New name for bike trail

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 11, Issue 495, 20 July 1993, Page 10

New name for bike trail

The best one day mountain bike trail in the North Island has a new name. The Department of Conservation has recently named a popular mountain-bike route in the Tongariro Forest Conservation Area, situated in the Tongariro Taupo Conservancy between Turangi and Taumarunui. The route will be called the '42 Traverse' and goes from the Taurewa District near Whakapapa Village to the township of Owhango, traversing completely through Tongariro Forest from the southeast to the northwest. 'Tongariro Forest has an extensive network of old logging trails suitable for motorbikes and

other off-road vehicles," said conservation officer Ian Goodison, "it has been popular for many years with hunters and bike riders. "In the last couple of years mountain-bike riders have discovered the area and the number of users has increased dramatically. The route, now known as the '42 Traverse', has been described as 'the best one day ride in the North Island', and is regarded by some mountain-bik-ers as the ultimate trip. "We talked to locals and user groups and found that there were a range of different names for the trail in use, which caused confusion. Some names were very similar to names of tracks in the nearby Tongariro National

Park, such as the Tongariro Crossing. "The Tongariro Forest conservation area used to be known as 'State Forest 42' in the days of the New Zealand Forest Service. Many people in the community and the hunting fraternity still refer to the area as '42'. The new name helps preserve some of the history of the area. Coincidentally the '42 Traverse' is about 42km long. "We chose the name because it is unique to the area, short, catchy and easy to say. "The Department will be installing entrance signs and route markers on the '42 Traverse' shortly. The route marking should prevent problems we've had with parties of bike-rid-

ers becoming disorientated and lost. A route guide to the '42 Traverse' will also be available this summer. "We strongly advise people attempting the '42 Traverse' to take adequate precautions. It is a wilderness trip of at least five hours with no easy way out. Riders must carry adequate food, warm clothing, tools and spares. A map and compass is desirable also. Riders must not travel alone and there should be someone in the party who knows the way. Riders must also be on the look-out for other users on motorbikes, horse-back and four-wheel-drive vehicles." Licensed commercial operators run guided trips on the '42

Traverse'. Details can be obtained from the Whakapapa Visitor Centre on Mt Ruapehu. "We will be naming and marking other routes in Tongariro Forest in the future and hope to end up with a substantial network of mountain-bike and mo-tor-bike trails.

Church

Visitors to the Ruapehu region during the ski season are well catered for, with special church services held each Saturday evening at St John's Church, located on the corner of Rata and Ayr Streets. The services, run by the Ruapehu Anglican Parish, are designed to enable people to enjoy fellowship and worship without a major interruption to the weekend.