Any gps maps? Or advice? I've ridden a few dual use tracks, but just wondering if there were any decent trails around?

edit: oopsie, was thinking of wrong town.

There are lots of semi-official tracks including some long loops from Turangi down to tree-trunk gorge and back through the forest. If you go into the sports shop in Turangi (NOT the Cycle & Mower shop) the guys in there know them and they can draw the routes onto a tourist map for you. If you have a vehicle, you're only 60km away from the Taupo tracks, and a similar distance from the 42 Traverse.

fatwombat wrote:There are lots of semi-official tracks including some long loops from Turangi down to tree-trunk gorge and back through the forest. If you go into the sports shop in Turangi (NOT the Cycle & Mower shop) the guys in there know them and they can draw the routes onto a tourist map for you. If you have a vehicle, you're only 60km away from the Taupo tracks, and a similar distance from the 42 Traverse.

We did a ride like that about 15 years ago. Shuttled down SH1. Rode down to Tree Trunk gorge, single track to Pillars of Hercules, 4wd track and cannals under SH1. Forest road out to SH1 again, down through the Trout hatchery and across the Tongariro river and back to Turangi along the Tongariro walkway. Twas an awesome ride and highly recommended with a bit of everything.

Thats our mid winter ride jimmi - freaking awesome

Anyone have more details on the route described by Jimmi..sounds worth doing..I know Tree Trunk Gorge is described in kennetts guide but what about the links back to Turangi.

Cheers

tahic wrote:Anyone have more details on the route described by Jimmi..sounds worth doing..I know Tree Trunk Gorge is described in kennetts guide but what about the links back to Turangi.

Cheers

You'll need to check out a topo map and get some much better advice than mine. TTG and Pillars is easy. It then got complicated. We did 4wd tracks up to SH1 and onto a canal. Followed the canal under Sh1 and out to a forest on the Western side. Then rode some 4wd track through the forest back to SH1. Super easy from there with a few km along SH1 to the trout hatchery. So the only tricky part is from Pillars to the hatchery ie a long way! Have fun!

jimmi wrote:

fatwombat wrote:There are lots of semi-official tracks including some long loops from Turangi down to tree-trunk gorge and back through the forest. If you go into the sports shop in Turangi (NOT the Cycle & Mower shop) the guys in there know them and they can draw the routes onto a tourist map for you. If you have a vehicle, you're only 60km away from the Taupo tracks, and a similar distance from the 42 Traverse.

We did a ride like that about 15 years ago. Shuttled down SH1. Rode down to Tree Trunk gorge, single track to Pillars of Hercules, 4wd track and cannals under SH1. Forest road out to SH1 again, down through the Trout hatchery and across the Tongariro river and back to Turangi along the Tongariro walkway. Twas an awesome ride and highly recommended with a bit of everything.

Tree trunk gorge is an average ride. Not overly fun...but then, I'm a dh'er so that probably explains it

GloryDH0 wrote:
Tree trunk gorge is an average ride. Not overly fun...but then, I'm a dh'er so that probably explains it

AWESOME POST!, Thanks for that input

Tree Trunk Gorge is awesome - did it ~ 15 years ago, and have been too scared to repeat the experience. We did it after a long few days riding Rotorua as we drove home to Welly.

Keen to do it again, but this time we will remember our rules;

1. DON'T do it in the middle of winter.
2. DON'T do it when the weather outside is totally sh!tehouse.
3. DO take a topomap and the Kennett's book rather than relying on inbuilt MDF (Male DIrection Finder).
4. DO stop the group that left upon our return to the carpark - apparently toking up big time in the car then setting off ill-prepared gets you in a world of lost and pain (at least we assumed the rescue we heard about that took place that night was the same group).

Otherwise - enjoy - and perhaps post the experience on here with a scan of the topo - I'd certainly be keen to try it en route to / from Roto.

pushbikerider wrote:

GloryDH0 wrote:
Tree trunk gorge is an average ride. Not overly fun...but then, I'm a dh'er so that probably explains it

AWESOME POST!, Thanks for that input

Thats what i thought!!

klxracer wrote:1. DON'T do it in the middle of winter.
2. DON'T do it when the weather outside is totally sh!tehouse.

Ah! thats probably why it wasn't that great. Climbing when it's slippery is quite hard