POSTPONEMENT OF THE HAURAKI BIKE FEST

An announcement from Diane Drummond, Chief Executive Officer - Hauraki Rail Trail Charitable Trust

I regret to inform you that the Hauraki Bike Fest 2024 due to be held on 6/7 April has been postponed. All ticket holders that have pre-purchased tickets will be refunded 100% of the ticket price. iTICKET will be in touch directly with ticket holders.

I have made this difficult decision due to circumstances beyond our control, which have subsequently caused us to re-evaluate the timing of our event. Please accept our sincere apologies for any inconvenience caused. 

We will provide an update once we have resolved the underlying issues that lead to this decision, including additional funding, and resolving some of the legislative issues we faced.

Thank you for supporting the inaugural Hauraki Bike Fest event, and we look forward to making this awesome event happen in the future. 

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Follow in the footsteps of Te Aho, an early Māori settler, as you journey from Kaiaua, winding around the shallow Firth of Thames, over chenier shell banks, through wetlands of international significance, learning about the area’s precious birdlife as you ride the expansive coastline.

This adventure starts at noon on Sunday, 7 April, with a delicious buffet lunch of fresh Fish & Chips in the pretty seaside village of Kaiaua. The Shorebird Coast is a hidden gem and home to protected species of migratory birds. As you ride, discover the ecosystem, wildlife and learn about this protected natural habitat.

Ride to Rangipo Museum & Pā Site. Located on Rangipo Station, a 200ha farm just one mile south of Kaiaua on the Firth of Thames, take in the stunning views of the Firth and Coromandel Ranges. The Museum has over 600 years of Māori and European hand tools, rare Mimulus repens plants and longfin eels.

Channel your inner All Black and kick a goal at the Old Rugby Club, before riding on to the Pūkorokoro–Miranda Shorebird Centre, where you will learn about the area’s precious birdlife and incredible feats of the Godwits annual migration.

Following the Trail South, stop at the Access Bay Shelter to take in the views before riding to the Shorebird Coast’s award-winning Holiday Park to complete the pump track for a little extra fun and freestyle, before cycling on to the Robert Findlay Wildlife Reserve for shorebird watching with the incoming tide. The amazing annual migrations of Bar-tailed Godwits, nearly half the world population of Wrybill, thousands of shorebirds, and the expansive estuary, make the Robert Findlay Wildlife Reserve among the best places to view common and rare shorebirds in New Zealand.

End your ride at the Bay View Hotel, Kaiaua. Grab a cold drink, kick back, and share the highlights of your Bike Fest experience with family and friends.

Be at the Paeroa Maritime Park on Saturday, 6 April to enjoy the Festival Hub atmosphere and be in with a chance to win the Grand Prize - a West Coast Wilderness Trail Experience plus other giveaways. Fuel up with delicious fare, grab a cold drink, listen to live music, kick back, and relax with family and friends before enjoying the Shorebird Coast Trail on Sunday.

Check out all 8 of the Hauraki Bike Fest events here!