Huri Huri and get on your bike this summer!

Huri Huri News
8 November 2016

Huri Huri: Wairarapa’s Bike Festival returns for a third year in January and will once again take place in association with the New Zealand Cycle Classic (NZCC), the country’s only Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) 2.2 road race.
 
NZCC celebrates its 30th year as an international road cycling event, and for the first-time the five-stage race will incorporate a stage ending in Castlepoint and one that takes in each of the five Wairarapa towns – Masterton, Carterton, Greytown, Featherston and Martinborough.
 
Held over Wellington Anniv­­ersary week, the festival opens on Saturday with the Trust House Town to Tide, which incorporates a 44km road cycle from Masterton to the Whareama River, a 14km kayak out and back along the tidal river, then a quick undulating 16km across farmland to the Riversdale Surf Lifesaving Club.
 
The following day, families are encouraged to take up a rare opportunity to explore Castlepoint Station by mountain bike, in support of the Peter Laing Trust. There are three picturesque coastal tracks to ride: 7km, 14km, or a 20km course along the limed Otahome track. Organisers stress these rides are for competent mountain bikers only, as some parts of the track can be challenging for young or inexperienced riders.
 
Riders are urged to bring a picnic and be back in time for lunch on Castlepoint Beach to catch a glimpse of world’s premier road cyclists finishing Stage One of the New Zealand Cycle Classic.
 
On Wellington Anniversary Monday, road cyclists will once again ‘take on the Admiral’ and help raise money for Parkinson’s Wairarapa in Pedal for Parkinson’s. The ride starts out at Gladstone Vineyard and features a 72km, 43km or straight out 15km hill climb. Whichever way, the challenge is to climb Admiral Hill right to the finish!
 
Festival events also include a three-day Cycle Classic summer holiday programme for riders aged 8-14 years. One of the features of the programme will be a demonstration workshop with a visiting BMX display team, which is performing in Martinborough during Stage Three of the NZCC. This stage sees over 100 international road cyclists race through Martinborough Square eight times in a spectacular finale.
 
Huri Huri takes place between 21-27 January 2017. For more details on any of these events and to register, visit www.hurihuri.co.nz