Home⁄
Safe & Sure
Safety matters
Make your day ride, overnight or multi-day adventure comfortable and safe by packing the right gear.
The first step to a safe ride is to make sure you read about them, especially for Pakihi Track.
What to take with you? The Nga Haerenga New Zealand Cycle Trails website has a great list for both day trips and overnight/bike-packing trips.
For Pakihi Track especially, but also Motu Road and the inland end of Rere Falls Trail, a distress beacon (personal locator beacon) is advised. A PLB can be hired from Ōpōtiki i-SITE or from Cycle Gisborne.
Warm clothing is also important. Pakihi Track and Rere Falls Trail both have highpoints above 550 metres while Motu Road is almost 800 metres above sea level.
Take food and water too. This country is remote; services may not be available when you ride by.
Squeeze bars on the Dunes Trail
The Dunes Trail has squeeze bars to block motorbikes. No-one likes squeeze bars but they help to keep the trail as safe as possible.
On most mountain bikes, you can ride through these, if you wish putting one hand on a squeeze bar. Or, you may find it easier to walk through, pushing the bike.
With some children's bikes, bikes with drop bars, and bikes with carriers, you may have to dismount and lift the bike over the gate.
A lot of the squeeze bars have an adjoining gate with a gap to push a small bike through.
Emergencies
It's always good to be prepared, so here are emergency details:
Emergency Services anywhere in New Zealand: call 111.
Ōpōtiki Community Health Centre is at King Street, open 24/7. Call 07 315 8500.
Ōpōtiki's Church St Surgery is at 94 Church St. Call 07 315 6307. Open normal hours, plus the surgery is open with no appointment needed 10.30am - 11.30am on weekends and public holidays.
Whakātane hospital is at the corner of Garaway and Stewart streets. Call 07 306 0999.
Gisborne Hospital is at 421 Ormond Rd. Call 06 869 0500.
Heart attack/CPR this link gives nearest defibrillator locations.
