails local colours to the mast with a layer of grated carrot.
Eyeing up this competition is The Blind Finch, bakery by day, burger takeaway by night. Serving seriously delicious food and staffed by nice people, we visited the Finch four times in five days and that was only because it was closed on Mondays.
Horopito Motors is right next to the Old Coach Road trailhead. Known as Smash Palace after the 1970s movie starring Bruno Lawrence, it's an auto repair business and a vast vehicle cemetery. The Motor Trade Association describes it well as "a tourist destination, movie set, museum, paradise for car restoration enthusiasts, and a place where the past slowly disintegrates". Anyone for a game of "name that make and model"?
The Old Coach Road isn't a doddle. Although not particularly long or remote, some wobbly cobblestones, the odd puddle and a couple of short, twisting climbs give it a grade 3 (intermediate) rating, so only set out if you're used to off-road riding.
The O is no longer just about snow. Now the hub of the Mountains to Sea trails – complete with ample bike hire and shuttles – it's evolved into an all-seasons adventure town with its eye on the prize. I'm plumping for more leisurely trails around town, please, but the game-changer will be Te Ara Mangawhero down from Tūroa. Bring it on.
Start planning at Visit Ruapehu;
Mountains to Sea Cycle Ngā Ara Tūhono Trail
For more travel inspiration, go to newzealand.com/nz.
Check traffic light settings and Ministry of Health advice before travel at covid19.govt.nz