Te Pūtake o Tawa
Park up at Te Pūtake o Tawa, grab a cheeky coffee from Grounded and get your legs ready to climb up Apumoana trail.
Built by the Trails Trust, getting decent elevation has never been so enjoyable as on this awesome trail. At the top, you reach the sweet spot of downhill riding with local favourites (Grades 3-5) such as Eagle v Shark, Te Rua, Tukonohi, Minerals and Tuteata. The Tawa Forest Hub also has a trail directly from the carpark down to the Blue Lake, which is great for a ride out to Te Kotukutuku by the Green Lake for a return mission.
Te Pūtake o Tawa has capacity for 400+ vehicles, event spaces, brand new toilets and showers, bike washing facilities, bike hire and food trucks, as well as significant scope for future commercial development and employment opportunities.
What Mountain bike trails can be accessed from Te Pūtake o Tawa?
- Te Pou Koropu - Grade 2 - 3.1km
- Apumoana - Grade 2 - 2.3km
- Sidewinder - Grade 3 - 682m
- Whāki - Grade 4 - 1.5km
- Tūkonohi - Grade 4 - 1.5km
- Te Rua - Grade 5 - 1.3km
- Eagle vs. Shark - Grade 3 - 2.5km
- Kataore - Grade 5 - 1.2km
- Minerals - Grade 5 - 1.3km
- Te Ruru - Grade 5 - 1.5km
- Tūteata - Grade 5 - 1.6km
- Hot Cross Buns - Grade 4 - 1.6km
- Forest Loop
- Tikitapu feeder trail - 958m
- New Grade 4, yet to be named - 815m
What facilities are available at Te Pūtake o Tawa?
- 400 car parks
- Car park open hours are 6am - 9pm seven days a week.
- New toilet and shower block
- Bike washing facilities
- Water fountains?
- Event spaces
What businesses are based at Te Pūtake o Tawa?
| Grounded Cafe | Mountain Bike Rotorua | Mitai Maori Village Food Truck |
 |
 |
 |
|
A much-loved boutique coffee bar inspired by the Danish concept of Hygge. |
Mountain Bike Rotorua provides bike hire, a retail store with bike mechanics and manages the Mountain Bike Shuttles. | Your hāngī/umu earth oven food of Maori includes pork, chicken, taro, island style potato salad, and much more. The hangi/umu is cooked in an earth-oven, a hole 1-2m into the ground. |
|
|
|
| Visit Website | Visit Website | Visit Website |
Mountain Bike Shuttles
Keen to get in the most downhill time possible? You can purchase tickets for mountain bike shuttles from the Mountain Bike Rotorua shop at Te Pūtake o Tawa.
The Te Pūtake o Tawa shuttle service operates on weekends and public holidays from 10am-3pm.
Check the Mountain Bike Rotorua website for up to date information.
About Te Pūtake o Tawa
Te Pūtake o Tawa - means ‘the base of Tawa’. Tawa and Moerangi are the only named mountains of the area.
Te Pūtake o Tawa opened in June 2019. It is a realisation of the Central North Island (CNI) Iwi Holdings Vision - Mana Whenua, Mana Tangata, Mana Ao Turoa - Protect and develop the land; empower the people; collectively build the future.
The Whakarewarewa Forest Development received a $7.09 million Provincial Growth Fund investment from the Government, which was used alongside $7.5 million from Rotorua Lakes Council, to enhance the forest amenities and experience.
It is a collaborative project between CNI Iwi Holdings and Rotorua Lakes Council, with the support and guidance of mana whenua. Timberlands has also supported the development of Te Putake o Tawa.
How to get to Te Pūtake o Tawa
By Car
From State Highway 30, turn onto Tarawera Road and follow it for 5km for about 5 minutes in the direction of the Blue Lake. You’ll see Te Pūtake o Tawa on your right. The drive to get there is 10 minutes from the central city.