Shared Pathway: Hikers and bikers share the Tim ber Trail
Deep in the Pureora Forest, halfway along the Timber Trail hikers and bikers gather at the Timber Trail Lodge for a hot shower and a cold drink.
The lodge’s director, Bruce Maunsell, is a long-term King Country resident, and keen cyclist. Before the trail existed, Maunsell would bike in the forest. He organised and ran a mountain bike where the Timber Trail is now. And then, in 2013, when the Timber Trail opened, Maunsell developed a business plan for accommodation on the trail. The lodge is at the halfway point of the trail, and it’s a popular spot for both mountain bikers and walkers.
Maunsell says the lodge’s visitors have evolved in the last couple of years.
“We’ve been open for about 4 years now. And the average age of visitors has increased significantly since COVID-19 and e-bikes. Our average age would be 55-60 and we regularly get people in their 70s. But we also get a lot of families and younger people as well,” says Maunsell.
Pureora Forest, diverse with endangered species, is a special place for Maunsell.
“Until the Timber Trail I would say a tiny proportion of NZers were even aware of what it was or even where it is.”
The forest, along with Whirinaki, is one of two special remnants of much larger North Island podocarp forests. For Rereahu, who are tangata whenua, its mountains are spiritually significant. And during the 19th and 20th centuries, its logging industry was historically and economically important for both Māori and Pākehā.
One of the Timber Trail’s special features is that walkers and bikers share the trail. Maunsell says the Department of Conservation has put work into making the trail safe and fun for both groups.
“Walkers can be spooked by riders coming up fast behind them and that