I’m not sure how I got here, it’s cold, dark, and the thought of going outside seems laughable compared to a hot cup of coffee and watching Friday Fails on YouTube. So here I am, coffee in hand, about to watch people commit heinous acts of crime on their bicycles, and my mind starts to drift off…
I’ve just come off the back of a great summer season of riding, pushing my limits with my mates, it’s warm and the sun never seems to set. Winter seems like a pretty good opportunity to rack up the bike and get some much-needed rest. However, if you’re anything like me, it’s not long until your restless, pacing around the house, starting and stopping a million different projects you never really intended to finish, until one morning you look out the window, and that cold blustering wind and rain doesn’t seem all that bad, and you realize you are in the North Island of New Zealand, and this is where the journey begins.
Of course, Rotorua is on the list and it’s the first stop on this trip down the North Island. But maybe a Rotorua like you haven't ridden before. There's a whole lotta trail out there that’s for sure, but my fondest memories are getting right out the back, it’s a full-suss for sure, the kilometers are going to be long, and the trails are going to be rowdy, plus its winter, why not make things a bit more comfortable. With a big day in the saddle in search of some laughs and goods times, two things are critically important:
1. A good crew that is equally as tapped in the head as you are, (this helps with the delirious enjoyment stage of the ride) as well as the possibility of things going wrong being heightened with wet and cold conditions and it’s good to have people around you that you can trust.
2. Pre-plan where the chippies and beers are happening after the ride, once you get back to the carpark and stop riding, you are going to get cold and will want to go straight to where they keep the good stuff, that being hot chips and cold beers.
As I journey further down south, I reflect on the absolute beating my bike has taken over the summer, and perhaps it has earnt a brake until next season, not to mention the additional servicing and upkeep on a high spec full-suspension bike in consistently wet conditions is enough to drive me crazy. It’s here where my love for hardtails is reignited. There is nothing like a steal frame, 1x10spd Shimano and a 63.5-degree head tube angle to get me excited for the rest of winter riding! And so, it is off to Taupo we go.
Upon arriving at the gorgeous Lake Taupo, it is a quick drive out to the Craters MTB Park car park, where info can be found on the numerous trails that exist out there. I find the trails to be in great riding conditions before or after rain, as the hard compact dirt makes for quick water runoff and comes alive with a bit of moisture. Although the option to get rowdy exists, my appreciation for being more connected to the feel of the trails and the bike through riding a hard tail overtakes any desire to ride outside of my abilities. After remembering there is more to riding a bike then just point and send, and being humbled a few to many times, there is no better way to finish a ride in the North Island on a cold winters day then by jumping into one of the local hot springs around the Taupo area.
There is one more location that is calling my name, Wellington. Often referred to as ‘Windy Wellington” for obvious reasons, I can say it is just that, having flown into the city numerous times, and enjoyed some ‘exciting’ landings or landing attempts, it is this that comes to mind when thinking of where to ride as I look towards Makara Peak. I knew that here I would be able to find riding that suited any kind of conditions I woke up to on the morning, with gnarly descent, pleasant climbs, flow trail, bridge rides and scenic views, all there to scratch any remaining itches from my journey down the North Island. Not to mention that Wellington is one of my favorite cities in New Zealand, and if all conditions come to a head, I would be more than content to rug up and walk the city enjoying its delicious coffee, craft beers, fantastic food and great atmosphere.
It's not until the kettle is boiling that I am pulled out of my daydreaming state, realizing that I have been sitting in my small apartment in Canberra Australia, looking out the window and watching the rain come down quietly. And then a smile crosses my face, as reality sets back in, and I remember I’m moving back to New Zealand in three months...
