Southstar Trails

01/12/2025

Working on an alternate line on the Tainui Reserve track in Havelock North, opening later this week. Plus maintenance is also happening this week on the Hikanui and Tauroa Reserve trails and Jumps.

06/11/2025

Maintenance work on the Western Okataina Track for the . 5 years ago Southstar installed many grade reversals to manage stormwater on this old 1960's bulldozer built track. These had silted up with the easily erodable volcanic pumice soil and water was starting to rut out the track surface. So this project involved cleaning out these grade reversals, using the material to build up and lengthen the grade reversals so that they will last longer before they need cleaning out again.

With the funding available, raised by Clair at the Rotorua Trails Trust, Jeff managed to work on the section from the Okataina Outdoor Camp up the steep climb to the Trig junction, approx 1/3 of the total track length. There's about 12km left to do as further funding become available.

The Western Okataina is a shared use and dual direction track so please ride / walk / run with that in mind - avoid headphones and expect oncoming traffic. The RTT also manages maintenance on other native forest trails: Te Ranga track on Rainbow Mountain, Tuhoto Ariki and Tihi-o-Tawa tracks in the Blue Lake Scenic Reserve.

Riders and walkers can help keep these tracks open by carrying secateurs or a hand saw to trim back overhanging vegetation and remove sticks and punga fronds. If everyone does a little bit, then the small amount of maintenance funding available can be saved for projects like this that need machinery.

Photos
Project Management and Funding Applications
Trailwork
Pest control in this area: Te Arawa Wallaby Kāhui Charitable Trust
outdoor.centre
- this area is currently managed by the Okataina Scenic Reserve Board.
Rohe of Ngati Tarawhai and Ngati Rongomai

27/07/2025

Stoked the Rotorua Blue Lake Holiday investment into MTB infrastructure for their guests has resulted in this award!

🏆 We're now an AWARD-WINNING holiday park! 🏆

We are absolutely thrilled to share that Rotorua Blue Lake TOP 10 Holiday Park has won the 𝗟𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 for 2025! 🎉

Out of four amazing finalists from around Aotearoa, it was our slice of lakeside paradise that came out on top, and it’s all thanks to our commitment to being a truly bike-friendly destination. 🚴‍♀️

In case you missed it, this award recognises the new additions we've made for the mountain biking community:
✅ Our purpose-built bike pump track, perfect for warming up, building skills, or just having a bit of fun
✅ A secure, lockable bike storage facility, giving peace of mind to riders travelling with valuable gear

Ngā mihi to everyone who has supported us, stayed with us, and helped make this a reality. 💙

12/05/2025

Real gold getting built at Coronet Forest between Arrowtown and Queenstown. Opening spring '25
in the digger and on the tools and 📸
Thanks to for funding the project and managing it.
This track is aiming for Grade 4 with mix of flow and tech features.

15/04/2025

Community working Bee on the Tauroa Dirt Jumps in Havelock North, hosted by Hastings District Council and Southstar Trails. The aim was to improve the two berms that collect all the riders after the two main jump lines. Huge turn out of kids and adults. We wheelbarrowed and shaped 8 tonnes of dirt into the new berms.

What shall we improve here next?

25/12/2024

For the last 3 months and have been working on refreshing a private flow trail network. Private trails are different to public trails in that they receive a lot less rider traffic, the ride line doesn't get swept and compacted by tyres and so they are more prone to w**d growth and storm water damage. We have skimmed off the growth, resurfaced & recompacted the trail. It's a time consuming and therefore costly maintenance process and in the end there's no new trail to show for it - which makes it a tough investment to justify. We have however, taken the chance to tweak and improve the trail, add features and make it ride even better.

You can see the native trees planted alongside the trail. They will eventually provide some shade cover that will help minimise grass growth.

Most trail managers with this surface maintenance issue spray Glyophosate herbicide w**d killer and add a long term residual like TAG G2 to minimise growth. For an "out enjoying nature sport" spraying poisons doesn't feel like the best solution to be recommending. So if anyone has any other ideas on cost efficient ways to keep natural surface trails clear, please comment or DM?

22/12/2024

The last week of work before Christmas at the Tauroa Reserve dirt jumps and maintenance on a G3 volunteer built trail in the Reserve. This is in Havelock North, Hawkes Bay.

The Tauroa Dirt Jumps have been closed for a few months, so the local crew were pumped when the fences came down and they had refresh jumps to ride.

What's changed? The big gap jumps have had dirt filled in the middle to minimise fall risk. The biggest jump now has a 1m wide case pad at the lip of the landing. So there's G3,4,5&6 features to provide some progression in size and skill level. The hole area has been brush cut, blown and grass skimmed off the tracks.

The Grade 3 trail in the gully has had foliage cleared and the trail tread selectively widened. There's still multiple bridges to go in across the creek before this officially reopens again. Currently there's no bridges so please be cautious if your ride it.

First week of work for Southstar director daughter Chloe Carter. . On the digger for this one was the bundle of energy . Greg has been working on the National Park trail network, check that out if you're in the central plateau over summer.

06/10/2024

Update: we have received an awesome response from our membership. Thanks guys!! Will be sending out emails soon with information regarding g the day.

Exclusive ride for Club Members only

The team at Te Weka (Tukituki Road, Havelock North) have kindly offered their trails for the club to ride in a special one-off evening. These trails were built by the crew at Southstar Trails and are primed for us to hit them.

Check it out here
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php/?story_fbid=980604926845152&id=100046869626170

So from 5-7pm HBShuttles will be sorting the uplifts out (pricing to be confirmed) or alternatively you can ride up. No riding down the road though. The trail is a grade 3 as a heads up.

You'll need to pre-register for this as spaces are limited.
Email: [email protected] to secure your spot. Once confirmed an email will be sent out with info for the ride.

So, take this opportunity to ride a private trail that will only be able to be accessed for this day.

04/04/2024

The Hawkes Bay MTB Club is reopening Eskdale Mountain Bike Park this Saturday, following a long rebuild after Cyclone Gabrielle. There's a whole heap of new trails to explore, including a new climbing trail that we have been working on for the last 5 months. It's called Beam Me Up and it starts near the new carpark accessed off Waipunga Road. To celebrate the park reopening there's shuttle uplifts running 10-2pm and a coffee cart onsite. There's only a couple of trails left over from the old Eskdale, but luckily they are Cannonball and Minefield - both cult classics. So join the HBMTBC and get in there!

20/03/2024

Fresh trail going in for the future residents of the new Te Weka subdivision in the Hawkes Bay. Families that build houses here are going to have a lot of fun on this trail! Trail Machine work and shaping by Greg Prouse

23/01/2024

Inspiring 5mins of trail building

Dig to Ride documents mountain biking’s intricate trail-building systems and the mysterious figures who create them. This film is more than mountain biking, ...