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Te Awa – riding along the river

One of my favourite things to do is riding a bike in a beautiful place. On a warm (but also rather rainy) summer weekend I went cycling along Te Awa River Ride, which runs from Ngaruawahia, south through Hamilton and Cambridge to Karapiro.

My husband Matthew and I both enjoy riding bicycles. Some of our best holidays together have involved cycle trails, especially the Central Otago Rail Trail and the Clutha Gold Trail.

So it was time to try out some of the local cycle trails.

I’m definitely not an “advanced” kind of cyclist. I like riding along a smooth, wide trail.

Te Awa was the obvious place to start. It’s the easiest part of the trails along the Waikato River. Perfect for a day tripper cyclist like me.

This is the story of my fun weekend. Including: hiring e-bikes from River Riders; riding from Hamilton to Ngaruawahia and back. On the second day River Riders dropped us off at Karapiro and we rode back to Hamilton.

On left is smooth blue-green river, across centre and foreground is grey-brown wooden cycle path with wooden fence with two people riding away, one wearing bright pink jacket and one wearing bright orange jacket, at right tall green trees.
The cycle path north of Cambridge.

Two parts to the Waikato cycle trails

When I was planning this trip, I learned that the Waikato River cycle trails are divided into two parts.

There’s Te Awa, the River Ride, which goes along the river between Ngaruawahia and Lake Karapiro. In Māori language, te reo Māori , Te Awa means “the river”.

And then there’s the Waikato River Trails, which start at Poikaiwhenua Bridge carpark on Karapiro, and run south in several sections past Arapuni, Waipapa and Maraetai, to Atiamuri.

If you’re experienced on cycle trails, you’ll probably know this already.

I’m writing this for the day trippers, the folks like me, who enjoy riding, but maybe don’t ride regularly. And definitely don’t want the bumps and yee-ha of mountain biking.

The Waikato River Trails routes range from medium to advanced.

If you’re a day tripper kind of cyclist, some parts of the River Trails may be too challenging for your preferences. By which I mean: steep, bumpy, hairpin bends, etc. Anything that’s listed as “advanced”.

I’m keen to ride some of the River Trails one day. Maybe not the advanced ones though.

But Te Awa is smooth and easy. Perfect for day trippers.

Over to the east of the Waikato there’s the Hauraki Rail Trail, which is also a day tripper kind of ride. That’s for another day…

Black and white geometric patterned rectangular building with open door in centre, River Riders in white lettering above door, in front is light brown wooden deck with bikes on stands at both sides.
This is where we started out: the River Riders base at Hamilton Gardens.

Day One – hiring e-bikes

We hired e-bikes with River Riders, who have a base at Hamilton Gardens. They’re in the upper carpark, off the Gate 2 entrance to the gardens. They also hire bikes from Ngaruawahia.

We pre-booked our bikes a week ahead. This is recommended, especially in the busy summer season. But I think they often also have bikes for hire at short notice.

River Riders staff were well organized and helpful, and the bikes and gear were great.

There was plenty of space in the empty carpark to try out the bikes, to get our seats properly adjusted, and to make sure we knew how to use all the control settings. Every single brand of electric bike seems to work a bit differently.

Anika took extra trouble to make sure my helmet fitted properly. It was the best helmet fitting I’ve ever had – after years of wobbly bike helmets, I now know what it should feel like.

In foreground centre is a bicycle with yellow and blue body and black handlebars and wheels, and the words Clio in large letters on the cycle frame. Behind the bicycle is a row of green and white weed flowers. At left is a glimpse of a river behind bushy plants, and more green bushes on the far side of the river. At right is a bridge across the river with a curved semicircle green frame above the grey-blue bridge. Sky is cloudy blue-grey.
Riding alongside the river: The Perry Cycle Bridge is one of several river crossings on the Waikato River Ride between Hamilton and Ngaruawahia.

Hamilton to Ngaruawahia

And then we set off along the river.

Our first day’s adventure involved riding from Hamilton to Ngaruawahia and back.

From Hamilton Gardens, we rode across the Waikato River at Cobham Bridge, south of the gardens. After crossing the bridge, we turned onto the cycle trail, which looped back under the bridge.

I mention this detail, because some of the other cyclists headed off in the wrong direction! They caught up eventually.

We followed the trail north, along the river, through central Hamilton.

I’ve walked that path many times, with cyclists whizzing past me. It was fun to experience it on wheels.

The trip to Ngaruawahia was about 20 km each way.

There’s plenty of changing scenery along the river. I counted at least eight bridges. We rode across three: Cobham Bridge at the start of the ride; then we crossed to the east side of the river at Horotiu; and then back across to the west side over the Perry Cycle Bridge.

We rode past at least two historic paa sites; two golf courses, paddocks full of horses; and the big Fonterra dairy factory at Horotiu.

Good weather for biking

It was a weekend of unpredictable New Zealand weather – intermittent showers, followed by clear periods, and moments of sunshine. And then another shower.

Riding in the rain, through the fresh scent of pine needles, was quite enjoyable. Not great for picnicking, but no risk of sunburn.

We had raincoats and it wasn’t cold, so getting wet didn’t matter. (Not like that day on the Central Otago cycle trails, when the temperature plummeted and we got seriously frozen!) And occasional headwinds aren’t a problem when riding e-bikes.

Because of the rain we had the trail almost to ourselves. There were a couple of other cyclists and a few runners and dog walkers.

Smooth wide river with green bushy plants on both sides, on right bank grey concrete path with cyclist wearing yellow jacket looking at river.
The cycle path between Ngaruawahia and Hamilton goes alongside the river most of the way.

