Sarah and family at Lake Pukaki © Tourism Waitaki THE NEW ZEALAND CYCLE TRAIL GUIDE THE NEW ZEALAND CYCLE TRAIL GUIDE Great memories, in the places you love, with the people who matter most. ur favourite family holidays My tips for everyone to enjoy Cycling is for have been those where the ride: Owe’ve spent a large part of • If it’s your first time riding with the it on bikes. In fact we now plan our kids, keep it short. holidays around which Great Ride • Pack a bucket load of snacks, everyone we want to explore. including lollies – keep these easily And while you might think that accessible and in plentiful supply. Great Rides are too long to drag • Take two good thermos flasks, There is no better way to children along, you don’t have to with tea for the grown-ups and hot ride the entire length. We’ve learnt chocolate for the little ones. holiday, recreate or simply get to cherry-pick the most child- For over 30 years and in 50 spectacular locations friendly trails and sections, pack • Borrow, hire or buy the right throughout New Zealand, we have been carefully around, I reckon, than by bike. equipment for the children. creating settings to provide you with your very own enough food to ensure no-one gets unique, quality holiday experience. ‘hangry’, and take five whenever • Make the most of other cool things In New Zealand we have such anyone has had a gutsful! to do and see along the way. That We offer a range of accommodation options, and We’re really keen for the girls to walk to the waterfall, swim, or time 10% SAVINGS a cracking range of stunning all our Parks offer you plenty of space, children’s develop a love for being in the spent skimming stones on the river play facilities, BBQ areas plus indoor and outdoor Join our Club and save on TOP 10 places to explore on two outdoors and we’re committed are the gems that make up the recreational areas. Accommodation, Interislander Ferry to the whole family enjoying the whole experience. Travel, Scenic Train Journeys and at wheels; there is something adventure. Parking up for a picnic • Keep it realistic with the trail grade No holiday memories are complete without over 500 activity operators, cafés and after rolling through some of the – we’ll be leaving the kids at home restaurants throughout New Zealand. experiencing one of our great Parks. to tickle everyone’s fancy, world’s most beautiful scenery is when we do the Old Ghost Road. surely the best way to spend a day! Join at a TOP 10 Holiday Park whatever their ability, fitness reception, or online or number of kids in tow. Sarah Ulmer is an Olympic gold medal-winning cyclist MOTELS UNITS CABINS POWERED TENT and Board Member of Nga Haerenga The New Zealand SITES SITES Cycle Trail 2 1 THE NEW ZEALAND CYCLE TRAIL GUIDE THE NEW ZEALAND CYCLE TRAIL THE NEW ZEALAND CYCLE TRAIL GUIDE Queen Charlotte Track, Marlborough Sounds Welcome to Nga Haerenga ISBN > 978-1-98-852310-1 © The New Zealand Automobile Association Incorporated 2018. All rights reserved. contents AA, the AA logo and the Tourism pictogram are registered trademarks and the colour combination YELLOW & BLACK are 5 Cycling and Wine trademarks of The New Zealand Automobile 7 Plan your Ride Association Incorporated. While every care has been taken in the 10 NORTH ISLAND MAP compilation of this guide, the publishers 12 SOUTH ISLAND MAP cannot accept responsibility for inaccuracies or changes since going to press, or for 14 Times and Distances ABOVE: On the consequential loss arising from such changes trail © West Coast or other inaccuracies, or any other loss direct 15 Safety on the Roads Wilderness Trail or consequential arising in connection with 16 New Zealand Road Rules RIGHT: Waimea estuary, information provided in the publication. Tasman’s Great Taste Trail There is no requirement for advertisers NORTH ISLAND TRAILS © Chocolate Dog Studio in this guide to provide discounts for AA COVER PHOTO: Pou Herenga Tai Members; some individual advertisers 19 Twin Coast Cycle Trail Twin Coast Cycle Trail offer concessions and details of these are © Ruth Lawton photography indicated in their listings. All content in 26 Hauraki Rail Trail advertisements was provided by advertisers. 32 Waikato River Trails 84 The Old Ghost Road Trail 138 Kaipara Missing Link Relax between rides with any of The Great Journeys Auckland All rights reserved. No part of this publication of New Zealand. All our services are designed for may be reproduced (except brief passages 37 Te Ara Ahi - Thermal by 89 West Coast 140 Rere Falls Trail for the purpose of review), stored in a Bike Wilderness Trail carrying cycles or you can hire a bike at your Hamilton retrieval system or transmitted in any form 143 Forgotten World Highway or by any means, electronic, mechanical, 46 Motu Trails 98 St James Cycle Trail 146 Manawatu Cycleway destination. With The Great Journeys of New photocopy, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of the publishers. 