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The Coromandel
is an absolute mecca for mountain biking. And the Yuletide is a great
time to indulge in some leisurely touring of the area, sampling the best
rides while dedicating heaps of time to eating, drinking, swimming, reading
and other essential activities as defined by Maslow.
Day 1
Bust out of Wellington and head north (if you're from out of town then
add a couple days to sample the city's great tracks or boogie back for
the Mountain Bike Festival in March). Hit the emergency stop button at
Paraparaumu and cholesterol load on a Kapiti ice cream. Further on, stretch
the legs at Tree Trunk Gorge - a great track just off the Desert Road.
It takes about 2-3 hours, has blow-me-away scenery and seems like it's
downhill for the entire loop. If you've got time then put the Tongariro
Forest Crossing on your list as well. It's handy to have a couple of cars
though to shuttle between the start and finish of the track.
Day
2
Taupo. Check out Rainbow Lodge Backpackers for accommodation. Nowhere
else can you get as many Far Side cartoons in the toilet for such a reasonable
price (but there's often a queue for the loo).
There's tons of biking. If you're feeling up to a longish day head out
to the western side of the Lake and explore the Pureora Forest Park. Closer
to town are the Craters of the Moon. This playground of single track is
usually bone dry and a hoot for screaming down dips and slaloming through
trees. After a couple of hours of adrenalin at the Craters, head to the
Spa Park (a couple of klicks up Spa Road on the left) for a soak in the
hot stream. You'll find them at the start of the Aratiatia walkway - look
for the steam rising where the stream flows into the Waikato. Mmmm.
Day
3
Rotorua is on the way to Coromandel and it's sacrilege not to stop
and play in the Whakarewarewa Forest. Score a map of the forest from
the Forestry
Corp Visitors Centre in the Redwood Grove and go wild. Afterwards chow
down at the excellent Fat Dog Café opposite the Court house
on Arawa Street.
Day
4, 5, 6 ...
Whangamata is a good base for riding and beaching around the Coromandel.
Unfortunately over Christmas the place swells to the size of Auckland
(mainly because most of Auckland seems to be there) and accommodation
can be tricky. Avoid the usual free camping spots - you're likely to be
served with a trespass notice at some anti-social hour. This of course
didn't happen to us, so the following year we wised up and rented a little
house. We squeezed heaps of us in to reduce the cost (around $20 a week)
and eventually recovered from the nostalgic decor. Pick up a Saturday
NZ Herald (careful not to strain your shoulder) and check for places.
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