Te Ahi Manawa

Te Ahi Manawa, “The Burning Heart”The deceivingly flat start to the trail is quickly given a reality check as Te Ahi Manawa drops into a steep, rooty, off-camber trail. This one is for the technically oriented riders, with plenty of drops and chutes to test yourself on. There are a few bypasses for the most technical sections, although the bypasses themselves are still far from easy. After rain it can get a bit slippery with a trail surface closer to the DOC trails at the top of Tawa Road than that of its hard pack neighbours. After 700 meters the trail opens a bit compared to the technical introduction with some steep downhill switchbacks thrown in to keep you on your toes. At the 1 km mark the track opens onto Buchanan Road where you have the option of taking a left towards Kung Fu Walrus trail or hanging a right towards the next section of Te Ahi Manawa. The second section warms up a few hundred meters down the road with a small climb before tapering into some classic outback trail action. Cleaner than the first segment, this section rides similar to the Billy-T/G-Rock sequence with a few off-camber corners for good measure. This section is more manageable for riders who aren’t as dialed on the rootier tracks. After 1 km it exits onto Tikitapu Road.