ST JAMES
Cycle Trail
TRAIL INFO
1-2 Days 64km
BEST FOR: Humbling solitude.
MALING PASS CAR PARK to ST JAMES HOMESTEAD 1-2 days
64km
Wide dirt tracks and expansive grassy flats stretch for as far as the eye can see. Mountain peaks that look touchable are in fact, hundreds of miles away, and churning rivers cut through the landscape in seeming silence, until you get closer, and the water roars like a storming brigade.
F
or the fittest of riders, the St James Cycle Trail can be knocked on the head in one day, but it pays to experience the trail over two. Sunrise and sunset in such remote parts is a big bonus, and you’ll get the chance to stay overnight in charming old huts. St James Station was one of New Zealand’s largest high-country farms, dating back to 1862 and there are still a handful of preserved farmers’ buildings to mooch around. Most remnants, however, have been swallowed by golden valleys and beech forest. Along the route you will pass through broad river valleys framed by crinkled mountainside. Rivers lead to hidden lakes and there is much wildlife: herds of wild horses are commonplace and nonchalant rabbits roam defiantly, having long since broken through the 1889 ‘rabbit-proof’ fencing. This ride is challenging in parts, but on a sun-filled day, when the rays beam on golden meadows, it really is perfect.
Biking in Hanmer Springs © Hanmer Springs Photography
SEE PP 101, 103 & 112 FOR NEIGHBOURING HEARTLAND RIDES
TOP TIP – Don’t miss the 10-minute detour to Cow Stream hot springs: two naturally heated rock pools bubbling with hot water.
TRAIL GRADES: MALING PASS CAR PARK TO WAIAU 4WD ROAD END, 12KM GRADE 3 (INTERMEDIATE) to GRADE 4 (ADVANCED) WAIAU 4WD ROAD END TO SADDLE SPUR BRIDGE, 15.5KM GRADE 3 (INTERMEDIATE) SADDLE SPUR BRIDGE TO SCOTTIES HUT, 14.5KM GRADE 4 (ADVANCED) to GRADE 5 (EXPERT) SCOTTIES HUT TO ST JAMES HOMESTEAD, 17KM GRADE 2-3 (EASY TO INTERMEDIATE) MOBILE PHONE COVERAGE: Coverage is lost once you go over Jacks Pass from Hanmer Springs. DRINKING WATER: Available at various points along the trail, most easily accessible near the huts; note that boiling or treating it is recommended. Be sure to carry plenty in high summer. TYPE OF BIKE: A ship-shape mountain bike is essential. E-bikes are not permitted on trails graded 4 and above. GRADE 2 (EASY) GRADE 3 (INTERMEDIATE) GRADE 4 (ADVANCED) GRADE 5 (EXPERT)
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GREAT RIDE • ST JAMES CYCLE TRAIL
St James Cycle Trail © Canterbury Christchurch Tourism
