This article was first published in the Tararua Tramper Volume 90, no 1, February 2018
Medium Grade MTB Belmont Regional Park
Sat 11 Nov 2017
This ride started and finished at the leader's home in Belmont, some few kilometres from the Hill Road Entrance to Belmont Regional Park. Ten members succumbed to the bribe of lunch the leader promised at the finish, and embarked on a somewhat challenging two-wheeled excursion.
Hill Road led up to Old Coach Road. To get down to Stratton Street, we had a choice of an easy or intermediate purpose-built mountain-bike track (courtesy BAMBA - Belmont Area Mountain Biking Association). The group experienced this sudden transportation to Rotorua with varying levels of "thrill". From Stratton Street we climbed up to Belmont Trig, to save having to go to the gym that day. There we experienced arguably the best 360-degree view in the region, blessedly on a fine calm day. But there was no time to linger long if we wanted lunch before dinner. Quietly down the other side, knuckles were less white on the manicured gravel track, past Baked Beans and Korokoro Dam, then up to the Oakleigh St. Entrance. The undulating back roads brought us home after a fitness-testing 4 hours or so. From dazzling views to beautiful bush - with the bonus of technical downhill - it was a great outing in this pearl of park. Thanks, all, for coming.
See also the piece ‘Friends of Belmont Park Why Join’ on p. 3
- Party members
- Mark Collinge, Graeme Cook, Janie Cook (leaderand scribe), Chris Leather, Gerald Leather, Geoff Marshall,
David Olsen, Jenny Olsen, Ray Willows