Riding high on Northland’s Twin Coast Cycle Trail

dwadmin — Mon, 03 Dec 2018 23:23:38 +0000

Riding high on Northland’s Twin Coast Cycle Trail

The Hokianga Harbour start – or end – of Pou Herenga Tai, the Twin Coast Cycle Trail.

This story was originally published by North & South and is republished with permission.

…We cycle out of Ōkaihau, past two pretty, well-maintained late-1800s churches. As we ride past bamboo-fringed paddocks with their handsome Hereford steers, a flock of peacocks sprint for cover, fanning their turquoise-fringed tails as they run.

This is where the “fun descent” starts. The trail is crushed local bluestone, and is dry and well formed. It’s a moderately steep downhill and a yellow sign warns cyclists to dismount. Dismount? And miss the fun of a 25kmh swoop through switchbacks on packed gravel? Seriously, if you can ride a bike reasonably well, this part of the trail is for you. Just ensure your brakes are up to spec, and you’ve got your turns sorted.

After 2km, the grade evens out and we roll into a grove of mature trees, then a stretch of track with a lovely, high-speed gradient. We fly alongside a stream and its attendant tōtara, before pedalling into a clearing with a strategically placed picnic table. We guzzle water and scoff fancy muesli bars. The Utakura River splashes busily downhill and two kererū swoop by, disturbed from their nikau roost.

It’s a pleasant place to linger, but the promise of fresh fish and a beer at sunset at the Horeke Hotel beckons. A 1.2km boardwalk-ride over mangrove flats tips four thirsty pedallers out at the colonial hotel overlooking the Hokianga Harbour headwaters. We’re staying in one of the pub’s over-water houses, where it’s tempting to simply park yourself on the deck and watch the wildfowl in the estuary. Fourteen royal spoonbills have made their home here, roosting on a half-sunken log a stone’s throw away from our perch. This colony is one of 19 in the country; these Australian migrants have found a muddy toehold on the intertidal flats of our harbours.

But little Hōreke is big on history and a nosey-around is required. It was New Zealand’s first commercial ship-building yard, dating back to the late 1820s. A few thousand Māori attended a hui here six days after the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi; it became the largest Treaty signing in the country. More infamously, it’s also the site of the country’s first pub, and its first murder trial in the late 1830s – despite “the court” having no legal jurisdiction at that time.

Hōreke’s historical and architectural gem is the elegant Mangungu Mission House, overlooking the tranquil harbour. It was completed in 1839, making it one of Northland’s oldest buildings, and relocated to Ōnehunga in the 1850s before returning in the 1970s. The chapel alongside is the old Methodist church from Kohukohu, which was shifted across the water to Mangungu. Inside the mission house, you can see the original table on which the Treaty was signed – then wander through the historic cemetery. We’re in the heart of the Hokianga now, and there’s a palpable sense of whakapapa…

The post Riding high on Northland’s Twin Coast Cycle Trail first appeared on Horeke Hotel.

Close RV Explorers – Chasing 100 Sunsets

dwadmin — Mon, 03 Dec 2018 23:11:05 +0000

RV Explorers shining the spotlight on the Twin Coast Cycleway, Horeke and the Hokianga

RV Explorers, Choice TV, Saturday 1.30pm, from October 13
For more information contact Brent Gillies 021 776 866

www.facebook.com/RVExplorers/videos

NZMCA backs the regions with new Motorhome TV series celebrating growth of Motorhome tourism

New Zealand’s regions are getting much-needed support thanks to a new mainstream TV series backed by the New Zealand Motor Caravan Association.

RV Explorers, a six-part series, debuts on Choice TV on Saturday, October 13 th and heads off the beaten track to discover what makes New Zealand the ideal place to experience the motorhoming lifestyle.

“New Zealand regions have many exciting attractions for our visitors to explore and I am glad that this programme will help support them, “said Minister of Tourism Kelvin Davis.

Fittingly for a programme that celebrates the regions, the show was launched at an event at the Kaikohe Pioneer Village last Friday (September 28 th). Guests included Snow Harrison, Northland identity and trustee of the Pou Herenga Tai Twin Coast Cycle Trail.

“It’s really fantastic that RV Explorers is shining the spotlight on the Twin Coast Cycleway. I really believe that it will increase motorhome tourism so people can experience the many attractions of the Far North,” said Mr Harrison.

The series is a joint production between two industry experts – Spot on Publications (publishers of The Motor Caravanner magazine and former owners of the Covi SuperShow) and Calcomm Productions (which has more than 20 years of TV production experience for Sky, TVNZ, TV3 and 60 Minutes). Executive Producer Brent Gillies says the NZMCA-backed programme aims to promote the motorhoming lifestyle, and encourage people off the beaten track, to areas that don’t traditionally get time in the spotlight.

Domestic tourism is a multi-billion dollar industry that has been increasing steadily for a number of years. Combine that with the fact that motor caravanning is one of New Zealand’s fastest growing recreational activities and it’s clear a resource such as RV Explorers is well overdue. The programme will appeal both to those who are new to the activity, as well as those who have been travelling for years.

It’s the latest step in the NZMCA’s successful off-the-beaten-track strategy, which led the way five years ago in ensuring that New Zealand’s provincial regions got a fair share of the tourism bonanza. Regions outside the traditional tourism hotspots featuring in the six episodes making up the first series are: Kaikoura, Whanganui, Whangarei, Coromandel, Tararua and the Far North.

Each episode follows the adventures of Anne Marie and Jonathon, a new motorhoming couple trying out a different vehicle, experiencing what each area has to offer, and swapping stories with other motorhomers they meet along the way.

“It’s about showing off regional New Zealand and exploring the motorhoming lifestyle,” says NZMCA CEO Bruce Lochore. “There’s guidance for those who are new to the lifestyle, and ideas on new places to visit for existing motorhomers. It’s also shining the spotlight on those regions that are fantastic destinations, but don’t necessarily get the publicity of the main tourism centres.”

Viewers can expect everything from being wowed by the natural wonder of the Far North’s Wairere Boulders, to quad biking in Kaikoura, exploring the Bridge to Nowhere in the far reaches of the Whanganui River, and luxuriating in the warmth of the Coromandel’s Lost Springs.

“We’re encouraging Kiwis to get off the beaten track to see more of what our amazing country has to offer”, says Mr Lochore.

The post Close RV Explorers – Chasing 100 Sunsets first appeared on Horeke Hotel.