Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
along a beach. Rides range from one-hour jaunts (from around $60) to week-long, fully
catered treks.
All-day horseback adventures happen around Kaikoura, Nelson, Mt Cook, Lake
Tekapo, Hanmer Springs, Queenstown, Glenorchy, Methven, Mt Hutt, Cardrona, Te Anau
and Dunedin. Treks are also offered alongside Paparoa National Park on the West Coast.
For details, see the following:
100% Pure New Zealand
(
www.newzealand.com
)
True NZ Horse Trekking
(
www.truenz.co.nz/horsetrekking
)
NGA HAERENGA, NEW ZEALAND CYCLE TRAIL
The Nga Haerenga, New Zealand Cycle Trail (
www.nzcycletrail.com
) is a major nationwide project that has been
in motion since 2009, expanding and improving NZ's extant network of bike trails. Funded to the tune of around
NZ$50 million, the project currently has 22 'Great Rides' up and running across both islands (10 in the North Is-
land and 12 in the South Island), all of which are either fully open to cyclists or have sections open in some capa-
city. The network is proving to be extremely popular: the West Coast Wilderness Trail is an easy trail winning
plenty of fans, as is the Great Taste Trail in Nelson. See the website for info, maps and updates, including grades
and durations, photos, videos and weather and accommodation links.
Mountain Biking
Aside from the New Zealand Cycle Trail, NZ is laced with quality mountain-biking op-
portunities. Mountain bikes can be hired in major towns or adventure-sports centres like
Queenstown, Wanaka, Nelson and Picton which also have repair shops.
Key South Island mountain-biking meccas include the Alexandra goldfield trails in
Central Otago, the Queenstown Bike Park, and Twizel near Mt Cook. Also good on the
South Island are the Waitati Valley and Hayward Point near Dunedin, Canaan Downs near
Abel Tasman National Park, and Mt Hutt, Methven and the Banks Peninsula.
Not feeling so energetic? Various companies will take you up to the tops of mountains
and volcanoes (eg Christchurch's Port Hills, Cardrona and the Remarkables) so you can
hurtle down without the grunt-work of getting to the top first.
Some tramping tracks are open to mountain bikes, but the Department of Conservation
(DOC;
Click here
)
has restricted access in many cases due to track damage and inconveni-
ence to walkers, especially at busy times. Never cycle on walking tracks in national parks
unless it's permissible (check with DOC), or risk heavy fines and the unfathomable ire of
trampers. The Queen Charlotte Track is a good one to bike, but part of it is closed in sum-
