Mt Pirongia Mountain Bike Trails

Hours of operation

6am - 7pm

Months of operation

All Year

Trail grade:

Grade 2 – 5

Nestled in the foothills of Mt Pirongia, the Sainsbury Road Forest Trails are part of the Pirongia Mountain Bike Club’s network of mountain biking trails.

Around 12 kilometres of off-road trails wind through the Sainsbury road forest west of the township of Pirongia. A kids track and pump track provide great off road children’s cycling, while tracks such as ‘Easy As’, ‘The Apprentice’ and ‘Home and Away’ are great grade 2 (easy) Waikato mountain biking trails.

The intermediate grade trails include ‘Hard Labour’, ‘The Sorcerer’, ‘Tusker’ and ‘Not so easy’ which vary in length and wrap around the forestry access road. Whilst signature tracks include 'Trick or Treat (grade 4) and Alchemy (grade 5), for the more advanced rider.

With new tracks regularly in development, the available trails are always growing, providing something to suit all levels and abilities.

The Mt Pirongia trails have been developed by the Pirongia Mountain Bike Club, which holds regular group rides and events on the trails.

Highlights

- Off-road cycling through native and exotic forest trails
- Kids track
- Pump track
- Multiple rides catering to all abilities

The trails are paid for from fundraising and maintained by volunteers, so any donations are appreciated.

Pricing

Free

Nature and Nosh Tours

Nature & Nosh - 'Heart of the North' Hiking and Food Tour - 6 days

Get a group of 4 to 8 people together and walk our secret back country trails away from the crowds. Visit picturesque farms and take in all their rugged seclusion on private walks. Explore the lands that time forgot on some tracks even the locals don't know about. Walk through the forests of the largest mainland ecological island in the world, where the air is filled with bird song in a forest alive with some of our rarest native birds. Meander along a river that leads to a pure spring and sample some award-winning cheese produced from the rich pastures of the Waikato region. Admire the limestone bluffs that line the gorges of middle earth like lands and admire the rural resilience and beauty that is the heart of our North Island.

Te Papa Museum

Rūaumoko: Restless Land

Exhibition on now until Monday, January 26, 2026. Rūaumoko: Restless Land is our new and exciting interactive touring exhibition from Te Papa. Experience elements from Te Papa’s Te Taiao Nature zone that combines cutting-edge science with mātauranga Māori (traditional knowledge) to explore the powerful, natural forces that continuously shape Aotearoa. Te Papa and the Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake have teamed up to promote natural hazard awareness and preparedness through this exhibition. It introduces Rūaumoko to illustrate the forces of nature and presents a wero (challenge) for visitors to learn about natural hazards and ways to be prepared in our communities and at home.

Te Awamutu Museum

ANZAC: Remembering War, Whānau & Home

A temporary focused exhibition highlighting local stories that inspired, confront, and challenge our historical knowledge around ANZAC here in the Waipā district, and how we can remember this important event in our history.

Te Whare Taonga o Te Awamutu Museum

Commemorating Rangiaowhia

Our latest focused exhibition invites visitors to explore the remarkable life of Rahapa Te Hauata — a woman whose courage, resilience, and voice continue to resonate through Aotearoa’s history. To commemorate and remember the events at Rangiaowhia on 21 February 1864, this small focused exhibition is on show until 20 March. Discover her powerful first-hand accounts of the sacking of Rangiaowhia and the extraordinary ways her whānau endured and survived this devastating moment in Aotearoa’s history.

Te Whare Taonga o Te Awamutu Museum

The Costumes of Ka Whawhai tonu mātou - Ake, Ake, Ake

This permanent exhibition features images and costumes from the film ‘Ka Whawhai Tonu’ – ‘Struggle without end’ directed by Michael Jonathan. Come in and visit the exhibit and immerse yourself in the local history of this story today. Please note the film has an M rating, hence parental supervision is recommended when viewing this exhibition with young children.

Kaipaki Farmyard

Kaipaki Farmyard

Here’s what you can expect. Pocket Pets: Hold and cuddle guinea pigs, mice, rabbits and rats- See the chinchillas. Nursery: Meet our adorable baby animals (bottle feeding lambs Aug/Sep/Oct). Reptiles: Get up close and personal with our friendly reptiles. Stables: Enjoy some love and attention with horses, ponies, donkeys, and get a chance to brush and braid them. Farm Walk: Stroll through our farmyard loop, feeding hay and maize to cows, sheep, alpacas, and goats. Tractor Play Area: Have fun with ride-on tractors. Hen House: Visit and feed chickens and ducks. Barn: Book undercover parties in our farmyard or fairy garden. Scavenger Hunt or Finding Gumboots.

All things to do

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