NAU MAI, HAERE MAI.

Cyclists and walkers will again be able to use one of the most popular sections of Te Pou Herenga Tai – Twin Coast Cycle Trail this summer following an agreement between Bay of Islands Vintage Railway Trust and the council to reopen a section of the trail between Te Ake Ake and Ōpua.

The train’s summer timetable will open on Boxing Day 2022 with three daily trips connecting cyclists from Taumarere Rail Station (Long Bridge) to Te Ake Ake for a gold coin donation.

The train will leave Kawakawa Station at 10 am, 12 pm, and 2 pm, collecting cyclists at Taumarere and travelling through to Te Ake Ake.  The train will depart Te Ake Ake and  return to Kawakawa, but cyclists who used the gold coin donation will get off the train at Taumarere so that they continue cycling to Kawakawa 3.5 km or vice versa cycle 4.4 km from Te Ake Ake to Opua.

The agreement comes after a section of the trail between Taumarere (Long Bridge) and Te Ake Ake was closed more than a year ago to enable Bay of Islands Vintage Railway Trust (BOIVRT) to reinstate railway lines beneath the trail. The trust’s goal is to further extend vintage train rides it offers on the historic rail corridor linking Kawakawa to Ōpua. The reinstatement work was made possible by a $5.59 million cash injection provided in 2020 by the Government’s COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund.

There is also a temporary alternative road 17.7 km route known as the Opua Whangae Road Trail that is for adult cyclists with moderate experience between Opua and Kawakawa bringing cyclists in to the town at Te Hononga Civic Centre.  

Bay of Islands loop a day option for adult riders.

Cyclists can then cycle through to Taumarere to catch the train to Te Ake Ake then cycle the remaining 4.4 km back to Opua. 

Signage with maps and details for both rides will be at the original start of the Great Ride at the Baffin St, at Opua.