Whakarewarewa RainbowBeginner - Intermediate
Submitted by Ben Alton
Urban fringe
Loop
Undulating, some big hills
Native bushPlantation/exotic forestLakeside
Beginner - Intermediate
12:00 (Slow)
9:00 (Moderate)
6:00 (Fast)
-5.3%
+5.3%
Fastest Known Times (FKTs)
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Description
This is the 6 coloured walking tracks in the whakarewa forest that all start at the visitor centre and run from longest to shortest (black, purple, yellow, green, blue, red). All tracks are marked with coloured arrows and are easy to follow. You can park a car near the start for you very own aid station (the really smart place to park is at the end of longmile road, nearest to the scion gate and the MTB skills park, this way you can pass your aid station of the 3 longest tracks without any deviation form the course (important for the strava crown). Lake Front Road that goes along the edge of the Green lake is currently closed due to access issues with local Iwi but a detour is in place (this gpx file is for the detour)
Trail Community
Features of interest
Lake views and native trees
Make Up of Run
Moderate Single Track: 20%
Easy Single Track: 50%
Farm Road / 4WD Track: 29%
Sealed Road: 1%
Route Data
Reviews:
Overlapping Runs
The following trails overlap with this run to some degree. You may wish to combine them but please note that to qualify for FKTs on these runs you should record a separate Strava activity for each

Tokorangi Pa Track
Length: 11.40km

Whakarewarea Circuit - the Black Track
Length: 32.60km

Fat Man's Run
Length: 17.80km
Photos:
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I did it!-
Access
This run starts from the visitor centre on Longmile Road
Easy parking, the gates are no longer locked at night
5 km
9 minutes
No
No
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Staying Safe
Easy.
Follow the arrows and stick to the trails
Generally good.
Long-sleeved thermal top, Seam-sealed waterproof jacket, Gloves, Beanie/thermal headwear, Whistle, First aid kit, Extra food for emergencies, Cellphone, Map, Headtorch and spare batteries.
There is water at the visitor centre and then at 2 more locations on the black track, you pass a water stop again on purple.
Very well draining soil so mud not really an issue.
There are occasionally trees down on the black track that don't always get cleared as quickly as other tracks
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Post run indulgence
The Good Eastern Taphouse
Tarawera Rounabout, Lynmore
The burgers are great, so is the beer. I highly recommend the Box of Birds -
Sponsor this trail
See other runs nearby:
Tokorangi Pa Track
Tarawera Trail Route Recce
Valley of the Killer Zombie Wallabies
Pohaturoa Track
Blue and Green Lake Loops
Whakarewarea Circuit - the Black Track
Single Rainbow
Yellow Plus Cardiac
Fat Man's Run
Okataina...Eastern & Western
The Other Okataina Trails
3 of the Best
RTRC Club Track Loop
A Roundabout Way to the Lost Tank
Whirinaki Long Loop
Waimangu
Double Rainbow
Lake Okareka Walkway
Mount Ngongotaha
Orange Kakapiko
As You Do Loop
Not Your Usual Rangitoto
Tennent's and Mistletoe Loop
RTRC Natives Loop