WEST COAST WILDERNESS Trail
TRAIL INFO
4-5 Days 133km
BEST FOR: An easy to access and an easy to ride venture into Aotearoa’s green heart.
GREYMOUTH
ROSS
4-5 days
133km
‘Oh jeez, not another natural wonder to behold,’ said no one ever on this wild, winsome ride. The scenery is flush with enough nature-made marvels to warrant a Grimm Brothers’ fairy tale.
T
his ride offers excellent variation in landscape and scenery. From the mountainous backdrop of the Southern Alps to ancient rainforest, wetland, rugged beaches and glacial rivers, New Zealand’s diversity is on full display. While you may be heavily captivated by the natural history, the ride is equally famed for its
human history. Forged from a goldrush heyday and peppered with packhorse tracks, tramlines, railways and rickety bridges, the window into the past is a highly engaging one. The trail is divided into four mostly equal sections between Greymouth, Kumara, Cowboy Paradise, Hokitika and Ross. Commonly, most riders cycle from Greymouth (the West
Coast’s ‘Big Smoke’) to the old gold town of Ross, but it is possible to travel the route in either direction. Each leg takes around 3-5 hours, so you have plenty of time to dawdle and detour. Unique points of interest include the twists and turns of an historic water race. For the uninitiated, these are channels cut into hillside to bring water from streams (in this case, the Kaniere River) to places where gold was mined. Cowboy Paradise, a set of crumbling buildings staged to resemble an old Western town is known as the Lost City of the Wild West. Located halfway between Kumara and Hokitika, you get to play cowboy or cowgirl for the day. Between here and Kumara, you can also stop at Trappers Rest for a cup of Billy tea and fireside chat with local man, Paul Sinclair. He lives in a tepee and you simply make a donation for the brew.
TOP TIP – Ask the weather gods for sunshine but expect a compulsory West Coast wet day (or days). On the upside, if anything is going to look good in a downpour, it’s this green beauty.
TRAIL GRADES: GREYMOUTH TO KUMARA, 31KM GRADE 2 (EASY) KUMARA TO COWBOY PARADISE, 36KM GRADE 2 (EASY) to GRADE 3 (INTERMEDIATE) COWBOY PARADISE TO HOKITIKA, 36KM GRADE 2 (EASY) to GRADE 3 (INTERMEDIATE) HOKITIKA TO ROSS, 33KM GRADE 2 (EASY) to GRADE 3 (INTERMEDIATE) MOBILE PHONE COVERAGE: Good in towns and on much of the coastal sections of the trail. Virtually no coverage south of Kumara to Kaniere township. DRINKING WATER: Water is readily available in towns and tourist stops along the way. TYPE OF BIKE: A hybrid bike is sufficient for the terrain. E-bikes are also permitted. GRADE 2 (EASY) GRADE 3 (INTERMEDIATE)
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GREAT RIDE • WEST COAST WILDERNESS TRAIL
© West Coast Wilderness Trail
