Cycle touring
written by Sara Carbery
It’s time to get on your bike THE GREAT OUTDOORS
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s anyone who has been cycle touring will tell you, exploring an area on two wheels is a completely different experience to breezing through on four. For starters, travelling at a slower pace means you get to experience the journey with all your senses and get to more places off the beaten track. Cycling is also a great form of exercise, a fun thing to do with friends and is more environmentally sustainable than travelling by car.
Of course, the weather is a factor but with spring on our doorstep, now is the perfect time to dust off your mountain bike and explore one of the 22 Great Rides on Ngā Haerenga, The New Zealand Cycle Trail.
Traversing Northland from the Bay of Islands to the Hokianga Harbour, Pou Herenga Tai Twin Coast Cycle Trail is an 87-kilometre two-day ride following a smooth rail trail, cycle paths, wetland
Exploring an area on two wheels is a completely different experience to breezing through on four. Predominantly multi-day off-road trails, graded from easiest to expert, there’s a ride for everyone.
boardwalk, suspension bridges and country roads. Graded 75% easiest, 20% easy and 5% intermediate.
But if riding for more than a day and staying overnight doesn’t appeal to you, most of the trails can also be enjoyed as short rides – from an hour to all day.
Located in the heart of the North Island, the 85-kilometre, two-day Timber Trail follows the path of old logging roads and tramlines in Pureora Forest Park, linked with a purpose built single-track and a series of thrilling suspension bridges. Graded 64% easy, 36% intermediate.
Don’t have a bike? No worries. Towns near the trails have bike hire depots and shuttle services staffed by local experts who can help you make the most of your adventure. There are also companies offering guided tours, who will take care of all your meals, accommodation and luggage transfers.
A2O Cycle Trail | credit: Cycle Journeys
Pou Herenga Tai Twin Coast Cycle Trail | credit: Ruth Lawton Photographer
Keen to get going? Here is a quick snapshot of five of the Great Rides:
Starting on the edge of Wellington Harbour, the 115-kilometre, two-to-threeday Remutaka Cycle Trail winds up the Hutt Valley before climbing gently over the forested Remutaka Ranges and skirting around the rugged coast back towards the capital. Graded 42% intermediate, 27% easy, 16% advanced and 15% easiest. An important travel route for early Māori, the remote St James Cycle Trail in Canterbury is a challenging 59-kilometre, one-to-two-day journey through magnificent high country complete with soaring peaks, broad river valleys and rustic farming heritage. Graded 60% intermediate, 20% advanced, 12% extreme and 8% easy.
Otago Central Rail Trail | credit: Miles Holden
The Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail is acclaimed as the jewel in the crown of New Zealand cycle
trails. It starts at New Zealand’s highest mountain, Aoraki Mt Cook, which is just one unforgettable sight on this epic journey from the Southern Alps to the Pacific Ocean.
Braided rivers thread through broad, glacier-carved valleys. Turquoise hydro-lakes nestle into the golden tussock of open high country. And bizarre, limestone rock forms rolling green farmland. If you’re looking for natural grandeur, this ride will deliver it. Along the way, small towns and settlements provide atmospheric accommodation, friendly pubs and cafés, and easy access to shuttles and other services. There are plenty of off-the-bike activities, too, including wine tasting, penguin spotting, glider flights, star gazing and soaking in hot tubs under incredible skies. Graded 47% easy and 53% intermediate. or more information on cycle F touring in New Zealand, visit www.nzcycletrail.com
TEN GREAT CYCLE TRAILS 1. ALPS 2 OCEAN 2. HAWKE’S BAY TRAILS 3. O LD COACH ROAD BIKE TRAIL 4. O TAGO CENTRAL RAIL TRAIL 5. P OU HERENGA TAI TWIN COAST RAIL TRAIL 6. REMUTAKA CYCLE TRAIL 7. ST JAMES CYCLE TRAIL 8. THE QUEENSTOWN TRAIL 9. TIMBER TRAIL 10. WEST COAST WILDERNESS TRAIL
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