There are fat tyres on a mountain bike for a reason, or, if you’re in New Zealand, for a lot of reasons. New Zealand must have more off-road rides per person than anywhere else on earth. There is even a New Zealand government-funded network of Great Rides, cycles trails, gravel roads and tracks tailor-made for your dream New Zealand bike tour or mountain bike adventure. Like cycling off the beaten track? New Zealand is the place to ride.
There are a large number of bicycle friendly track choices, but here are our Top 5 New Zealand cycle trails. Dress for dirty off road fun, get ready to see the cycle trail sights, and don’t forget to pack your helmet – it’s the law!
North Island Cycle Trails
It’s warmer in the North Island than in the South Island, so this is the place to cycle if you like higher temperatures, dark grippy soil, and great rides along tracks through lush forest and volcanic scenery.
The Old Coach Road bike track
The ski town of Ohakune near Mount Ruapehu was once an important rail stop, and the good news is this history has left the region with an track that is super fun to explore by mountain bike, and educational too. The 15-kilometre Old Coach Road trail was a short-lived cobblestone road link between the railheads of Ohakune and Raurimu, and more than eight kilometres of the track is still cobbled, which is a pretty cool feature for a cycle trail that isn’t in Europe. Stop at the legendary Hotopito Motors (famous for featuring in the film Smash Palace), and for engineering-themed selfies at the Taonui and Hauawhenua viaducts.
The Timber Trail
As well as trains, New Zealand has a legacy of logging that has left behind some epic tracks and trails made for great rides. The Timber Trail, located about four hours’ drive from Auckland, is a two-day ride that has just enough up and down to make it interesting, but no so much to make the journey out of reach for those of us who like to cycle for fun, not to train for cycling crowns. One of New Zealand’s Great Rides, the Timber Trail is 85 kilometers of New Zealand cycle trail joy, set in the Central North Island’s diverse Pureora Forest Park with its mix of virgin and exotic forests. There are, yes, 35 bridges to cycle across, including the 141-metre long Maramataha suspension bridge. Camp at Piropiro, the halfway point of the trail, or splurge on a night at the Timber Trail Lodge, where you’ll find pizza, beer, a bike wash, hot showers and plenty of camaraderie.
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Top tip for North Island rides:
No matter how good the forecast is, always bring a rainproof jacket. The North Island is the warmest part of New Zealand, but it’s also wet. That’s why the country you see is so green.
South Island Cycle Trails
For cycling fans around the world, mountain biking and cycle touring in the South Island of New Zealand tops a lot of bike ride wish lists. The landscapes are big, the rides are long, and the light is needle sharp, all the better to see the cycle trail sights with.
Otago Central Rail Trail
Another one of the Great Rides, and the first of its kind in New Zealand, the Otago Central Rail trail opened in 2000, to take advantage of the ready-made track left behind after the old railway between Middlemarch (near Dunedin) and Clyde was torn up. The Rail Trail follows 152 kilometres of perfect cycle track through the most inland landscapes and heritage towns in New Zealand, and because trains prefer a flat road, the uphills are never too steep to ride comfortably. Along the track, you will see New Zealand history like old gold workings, historic “ganger shed” shelters on the side of the trail, old pubs full of mining and cycle trail history. Need a bike to ride? Visit Bike It Now in Clyde. They are experts in electric bikes, just what you need for your three-day ride.
The Welcome Rock Trail
The Welcome Rock trail is a track with a history. A 27-kilometre loop ride, the track follows the Roaring Lion Water race, which was built in the 1890s by 30 very tough men with the kind of picks and shovels you only see in gardens these days. They were on the trail of gold, but what they left behind is now a different kind of treasure, a New Zealand cycle trail with a lot of stories to tell. On the ride you’ll see only sluice pipes, the remains of the hut belonging to the Chinese miner Lee Lum, who met a tragic end right next to the track, and a hidden bottle of whiskey, tucked somewhere off the track at Welcome Rock itself.
The Old Ghost Road
The Old Ghost Road is not only getting a reputation as one of New Zealand’s best routes for an off-road ride, it’s known as one of the best mountain bike rides in the world. An advanced ride with some steep climbs and technical terrain, the Old Ghost Road is a track that will take you two to three days to cycle, unless you choose to take a chopper in, which is definitely an option. It also follows an old gold miners’ road through the back country, proper West Coast terrain sculpted by rivers and earthquakes, and now defined by adventure. It’s the ultimate New Zealand ride, a cycle track that is both physically and technically challenging, but worth the work. You’ll see big views, big drop offs, and big boulders tossed across the landscape like marbles through the Boneyard section of the track. Best of all, the beers are big and cold and the Rough and Tumble Lodge located at the end of trail. As for actual ghosts, no one has seen one, but people say they’ve heard strange sounds along the Old Ghost Road cycle trail at night.
Top tip for South Island rides
The South Island of New Zealand is a lot less populated than the North Island, which means a lot less light pollution at night. Wherever you cycle, be sure to stay awake after dark and step outside to see the beautiful nightscapes that come with the lack of people.
