Hauraki Rail Trail

The Hauraki Rail Trail is one of the Great Rides of the New Zealand Cycle Trail system, using parts of the abandoned ECMT and Thames Branch railways in the Hauraki Gulf plains and the Coromandel Peninsula.

The 197 kilometres (122 mi) trail officially starts from Kaiaua in the north and traces the Shorebird Coast along the Firth of Thames before heading south via Paeroa to then branch either east towards Waihi (via the Karangahake Gorge) or south to Te Aroha. In the Karangahake Gorge, the rail trail passes through a 1,100 metres (3,609 ft) long tunnel, which has been fitted with electrical lighting.

The trail takes around three days to complete for most fitness levels. It is one of the easiest cycle trails in New Zealand and offers a diverse range of scenery, from pohutukawa trees, through lush farm land, and onto some of New Zealand's pioneering past.

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