Cycling the Twin Coast Trail

Sunset at Horeke

Our bus parked beside the tavern at Horeke

A cold drink after our cycle ride

Relaxing with a cold drink at the picturesque and historical Horeke Hotel after completing the Pou Herenga Tai - Twin Coast Cycle Trail, we reflected that we had cycled as much through history as we had through the amazing scenery.  After all, the Horeke pub was the first built in New Zealand (though not the first to get a license) and served thirsty boat-builders from the adjacent yard as early as 1830.  Nestled behind a pōhutukawa on the shores of the Hokianga Harbour, the wooden building was constructed by the first settlers in the area—including an infamous local, Jack Marmon, known as Cannibal Jack.  The shipyard is long gone and Horeke is a quiet backwater now.  We enjoyed a stunning sunset and a peaceful night with Tangaroa parked beside the tavern.

            The 87-kilometre-long cycle trail can be ridden in two days but we split it into a leisurely four, starting on the east coast at Opua in the Bay of Islands.  Opua's waterside, once busy with sailing ships, whaling boats and the comings and goings of everyone from settlers and missionaries to ex-convicts, is now home to a marina, a base for local boaties and visiting overseas yachtsmen. 

The cycle trail left from Opua

            The cycle trail started at the end of the marina area and followed the route of an old railway.  This line linked what was then the coal-mining town of Kawakawa (and later the meat-works at Moerewa) with Opua Wharf.  It was completed in 1884 and carried freight and passengers until it's closure until 1985.  After this the Bay of Islands Vintage Railway operated tourist rides from Kawakawa along the tracks to Opua.  In turn this ceased in 2001 as the bridges along the route needed strengthening.  Members of the Vintage Railway Trust have been gradually repairing the bridges and now a service operates again as far as Taumarere Station.  Cyclists can ride either a steam or diesel train from here to Kawakawa if they time their ride correctly.

            We enjoyed the estuary and river views as the cycle trail took us beside mangroves, through an old rail tunnel and over the amazing Taumarere Bridge, the longest curved wooden bridge in the Southern Hemisphere.  We stopped for a short break at the picnic area beside the old railway station here before continuing to Kawakawa.  

Taumarere Bridge

This little town was a rural backwater until it achieved fame for its toilets block.  Designed by the Austrian architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser, this funky building features sculpture, broken tiles, inset glass bottles, a living tree and a grass roof.  It is the most photographed public toilet in New Zealand.  Hundertwasser lived in Kawakawa from 1975 and it was the artist's last project, completed in 1999.

            Kawakawa has been revived by the toilets, and many other buildings have been decorated Hundertwasser-style, making it a pleasant place for a stop.  There are a couple of cafes along the main street, also one at the Bay of Islands Vintage Railway Station.  This is the trust's headquarters and is worth a visit in its own right.  Railway buffs can check out Gabriel, the steam train that puffs along Kawakawa's main street, as well as several other steam and diesel trains, both working and in various stages of repair.

The Railway Station and cafe in Kawakawa

Inside Kawakawa's Hundertwasser toilets

            The second part of our cycle journey took us from Kawakawa to Kaikohe.  The sunny beaches of the Bay of Islands seemed far behind as we cycled through a pastoral landscape.  Before long we skirted behind the meat-freezing works and an abandoned wood mill at Moerewa, getting a glimpse of the township—a typical small rural Northland settlement.  The twin suspension bridges over the Orauta Stream, a little further on, were the highlight of this section.  We spent some time here, admiring the sturdy, weathered old timbers of the bridge and the pretty cascading waterfalls below.  We followed the route of the old railway through cuttings and along straights (with a couple of roadside sections) before approaching the outskirts of Kaikohe.

On the bridge

Pou beside the cycle trail

            Kaikohe was known as 'the hub of the north' after the arrival of the railway in 1914 brought prosperity to the area.  Prior to this Kaikohe had been a small Māori settlement though the area has always been important to the local Ngāpuhi iwi.  Hone Heke, the warrior who started an uprising after chopping down the flagpole at Russell, died at Kaikohe in 1850.  His grand-nephew, Hone Heke Ngapua, was born in Kaikohe and became one of the first Māori Members of Parliament.