51 The Timber Trail 104 Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail 149 Molesworth Muster Zealand, you can hop on and hop off wherever National Park Published in June 2018 by 54 Great Lake Trail 110 Otago Central Rail Trail 151 Rainbow Trail the mood takes you and discover the best of New AA Tourism Publishing Ltd Level 1, Building 2, 61 Constellation 56 Mountains to Sea Trail 117 Roxburgh Gorge Trail 153 Little River Trail Zealand’s spectacular cycle trails. Palmerston North Drive, Mairangi Bay, North Shore, Auckland 0632 60 Hawke’s Bay Trails 120 Clutha Gold Trail WINE SECTION PO Box 101 001, North Shore, 66 Remutaka Cycle Trail 122 The Queenstown Trail Picton Wellington Auckland 0745 157 New Zealand Wine T. +64 9 966 8720 F. +64 9 966 8721 SOUTH ISLAND TRAILS 127 Around the Mountains 159 Hawke’s Bay Find out more at E. [email protected] Greymouth Cycle Trail Kaikoura W . www.aatraveller.co.nz 73 Queen Charlotte Track 161 Martinborough HEARTLAND TRAILS greatjourneysofnz.co.nz ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES: 76 Dun Mountain Trail 163 Tasman & Marlborough Arthurs Pass T. +64 9 966 8720 Christchurch 132 Far North Cycleway E. [email protected] 79 Tasman’s Great Taste Trail 166 Queenstown & 135 Kauri Coast Cycleway Central Otago 2 3 Cycling… Cycling and wine There are 22 Great Rides on Nga Haerenga The New Zealand Cycle Trail, covering over 2,600 kilometres of the country. Great Bike Barn is New Zealand’s largest bike and bike accessory Rides are featured in this guide retailer with stores located right throughout the country. from page 19 to 131. Heartland Rides link the Great We carry leading international brands such as Merida, beginner or a more Rides. Unlike the Great Rides, Lapierre, Marin, Kona and Redline. We are also the advanced rider. We’ve these trails involve riding on public roads, at least in part. importers of leading parts and accessory brands JetBlack, got you covered, whether Nine Heartland Rides feature THE NEW ZEALAND CYCLE TRAIL GUIDE THE NEW ZEALAND CYCLE TRAIL GUIDE Mavic, Birzman, Limar Helmets, Polisport cycling products it’s an e-bike, mountain from page 132 in this guide. and Serfas. We are confident that we can help with any bike, road bike, kids bike or something just to cruise ….and wine and all of your biking requirements. down to the dairy and back on. Getting We’ve highlighted four wine Cycling at Craggy Range © Hawke’s Bay Tourism the bike which is the right fit for you is of regions – Hawke’s Bay, Wairarapa, With 19 stores nationwide the highest importance to us, and we can Tasman and Marlborough and no matter where you are in Queenstown and Central Otago Cycling and wine is a union Wine cycling can be a very Where a Great Ride or a Heartland Ride is in work to almost any budget! We have such – with an introduction to New made in heaven. The sociable thing to do with one of our featured wine regions, this symbol New Zealand there is always a wide range of bikes that we can help fit Zealand wines on page 157. landscapes of wineries are people choosing to tour appears. If you’re keen to visit wineries as a Bike Barn store nearby. Our your whole family with new bikes! These regions support cycling. conducive to cycling: smooth with friends and meeting part of your cycling adventure, refer to the knowledgeable and friendly Local operators offer tours, self- and flat, with clean-lined other cyclists and vineyard wine region pages Come on in and visit one of our stores, guide tour information and maps, avenues of vines and broad owners at cellar doors. It is for information and staff are willing to help you with rental bikes and helmets. shady pathways. Many are important to remember to we’re always happy to help. inspiration. see page 157 your new bike, whether you’re a within easy cycling distance be responsible with your of town centres and of each alcohol intake, always wear To book accommodation WIDE RANGE OF other, and many have cafés a helmet and keep safe on on your travels, see ACCESORIES AVAILABLE or restaurants attached. the road. We stock a wide range of www.aatraveller.co.nz road/commuter and mountain electric bikes from Merida and Lapierre as well as other MULTI-TOOL leading brands. HELMETS PANNIER BAGS FLOOR PUMP Get out there. BRITZ BIKES. Go further. When you add a Britz bike to your New Zealand adventure, you add the extra freedom to immerse yourself in some of the IT’Sjust NZ, most beautiful and harder-to-reach scenes that it has on show.