Drive

All roads leading here are highly scenic — they're also often twisting and slow. Allow plenty of drive time. The times below assume no traffic delays or stops.

• Tauranga to Ōpōtiki, allow 1 hour 45 minutes' drive time (a modest toll charge applies to use the SH2 Tauranga Eastern Link). From coastal Matata, you can either drive SH2 to Ōpōtiki (via Edgecumbe, Tāneatua, Kutarere), or, head through Whakatāne and Ōhope then Wainui road and back onto SH2 just before Kutarere. The drive time is much the same either way.

• Rotorua to Ōpōtiki, allow 1 hour 45 minutes' drive time. At Awakeri you can turn off SH30 and go to Ōpōtiki via Taneatua, or, you can head through Whakatāne and Ōhope then Wainui road and back onto SH2 just before Kutarere. Whakatāne to Ōpōtiki is 45 minutes drive time.

• Gisborne to Matawai, allow 1 hour drive time on SH2, though of course you could slow the pace significantly and drive via Rere Falls Trail (includes 27km of gravel road). Add another 15 minutes from Matawai to Motu, or another 30 minutes from Matawai to the Motu Road hilltop dropoff (4WD advised).

• Ōpōtiki to Matawai, allow 1 hour drive time on SH2. Add another 15 minutes from Matawai to Motu, or another 30 minutes from Matawai to the Motu Road hilltop dropoff (4WD advised).

• Gisborne to Ōpōtiki, allow 2 hours' drive time. Alternatively, you can drive 330km around East Cape on the iconic SH35, past remote settlements and stunning bays.

• The East Cape Guide provides excellent travel information for travel on SH35 and on SH2 between Opotiki and Gisborne.  

Fly or bus

• Gisborne has an airport (Air New Zealand). Whakātane (45 minutes' drive from Ōpōtiki) has an airport served by Air Chathams. Tauranga and Rotorua also have airports (Air New Zealand).

• Nationwide buses such as Intercity link Ōpōtiki and Gisborne with wider networks, and various local bus services operate too. Ask for details at Ōpōtiki or Gisborne i-SITEs.

Ride

• The Kōpiko Aotearoa route is a great way to connect with Motu Trails.

• From Whakatāne, you could ride via Tāneatua then Stanley Road, then Wainui Road/SH2 to Ōhiwa Harbour (Ruatuna road to Ōhiwa Harbour road) and onto the Waiotahe trail. The Motu Trails main brochure map marks these roads.

Motu Trails shuttle providers may offer tailored services for groups: for example, a group pickup from Rotorua, Tauranga, Whakātane or Ōhope. Cycle Gisborne is ideally placed to do a pickup/dropoff if your group is riding Rere Falls Trail. Cycle Gisborne offer a SH35 to East Cape shuttle trip, which is perfect for bikepackers doing the Kōpiko Aotearoa, cape to cape. Minimum numbers and other conditions apply.