25 years of trails: My first ride in Whakarewarewa Forest

I had heard about the famous Rotorua soil.

Supposedly the perfect blend of pumice, clay and silt makes riding possible after extreme weather - either dry or wet.

It wasn't until I went riding the day after Cyclone Hola grazed Rotorua, that I really understood what the cycling fanatics I'd spent weeks talking to, really meant.

It was my first time mountain biking so a guide from Planet Bike took me to the Kids' Loop at Waipa for a crash course.

There were times I wasn't sure we were still on the Kids' Loop as we worked our way around, up and down the Tahi and Dipper trails.

Look ahead, apply the brakes gently, heels down, change gears. My guide took me through the basics. "And don't look at the tree or you'll hit it," he said.

Reporter Zizi Sparks' first time mountain biking was short but sweet.

I was riding a bike named Happy - a fitting name to reflect how I felt whizzing through the forest.

I can see the appeal of biking leisurely through the forest. But, with a stop for my guide to point out a sharp decline, I can only imagine what challenges the harder trails pose.

That's all part of the appeal I suppose, just as you get confident on one grade track, there's always another.

With more than 160km of trails in the forest, you could ride all day and not scrape the surface.

We stopped to enjoy the smell of the Redwoods. It's hard to forget, but if I do, the forest will be right there in my backyard.