Motorcycle rides from Ōhope
Three loops, all starting and finishing at the door.
SH2, Waioeka Gorge · Photo: Krzysztof Golik, CC BY-SA 4.0
The eastern Bay of Plenty has some of the best riding in the North Island: quiet coastal highways, river gorges, forest roads and lakes, without much traffic once you’re out of town. Here are three loops we’d ride from Salt & Pepper, from a full day out to a quick evening run, plus a few more for when you’ve done those. Every one finishes back at the beach. Distances and times are from Google Maps and are riding time only, so add your stops.
1. The big one: around East Cape
About 540 km · around 8 hours riding · a full day
One of the great rides in the country. Head out along Ōhiwa Harbour on Wainui Road, pick up State Highway 2 to Ōpōtiki, then follow State Highway 35 right around the cape: Te Kaha, the little church standing alone on the shore at Raukokore, Waihau Bay, Hicks Bay, Te Araroa, Tikitiki, Ruatoria, Tokomaru Bay and Tolaga Bay, before dropping into Gisborne. Come home on State Highway 2 through the Waioeka Gorge, a long run of river-gorge corners back to Ōpōtiki, and you’re on the deck for dinner.
- Leave early. It’s a long day and you’ll want daylight in the gorge on the way home.
- Fuel: fill up in Ōpōtiki. It’s roughly 320 km from Ōpōtiki to Gisborne, and fuel around the cape is limited: there are pumps at places like Te Araroa, Ruatoria and Tolaga Bay, but hours are short and premium isn’t always available.
- Road conditions: SH35 is sealed but storm-damaged in places, with slips, potholes, uneven patches and roadworks. Watch for log trucks on narrow sections and stock on the road. Parts of the highway have had daytime-only opening with traffic lights after storms, so check the NZTA Journey Planner before you go.
- Side trips: the East Cape lighthouse is about 20 km each way from Te Araroa on a narrow side road, so check the surface before taking a road bike out there. Tolaga Bay has one of the longest wharves in the country, but parts have been closed for repairs, so check access.
- Be self-sufficient: it’s remote, with patchy mobile coverage, and help comes from Gisborne or Ōpōtiki. Roadside assistance cover is worth having.
Open the route in Google Maps →
2. Lakes and coast: Rotorua, the Mount and the Matatā straight
About 260 km · around 3 hours 45 riding · a good half day or a relaxed full day
Over the hill to Whakatāne, then inland on State Highway 30 past Lake Rotoma and Lake Rotoehu and along the shore of Lake Rotoiti. Between Rotoehu and Rotoiti the road runs through the native forest of Hongi’s Track, one of the prettiest stretches of highway in the region (the Hinehopu track starts here if you want to stretch your legs). Stop in Rotorua for coffee, then head north to Tauranga and Mount Maunganui for lunch. Come home east on the coast road through Te Puke and along the long Matatā straight, with the sea on your left, then back through Whakatāne and over the hill.
- Toll road: the quickest way out of Tauranga uses the Tauranga Eastern Link, which is tolled for motorcycles too. Pay online with NZTA within five days, or take the old road through Te Puke instead.
- Detour: from Rotorua, add the road out past the Blue and Green Lakes to Lake Tarawera, then come back the same way. Short, twisty and very pretty.
- The straight: it’s long, flat and inviting. Enjoy the view and keep it legal.
Open the route in Google Maps →
3. The quick one: Ōpōtiki and back
About 105 km · around 1 hour 45 riding · an afternoon or evening run
Out along Wainui Road beside Ōhiwa Harbour, onto State Highway 2 and east to Ōpōtiki for a coffee or fish and chips. Head back west through Tāneatua into Whakatāne, then up and over the hill back down to the beach. Short, easy and perfect when the light is low in the evening.
Open the route in Google Maps →
More rides
Waioeka Gorge out-and-back
About 215 km return · around 3 hours 10 riding · road bikes
The best part of the East Cape loop without the whole day. Ride State Highway 2 from Ōpōtiki up through the Waioeka Gorge to Mātāwai: sealed, quiet and corners almost all the way, following the river through native bush. Turn around and ride it again in the other direction. It’s a completely different road coming back.
Open the route in Google Maps →
Kaingaroa Forest and the lakes
About 285 km · around 4 hours 10 riding · road bikes
From Whakatāne head inland through Kawerau to Murupara, then take State Highway 38 through Kaingaroa Forest, one of the largest planted forests in the world, to Waiotapu. Swing north to Rotorua and come home past the lakes on State Highway 30. Fast, open forest roads on the way out and the tighter lakes section on the way home.
Open the route in Google Maps →
Motu Road (adventure bikes)
About 275 km · around 4 to 5 hours riding · adventure bikes only
Just east of Ōpōtiki, the Motu Road climbs over the ranges to the tiny settlement of Motu: around 48 km of narrow, winding gravel through bush and farmland, and a former rally stage. From Motu the seal takes you to Mātāwai, then it’s down the Waioeka Gorge back to Ōpōtiki and home.
- Check it’s open: the Motu Road is prone to slips and closures. Check the Ōpōtiki District Council and Google Maps before you go.
- Share the road: it’s part of the Motu Trails cycle route, so expect cyclists, as well as stock and the odd logging truck.
- Take care: there are steep drops, blind corners and little room to pass.
Before you ride
- Check the NZTA Journey Planner for closures and roadworks, especially on SH35 and SH2 through the Waioeka Gorge.
- Check the forecast. Gorges and coastal roads can turn quickly in rain, and slips are common after heavy weather.
- Expect gravel, stock and slow traffic on rural roads, and ride to the conditions.
Not riding? The same roads make great drives. See day trips from Ōhope for what to do along the way.