Everyone loves bike trails:
- TRM asked AI the same question – DOC please note: Does the Tongariro River Trail need tourist signage. (They – AI – were not available when the previous post was prepared in 2021:)
Their answer: While the Tongariro River Trail has basic directional path markers, local advocates and tourism operators argue it needs dedicated tourist and historical signage. Proponents suggest informative boards would enrich the walk or ride by sharing the area’s century-old angling heritage and environmental care guidelines.
- Navigation: The physical loop track near Tūrangi is straightforward and well-marked for basic navigation.
- Missing Value: Local groups note a lack of interpretive panels explaining the names and histories of famous local fishing pools (like those named after historical figures).
- Comparison: Other regional tracks like the Timber Trail feature rich educational boards that supporters feel the Tongariro path lacks.
So the final search for guidance on the necessity for tourist signage was from…
Guess who? They make the rules but do not follow them on a popular public trail which they manage, that has their promotional signage at every access point.
Tongariro River Trail
Historical Background
In the 1920s the Tongariro River gained international status when American author and fisherman Zane Grey paid the area three visits, writing his best-selling book The Angler’s El Dorado. This, along with a visit by the Queen Mother in 1928 to fish the Tongariro River, sealed the river’s reputation as one of the best wild trout fishing rivers in the world. For the Queen Mother’s visit, prison labour from the Tongariro Prison was used to form the river trails and establish a fishing camp. The huts from the camp were later moved down river to form what was to become the Tongariro National Trout Centre.
The Trail
The Tongariro River Trail is a popular walking/cycling track approximately 14Km in length, forming a loop which begins and ends in Turangi. Classed as a Grade 2 track it takes you mostly along side the Tongariro River through mature Beech forests, Manuka and a block of mature Californian Redwoods with views over farmland to the Kaimanawa Ranges.
The trail follows the true left bank of the river via the Tongariro National Trout Centre to the Red Hut Bridge, across the bridge and returns down the true right side of the river to the State Highway 1 Bridge with angler access tracks running off to the river. These access tracks make an interesting diversion offering great views of the river.
The Tongariro River Trail has become very popular with walkers and cyclists. It has the advantage that it doesn’t have to be completed as a whole, there are several sections of the trail which can be completed as a shorter ride or walk. One such section is the Waikari Loop walk, an attractive shorter walk which forms a branch of the main trail. The Tongariro River is home to the endangered Whio (Blue Duck) which can be often seen in the river.
The Tongariro River Trail is now the responsibility of Bike Taupo and DoC.
Following questions were asked by tourist bikers, and further to TRM’s post yesterday, we checked with AI who advise:
I was also questioned about what authority or credentials TRM had to comment on bike trails. Our only concern was that Turangi tourists were not getting a fair go. Excluding Turangi’s 15 km of trails, the Taupō region features an extensive network of over 365 kilometers of cycling and mountain biking paths spanning more than 30 to 65 individual tracks.
Of course I have no authority, so sent them the following video to illustrate my limited experience in biking… It started on a horse trek about 20 years ago, before all these other organised bike trails had been developed, and made me enthusiastic enough to promote biking trails locally. It was one of my best annual holidays ever. And yes, I was so lucky to have SWMBO to manage during my absence. Anything that got me out of the motel was fantastic…
