Art by Bike encourages Rotorua to celebrate cycling and art

A previous Art by Bike tour group at Kuirau Park. Photo / Supplied

The Rotorua community is invited to be a part of biking and art coming together for a spring and summer fling in Rotorua.

Art by Bike is a free, guided tour by bike through some of Rotorua's cycleways, also allowing people to explore art works located in central Rotorua, the Government Gardens, Kuirau Park, Rotorua Lakefront and Sulphur Point.

These tours will run on the last Saturday of the month at 10am from this month until April 2020, weather permitting.

Starting from Te Manawa, corner of Hinemoa and Tutanekai Sts, the tours are expected to take about one-and-a-half to two hours.

Julie Parsons, Rotorua Lakes Council, Arts and Culture volunteer lead, says because the tours are weather dependent, spring to summer is the best time to enjoy the city's art by cycling.

She says she ran the first tour during the 2018 Rotorua Bike Festival, repeated it in February this year during the Aotearoa Bike Month, and again in April to celebrate World Sculpture Day.

Julie says she considered extending the Rotorua Museum guides' Outside the Walls tours to incorporate a walking tour which looked at Rotorua's public art.

"But we have so much great art in and near the CBD that it was too difficult to plan a route where the art could be enjoyed in a reasonable timeframe.

"You can cover so much more territory by bike and as I love cycling it was natural to combine the two."

Julie says art work the tours will explore include sculpture, carvings, murals and chorus boxes in town, around the lakefront and Government Gardens.

"It's a great way to enjoy the outdoors, take advantage of some of our fabulous cycle paths and take a little gentle exercise while learning about our public art and some of the stories behind it.

"Our guides love meeting new people and we have a passion for sharing the stories of Rotorua. It is amazing what you don't know until you hear about it."

Julie says it is easy to go about your daily business without noticing some of the art works in town, so this is an opportunity to have them pointed out and to learn a little about the artists and their works.

The tour is suitable for all ages and levels of fitness, and children must be accompanied by an adult. People can check the Rotorua Events Facebook page on the morning of the tour for weather updates.

Additional dates will be run during Rotorua Bike Festival in October – go to www.rotoruabikefestival.com for more information.

People need to supply their own bike, helmet and anything else they need to make the ride comfortable.

Art By Bike dates
- September 28
- October 26
- November 30
- December 28
- January 25
- February 29
- March 28
- April 25