Opotiki: Discover Cycle Trails and Cultural Heritage

Opotiki is a destination for travelers who want to combine cycling and walking trails with an insight into history and cultural sites. When choosing a hotel in Opotiki, these interests may be a deciding factor: the Dunes Trail has a specific starting point in town, and you can begin and finish the Motu Trails Loop in Opotiki. The routes offer different scales for your planning.

Cycling and trails around Opotiki

The Dunes Trail starts at the Pakowai-ki-Otutaopuku Bridge in Memorial Park, at the end of St John’s Street. There is parking, a drinking fountain and toilets at the trailhead. The trail is rated as an easy Grade 2 trail and is intended for cycling, walking and running. Check current conditions and access before setting off. In many places, you can reach the beach via formed paths; please use these paths. The trail also passes through culturally significant land in the Ōpōtiki area.

The Ōpōtiki-Ohiwa Trail offers a roughly 2.5 km, almost completely flat connection from the start of the Dunes Trail in Memorial Park to the Waioeka-SH2 Bridge. By comparison, the Motu Trails Loop is considerably longer at 90 km and follows a varied route along the coast, into a mountain range and deep into forest country. This means you can choose between an almost flat connection and a long route through changing landscapes.

Places and history in Opotiki

The Opotiki war memorial commemorates men from the eastern Bay of Plenty who fought and died in the First and Second World Wars. Each year, it is the focal point of Anzac Day commemorations. Among the town’s surviving hotels, the Opotiki Hotel has the oldest exterior appearance and continues to serve its original purpose. In Ōpōtiki town centre, the Whitikau Playground is next to Whitikau Reserve. Hukutaia Domain is also nearby. There you will find a 2,500-year-old puriri tree that is highly sacred to local Māori.

Beyond Opotiki: the Opotiki District

In the Opotiki District, the Motu Trails are part of the New Zealand Cycle Trail Great Rides. They run from the coast at Ōpōtiki to Matawai through varied landscapes, nature and historic surroundings. Motu Trails operators offer shuttle services, including drop-offs at Matawai, Motu or on the ridge above Motu for rides to the coast at Ōpōtiki. Availability and minimum numbers may change; confirm these details with the operator before planning.

The cultural heritage of the Opotiki District also includes the former Shalfoon Brothers Shop Buildings, an unusually well-preserved example of an early 20th-century retail and commercial complex. Agassiz House is considered one of the oldest surviving rural villas in the Waioeka Valley. Its original core is an F-plan villa dating from around the turn of the century.

Discover more destinations: Waihau Bay

For the main travel overview: Opotiki District.