🌟🚵 WHAKA WEEKLY 🚵🌟 22 January 2026

Tony Knauf
4 days ago
7 min read

G'day folks! Another week down in the forest and it has been a beaut with heaps of happy campers coming in to ride the new sections of the forest loop, check out the views of the loggin and in general get up to the best kind of mischief in the forest!

Yeah, the weather's been super duper soggy this week, but luckily we're blessed with fast drying tracks here in Roto, so actually the rain has done the forest a service!

The dust has disappeared, the dirts got tacky and all your fav tracks should be running absolutely mint right now! But that doesn't happen without a lot of hard mahi going into the forest.

Lets take a minute to shine the spotlight on the efforts of the…..

🦸 VOLUNTEER & ADOPTER LEGENDS

Let's celebrate the crew who showed up this week!

🏃 NGT

SIX hours from the trail adopter building what might be the best berm I have ever seen! It is right at the bottom, where it was needed, so you can hold ALL of your speed to get over the MASSIVE gap jump at the end of the trail.

Epic effort mate, looks awesome and cant wait to see some clips of people sending it…..hopefully not on Pink Bike Friday Fails though. Chur!

🍬 Sweet N' Sour

Sweet N' Sour is living up to the sweet part of its name thanks to the volunteer crew rolling up their sleeves and getting stuck in. A full front assault on the vegetation, drains and fixing up the trail surface. Nice job peeps!

🆕 New Exit

The trail that we have fallen in love with all over again has been getting even more love from the trail adopter!

Winner of New Trail adopter of the Year 2025, they have been smashing it out again, never stopping, always tweaking the berms, jumps and drains. Thanks for you mahi buddy, you are 100% a legend of the forest!

🔥 Te Ahi Manawa

I spied a young lad with a big smile, a shovel and a dog, heading in to do some mahi on Te Ahi Manawa the other day. It was the adopter, doing what they love doing, making trails awesome!

Did you know that Te Ahi Manawa translates to "The Burning Heart" ? It refers to powerful concepts of passion, spiritual fire, and intense emotion. That was on full display from the adopter, so the trail and this adopter really suit each other. Nice.

🌊 Creek

One hour of vegetation work on Saturday! Quick maintenance keeping Creek flowing! Thanks for taking notice, and getting out there unprompted, thats true custodianship right there!

As You Do

Wowwee have we all been lucky just how much work the trail adopter has been doing! Thank you so much! Whether you are a runner, a walker, an Ebiker or a cross country nutter, As You Do is an Epic trail that is kept open through one persons hard mahi. We all say ,Chu Chur to you bro!

🔧 RTT CREW GETTING AMONGST IT

The RTT crew has been BUSY this week, despite getting rained out for one day. (Lots of time spent sharpening chainsaws, cleaning and servicing gear and making sure we were ready for the storm clean up!)

The crew still got some solid, meaningful work done around the forest. Targeting the areas that needed it the most, they were efficient and ferocious!

🏔️ Titokorangi Pt2

You know that very last corner on part two that would catch you out? Well it got a propper rebuild! Yay!! No more skidding over the bank! You have a go ride this trail and check it out. Talented building and really making a difference to rider experience and safety, thats what its all about!

🌊 Apumoana

100% top to bottom vegetation and blowing and drains! BIG effort and stunning work that will go unnoticed by everyone riding it, and that is a good thing!

🌶️ Eastern Spice

We heard you loud and clear, the thistle were taking over and it was impossible to ride without getting thistles in you knuckles. Ow! It has now been trimmed back and tidied up now, so have at it and enjoy this awesome trail without needing to put and boxing gloves!

⛵ Maiden Voyage

While we were there we gave Maiden Voyage a quick little tidy up. Its running really good up the top with just one rain rut section at the bottom. But she's a grade 5 track, so should keep ya on your toes to the very end eh?!

🦘 Katore Jumps

Dang the trail adopter has been keeping these jumps running good! They have never been better and have now had a really good blow too, so you should be able to keep your speed the whole way down. Enjoy!

WALKERS WE NEED YOUR HELP!

We always want to make sure the forest is in the best condition possible, and that includes the walking and horse trails, including the signage! If you think there is a missing or incorrect sign, if you come to an intersection and think "Golly, I wish there was a sign here!”

Please let us know!

