The narrow and windy gravel road felt much long that what I remembered. I was driving and the morning sun felt harsh on my eyes. My friend Kat was on the front seat, soaking in the views. We had a quick coffee stop in Ōpōtiki and was following the Pākihi Road along the river, making our way to the Pākihi Track car park.

The Pākihi Track is part of the Motu Trails, which is actually made up of several shared use tracks (MTB and hiking) in Ōpōtiki, as well the villages of Motu and Matawai. My first time on the track was three years ago, during a solo hike where the track was closed to MTB riders because of a massive slip above the hut. This time I brought along my friend Kat to help kick start more Sunday missions.

I have ridden part of the Dune Trails three years ago, doing an 18km return ride from Ōpōtiki to the Tirohanga Campground. My friend, Richard Hamer (the Whakatāne Cycle Coach) had convinced me to get back on a bike after 11 years. Although I did enjoy it, I still prefer tramping as it allows me time to walk at a pace that allows me to soak in the views and do photography. Kat on the other hand does enjoy MTB and was scoping the track for a future riding mission.

How to get to the Pākihi Road car park

From Whakatāne, drive through Ōpōtiki and head towards the Waioeka Gorge (SH 2). Turn off to Otara Road - it’s one hell of a straight road and will eventually become Pākihi Road. The road will take you inland and follow the Otara River - the views here are stunning. Keep an eye out for a Motu Trails sign (a great new addition since my last visit) that will take you across the bridge (left turn) and on the 9km of narrow gravel road. This adds another 30mins to the estimated Google Maps travel time of 1hr 10mins, so keep this in mind when you’re planning your adventure.

The track is mostly flat, except for a short uphill burst 10mins from the hut. We walked at a steady pace and took just over two hours to get to the hut. There had been a couple of weeks of some heavy pours, but the small slips had been cleared by the time we arrived. It was very steady underfoot, just keep an eye out for narrow sections as the track can drop off steeply into the river. Even though we did wear our hiking boots, Kat said that she could have walked it in her trainers as the track was pretty flat and dry.

Walking at an easy, steady pace, it took us around 15-20mins to get to each orange marker (every kilometre). This still gave us plenty of time for quick photo stops (the turquoise coloured water was simply stunning) - especially each time I spotted a waterfall or the beautiful river tributaries across the river. We didn’t see any MTB riders that day, but do keep an eye out as some parts of the track aren’t wide enough for two, let alone someone on a bike.

I had a bit of déjà vu as we walked down to the river in the Boulder section. Three years ago I had lunch here, but with the recent heavy rain we had to settle for a spot a few metres away. Jim Robinson (Motu Trails Cycle Trust) had messaged me the night before saying to keep an eye out for Whio / Blue Duck on the river. Unfortunately we did see any that day, but I did spot a Kereru as we were heading back to the car park.

There are several suspension bridges along the Motu Trails, but there’s only one on the way to the hut. I bet it would have been an epic platform to watch the raging river from just after the heavy downpours. Once you get to the suspension bridge, you’re not far from the hut.

About 10mins from the hut is another part of the track that was just a huge slip last time, so it was good to see the plants that were planted since and keeping the cliff face stable. A lot of rock and dirt came down the hill back then, and you can tell that a lot of hours have gone into stabilising and slip prevention work. A big shout out to Jim and the volunteers!

Kat and I arrived at the hut around midday. We had the hut to ourselves and even joked that we could have had a table each for lunch. It’s the middle of winter, and yet here I was in a t-shirt getting a tan. Lunch for me was Marmite sandwiches and a couple of Shrewsbury biscuits. The biscuits were actually for afternoon tea, but knowing what I was like, I packed extra for lunch.

After lunch we had a nap on the picnic tables. All was well until the sun hid behind the clouds and we both woke up from the sudden chill. It wasn’t cold enough to make me put on a jacket, more like a crisp autumn day.

We met one hunter as we headed back to the car park. It was early afternoon, and I guess either he lived locally and was going for a quick hunt, or on his way to one of the houses near the private suspension bridge we spotted earlier. I smiled when I saw Betty (my Rav 4) waiting for us in the car park. After packing our gear for the trip home, Kat and I sat in the car for a while, sipping hot tea and eating the last of the Shrewsbury biscuits. It was definitely a great way to end another Sunday mission.

fivefootronna is Ronna Grace Funtelar - a thirtyish adventurer, graphic designer and writer. A woman with a curious mind who lives for hiking mountains, outdoor adventures and eating pizza. She has a unique brand of optimism that is a combination of her great enthusiasm for life and cups of coffee during the day.