Whakarewarewa Forest Mountain Bike Trails

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Originally uploaded by Greg Kidd.

Whakarewarewa -- now that's a mouthful. Its a Maori word -- and not a very long word by Maori standards. The word means "hot water source for cooking" -- due to all the thermal springs in the area.

Now there's another good Maori word: "Whakatane" regarding a beach to the north of here where a canoe landed and the men disembarked. The boat lost its mooring and began to drift off to sea. By custom, women were not permitted to touch the oars of a boat. But the boat kept drifting further and further away, until one stroppy stood up and said "Whatkatane," meaning "become a man!" and saved the day.

The trails here are some of the best in the world for custom built mountain biking. The world championships will be held here in August....