MTB Biking in North Auckland (Woodhill Mountain Bike Park)

I'm not a mountain biker, but when I was invited by my friend to try it out at the Woodhill Mountain Bike Park, I thought to myself, 'What the heck, I'm in New Zealand, let's do it!' I mean, if I was going to try mountain biking (again) I might as well do it in beautiful, scenic, fresh and clean New Zealand, right?! RIGHT?!

Woodhill Mountain Bike Park is located just 40 minutes away (by car) northwest of Auckland CBD, at the ridges of the Woodhill Forest. It is a full service MTB park complete with a pro shop, a drinking station, and a work shop. The park's regular hours are from 7am to 5:30pm.

Woodhill Mountain Bike Park is huge. There are 68 trails in the forest, totalling over 100 kms of bike tracks. The park has recommended loops for short distances (6 kms), medium distance (10 kms) and long distances (15 kms). The park rules on safety are simple and straighforward:

• All bikers must register before entering any of the trails.
• No helmet means no ride.
• Bikers should carry with them their mobile phones and a map of the park.
• Bikers should familiarise themselves with the forest roads marked on the map, so that they can communicate their location in cases of emergency.
• Bikers should only ride trails marked on the park map.
• Bikers should ride within their limits and respect the stunt ratings of each trail. The rating scale is from "X" (easy) to "XXXXX" (extremely difficult).
• Call 111 in case of emergency.

The Day Pass at Woodhill MTB park is pegged at NZ$8. Most bikers bring their own mountain bikes. But for those who visit unprepared, the park fortunately offers a full range of bikes for rent. Bike hire for a hard tail is NZ$30 for the first hour, and NZ$5 every succeeding 20 minutes. Full suspension bikes are more expensive at NZ$85 for four hours, and NZ$20 every succeeding hour. The prices are steep, so it is best to bring your own mountain bike to the park.

You can also rent bike accessories like helmets for NZ$5 and bike lights for NZ$25. Here I am with my friend Justinn Valerio. 

We visited the park in May (that's Autumn in New Zealand). I was hesitant to join that time because of the cold and rainy weather, but my friends said they preferred mountain biking during this particular season. Apparently, serious mountain bikers like it when the soil is wet, as the knobby tires have a better grip of the track. Mas makapit daw. Mas madaling umakyat. 

Anyway, I thought I was going to freeze to death. It was chilly. But I actually, later on, appreciated the cool and crisp weather. I didn't sweat as fast compared to when I went mountain biking in Timberland Heights in San Mateo, Rizal. My God, I remembered that time I tried the trails in Timberland, I almost passed out due to the extreme heat.

Not worrying so much about the heat and dehydration in Woodhill Forest made me get to appreciate the scenery so much more. While we were pedalling up the hill, I got to enjoy the view of the tall trees and other lush greenery offered by Woodhill Forest. I appreciated how the keepers maintained the park.

Unfortunately, I have no picture of the tracks and trails for the simple reason that I wasn't able to take any photos while going down the mountain. I hung on to the handlebars for my dear life. What my friends promised what was supposed to be an easy trail (a walk in the park, they asserted) turned out to be an extremely difficult ride for a newbie like me. At one part, I slammed right into a tree while speeding downhill. It's a good thing I came out of it with only a bruise on the chest.

Anyway, when we got back the entrance, we rested at the drinking station and waited for the other bikers to get back. Later on, we went over to the wash area and cleaned our muddy bikes. We were done by lunch time.

Anyway, minor MTB accident aside, I really enjoyed my adventure at Woodhill Mountain Bike Park. If you're interested to go mountain biking in Auckland, this is a great place to start. Afterwards, you can explore the other mountain bike parks in New Zealand--and there are many more!

Stay safe on the trails, MTBer!

Income Tax Obligations of Filipinos who Study Abroad

In so far as tax obligations are concerned, what happens after you complete your studies in New Zealand (or wherever you studied abroad) and return to the Philippines? Is a Filipino overseas postgrad student required to file an income tax return (ITR) with the Bureau of Internal Revenue?

• Well, according to the Official Philippine Government website, the short answer is no.

• Gov.ph states that non-resident citizens are exempt from filing income tax returns. 

Which begs the question, do Filipino overseas postgrad students fall under the definition of 'non-resident citizens'?

• In my opinion, yes.

• Among those listed, Filipino overseas postgrad students fall under the classification of 'Filipino citizen who leaves the Philippines during the taxable year to reside abroad, either as an immigrant of or for permanent employment.'

HOWEVER, if you earned income from sources WITHIN the Philippines while you were away, you are required to declare that income and file an ITR.

So, to summarize:

• If you are a Filipino overseas postgrad student who did not earn any income from sources within the Philippines during the taxable year, you are EXEMPT from filing an ITR.

• If you are a Filipino overseas postgrad student who earned income from sources within the Philippines, you are required to file an ITR.