Tour of Bay of Plenty, Stage 4 (Waioeka Gorge)
BigRingVR’s Tour of Bay of Plenty is a four-stage ride through the eastern Bay of Plenty, New Zealand. It runs east from Paengaroa along the coast through Whakatane and Ohope and round Ohiwa Harbour to Opotiki. From there it turns inland on SH2 up the Waioeka Gorge, officially the Waioweka since 2024, towards Gisborne. Opotiki is the home of the Motu Trails, one of the Great Rides of the New Zealand Cycle Trail. Its Motu Road Trail follows the old coach road that was part of the first through-road between the eastern Bay of Plenty and Gisborne.
This final stage climbs on up SH2 from Wairata through the upper gorge. A railway between Gisborne and Opotiki was begun from both ends, then abandoned in favour of a road through the Waioeka. The road came slowly: settlers petitioned for it in 1920, the wooden truss bridge over the Manganuku Stream was built in 1928, and in 1929 a service car became the first vehicle to drive from Opotiki to Gisborne this way. The ride then climbs out of the gorge into Gisborne District, crosses the top beside Traffords Hill and ends on the road down towards Matawai.
Region: Bay of Plenty
City:
Distance: 21.28 km
Elevation Gain: 585 m
Elevation Loss: 185 m
Difficulty: 407 (Moderate)
FIETS Index: 1.9 FIETS
Avg Grade: 3.3 %
Max cat climb: 2
Min elevation: 142 m
Max elevation: 718 m
Ride Category: Hilly