• You drive to Cambridge, arriving before 9am on your chosen dates. Track & Trail loads your bike and overnight bag on our purpose-built trailer and drive you (75 mins) to Ngāruwāhia and the Breaking Bread Café. You have a coffee and cake before heading south towards Hamilton.
• You ride the Te Awa River Ride to Hamilton Gardens and spend an hour in the fabulous Hamilton Gardens and themed pavilions. After lunch at the garden’s cafe (own care) you ride on to Cambridge and look around the stores and cafés, visit the Grassroot Velodrome
• Evening and morning meals will be served here and are included in the trip tariff.
• PDF of the Te Ara River Ride

• Roll your bike across the road to the boat ramp and get on board for a 15 kms thrilling jet boat ride. Pick up the Waikato River Trail at Pokaiwhenua Stream – the most north end of the Waikato River Trail. Ride to the Rhubard Cafe (check hours, own care), then over the suspension bridge at Arapuni and on to the Waipapa Dam. There is a road section from Arapuni Dam to Waipapa Dam to which is mostly sealed with a short section of unsealed road. This section includes some long steep climbs.
• The trail becomes more sporty south of the Waipapa dam with grade 3 sections but well worth the effort. You can expect S bends and boardwalks and forest trails but no alternate route. As you get close to Managkino you will get a great view of the Maraetai Dam an many interesting sites and artifacts related to the dams construction.

After breakfast at the lodge in Mangakino, your day starts with a 12km ride offering picturesque views along Lake Maraetai. Soon after leaving the village, you’ll encounter the 70m long Mangakino Stream suspension bridge.

Upon reaching Whakamaru Dam, a short ride leads to The Dam Café or Russmans in the village, ideal for a break and lunch. Consider taking away a sandwich and stopping beside the river an hour or so down the trail.

The Whakamaru to Atiamuri section of the trail meanders alongside the Waikato River through pine forests and native bush, bordering farmland. On the opposite shore, sheer bluffs provide a striking backdrop.

Throughout this southern stretch, Lake Whakamaru remains a constant scenic companion. Just before the Atiamuri Dam, you’ll encounter the half-million-year-old Pohaturoa volcanic plug, a remarkable and historically significant feature.