8 February
Insights & Photos By Ian

Fortunately, after all the mud and rain on the last day of the Timber Trail,  Rotorua put on a stunning weekend of weather, with sunshine every day and warm lake temperatures. The local Relay legs kicked off  Friday afternoon in the majestic Redwoods – Whakarewarewa Forest.

Redwoods roll call:
Sam Walsh of Southern Cross Healthcare (ran the loop), Lewis and Mandy Mackenzie with 2 children (Tauranga), Ian Galley (Tauranga), Stephen McGrath (Waikato), Carl Jones (Waikato)
and Grant + Debbie Surtees (Rotorua)

All enjoyed the flowing, beautifully groomed conditions of the Forest Loop Trail - it's an amazing recreational asset so close to town.

Lewis and Mandy Mackenzie navigated the tracks with two young children, one on a shotgun seat and the other towed behind in a trailer - an impressive feat on a grade 2 trail.

A decision to avoid the concreted section running down SH5 by climbing another 200m to descend the Grade 3 Split Enz  and Rollercoaster tracks possibly wasn’t the best idea for tired legs,
however we all made it largely unscathed.

After a 36km ride with 700m of climbing on a hot day, we ended up very much in need of the cold drinks and warm hot tubs at the Secret Spot Cafe in the mountain bike hub. A fantastic Friday afternoon of exercise and catching up with colleagues.

Feet in the free mini-tubs meant Ian sat still long enough to try some artistic effects on his pics...