Tess Brunton.
You’re ‘Mad If You Don’t’ experience the adventures to be had among the trees, writes
Flying over the rainforest, I started flapping my arms like wings and crowing like a rooster. It wasn’t long after my feet landed on a wooden platform that a convincing kereru coo signalled the arrival of Jesse Groves, one of our guides.
The three-hour ziplining tour hurtled us through the evergreen native forests of the Mamaku Plateau, 15 minutes from Rotorua.
Along the way, our Rotorua Canopy Tours zip-lining guides Jesse and Shanyn explained the conservation trust’s efforts.
Less than five years ago, the forest was silent. Possums, stoats and rats killed most of the birds in the 500-hectare forest. Native birds had a five per cent chance of surviving to maturity. From 2012, the company began restoring the forest, spending more than $250,000 and creating a 35-kilometre trapping network to kill predators.
Now the canopy sings with bird calls, and the survival rate has rocketed to 80 per cent. Shanyn tells me the Canopy Conservation Trust is fully funded by the people who come zip-lining, ‘‘part of the cost goes towards buying traps and conserving native wildlife’’.
My treetop adventure signalled a theme for the trip to Rotorua. Over three days, I pedalled, walked and flew over and around redwoods and rainforest.
Riding around tree roots in Whakarewarewa Forest with Marcello from Mountain Bike Rotorua was my first encounter with Rotorua’s surrounding forest.
Despite my questionable distance perception and limited experience on mountain bike trails, the forest trails cater for all levels. The sweeping arches of ‘‘The Dipper’’ create a snake-like trail through the redwoods. It’s one of the most popular trails in the forest and is graded as easy.
But it was ‘‘Mad If You Don’t’’, the name of my first intermediate trail, that became the motto for our ride.
More than 160km of trails weave in and out of the forest, among ferns and plantation forest. ‘‘It should be enough to satisfy anyone,’’ Marcello said. ‘‘We like to think we put ourselves in our rider’s’ shoes.’’
Sitting at a table outside the on-site cafe, Marcello and I started chatting to three Australians about why they enjoy the forest’s trails. ‘‘Beautiful scenery, smooth runs and different tracks’’ had drawn the mountain bikers to Rotorua. And it certainly wasn’t their first trip.
When Marcello asked where I was planning to eat that night, I told him I was heading to Atticus Finch, a Mediterranean Rim alfresco restaurant with a To Kill a Mockingbird theme.
He promised me it would be a night my taste buds would not forget, and he was right. My only regret is the dishes are designed to share, making it a small predicament for a solo diner. Too many delicious choices, and not enough stomach room for them all. But knowledgeable staff provided some much needed banter and culinary advice.
I tried halloumi, chargrilled broccoli, cranberries, rocket, and quinoa for an entree, which was tangy and tantalisingly tart. The miso aubergine main course, served with sushi rice, salad and sesame, tasted fresh and clean.
The chocolate cake, chocolate soil, frozen chocolate mousse and macerated orange dessert was the final gluttonous jaunt for my taste buds that evening.
The next morning I explored Lake Okareka, 12km from the city The writer travelled courtesy of Destination Rotorua.