With the opening of the Otaktake Trail there is now a loop track which combines with the Kinloch to Kawakawa Section (K2K) to provide a wonderful 32 km loop which starts and finishes in Kinloch.

Taking our own transport and parking in Kinloch, and with rain threatening (again!) we decided to seek the shelter of the trees intially, riding first to Kawkawa Bay, then up to the Orakau carpark (off Whangamata Road), before descending the new Otaketake section back down to the K2K trail about 3 km from Kinloch. The nature of the track in this loop is far more variable than the previous day, passing along the lakeside intially, then climbing out through regenerating forest and alongside ravines, before passing through pine forest and wetlands on the approach to the Orakau carpark.

From there the new section passes alongside farms, with a brief section on the road, before dropping down through the Otaketake Stream Valley, to rejoin the K2K trail about 3 km from Kinloch. This is a fun 10 km section, featuring native bush, birdlife and a series of switch-backs and “dippers” – sudden steep drops into small gullies, with an equally steep climb out on the other side. Invariably these were followed by a sharp turn on making the top, requiring the right momentum and right line to make the turn successfully. Fun to ride if you got the momentum right on the drop in – but a struggle to climb out and make the turn if you didn’t!

Trail guides suggest riding the loop anti-clockwise, starting at Kinloch and riding up the Otaketake Stream Trail, as this direction opens up the views of the lake on the drop down to Kawkawa Bay. We chose to ride clockwise, and therefore had our back to many of the views, but this was more than compensated by the easier climb up to the Orakau carpark. Heavy rain overnight had made the trail through the wetlands at the top of the trail extremely wet; and although the slope was relatively benign it was better to ride up these (as we did) than try to control downhill speed in wet and slippery conditions.

By the time we got back to Kinloch the sun was out, and time for a quick snack at the Tipsy Trout in Kinloch, before heading back to Taupo. We had been planning on riding the eastern trail from Kinloch (the Whakaipo—Kinloch section) that afternoon, but we had had reports that with all the rain sections of this were more challenging than usual, so we gave that a miss.

With no more rides planned, Paul and Kev diverted back to Huka Falls to drop their hired bikes off, before returning to Taupo. Once again, the lure of the patio and view over the lake proved too much, and it was “Fish’n’chips” on the patio for dinner that night.

Another perfect end to an enjoyable day’s riding.