Tukituki Trail Te paparahi o Tukituki

The Tuki Tuki Trail is a network of trails for walkers and bikers, situated in Central Hawkes Bay between the townships of Waipukurau & Waipawa. It offers a wide variety of trails and tracks along the beautiful Tuki Tuki river. Find out more on the Tukituki Trails website.

The Tukituki Trail is managed by the regional council but the trails have been developed and are maintained by passionate community volunteers with Central Hawke’s Bay Rotary River Pathways Trust

The trail is a mix of limestone pathway on stopbanks along the beautiful Tukituki River and some on-road connections between the townships of Waipukurau & Waipawa. A swing-bridge river crossing of the Tukituki lets cyclists complete a loop from Waipukurau and provides access to the nearby mountain bike park east of Waipukurau.  there are bridle trails and mountain bike tracks alongside the trail.  No motor vehicles are permitted on the trails.

Flood protection priority

Just like the Hawke's Bay Trails, the main trail follows along the top of stopbanks which have the primary function of protecting surrounding land, property and lives from flood risks.  Hawke’s Bay Regional Council manages the project area as part of the wider Tukituki River Flood Control and Drainage Scheme, and manages the limesand pathway on top of the stopbanks.  We worked with the Central Hawke’s Bay Rotary River Pathways Trust (affiliated with the CHB Rotary Club) to develop the trails in the river berm area.

Memorandum of Understanding

A memorandum of understanding is in place between the regional council, the pathways trust, the mountain bike group and HB Adult Riders Club to ensure safe use and maintenance of regional council managed land.  The MOU can be referred to here.

Safe Use of the Trails & River Area

Motor vehicles, quad and motor bikes are strictly prohibited from using the limesand trails, the mountain bike track and the bridle trail. The trails are not roadways, and vehicles are both a hazard for other users and damaging to the limestone surface.  Any vehicle owner identified as using these areas inappropriately may be prosecuted.   However we are working to allocate a separate area for 4WD and motorbikes to use for recreation.

Horse Trail – Bridle Trail

Horse riders are restricted to the berm area (ie off the trail) on the left bank unless there is a need to cross the limestone track to avoid flooding or an obstacle.  The bridle trail is separate to the mountain bike trail in the same area. An advocacy group, HB Adult Riders Club, have signed the MOU and agreed to work with all riders in the district to ensure safe recreational use and they will maintain the bridle trail.

Mountain Bike track

The area includes mountain bike tracks along the berm areas separate from the horse bridle trail.  A trial for mountain bikes to use the left bank will be in place until 2019 when it will be reviewed by all parties.  The Mountain Bike park is managed by the Trust – all enquiries or reports for maintenance to Roy Fraser.