Built in 2004, Gunna Gotta, like B Rude Not 2 from last week, is another iconic Redwoods trail that recently received a facelift courtesy of the bulldozer’s blade. In this instance, the logging not only gave builder Dave Hutchings and the Rotorua Mountain Bike Club a clean slate to reshape the trail, but it also revealed some absolutely cracking 360-degree views!
It’s a fair pedal up Katore Rd to reach Gunna Gotta and its neighbouring trails, but it’s not hard to justify the climb. The vista is magic; on a clear day you can look north over Lake Rotorua to the coastline at Tauranga and to the south you might see snow-capped Whakapapa on the far side of Lake Taupo.
Morgan Wilson – the fella behind Zippy Central, a local cafe of legendary repute – might ride a rigid singlespeed, but even with only one gear to get him to the top, Gunna Gotta is one of his favourite trails. The new upper section wraps around the hillside, benched into the steep slope, and offering a fantastic outlook if you can draw your eyes away from the trail. After a kilometre or so, the singletrack plunges back into the forest, rejoining the original trail, chucking you about like a pinball before spitting you out on Katore Rd once again.
Follow the photos below to get a feel for the two distinct halves to this awesome trail.
