Bike Taupo has now built a wide recreation path through the gully system that starts atHyde Avenue near the Botanical Gardens and meanders all the way to Richmond Avenue.

Cross the road at Richmond Avenue and continue on through to Bernard Street or lower Ingle Avenue.  With other access ways onto the new path from Normand Place andTitoki Avenue, bikers and pedestrians have alternative ways of getting to the Botanical Gardens, Richmond Heights Shopping Centre and the Lake.

It also enables children walking or cycling to school to take a more creative and fun route.  If by cycle they get to have a small mountain bike experience on the way to school and on the way home from school.

The Titoki Gully Path is the first of a few gully projects Bike Taupo is now working on.  This work has been made possible from the generous donation of funds from Taupo Moana Rotary Club (and you’ll notice their symbol on our wooden signage), so we would like to thank them hugely for their support.

Other groups we would like to thank are Bramley Builders (installation and donation of materials for the foot bridge); Tenon (for the supply of sign posts); Router Art (reduced router rate); Lake Hire (reduced digger hire) and the Taupo District Council (signage and support).

Have a look through the gully photos or better still grab your bike and go exploring - you won’t be disappointed.

We’d love to receive your comments.  Contact details here.

Bike Taupo and Taupo MTB Club have been approached by the Department of Conservation (DOC), to let us know that they are running a ‘friends’ work day to clear vegetation on The 42 Traverse in Tongariro Forest.  It will be similar to one they ran last year, where they had good support from 4WD Clubs, and everyone put in 4 to 5 hours of hard work, then enjoyed some beers and a barbecue courtesy of DOC.

DOC would like to have some mountain bikers take part this time also.  They say it is a good opportunity to progress the relationship between recreation groups and DOC, to recognize each group’s priorities, and to have input into present and future management of the area.

Both Bike Taupo and the Taupo MTB Club are putting their energies into facilities and events closer to Taupo, and won’t be putting any group effort into the DOC work day.  It is a worthy cause though, and many of us do ride the 42 Traverse occasionally.  If anyone would like to get involved at a personal level, DOC would love to see you there.

The work day will take place on Sunday 12 February 2006, commencing at 9.00 am, and the meeting point is the Pumice Pit at the end of Kapoors Road off State Highway 47.  Anyone interested can get more details from B Mason by emailingThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

This project is now a reality.  As of today its two-thirds finished.  We've already had some kids and nearby residents trying it out.  This is the first step to providing off-road access for bikers, runners and walkers.  This gully and its extended areas down to Bernard Street will enable you to ped or beat the feet from the lakefront to Botanical Gardens with minimal road contact.  Better still it will give children a safe access route to school by eliminating the need to bike or walk down Titoki and Ingle Avenue. A HUGE thanks to Taupo Moana Rotary Club for making these gully tracks possible.  Also a HUGE thanks the team at Lake Hire Bramley Builders and the Parks Department of the Council.