Ōpōtiki District: Motu Trails and Heritage

Cycling, nature and history come together in Ōpōtiki District. The Motu Trails run from the coast near Ōpōtiki to Matawai through varied landscapes, natural surroundings and historic settings. At the same time, buildings such as the Ōpōtiki Hotel and Agassiz House tell different chapters of local history. Which side appeals to you more may also influence your choice of holiday focus and holiday rental.

Exploring the Motu Trails

The Motu Trails are among the Great Rides of the New Zealand Cycle Trail. The route includes the Dunes Trail; there are also easy cycling routes or walks, as well as more challenging mountain biking and trail running experiences. Multi-day bikepacking experiences between Ōpōtiki and Tairāwhiti/Gisborne are also available. These options differ in activity and duration: when planning, you can first ask yourself whether you are looking for an easy bike ride or walk, or whether a longer, more athletic challenge appeals to you. The Dunes Trail is part of the trails; the easier and more challenging options mentioned are additional offerings.

Motu Trails operators offer shuttle services, including drop-offs at Matawai, Motu or on the ridge above Motu for rides to the coast near Ōpōtiki. Availability and minimum passenger numbers may change. If a shuttle is part of your plans, check the current conditions in advance.

Short loop walks and a historic crossing

The Marawaiwai Track offers another way to spend time outdoors: this easy loop takes 20 to 30 minutes and passes through kahikatea forest, with two bridged stream crossings. Marawaiwai Scenic Reserve is 7 km southeast of Ōpōtiki. Weather and track conditions can affect access to the track, so check conditions before setting out.

Nearby is also the Tauranga Loop Track, 26 km southeast of Ōpōtiki on SH2. The route crosses the historic Tauranga Bridge and follows the Tauranga Stream. Parking and picnic facilities are available at the start of the track. Weather or maintenance may affect the facilities, and stream conditions can affect completion of the route. The contrast between the short Marawaiwai loop and the Tauranga Loop with its historic bridge offers two different reasons to go for a walk; plan for each track with its own conditions in mind.

Buildings and history in Ōpōtiki District

The Ōpōtiki Hotel is a notable example of hotel architecture in Ōpōtiki. It was built in 1904 to replace an earlier hotel that had been destroyed by fire. The former Shalfoon Brothers Shop Buildings are an unusually well-preserved example of an early 20th-century retail and commercial complex. Together, the buildings offer insight into different historic building types in the area. This information describes their history and architecture, not current visitor access.

Agassiz House is considered one of the oldest surviving rural villas in the Waioeka Valley. Its original core, an F-plan villa, dates from around the turn of the century. The house’s historical significance is also connected with a difficult episode in regional history: in collective memory, Agassiz House is associated with the killing of missionary Carl Sylvius Volkner by the Pai Mārire emissary Kereopa Te Rau in 1865 in Ōpōtiki District. The event is placed in the District; this does not locate it at the house.

The wider context of Bay of Plenty

In the wider destination of Bay of Plenty, lakes and geothermal landscapes are part of the region’s character, along with remnants of gold mining and timber harvesting that are of interest to visitors. Another example of regional history is The Elms in Tauranga: its wooden library and mission house are the oldest known surviving buildings in Bay of Plenty. They are nationally significant because they reflect early contact between the Church Missionary Society and Māori in the region. These regional features place Ōpōtiki District in a broader context; they do not describe local features of the District.

Discover more places

Also discover Ōpōtiki and Waihau Bay.

Discover more destinations: Tauranga District, Kawerau District, Western Bay of Plenty District, Whakatane District, Rotorua District.

Go to the overview of the wider destination: Bay of Plenty.