Te Ara ahi cycle trail is 48kms long and can be done in 1-2 days, or you can do what we did and use it to access other trails or the city. From our base at Rotorua Thermal Holiday Park we hopped on the trail to Embark on a journey shaped by fire and culture on the earth's active crust which has been ripped apart and now gives glimpses into its belly at seven steaming … [Read more...]
Rotorua – cycling the Whakarewarewa Forest Loop
This ride is not for the faint hearted - it says it is Grade 2 with bits of Grade 3, I found it a challenge largely because it is a four hour ride, but there were lots of opportunities to get off the track and head home if it was too much. The Whakarewarewa Forest Loop is the newest of NZ's great rides (the app is a must for cycling in NZ). The Loop is a 33km circular, … [Read more...]
Cycling the Old Coach Road Ohakune
What do you associate with the words 'old coach road'? Showing my ignorance here, but I didn't think of cobbles! Lots of cobbles on this old coach road - not the smoothest ride and to think each stone was fashioned and laid by hand - wow! A wonderful historic ride over viaducts and through rainforest - towering ancient podocarps - always breathtaking in their beauty. Cynthia … [Read more...]
Cycle Wellington’s Rocky Shoreline
They say you can not beat Wellington on a good day. The heavy morning rain had cleared, the sea was flat, there was little wind. This 35 km ride is flat, on mostly quiet roads. Who would have guessed that so close to the heart of a great city like Wellington would be a coastal ride like this. Basically it takes you in a coastal circuit with Wellington Airport in the … [Read more...]
Te Awa River Ride
Cambridge is a good sized country town 20 minutes from Hamilton metropolis - we are here to see friends and to explore some of the Te Awa River Ride Waikato River Trails we have heard so much about. In between rides, we can explore the galleries, cafēs and antique shops that line the main street. Te Awa River ride towards Hamilton via the Velodrome An easy gentle ride to … [Read more...]
Frankton is our base for some Queenstown Cycleways
Cycling Trip March 2022 Otago Queenstown Part 3 Queenstown is not my favourite place - but it is in one of the most beautiful locations in New Zealand. The secret is stay in – Arrowtown, or Frankton or Lake Hayes. All of these have an amazing network of hundreds of kilometres of cycle trails linking you to the great outdoors. Staying at Driftaway … [Read more...]
Lake Dunstan Trail
Cycling Trip March 2022 Otago Queenstown Part 2 Last year we did the Pisa Landing to Bannockburn part of the trail a week before the rest of the trail opened. So this year we are back to do the real thing – it seems about 500 other people have the same idea. Bannockburn Bridge is our starting point – only 33.9 kms from here – less range anxiety with my Moustache … [Read more...]
Rakiura – Land of the Glowing Skies
Rakiura is the third main island of New Zealand - at the bottom of the South Island. An invitation to step back in time, to an ancient landscape where the forest and its wildlife is reclaiming the land and the 400 residents are largely left to hug the shoreline of the island’s eastern bays. It is summer time and we are some of the 400 visitors visiting Rakiura/Stewart … [Read more...]
On the Coastal Pacific to Blenheim for the weekend
Waiharakeke is the name for Blenheim and we have decided to do an overnight mid winter trip on the Coastal Pacific Train and take our ebikes. Loading our bikes on the train in Christchurch at 6.30am in the middle of winter was a stretch for this normally late riser. (You can leave your car at the station for free) But it was worth it. I dozed a little until the sun came … [Read more...]
Cycle Trails around Arrowtown – Magic to visit in Autumn
I am told Central Otago has weathered the Covid storm well, with strong support from kiwis who are thriving on exploring their own backyard. Campervans and caravans have been flying out the door. Out of school holidays, it is often the ‘Grey Nomads’ who are out and about, with electric bikes and the cycleways of Central Otago are a great attraction. As part of our … [Read more...]