🌟🚵 WHAKA WEEKLY 🚵🌟 5 February 2026

G'day legends! What an absolute RIPPER of a week it's been! The weather? Textbook Kiwi summer! Cicadas are deafening (in the best way), soil is damp and grippy, and the walking trails are all cool and shady. This is what dreams are made of, eh!

And the trails? OH MATE. They're looking absolutely MINT right now – that perfect combo of tacky dirt and no dust! Yeah, we've got that awesome gold dirt, but we've also got the best adopters and trail crew in the country making sure everything's dialled!

🐉 DRAGON'S TAIL WORKING BEE - COMMUNITY IN ACTION!

Right, let's talk about Sunday, the first RTT working bee of the year! The Dragon's Tail restoration kicked off and what a day it was! The crew and volunteers got stuck in together, clearing, shaping, and starting to piece this beauty back together after the skid sites did their damage.

We haven't finished yet, so those trail closed signs are staying up for now. But we're making solid progress and should have it all ready soon! Keep your eyes peeled for updates!

Massive appreciation to everyone who showed up with shovels, rakes, and good attitudes. Working bees are where the magic happens – good people, hard mahi, and plenty of laughs. This is community in action, and it's bloody beautiful to be part of! 🙌

And a HUGE chur to the legends at EASTWOOD for supplying the post-bee snacks! Nothing beats finishing a working bee with good kai and good company! You're the best, Eastwood!

🌿 SHOUT-OUTS TO THE TRAIL CREW, VOLLYS & ADOPTERS

It hasn’t just been Dragon’s Tail getting the aroha this week. Tūteata, K2, Tītokorangi (including the Uphill), Corridor Top Jumps, New Exit, and Tarawera Return all had the blowers and tools run through, keeping things tidy and running sweet.

Piglet had tree work, vegetation and drains all sorted and the Tickler now has fresh signage to keep folks on track.

Tahi and Kid’s Loop have been blown, trimmed, and drained so the beginner laps feel welcoming and fun, while Creek, Rockdrop, and Challenge Exit have been tuned so they ride exactly how they should – playful, safe, and running mint.

Out on the wider network, the Forest Loop Feeder section has been cared for by adopter, and Dodzys Skills Park have had expert hands on the spades, and rakes to keep things in top shape and breath new life into it again.

Huge chur to every adopter and volunteer who has given energy back into these trails – that is what makes this place so very very special.

🇳🇿 WAITANGI DAY – PERFECT FOREST MISSION

Tomorrow is Waitangi Day, and it’s the perfect time to come chill in the forest, connect with Aotearoa, and share time in nature with friends and whānau.

Throw together a picnic, bring a mate, soak up the shade, listen to the birds and cicadas, and let the pace drop right down while you wander or roll through this beautiful bit of New Zealand we’re lucky enough to enjoy.

The trails are riding and walking beautifully, the vibes are high, and the community is strong – couldn’t ask for much more. One more gift, a poem from the Pig Track Adopter:

Did some leaf blowing until the battery did fail,

And cleared any vegetation that was bothering the trail,

Saw a miromiro and the hugest dragonfly,

Before I knew it 2.5 hours had flown by!

– The crew at Rotorua Trails Trust