At Ngawha Springs

While we were in the vicinity we went to visit the unique attraction of Ngawha Springs.  The area around Kaikohe is dotted with volcanic cones and the associated geothermal energy has resulted in many hot springs, especially at Ngawha.  What makes these pools so different from other hot pools in New Zealand is the way they have retained their basic, unsophisticated character.  For four dollars per person we got to soak in several of the (spa pool-sized) pools at Ngawha, each of the fifteen fed by its own spring and having its own mineral make up and temperature.  From the scalding hot, black waters of the Bulldog Pool to the milky white Cool Pools, there was a place for everyone to soothe their aching muscles.  We liked the greeny-yellow water in the Tanemahuta Pool from where we watched a couple of girls scrape the bottom of their pool for mud face masks.  Nearby a tattooed local with hair in a topknot could have been Hone Heke himself.

Historic church at Okaihau

            The next portion of the cycle trail took us through rich farmlands, past Lake Omapere and on to the little settlement of Okaihau.  This was the highest part of the trail, but was flat and easy to ride.  An interesting part of this section was an eighty metre-long curved rail tunnel.  We had torches with us and went slowly to avoid crashing into the sides.  There were wide views of the surrounding countryside from beside the peaceful lake and it was hard to realise that, during the New Zealand Wars, battles were fought on and around the pā sites we could see.  St Catherine's Church in Okaihau has a memorial to twelve British soldiers who died in the conflict.  Signboards beside the trail gave information about this and other features of interest.

            We thought the ride from Okaihau to Horeke was the best part of the whole cycle trail.  The scenery was varied and the views were spectacular.  Near Okaihau we had panoramic views across to the Puketi Forest while, after turning in the other direction, we looked out on the picturesque Utakura Valley.  A series of switchback curves took us—slowly and carefully—down a steep descent and we were soon on a narrow track through native bush beside the river.  We took a rest at a picnic spot in the shade of spreading trees and were soon joined by a flock of chooks, hopeful of getting some crumbs from our picnic.

            The trail widened here and soon we were swooping down hills bordered by lush pastures.  It almost seemed a shame when we neared Horeke and came to a boardwalk across wetlands that fringe the Hokianga Harbour.  This 1,200-metre section of boardwalk was wide and easy to ride, taking us through mangroves, reeds and rushes to where Tangaroa was parked beside the Horeke Hotel.  The trail itself finished a couple of kilometres down the road beside the old Māngungu Mission Station.

Boardwalk section near Horeke

                        The Twin Coast Cycle Trail had taken us through diverse scenery as we rode from the Bay of Islands to the less-visited Hokianga region.  We passed through countryside that has been home to both Māori and Pakehā (white New Zealander), and towns that have flourished and then declined.  Following the route of the railway that once brought prosperity to the region we have enjoyed not only the scenery but the historic places we visited on the way.  This is a cycle trail not to be missed.

Mangungu Mission Station on the Hokianga Harbour

Information about places mentioned in this post, correct at time of writingCycle Trails

• ·         Twin Coast Cycle Trail

https://www.nzcycletrail.com/trails/twin-coast-trail/

www.aa.co.nz/travel/rental-vehicles-and-transport/nz-cycle-trail-guide

(or pick up a guide at any New Zealand Automobile Association/AA New Zealand office and some i-SITEs)

Opua to Kawakawa, 12 km, grade: easiest

Kawakawa to Kaikohe, 32 km, grade: easiest

Kaikohe to Okaihau, 14 km, grade: easiest

Okaihau to Horeke, 24 km, grade: intermediate

Places to visit

• ·         Bay of Islands Vintage Steam Railway

Gillies Street, Kawakawa

Train timetable and other information on the website: www.bayofislandsvintagerailway.org.nz

• ·         Hundertwasser Public Toilets

Gillies Street, Kawakawa 

Hours: 0pen 24 hours daily

• ·         Ngawha Springs

Ngawha Springs Road at Ngawha Springs

www.ngawhasprings.co.nz

Hours: 9.00 am-9.00 pm 

Entry price: adult $4, seniors $3, high school students $2, primary school students $1  cash only, honesty box if unattended