Following the app

The Great Rides app is the best way to get route directions – but we couldn’t use it in the rain, because we didn’t want our phones to get soaked.

At various places along the trail there weren’t quite enough signs telling us clearly where to go. Especially at Horotiu, after we passed the equestrian centre and had to ride along the road for a short distance. But we didn’t actually get lost. On a day when there were more riders on the trail it wouldn’t have been a problem at all, because we would have had people to follow.

Lunch at Ngaruawahia

We arrived at Ngaruawahia feeling hungry and ready for hot drinks.

Breaking Bread, at 2 Newcastle St, had pots of tea (made with real tea leaves!) and tasty panini. They’re welcoming to cyclists, with sheltered outdoor seating and plenty of space for bikes.

Sister Six at the Durham Precinct, 2/8 Durham St, is another great place for lunch.

If you have a bit more time to spend, Te Puna Wai Tours offer walking tours highlighting the rich culture and history of Ngaruawahia. It’s the home base of the Maori Queen, Nga wai hono I te po, at Turangawaewae Marae.

In foreground yellow and black e-bike leaning against horizontal wooden fence railings, in background is Waikato river with high steep green banks flowing into the distance.
Riding along the Waikato River north of Karapiro.

Day two – Karapiro to Hamilton

On the second day, River Riders shuttled us and our bikes from Hamilton to the Lake Karapiro Domain. So we only had to ride the trail in one direction. Riding both ways would have been a very long day for a slow peddler like me.

The morning started with a scatter of rain, a headwind and a hill. But on an e-bike that was no problem.

After that, the weather improved.

We followed the trail into Cambridge, along suburban roads with names out of English literature – Shakespeare, Browning, Shelley, Tennyson, etc.

After crossing the Victoria Bridge, we followed the green Te Awa signs through central Cambridge and started going around in a circle. Eventually we got back on the trail and rode past the Gaslight Theatre back towards the river.

The cycle trail north of Cambridge runs not far from the Waikato, but I was a bit disappointed to find that there are only a few places where we could actually see the river. Whereas on the Hamilton-Ngaruawahia stretch the day before, we were riding along the river almost the whole time.

We got to ride through some varied countryside. Cornfields, fields of cows, horses, and more. And a few bush reserves. Then there was a long-ish stretch, riding past Tamahere lifestyle properties and mansions.

The best lunch stop along this route (if you didn’t take a picnic or fill up at Cambridge) is Punnet, a popular Tamahere café on Newell Rd.

In centre and on right, wooden bridge with two cyclists riding away, on left, green trees and bushes with wooden fence of cycle track horizontal and curving into the distance.
Cyclists crossing the Mangaonua Stream near Tamahere.

Hammond Bush – the best part of the ride

The trail rejoins the Waikato River at Hammond Bush.

I think Hammond Bush is the jewel, the best part of the whole day’s ride.

There’s a beautiful riverside boardwalk where riders are asked to dismount and walk their wheels, to share space with pedestrians and dogs. If you really don’t want to slow down, there’s an alternative road route along suburban roads.

I dismounted and timed my walk – and I was surprised to find that the boardwalk is a mere seven minutes of slow walking. And it’s gorgeous. When I’m walking I can appreciate the birdsong, the beautifully cared for native bush and tree ferns and the river views. I wouldn’t have noticed this if I was zipping through on a bike.

After Hammond Park, it was a short ride to the new cycle bridge. And then we were back to where we started, at Hamilton Gardens.

At left blue-green river seen through tall green bushes, at right is long narrow grey wooden boardwalk with person pushing a bicycle into the distance.
The best part of the whole ride! The Hammond Bush boardwalk runs through a beautiful bush reserve alongside the Waikato River.

Te Awa River Ride in a nutshell

Hamilton to Ngaruawahia approx. 27km

Riding time: 2 hours approx. each way, if you don’t stop to look around

Hamilton to Karapiro approx. 35km

Riding time: 3-4 hours approx, not counting stops

Trail quality: Easy; mostly flat, paved concrete; occasional gentle hills.

Shared paths through Hamilton; trail goes along roads through Cambridge.

Navigation: pretty straightforward. Best option is to follow the Great Rides app. Paper maps aren’t detailed enough and the road signs are occasionally ambiguous.

Hiring e-bikes for the trail: the two companies that hire bikes locally are River Riders and Riverside Adventures. We used River Riders, who are conveniently based at Hamilton Gardens.

On left is white pole with diamond shaped yellow sign, Slow Down in black lettering, beside pole is yellow and black e-bike on grey concrete path surrounded by green bushes and trees.
On the Waikato River Ride near Horotiu. My kind of sign!

Where to ride next?

I very much enjoyed my weekend on Te Awa River Ride. It’s an easy cycle trail through some beautiful countryside. The path is so smooth that it really doesn’t matter if there’s a bit of rain.

My two favourite parts were the trail between Hamilton and Ngaruawahia – it was so enjoyable to ride along the river. And the riverside boardwalk through Hammond Bush – a delightful seven minutes of wheeling my bike through native bush.

I appreciated the quality of the hired e-bikes and the service from River Riders.

I’m already dreaming up my next Waikato cycling adventure. I’m planning to explore some of the cycle paths around Hamilton, starting with the routes around Tamahere and Matangi; and after that, I’ll be venturing further up the river to ride some parts of the River Trails. Watch this space!

Stay in touch!

I hope I’ve inspired you to include some cycle trails in your Waikato travel plans.

If you enjoyed this post, sign up to my email list to stay in touch. I’ll let you know whenever I publish new ideas for slow, nature-filled day trips around New Zealand’s green heartland.

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