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Mountain Biking

Biking Trails

The Park is a great place for mountain bikers and we’ve developed mountain biking trails for bikers at all levels – from Grade 2 (easy) to Grade 6 (extreme). The trails allow bikers to be largely separated from walkers, with safety further enhanced and controlled by crossing points between the biking and walking trails.

Please only ride on the mountain bike tracks, and do not use the walking-only trails, thank you.

As a combined project between Te Mata Park Trust, members of the Hawke’s Bay Mountain Bike Club and the Bennelong Mountain Bike Club, the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council and the Hastings District Council, the trails were completed in 2017, by SouthStar Trails, one of New Zealand’s foremost mountain biking trails builder. The result is fun, flowing trails cleverly built through the outstanding landscape of the Park.

All riders in Te Mata Park need to take care when biking near walkers and follow the mountain bikers’ Code of Conduct. Check out how trails are rated here.

For interactive maps of our MTB trails, check out Trailforks website and app.

*Please note that e-bicycles over 300 watts are not permitted in Te Mata Park.

Current Mountain Bike Trails

Te Aratipi means ‘a road to skim lightly along the surface of; and, to roam about’. Te Aratipi Uphill Trail does this with consistent gradients manageable for inexperienced riders. It traverses land near Te Mata Peak Road that was little used but now is much appreciated.

The trail can be accessed from Chambers Walk at two points. Either enter Chambers Walk at the end of Tauroa Road, and bike 1.2km up to the trail, or enter Chambers Walk at the Te Mata Peak Car Park gates on Te Mata Peak Road and travel 500m to the start.

Please note that Chambers Walk is a shared trail so bikers need to watch for walkers.

Te Kahu means ‘a large brown hawk’. Beginning near the top of Te Aratipi Uphill Trail, Te Kahu is a Grade 3 flowing downhill trail. Riders will glide like hawks all the way down to the Tauroa Road Car Park, enjoying multiple purpose-built rollers, tabletops, berms, small jumps, snakes, drops, bridges, rocks and more. Chicken lines are available around the more trickier features.

The lower part of the trail, running parallel to Chambers Walk, was originally built by the local Bennelong Mountain Bike Club. Riders not wishing to return to the car park can glide down Te Kahu to Chambers Walk and then back up Te Aratipi Uphill for another circuit!

The start of this trail can be found at the end of the Te Aratipi Uphill Trail or can be entered by driving up Te Mata Peak Road to the middle car park known as the Saddle Car Park.

Riders looking for adventure will choose the Ngati Hori Trail (previously referred to informally as George’s Trail) further up Te Mata Peak Road. This is a Grade 6 (extreme) trail, on the steepest of terrain with three jumps about 2m high. Ngati Hori is not for the faint-hearted nor the inexperienced, but it does have Grade 4 chicken lines around the jumps! Try them when you are ready or wait to watch someone else.

The trail can be accessed by riding 500m up Te Mata Peak Road from the end of Te Kahu track. It is a 550m trail that joins Te Kahu Trail, allowing you to travel a further 1.64km to the Tauroa Road Car Park.

Near the top of Te Mata Peak Road is one of New Zealand’s classic mountain biking trails, the oldest single mountain biking track built in the 1980s by periodic detention workers and is the oldest, longest and, arguably, best in our Park.

We have renamed it Te Ihu (the Nose) because it runs from the Nose of the Peak. This Grade 4 trail takes riders to down the Te Hau Valley, with a challenging ride in outstanding scenery.

Kowhai Climb is a grade 3, uphill only.

This track provides an alternative way to reach the Main Gates car park, passing through the recently acquired new Te Kahika block.  It starts off with a gentle ascent , gradually becoming steeper as it passes the stunning Kowhai grove and school’s planting areas.  The track takes in beautiful views of the Heretaunga Plains as it reaches the Main Gates Car Park. From this track, you can also link in to Te Aratika – another uphill track that starts from upper Chambers Walk.

Please do not ride through the Rongoā Garden.

Te Kahika is a grade 3 downhill track only.
This track is an exciting, cleverly crafted track that was built in 2020.  Plenty of berms, table tops and jumps to keep everyone happy.  Everything can be rolled over – so it is suitable for the beginner-intermediate riders, as well as the more expert.  Starts at the Main Gates, at the bottom of the row of deodars, and finishes by the beautiful ponds area at Tauroa Road end.

Te Kahika makes a great short loop in combination with the uphill Kowhai Climb, though it is not to be ridden in wet conditions.

Easy, kid’s skills track which can be accessed from Chambers Walk near the Tauroa Car Park end. Great practice for younger riders.

Chambers Walk is the main wide thoroughfare linking the Tauroa Road Car Park and the Main Gates Car Park. Chambers Walk is available for mountain bikers going UPHILL ONLY; it is very important for safety, that bikers DO NOT ride downhill. PLEASE WALK YOUR BIKE.

Part of Te Kahu Trail (new) – Grade 3 (2.35km) a Grade 3 mountain biking trail runs parallel to Chambers Walk down to the Tauroa Road Car Park. This is suitable for almost all mountain bikers, and in 2017 was improved with interesting features that make it fun to ride.

This is a transit track between the other tracks.  It runs between the Saddle carpark – near where Te Aratipi finishes and Te Kahu starts.  It runs gently downhill all the way to near the big Redwoods.  It is a two-way track shared with walkers, so please be vigilant as you may come around a corner and meet walkers.

New and Future Mountain Biking Trails

New Uphill Tracks on a trial

Two short sections of track have been opened to uphill mountain biking.

Conditions for using these tracks are:

  1. Strictly no downhill
  2. For a trial period, up for review later this year

Locations:

  • Red Track, beginning at the Main Gates Car Park, up to the saddle
  • ‘Chambers Spur’ which heads uphill steeply for a short distance just before the entrance to Te Aratipi, off Chambers Walk – eventually joining Te Aratipi higher up.

We have plans for more trails on and around Te Mata Park that may incorporate private land for access and adventure. Keep checking back or join our Facebook page for more updates.

Local Clubs

For local club information contact:

Bennelong Mountain Bike Club – a friendly group of recreational bikers with an emphasis on having fun together, all levels of skill and experience are welcomed;

Hawke’s Bay Mountain Bike Club, New Zealand’s largest club. 

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Haere mai | Welcome to Te Mata Park and its famous peak, one of the most loved and visited places in Hawke’s Bay.
Gifted in perpetuity to the community in 1927 and managed by a small group of volunteer trustees, with appreciated help from local councils and the community, the Park is a cultural, historical and recreational treasure.

Five times winner of the prestigious international green space award.

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