This Weekend: Special Rotorua Adventure Ride for a Great Cause

• Greenlea Rescue Helicopter ride will feature around 200km of gravel roads and private forestry riding.
• Rare motorcycle access through The Pinnacles makes this one not to miss.
• All of the $50 entry fee goes to the Greenlea Rescue Helicopter.

Looking for an adventure ride this weekend? How about one with private land access that ends at a show with some bikes to look at and a presentation from recent Romaniacs rider, Chris Power? You’d better get down to Rotorua on Saturday 15^th August then.

Adventure riders have the chance to explore a part of the central North Island that’s normally off limits to motorcycles this weekend, while raising money for a service that could one day come to their rescue.

The Greenlea Rescue Helicopter Adventure Ride takes place this Saturday, August 15, as part of the 2026 NZ Fishing, Hunting & 4×4 Expo in Rotorua.

Organised by Rotorua Adventure Riders, the approximately 200km route includes public and gravel roads along with rare access through The Pinnacles, a privately managed forestry block that is seldom open to motorcycles.

And it’s all for a good cause, with 100 per cent of the $50 entry fee going directly to the Greenlea Rescue Helicopter.

Ride organiser Scott says there’s a very personal reason behind supporting the rescue helicopter service.

“This ride is a thank you to the Greenlea Rescue Helicopter for the incredible work they do. We saw that first-hand last year when a rider suffered a serious injury in a remote area. I’d also previously had a workmate flown out of the Ureweras after a workplace accident. This is an opportunity for us as riders to give something back.”

Big Bikes Welcome

While access to private forestry might conjure up images of hardcore enduro tracks, organisers say this isn’t intended to be an extreme ride.

The route has been designed to accommodate a broad range of adventure motorcycles and riders, including those aboard larger ADV machines.

“The ride will be very inclusive, so big bikes and intermediate riders are very welcome,” says Scott. “I’m keen for us to spread out a bit so the quicker riders can still have a bit of a blat while the slower riders can cruise along at the back. There will be a couple of slippery sections but nothing particularly challenging.”

Riders should still be comfortable riding on unsealed surfaces, with the route expected to consist primarily of gravel roads and private forestry tracks.

Motorcycles need to be road legal, capable of maintaining highway speeds and fitted with tyres suitable for loose gravel conditions.

Around 200km Of Adventure Riding

Sign-on takes place at the NZ Fishing, Hunting & 4×4 Expo in Rotorua from 9am on Saturday, followed by a compulsory riders’ briefing at 9:45am.

The ride gets underway at 10am and is scheduled to return to the Expo before 3pm, in time for Chris Power’s Romaniacs Adventure presentation.

Navigation will be via a GPX route supplied to entrants during the week before the event, so riders will need to carry a GPS or smartphone capable of following GPX tracks.

With sections of the ride passing through locked private forestry, access will be controlled within a specific time window.

Riders should arrive with a full tank of fuel and carry water, snacks, basic tools and tyre-repair equipment along with appropriate protective riding gear.

Entry costs $50 per rider, with the entire entry fee donated to the Greenlea Rescue Helicopter.