Disneyland

        I went to Disneyland this weekend. In Rotorua. And no that’s not a mistake, I really did go there. Except that its not called Disneyland, its in New Zealand, its real name is Whakarewarewa Forest, and its home to some Epic!! mountain biking. Being from Canada: home of Whistler, the Boneyard, Northshore, etc (read: some of the best biking in the planet), I was admittedly a bit skeptical about the quality of biking we would find, especially when I arrived in Rotorua and couldn’t fin any “mountains”, a key ingredient in mountain biking….  But it after about 6 minutes in the forest I was a convert. Despite the lack of a mountain, there is no shortage of world class trails, and riders to eager to enjoy them. I was actually blown away by the skill of many of the other riders we saw that day. It felt just like being back home, and I had to keep reminding myself that no, I wasn’t in Fernie, I was in DisneyLand NZ.

     My roommate and I spent a good 8 hours riding, he’s from Rotorua, so he showed me some of his favorite trails; consensus- all good. As an added bonus, his Mom cooked us some really, really good food for the entire time I was there. All in all, it confirmed I made the right decision hauling my bike all the way over here, and I can finally say I have been to Disneyland…