Deep canyons, ancient landscapes and a boat ride through vastly untouched history, Lake Taupō’s remote Great Lake trails
deliver rugged backcountry riding and lakeside luxury. 

Words & Photos Alice Veysey

A weekend away, spent biking wilderness trails with stunning views, is right up our alley. After riding the Timber Trail earlier this year, my husband and I have been eyeing the list of New Zealand’s Great Rides.

The Great Lake trails are a network of grade three mountain biking tracks set amongst native forest and volcanic landscapes along the northwest shores of Lake Taupō. Some of these shores (the western bays) are vastly untouched and completely inaccessible by road, which makes adventuring through this area a logistical exercise with grand payoffs.

There are a few ways to tackle the Great Lake trails, but to make the most of our two days we enlisted Four B, whose local knowledge, shuttle service and electric mountain bikes took the hassle out of planning the logistics. Their input was superb.

Our first day of biking began inland at Waihāhā off SH32. Thick morning fog hung in the air as we set off. The remote 30km backcountry trail follows the Waihāhā River towards Lake Taupō then snakes through bush and along rocky edges down to Waihora Bay, where the only way out is by water.

Once the fog lifted, we were treated to clear skies and crisp air, perfect for riding. There is something sacred about this trail. There’s a sense of timelessness to the landscape and we came across no-one else during the entire day’s ride. Waihāhā canyon carves a Jurassic-scale ravine through the landscape and our elevated vantage point from the trail gave us an incredible view of the distant Tieke Waterfall. There are natural rest points along the way and perfect picnic spots looking out over the lake. We took our time to absorb the environment before tackling the switchbacks and steep descent towards the water’s edge.

We’ve ridden remote trails before but none that have required a water taxi. Waihora Bay was the gateway to another world. We expected a straightforward water shuttle back to Kinloch, but what we experienced was an eye-opening scenic boat tour along the lake’s rugged western shores to isolated waterfalls and towering volcanic rock formations. Evidence of the lake’s origin story and the Hatepe eruption of 232 AD were all around us. The boat’s skipper, Ian from Venture Beyond, shared local lake tales and explained geological features along the way. The afternoon sun refracted through the bow spray as the boat danced across the water, adding to the memorable journey.

Back on land, we were then shuttled to our accommodation, The Suncourt Hotel in Taupō. It was a welcome contrast to finish the day with a little comfort. From our balcony we looked out across the lake toward Tongariro National Park as the sky changed colours in the fading light.

For our second day on the trail, we started at the Orakau car park. This ride combined two shorter sections of the Great Lake trails and was more accessible and slightly less remote than the previous day’s ride. The first 10km wound its way through regenerating native bush and wetlands down to the lakefront at Kawakawa Bay.
With its pristine water and pebbled beach, this secluded spot would be ideal for swimming in the summer months. However, at a cool 11 degrees on the day we were there, we decided to enjoy the vista from the shoreline.

The next section of the ride, commonly known as K2K, climbs up from Kawakawa Bay to clifftop views over the lake before dropping back down towards the water level and along the lakefront for a satisfying short ride into Kinloch. There are additional trail sections heading out from Kinloch, as well as the Craters Mountain Bike Park in the region, that we are yet to tackle. The makings of another trip I think.

This was a weekend away that had a bit of everything for the two of us. Our days were filled with nature and activity while our accommodation and dining experiences had a touch of luxury that made the whole experience feel like such a treat. Lionel’s Restaurant, onsite at Suncourt, has been recently renovated and impressed us with its style, atmosphere and delicious menu. We will definitely be back.