1. Take a picture of the location

2. Screen shot an accurate pin drop of the location

3. Tell us what you think the sign should be such as "Black Walking Track arrow pointing Right"

4. Email it to info@rotoruatrailstrust.co.nz and we will get it sorted.

We love your feedback, the forest relies on it! But without super detailed and accurate information, we cant act. So bring it on folks, lets make the trails world class together!

🎉 EVENTS COMING UP!

🏁 GIANT LEGENDS ENDURO SERIES - ROUND 3

Mark your calendars! Sunday 1st February - Round 3 of the Giant Legends Enduro Series is back on in Rotorua and it's going to be EPIC!

CRUISE UP, RACE DOWN, YOUR PACE

Endoru is going back to the open race format that everyone loves! They choose the trails, you ride in the order YOU want. Shuttled? Non-shuttled? Long course? Short course? Want to re-run a stage? It's ALL back! This is enduro the way it should be – YOUR way!

THE PRICE IS DROPPING

Times are tough and Legends are being Legends! They are doing their bit to make it easier to get back in and race enduro in the mountain bike capital of Aotearoa! Entries start from just $99 which means more moolah in your back pocket for after-ride drinksies! 🍻

HANG WITH YOUR MATES

Got your ride squad? Perfect! Long Course riders start together, an hour later the Short Course riders head out. No need to reach a certain trail at a certain time – YOU choose the route and ride with your friends (and frenemies!). This is about racing AND hanging out!

ON COURSE EPICNESS

Music, food, mechanics, mates... The on-course Aid Station will once again be the home for mid-ride storytelling and a place to catch up with your crew while grabbing delicious snacks and chilling to epic tunes! It's not just a race, it's a PARTY!

10% OF ENTRY FEES GOES TO CHARITY

Here's the beautiful part – 10% of your entry fee goes directly to Rotorua Trails Trust and the Rotorua Mountain Bike Club! Your entry supports trail maintenance AND the First Response Unit! You're not just racing – you're giving back to the forest you love! 💚

AN EVENT FOR EVERYONE

Whether you're a seasoned pro or just getting into racing, this enduro event caters for YOU! If you can competently ride Rotorua grade 4 trails, then you can race the Giant Legends Enduro Series! From hardcore racers chasing podiums to a group of mates just wanting a good laugh – there's space for everyone!

THE LEGACY CONTINUES

The 2W Series might be gone for now, but its legacy lives on! The Giant Legends Enduro Series is bringing the Rotorua enduro scene back to its roots – good times with good mates, racing (serious but not too serious) on some of the best trails on the planet.

Whether you're here to test your speed or just keen for a cruisy day in the forest with your mates, this series is all about fun, flow, and that classic enduro vibe.

Ride hard, laugh heaps, and hang out. Chur!

🔗 All the details and entries: www.enduronz.com

🏃 BLUE LAKE MULTISPORT FESTIVAL - THIS WEEKEND!

The Blue Lake Multisport Festival is happening THIS WEEKEND!

Check it out: http://www.runningcalendar.co.nz/.../blue-lake.../

A quick reminder from us: If you're out riding this weekend, please be polite and give racers the right of way!

They're out there giving it everything they've got! And if the track you wanted to ride is a bit busy, maybe try a different track? The forest is massive and there are SO many options!

All positive community vibes, eh! We share this forest with runners, walkers, horse riders, and racers – let's all look after each other! 💚

💚 THE SOGGY SEASON SILVER LINING

Look, it's been wet. Like, properly wet. But here's the beautiful thing about Rotorua trails – they dry FAST! And all that rain has kept the dust completely at bay!

So if you've been hesitant to get out there because of the weather, now's actually the perfect time! The trails are in mint condition – tacky, grippy, and dust-free! That's the dream riding condition right there!

Plus, with all the vegetation getting a good drink, the forest is looking absolutely lush and green. Sometimes a bit of rain is exactly what we need!

💰 KEEP THE MOMENTUM GOING

We're still riding high on that January donation wave! If you haven't already, consider setting up a recurring donation:

$10/month = half the price of Netflix and WAY better for your health!

Every dollar goes directly into:

Digger work on jump lines (28 hours this week alone!)

Trail building projects (Titokorangi Pt2!)

Emergency tree clearing

Surface repairs and drainage

Keeping 300km of trails absolutely mint!

🤝 Donate or become a member at: www.rotoruatrailstrust.co.nz

🙏 THANK YOU