WHAKA E-BIKE ROUTE IDEAS

Explore the exclusive Whaka geothermal trails in the Living Māori Village and Thermal Reserve. Find yourself face to face with nature, hot spring lakes, mud pools, geysers, and native mānuka bushland.

Continue your e-bike experience through to the world-famous Redwoods Forest, just a five-minute ride away.

Follow Te Ara Ahi through Hemo Gorge towards Waipa Carpark.
From here, follow the Forest Loop towards Whaka Lower Lookout and enjoy the beautiful views over the volcanic parks, Te Puia and the Living Māori Village.
Continue back by following the Forest Loop until Nursery Road.
Then follow the trail back to the Living Māori Village and our rental site.

Explore the geothermal trail in The Living Māori Village and continue your E-Bike ridetowards the Mokopuna Trail in the Redwoods forest, then ride towards more geothermal wonders before opening up to expose the magnificent views over Lake Rotorua and the township

Enjoy an easy gravel ride towards the Puarenga Trail and back through the Whakarewarewa Forest. Extend this trail by riding the Mokopuna Trail on your way back at the Redwoods i-SITE.

Looking for an easy, scenic day ride? The Forest Loop is a great choice. This popular loop links mostly Grade 2 trails and offers stunning views of Lake Rotorua, along with the Blue and Green Lakes.

With several great coffee, food stops and picnic facilities along the way, it’s perfect for riders who enjoy a relaxed pace. Using our E-bikes, the Forest Loop suits confident riders of many ages, abilities, and fitness levels.

Recent funding has enabled the Trails Trust to add the Te Ara Ahi forest section, a beautiful new trail through forest that replaces the former concrete path beside the highway and greatly enhances the ride.

View more information on this route here

Te Ara Ahi is a leisurely journey through Rotorua’s volcanic wonderland of steaming vents, bubbling mud pools, and spectacular geysers.

Stretching between Rotorua and the Waikite Valley, this cycle trail links five significant geothermal parks — Whakarewarewa, Te Puia, Waimangu, Wai-O-Tapu, and Waikite Valley Thermal Springs — each with its own unique natural wonders.

The trail is 48 km one way, divided into two sections. It’s best experienced as a two-day adventure but can also be ridden in part.

Please find below the route from our rental site to Kerosene Creek (67 km return).

This beginner-friendly E-MTB route builds confidence while taking you from smooth Grade 2 trails to flowing Grade 3 lines. Start on Dipper, a super flowy forest trail, before practising your cornering on Creek. Enjoy the gentle Soakhole Climb before stepping up to Titokorangi, a flowing Grade 3 trail with stunning views. Finish on New Exit, a fun, slightly more technical descent to round out the progression.

Perfect for riders ready to gain skills, flow through the forest, and enjoy the E-ride.

Start your ride on the Forest Loop as a warm up.

Continue your ride on the Grade 3 trails Te Poaka and Be Rude Not To.

Here, you have the option to extend your ride or return to our rental site.

Find your flow on this 22 km ride.

Warm up on the trails Paddy's Run and Tickler before making your way to the newly redone trail Whaki. This trail finishes at the new Tawa Hub, where you can take a break and have a snack before starting the gentle climb up Apumoana.

Now it’s time to test your flow on the popular Grade 3 trail Te Poaka.

From here, you can ride Be Rude Not To and slowly make your way back to the start.

Tackle 32 km of Whaka’s finest Grade 3 trails with nearly 850 m of climbing.

Start on Arepa and Challenge Trail to warm up, then enjoy the flow on Tītokorangi and its continuation. The real fun begins on Mahana, Whāki, and Te Poaka, a series of fast, swooping, flowy trails, before finishing with Turkish Delight and New Exit.

Perfect for riders ready for a full day of flow, climbs, and forest 

Looking for a real challenge? This adrenaline ride is for you!

Warm up on Soakhole Climb before diving into Gunna Gotta, a thrilling mix of fast flow, steeper sections, and drops. Test your skills on Tūteata, a real favourite with fast, technical flow and tight switchbacks. Put your E-bike power to work on the steep Sidewinder climb, then tackle the natural, rooty challenge of Hot X Buns. Finish strong on New Exit, a flowy descent to round out a ride packed with excitement, technical challenges, and pure fun.