🌟🚵‍♂️ WHAKA WEEKLY 🚵‍♂️🌟24 April 2025

🌟🚵‍♂️ WHAKA WEEKLY 🚵‍♂️🌟

🌤️ Weather: All of summer’s rain... delivered in 4 soggy days

🌱 Dirt: Soft, grippy and glorious – no mud monsters here thanks to hundreds of hours of hand-dug drains! 🙌

This week isn’t really about the trails.

It’s about the people behind the trails.

The ones who put their shovels in the dirt, boots in the puddles, and time into the forest — all to give back to the place we love.

While most of us were curled up inside dodging four straight days of rain, a few dedicated (and just a little bit mad 😅) trail adopters and volunteers were out there in it.

Digging drains.

Shifting debris.

Clearing downed trees.

All Easter Weekend.

These are the unsung heroes. The backbone of the trails. And they deserve a huge, muddy, heartfelt THANK YOU. 💚

Shout out to the crew at Mountain Bike Rotorua, too — they made the call to pause shuttle ops during the storm and instead got stuck into trail mahi. That’s leadership. That’s love. That’s putting the whenua and community first. Legends. 💪🌲

So here's your part:

👉 Will you drop a comment below to thank the trail adopters, volunteers, tree-down reporters, and those out riding who tossed branches and pungas off the path.

👉 Willl you donate a few bucks to fuel the chainsaws and fund the storm cleanup.

👉 Will you become a member and show your support for the forest you ride, run, and walk in.

Yes? YES! Thank you. We’re seriously humbled by this incredible community. Thank you to everyone who has answered the call of the community.

With 1,704 members and $12,555 in donations, we’re making moves towards our $140,000 annual goal — which funds the gold standard in drains, vegetation control, and clearing up after storms, across the whole network.

🌧️ The worst of the storm has now passed, but with more rain on the way for the long weekend, we’re expecting more tree falls and debris. Keep your eyes peeled:

🪵 See something on the trails? 📍 Drop a pin (important) and send us a screen shot of the exact location.

📸 Snap a pic or size estimate (e.g. “10cm”) so we bring the right chainsaw

🟢 Report via Trailforks: Trail page → “Add/Edit” → “Add Trail Report”

📬 Or send us a DM on Facebook — the more info, the better!

👣🚴 First lap after the rain? Go slow. Flick off the small stuff. Let’s all do our bit to keep the trails safe and sweet.

🪚🌿 The Rotorua Trails Trust crew will be out clearing damage this week — but fuel, gear, and time all cost. Help us keep the mahi going.

👉 Donate now at www.rotoruatrailstrust.co.nz

👉 Become a member at www.rotoruatrailstrsut.co.nz and show your love for the forest that gives us so much.

The trails are free to access, but they’re not free to maintain. Let’s keep them world-class, together. ❤️