Rotorua’s ‘The Redwoods’ voted NZ’s favourite place to cycle

New Zealanders have voted Rotorua’s Whakarewarewa Forest - popularly known as ‘The Redwoods’ - as the country’s favourite place to cycle.

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. Over 200 nominations were received.

Based on the number of votes received a top five was whittled down from the list and Bike Wise NZ then 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. With over 140 kms 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.”

One person who nominated Whakarewarewa Forest and The Redwoods extolled the virtues of being able to ride the tracks with young children.

“The range and variety of trails is almost inexhaustible, which means my grandson, who is now 10 years old, has been able to ride with me since he was six years old when I bought him his first mountain bike. We share fantastic stories and memories together; oh, and I turn 56 this year.”

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.

ENDS

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