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Motu Trails Charitable Trust

  • Update winter 2025

      17 July 2025
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    As always, 2025's been a busy year for the Motu Trails team. At Motu Trails Charitable Trust we continue to do all trail maintenance on Dunes Trail (pictured) and Pakihi Track, and most of the maintenance on local linking trails, plus the signage and shelters on Motu Road. We maintain Pakihi most weeks of the year.

    New projects this year include some new signage, a bike tool stand in Motu village shelter (big thanks to Garth Barfoot for support!), plus water control and track widening work on Pakihi.

    Volunteer trapping has been going great, with literally hundreds of rats and scores of stoats and weasels removed from Pakihi and Dunes Trail the last couple of years. Dunes Trail planting continues each winter.

    If you want to know more about the trails, please visit www.motutrails.co.nz, or ask in Opotiki, Gisborne or Whakatane isite visitor centres, or contact Motu Trails Trust direct on info@motutrails.co.nz

    Thank you for any support, it really does get put to good use on Motu Trails!

    Jim

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  • Busy trail work

      6 January 2025
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    As always lots has been going on around the trails. Our general Motu Trails maintenance usually sees us on Pakihi Track once a week, more following a storm, and on the Dunes Trail about once every two weeks. (We had three slips up to 20m across to clear in September/October 2024.) Projects in the last eight months have included installing multiple sections of culvert pipe on the Pakihi, a set of pullup bars on the Dunes Trail, two culverts on the Waiotahe Trail, signage, plus doing a short trail realignment and section of resurfacing on the Dunes Trail, a bench seat on the Pakihi, repairing two shelters on the Motu Road, and plenty more. Once again 2024 saw three community planting days on the Dunes Trail, and week after week volunteer Peter clears the predator traps, which is why the bird life is increasing. Thank you to all the people who have chosen to ride/walk/run the trails, it's always great seeing people of all ages out there. Thank you too to all those who help in many different ways to keep it all happening. To those who make a donation to support Motu Trails, awesome and thank you, it does help us! Jim, Motu Trails Charitable Trust.

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  • Thank you Kopiko Aotearoa 2022 rides

      3 July 2021
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    Thank you to the Kopiko Aotearoa riders who have chosen to donate to Motu Trails Charitable Trust as part of their 2022 entry. It's hugely appreciated. At the trust, we do the general maintenance on Pakihi Track and Dunes Trail: this winter has been mighty challenging with several heavy rainfall events and, on Pakihi, resulting multiple rockfalls, slips and windfalls. We've got Pakihi in good condition again now, but there was some significant work (about 200hrs in the last five weeks). As well as providing important funds for future work, the donations to the trust mean a lot. Thank you! Jim ... Photo, clearing one of the recent Pakihi Track slips.

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  • Thank you Kopiko Aotearoa riders

      19 January 2021
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    Big thanks to all the Kopiko Aotearoa riders who have supported Motu Trails Charitable Trust. We are doing our best to keep Pakihi in top condition (600+ hours of work in Dec/Jan period) hopefully we can continue this through Feb/March though Pakihi is dynamic terrain and one major storm can undo a lot of work! Visual: finishing off a bit of restored track on Pakihi. Nga mihi Jim

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  • November 2020 ... busy trails

      30 October 2020
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    Big thanks to all the Kopiko Aotearoa 2021 riders who have donated to Motu Trails Trust recently, it is truly appreciated. There is heaps happening around the trails at present, with a couple of big volunteer sessions to put up new signage plus a couple of new bench seats. One of these benches was funded with donations from Kopiko Aotearoa 2020 riders, with another KA 2020 bench seat on the way. We're currently also working on plans for another shelter on Motu Road. Pedal on :)

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  • Thank you bike packers!

      28 August 2019
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    Motu Trails Charitable Trust has received a number of donations recently from bikepackers aiming to ride the trails this summer. Whether you will be heading east or west, we wish you a brilliant ride. A sincere thank you for your support, it will go towards on-trail stuff which we will share news of.

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  • Summer 2018

      5 February 2018
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    Thank you to those who have made a donation in recent months, it is sincerely appreciated. Motu Trails Charitable Trust is the governance hub of the trails. We do everything from volunteer trail maintenance to running the trail web site (www.motutrails.co.nz) and Facebook, producing brochures, putting up signage, and more. The Motu Trails are free for everyone to use. That means we depend on donations and grants to keep everything rolling. Have fun, if you're planning a trip, remember that the Pakihi Track makes a spectacular run or walk as well as a ride ... and Motu's a neat place to base a weekend! Jim

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  • It's easy to say "thanks" to the Motu Trails.

      2 February 2017
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    The Motu Trails Charitable Trust is the hub of governance and promotion of the Motu Trails.

    If you've ridden, walked or run the trails, or picked up a trail brochure, or checked our web site info, or followed facebook trail updates — you've seen our (in large part voluntary) efforts.

    The Motu Trails are 100% free to access, and they will remain that way, because free availability for everyone is core to what they are all about.

    However, the trust needs income to operate. If you're able to help us, a donation of any size would be very much appreciated.

    If you would prefer to join our official partner programme (which gives an advertising presence), or if you'd like to become a Motu Trails Sponsor, please visit www.motutrails.co.nz or email jim@motutrails.co.nz

    Thank you again. Every donation counts.

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