In early November we decided to try something a bit different: riding some of the trails which make up the Great Lake Trails on the shores of Lake Taupo, NZ’s largest lake. This had the dual advantage of offering a different type of riding, and being accessible by car, allowing us to use our own bikes if we chose to.

Dale was not free for this ride, so once again we were down to “4 Men on Bikes”. And this time it was all-electric, with Steve and me taking our own bikes, and Paul and Kev hiring Scott e-Scale hard-tails from FourB @ the Hub at Huka Falls.

As the trails are centred on Kinloch, Jonny from FourB also arranged a shuttle to take us to the trail head for the first ride (the Waihaha Trail) on Saturday, and for the water taxi to pick us up and return us to Kinloch, where the shuttle was available to return us to Taupo. A great service from the team at FourB.

Friday: Wellington to Taupo

At 8:00 am Friday I loaded up my bike on the new e-bike rack from Buzz Racks, and picked up Steve and his bike (along with a generous supply of groceries arranged by his better half, Gerardine) and set off on the nearly 400 km drive to Taupo and Huka Falls. The new rack was an immediate success, tilting easily to load Steve’s gear into the boot, and allowing bikes to be loaded (and unloaded) far more quickly than onto the previously used “hanger” rack. It was also significantly more stable than the previous rack, and is highly recommended.

First stop was Taihape, where we caught up with Paul & Kev for coffee. Then on to Taupo and through to Huka Falls car park for our first – short – planned ride. Steve and I waited while Paul & Kev picked up their bikes from FourB, a few minutes walk from the car-park. That allowed us to make our first trail ride, from Huka Falls to Aritiatia Dam, then across the dam, returning on the other side of the river. A round trip of about 18 km, through a mix of one-track and sealed paths, including a section alongside a hot mineral stream (which was something new!). An ideal first ride to allow Paul & Kev to get used to their bikes before the more challenging rides to come on Saturday and Sunday.

Accommodation – Taupo

Accommodation in Taupo had also been arranged by the wonderful Gerardine, who had found an ideal AirBnB with three bedrooms (one shared), offstreet parking, and views over the lake from the patio. A great spot to sit and recover briefly, before heading off for pizza and beer at a lakeside bar.