GREAT RIDES BRING COMMUNITIES TOGETHER
JOBS, community and social engagement, ecological restoration, health, wellbeing and huge local pride are emerging positives of Ngā Haerenga, the New Zealand Cycle Trails. On some trails, those involved say these are the real benefits, over and above economic return.
And for many riders, the trails have become more than just a bike ride as they engage with the locals, immerse themselves in trail history, landscapes, and produce, and the manaakitanga with which they are welcomed.
Rob Kakahi (Ngati Maniapoto) is a shuttle driver for Timber Trail Shuttles and Bike Hire. He’s a former King Country rugby player who previously worked for the railway and then as a guide for Forgotten World Adventures. He sees his role as much more than driving.
“You’ve got an hour with your people in the bus,” he says. “They’re from out of town and want to hear the stories – the history, about Ngati Maniapoto and the King Movement, and Pureora and the logging and treetop protests.
“I try to sell the town, do the marketing for all the people who created this employment for us here. We’re a community working together.”
Kakahi’s boss Victoria Dawson says the
