Hemo Gorge Trail aka Te Ara Ahi Mountain Bike Trail

This is a two-way shared trail that takes cyclists and pedestrians off State Highway 5 for access to the Waipa MTB carpark - and back again. It is heavily used so please ride responsibly and expect oncoming riders and walkers at all times. The gradient is predominantly flat, with one gentle incline to deal with. Entering the trail from town, the incline delivers you to a cleared area with several apparent trails and a couple of entry-level skinnies to ride. Turn left for a short descent (control your speed). Or turn right for a more gentle descent to meet up with the other fork beside the stream. Then it's a flat section over a bridge to get to the Waipa MTB Carpark.Heading the other way, from the Waipa MTB carpark back towards town, after crossing the bridge you can take the right hand fork (that's the steep one described above), or take the left fork which is the slightly longer but gentler option to get to the top of the rise.Magnificent waharoa (carvings) at each end of the trail were supplied by TE PUIA Māori Arts & Crafts Institute.