Bridge to Nowhere
Mangapurua Track - NZ Cycle Trail
Maps
Photos
Information
Bridge to Nowhere
Time: 4-5hrs riding and a jet boat ride, Distance: 35km, Cycling Grade: 3
This bike ride is fantastic - you need to sort out a shuttle to get here, you could use your own car but a shuttle service will make life heaps easier.
The track starts past Ruatiti Domain with a gradual uphill climb to Mangapurua Trig. At this point the track is also accessed by hikers.
The track heads down to the Whanganui River via the Bridge to Nowhere. Along the way there are quite a few sections with very steep bluffs and many little bridges to cross.
There is no phone coverage here and the ride takes about 6 hours (cruising and checking out all the old historic sites along the way). Be prepared!
Make sure you organise river transport to bring you either back to Whakahoro, or Pipiriki.
Details
| Feature | Value | Info |
|---|---|---|
|
Organisation |
DOC ActivitiesCentral government organisation |
|
|
Location |
North Island ▷ Ruapehu ▷ Ohakune |
|
|
Categories |
|
|
|
Directions To Coordinates |
||
|
Coordinates |
Cycling
Nearby
Reviews
-
4.5/5
Raetihi to the start of the track is ~ 95% downhill, and a cruise.
The only thing wrong with the track (and I am struggling here) is that it was quite a bit easier than I expected. The climb was over in half an hour, followed by some undulating curves along a ridge line, then 20 km down to the Bridge, and then the river.
Jet boat pick up was easy.
Back at the lodge we ate and drank well, and met some interesting characters.
And then a 4 hour paddle the next morning, which was strenuous enough. Plenty of rapids, but we only had to bail twice. Highly recommended.
-
5.0/5
This is a great weekend adventure.
We combined Friday night accommodation in Raetihi, great MTB ride on Mangapurua track, jet boat to Bridge to Nowhere then canoe to Pipiriki and shuttle back to Raetihi. Joe and his team provided seamless support and good old fashioned Kiwi hoitality. The ride was mainly a downhill blast, the scenery superb and the canoe out the icing on the cake.Thoroughly recommended
-
-
5.0/5
What an amazing experience!!
This is certainly a trail worth riding, as the venerable Kennett brothers have stated. And even though our ride could best be described as 'extremely muddy' (but then that's what mountain biking is all about eh?), it was still an incredibly enjoyable ride through wilderness that you would never otherwise have the opportunity to experience.....and returned servicemen and their families were expected to tame this rugged country??? The ride was finished off by a fast 45 minute jet boat ride to Pipiriki to pick up the shuttle again for the 30 min drive back to Raetihi. Fantastic day, and I will certainly be back to ride the trail again....hopefully in the dry.
-
5.0/5
Having heard so much about how good this track was from a lot of our freinds that have already riden it in the past, we thought we had better give it a go our selves.
The Mangapurua/Bridge to Nowhere cycle trail has now been upgraded as part of the mountains to the sea great cycle trail through out New Zealand.
Once we had Googled Bridge to Nowhere and got all the info needed and also read Rankers reviews from others that have done this ride previousely, we new we had to do it.
The ride itself has got to be the best we have done in the North Island to date.
This track is awsome. A little bit of up hill to start, a good section of flat and then all down hill to the river.
An amazing, fantastic, exelerating ride.
Suitable for anyone from the extrem to the whole faimly.
And to top it all of, theres a jet boat ride out.
This ride is 99/100 and thats good.
-
5.0/5
I can only discus the mountain biking section.....I can't actually believe that this track isn't finished yet, as it's already awesome!
The track started with a 13km uphill which sounds drastic, but it's gradual and you can talk to your mates the whole way. Once you are at the top (where the walking track comes in) it is downhill all the way. The track is well graded and the whole thing is ridable - there is about 2km where it gets a little dodgy where off road motor bikes have come in and tracked it out a bit, but this was a part of the unfinished section of the track, so it will be all good soon enough. Take your time as there are lots of places you can stop off and see where settlers have tried to tame the land. There are now only a few chimneys left and a few hunters bivveys. There is an amazing section past a place called "Battle Ships" steep drop offs into the gorge below. It's quite a crazy experience going fast through the bush, then you turn the final corner and you are on a big bridge. The ride took a group of 9 fairly experienced riders about 51/2 hours totally taking our time. We organised a shuttle to pick us up with thier jet boat.
