Rotorua: A chance to spin your wheels

The gravity trails allow mountain bikers to get plenty of air.

Donna McIntyre and family visit New Zealand's number one off-road cycling destination

You can sense the excitement building in Rotorua as March's five-day Crankworx festival approaches. But that buzz doesn't belong just to the cycling community and fans. As well as the talent on the track at the international event and the multi-media global coverage, off track there will be "bikes and beats" live music, kids' zones, foodie treats and also a legacy of three additional gravity trails for mountain bikers to ride at Skyline Rotorua after the pros have left town.

This Mt Ngongotaha event is cementing the lakeside town's place on the international mountain biking circuit, with Red Bull rating the Ngongotaha gravity rides in the top 10 globally.

For the Crankworx festival, designated a challenging grade 6, local trail builder Adam King of Empire of Dirt has carved out dirt tracks and jumps through the mountainside's trees and open areas so the elite of the mountain bike world can perform "gymnastics on bikes", aerial stunts which are taken into judging consideration as much as the speed they complete the course. (Google slopestyle and pump track at Whistler for an idea of the upcoming action.) The event is huge in the bike world. Teams fly in months ahead to prepare for events, some of which are all over in 10 seconds.

But Rotorua is already an established, popular destination with cyclists — locals, out-of-towners and tourists who tend to spend twice as long and twice as many dollars as other visitors.

One reason for that popularity is the pay-to ride option at Skyline where all the uphill work is done by the gondolas, leaving riders energised for maximum enjoyment of the gravity tracks.

The other cyclists' paradise is the free-to-ride trails at Whakarewarewa redwood forest, offering 160km of wide, well-maintained tracks ranging from easy-peasy to the harder grades. Australian Mountain Bike magazine rated these forest rides as the world's best mountain bike trails, and why not ... these rides are stunning, free and accessible in all weathers.

I'm a rookie when it comes to mountain biking but I'm quickly hooked on the activity after following former downhill and BMX star and now enduro champ Lisa Horlor around for a morning through the forest. With the one-way system on the wide, well-formed trails, it is the perfect place to try the sport out. And that's before you add in the beautiful natural surroundings of the Californian coast redwoods and that fresh, earthy, forest smell.

Even better you're exercising without really thinking about it. We have some vivid memories, too, thanks to my son fastening a GoPro Hero4 camera to his helmet as he followed Lisa who threw in a couple of jumps — as you do when you've spent as much time on two wheels as she has.

And if I were a seasoned biker I would be drooling at the trails I could see from the Skyline Rotorua gondolas. Unfortunately, our visit coincided with rain storms which closed the dirt trails for a couple of days — a rare occurrence. Maybe it was a fortuitous break that saved any broken bones, as the gravity rides would have challenged me, but my son and husband were gutted they didn't get an opportunity to ride the terrain.

A return trip is a must. The boys can try those gravity trails while I watch them from the gondolas before chilling in the Volcanic Hills wine tasting room.

Then maybe we'll return to the redwood forest to hire some of Mountain Bike Rotorua's Giant bikes and enjoy those trails.

Rotorua Bike Festival10 days, 30 events, 10,000 wheels

• The Runway Project — Rotorua Airport's runway opens for a 4km scratch race open to all comers. Elite racers compete in the Flying Kilo time trial, meet Tour de France veteran, Julian Dean. Friday, February 13, 7.30pm

• National Mountain Bike Champs features some of the Southern Hemisphere's best riders in action on Saturday, February 14.

• Holiday Inn Rotorua knows that Rotorua is the capital of cycling. It now offers mountain bike storage and washing facilities for guests.Advertising Promotion

While you're in Rotorua ...

RIDE: Rotorua Bike Festival includes national cross country champs, the 2W Gravity Enduro and national downhill (February 13-22). The NZO Moonride's 24, 12 and 6-hour events (March 20-21). The highlight is the international Crankworx Rotorua Festival (March 25-29).

STAY: Holiday Inn, close to the geysers and also to Whakarewarewa Forest for cycling. There's a lock-up room for cycling gear and warm geothermally heated swimming and spa pools to soak in after a day's riding.

SKYLINE: After the gravity trails, ride the luge or the sky swing (our 15-year-old had this thrill all to himself, hanging 50m above the ground it was up to him to pull the release and swing back and forth up to 120km/h). For younger ones there's the Jelly Belly Shop; adults will enjoy the Volcanic Hills tasting room (the wine is made on site) with a platter, or anyone can eat at the Market Kitchen or Stratosfare Restaurant and bar. Do try the Volcanic Hills rose ... it's rather special.

EAT: If you can handle the unorthodox spelling, Eat Streat's al-fresco dining (Tutanekai St) will cover all tastes, or drive to Okere Falls Store for deliciously healthy food in funky surroundings.

SOAK: The Polynesian pools have a great choice of heated pools, and they lived up to their therapeutic reputation, banishing a few achy-breaky muscle twinges.

DRIVE: The Mazda 6 diesel wagon has lots of room for cycling gear and its heated seats are great for tired cyclist's bums. A comfortable ride all round, especially if you lock in cruise control.

Donna and family were guests of Rotoruanz.com.