WHAKA WEEKLY 🌲22 October 2026

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Kia ora whānau!!

Cast your mind back to the last time you rocked up to the Waipa carpark on a Saturday morning, chucked your bike out of the back of the ute, and just... rode in.

No ticket. No booking. No entry fee. Just showed up and disappeared into one of the most world-class trail networks on the planet.

Did you even clock that? Like, ACTUALLY clock it?

Here's a thought experiment. If the Whakarewarewa Forest were a rugby stadium, it would be Eden Park. It would be Wembley. It would be the Melbourne Cricket Ground. These are venues that people travel from the other side of the world to experience ONCE in a lifetime. They buy tickets months in advance. They pay through the nose. They tell the story for years afterwards.

And you? You drive in from home and walk in for free. Every single day. 365 days a year. 24 hours a day. No queue. No ticket. No fuss.

Free.

That is one of the most extraordinary privileges in New Zealand sport. Maybe in world sport. And this weekend, when thousands of people descend on this little corner of Rotorua for the Whaka 100, they're going to remind us all over again exactly what we've got here.

Because they will LOSE. THEIR. MINDS.

🔥 WHAKA 100 – THIS WEEKEND!! 24–26 OCTOBER 🔥

Labour Weekend. The Whaka 100 is HERE.

Three days. Hundreds of riders. People from all over New Zealand and all over the world, descending on the Waipa carpark for what is genuinely one of the great mountain bike events on this planet. They've trained for months. Some of them have travelled days to get here. And this weekend, they get to find out what we already know.

Driving past the Waipa carpark when it's set up for an event like this gives us actual goosebumps. The marquees. The atmosphere. The riders everywhere. The volunteers. The energy. It is something really, really special and we are so proud that this is our home.

To all the Whaka 100 crew, the organisers, the staff, and the incredible army of volunteers who make this happen – you are legends of the highest order. Events like this don't just bring stoke and energy to the forest, they support Rotorua's entire economy and they actively give back to the trails that make them possible. We love what you do and we love that you do it here. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts 🙏

FOR THE LOCALS WHO MIGHT BE SIDE-EYEING THE CROWDS THIS WEEKEND 👀

Look. We get it. You show up on Saturday morning and the carpark is full and there's people everywhere and you're like... hmm.

Here's our message to you: suck it up, legend. With love.

This is a privilege. We are humbled and genuinely grateful that we get to share this place with people from all over the world this weekend. Welcome them. Give them a wave. Cheer them on. Be the community we always say we are – because this weekend, the whole world is watching and there is genuinely no better community in mountain biking to show what's possible.

And to the visitors – welcome. We hope you love it as much as we do. We know you will.

If a gel pack gets left on the trail – no stress. We know you would have picked it up if you'd seen it. These things happen and the crew will grab it. Just maybe, if you fall in love with this place this weekend (and you will), think about coming back sometime and joining a working bee. Or chuck a few dollars directly back into the trails via www.rotoruatrailstrust.co.nz – it all goes straight back into the trails you rode.

See you out there 🤙

THE MAHI – THE CREW WENT ABSOLUTELY FLAT OUT THIS WEEK 💚

The RTT crew has been busy busy BUSY this week making sure every inch of the forest is in world-class form for the big weekend. Every uphill trail has been blown out so they roll fast and smooth – because you do not need any extra drag on those climbs, not this weekend.

Here's the full story:

THE BIG BLOW 💨

The crew hit trail after trail after trail this week with one mission: get them PERFECT for the Whaka 100. Event prep and blowing across the whole network – here's every trail that got the full treatment heading into the weekend:

Arepa (Alpha) 1, Te Huinga, Tītokorangi, Mahana, Lion Trail, Be Rude Not To, Bunny Jugs 1, Apumoana & Apumoana Extension, Te Pou Koropū & Te Pou Koropū Return, Forest Loop Tūhua, Tank To Town, Soakhole Climb, Katore Road Link, Box of Birds, As You Do, Lentil Link, Gunna Gotta, Jeffs Link, Kung Fu Walrus and more – all blown out, event prepped, and riding beautifully.

And then on the blowing-only front: Chestnut Link, G Rock, Roller Coaster, Billy T, Homeward Bound, Chop Suey, Old Chevy (double session – this trail is LONG and worth every minute), Yellow Brick Road, Sidewinder.

That is an enormous amount of ground covered and an enormous amount of care baked into every single metre. The uphill trails are going to be rolling fast and clean. The descents are clear and dialled. The whole network is singing right now.

KATAORE – THE HAIRCUT 💇

Kataore got a full haircut from top to bottom. It is riding in absolutely top condition for the long weekend. That is how committed the trail adopter is, sick stuff, greatly appreciated!

CHALLENGE DH – LANDING SORTED ✅

The Challenge DH adopter has been putting in some serious mahi on this trail over the past while and this past week wrapped it up beautifully – rebuilding the landing on the step up and fixing up a rough landing on a table lower down. And the adopter's note made us smile: "Glad to see more people making it over the step up." As are we. Chur for everything you've put into this trail – it shows 🙌

TAURA – THE COMB OVER 🌿

The Taura adopter was out on Friday giving the section between String and Poplar Roads "a comb over" – their words, and we love it. Taura is riding ideal heading into the weekend and the adopter mentioned riders stopping to chat and say thanks as they rode through. That is the Whaka community right there. Magic.

TE AHI MANAWA – THE INVISIBLE CREW 👻

The reported tree on Te Ahi Manawa has been sorted – by "2/3 of the invisible crew." We know who you are and we see you, we appreciate you. Thank you 💚

PIG TRACK – THE POET RETURNS 🐷✍️

We've saved the best for last.

The Pig Track adopter is doing the Whaka 100. 100 kilometres. In the saddle. During their training ride last weekend, they stopped. They raked needles. They cleared drains. On Pig Track. During a 70km training ride.

AND THEY WROTE A POEM.

🐷✍️

The Whaka100 is next weekend,

So off I went,

to Pig I did tend,

I raked needles and cleared drains,

Then rode 70km (I have many pains).

This is the most beautiful thing. This is what makes this community unlike anything else in the world. You absolute legend – we will be cheering for you every single kilometre this weekend 🐷💚

THE TRAILS ARE MINT. THE CREW IS INCREDIBLE. THE COMMUNITY IS EVERYTHING. 💚

This is it, whānau. The big weekend. The one we've been building toward. Every drain cleared, every trail blown, every working bee, every donation, every adopter hour – it all comes together this weekend when the Whaka 100 rolls through.

And its not just for the event, its forever. its for you next week, and the week after, and next year, and for your kids, and theirs. its for everyone, anytime.

Come down to the Waipa carpark and soak it up. Cheer the riders. Welcome the visitors. Be proud of what this community has built.

And if you haven't already – chuck something toward keeping it going.

👉 www.rotoruatrailstrust.co.nz – 3 clicks. Any amount. It goes straight back into the forest you love.

Have the most incredible long weekend out there whānau. This is our home and right now, it has never looked better.

Aroha nui, – The crew at Rotorua Trails Trust 🌲

All pictures credit to Whaka 100 and their amazing team of photographers and all the awesome folks out there in it. Chur!

https://www.whaka100.co.nz/images2022.html