Winding between Taihape on State Highway 1, and Fernhill in Hawke’s Bay, Gentle Annie is a challenging but rewarding ride across remote hill country.

Well off the beaten track and one of the North Island’s best-kept secrets, this winding road follows an historic route used by early Māori to travel around the headwaters of the Rangitikei River and its main tributaries the Moawhango and Hautapu Rivers.

The trail links northern Rangitikei District and Hawke’s Bay, two regions worlds apart in their natural heritage and landscapes. It also connects to the Hawke’s Bay Trails as well as two Heartland Rides: Route 52 through to the Wairarapa, and the OTT through to Ohakune (and therefore the Mountains to Sea).