TE AWA GREAT RIVER RIDE
THINGS TO DO
IN THE AREA:
Te Awa – The Great New Zealand River Ride extends for 70km from Ngaruawahia to Horahora alongside the Central North Island’s mighty Waikato river.
The trail travels along gentle terrain at a comfortable Grade 2 pace making it suitable for all ride abilities. There are five distinct sections of Te Awa, which can be ridden in one full ride or over several easier days. The sections begin in Ngaruawahia and pass through Horotiu, Hamilton, Cambridge and Karapiro before extending to link with the Waikato River Trail at Horahora.
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Finding your way alongside the Waikato River is easy on Te Awa thanks to an abundance of clear signage. Information panels along the way offer convenient rest stops as you take in stories of the land and its people. Plenty of accommodation options are dotted along the length of the track and offer scenic stopovers. Riding through Cambridge you will pass by the AvantiDrome, which is the home of Cycling New Zealand. At the AvantiDrome, you may like to stop at the onsite Revolve Café, the onsite bike shop, or explore the world-class velodrome, which is open to the public. For kids and adults alike, there is a pump track with rollers and small jumps to play around on to warm up or sharpen your skills.
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Te Awa's route is predominantly easy riding with a wide, even surface, which will appeal to a broad range of people. The trail is shared use so make room for walkers. As the trail travels beside New Zealand’s longest river, you will pass by many of the country’s top producing farms, exotic and native forests, and sandy river beaches. As you ride this trail you will experience complete immersion into some of New Zealand's rural heartland. Te Awa weaves as fluidly through farmland as it does through the urban centres en route. The urban centres offer a chance to take a breather, refuel at a trail-side restaurant or café or rest the leg at some convenient accommodation. Between the urban and rural landscapes there are plenty of interesting establishments along the trail to explore, bridges to cross, boardwalks, waterfalls, traditional Maori sites, gift shops and wineries.