What New Zealand’s Great Rides taught us … about slowing down, noticing and having fun
We thought one trip to New Zealand would satisfy our curiosity.
Instead, it left us planning the next one.
On our first visit, we sampled six of New Zealand’s Great Rides. Two years later we returned for four more. By the end of our second trip, we had ridden ten Great Rides, explored two cities by bike and travelled from the subtropical Bay of Islands to the glaciers and rainforests of the South Island.
New Zealand has spectacular scenery. Everyone knows that.
What surprised us most was something quieter: the thoughtfulness behind the trails.
Again and again, we found ferries, trains, bridges, boardwalks, tunnels and beautifully graded paths that solved problems with imagination.
Instead of forcing cyclists onto busy roads, trail builders found ways around them. A small ferry connects Rabbit Island to Mapua. A vintage train carries bikes on the Twin Coast Trail. Wide sweeping switchbacks climb through West Coast rainforest. Boardwalks cross wetlands and estuaries. Suspension bridges turn river crossings into adventures.
It is not just a collection of bike trails.
It is a country that has decided cycling matters.
As always, we did not try to ride every kilometre. We sampled highlights, lingered over coffee, stopped for photographs, walked the occasional steep section and reminded ourselves that travel is not about ticking boxes.
These are the New Zealand rides and moments we brought home.
Made for Fun
Sometimes a photograph says exactly what you are trying to say.
This pretty much sums up how New Zealand cycling felt for us.
The Great Rides are well organized, well signed and thoughtfully graded, but they rarely feel over-managed. They leave room for delight.
You might find yourself rolling onto a little ferry, pausing at a railway café, riding through a tunnel, stopping for pie, waiting out rain with new friends or laughing at a bicycle graveyard.
This is cycle tourism at its best …
and that suits us perfectly.
Queenstown Trail — bridges, rivers and the first “wow”
Queenstown was where New Zealand first won us over.
We rented e-bikes from Better by Bike, shuttled to Arrowtown and rode through countryside, vineyards and river valleys toward Gibbston. The trail was wide, flowing and beautifully built, with suspension bridges that turned every crossing into a little adventure.
It was one of those rides where everything seemed to work: the scenery, the trail surface, the route, the bike rental and the easy sense that we were exactly where we wanted to be.
Otago Rail Trail — big skies and easy riding
The Otago Rail Trail, launched in 2002, was New Zealand’s first Great Ride and remains one of its classics.
The riding is easy and open, passing through historic gold-mining country, old railway tunnels, bridges and small towns that seem made for slow travel.
We only sampled part of the route, but that was enough to understand its appeal. Sometimes a ride does not need drama. Sometimes a gentle railway grade, a wide sky and a good coffee stop are exactly enough.
IF YOU GO: Check out the great variety of tours offered by Bike It Now … Actually, we can’t say enough about Bike It Now – they made our trip happen when we booked late and we had the greatest experiences with them. We chose the One-Day-Wonders on the Otago, Roxburgh and Lake Dunstan trails. I highly recommend you book your Great Rides adventure with Bike It Now!
Roxburgh Gorge — the journey between trails
Roxburgh Gorge was one of the great surprises of our first trip.
The trail follows the Clutha River through dramatic canyon scenery that reminded us of British Columbia’s Fraser Canyon. The path was wide, flowy and fun — the kind of riverside riding that makes you forget to check how far you have gone.
If we had to choose one standout ride from our 2024 trip, this would be it. The Roxburgh Gorge is spectacular — a purpose-built riverside trail that was exactly our kind of gravel riding.
But the biggest surprise? The jetboat.
What do you do when the middle section of a trail is missing? … Add an adventure!
We thought the boat ride would simply be transportation. Instead, it included a fascinating historic mining tour, plenty of zips and turns and became one of the best parts of the day.
That is something we found again and again in New Zealand: a practical solution becomes part of the adventure.
By the way, the connecting trail is under construction and will be open later this year, but the jetboat will still be offered. My advice … don’t miss it!
Lake Dunstan Trail — how did they build this?
Lake Dunstan is one of those rides where you keep stopping to ask, “How on earth did they build this?”
Cantilevered boardwalks cling to rock faces above turquoise water.
Switchbacks climb up and down cliffsides.
Bridges, cliffside paths and sweeping lake views make the whole ride feel both dramatic and playful.
There were a few steep sections where I happily walked my bike. That did not take away from the ride at all. In fact, it reminded me of one of the best things about New Zealand cycling: you can do it your way.
Ride what feels good.
Walk what does not.
Keep going.
Alps to Ocean — moments more than kilometres
The Alps to Ocean Trail is New Zealand’s longest Great Ride, travelling from Aoraki / Mount Cook to Oamaru on the Pacific coast.
The moments we remember most are wonderfully specific: the helicopter crossing near Mount Cook, the view from Tarnbrae, Lake Ohau, Lake Benmore and watching little blue penguins return to shore in Oamaru.
Some rides are measured in kilometres.
Others are measured in moments.
IF YOU GO: Cycle Journeys arranged our bikes, accommodations and luggage transfers while we spent the days riding through alpine scenery, lakes, hydro canals, rolling farmland and quiet towns.
Great Taste Trail — a trail to savour
The Great Taste Trail near Nelson winds through orchards, vineyards, estuaries, shoreline paths and small communities, with cafés, wineries and breweries appearing at just the right intervals.
One of our favourite moments was the ferry from Rabbit Island to Mapua Wharf. In ten minutes, the ferry solved a trail gap, avoided a long detour and turned a simple crossing into a highlight.
That is New Zealand cycle tourism at its best: practical, creative and fun.
The coastal sections are easy and relaxed, while hillier sections add variety. On an e-bike, it felt very manageable.
And yes, true to its name – The Great Taste Trail – there are plenty of reasons to stop and taste.
IF YOU GO: Kiwi Journeys made it happen for us … bikes, accommodations, luggage transfer! Highly recommend!
Twin Coast Cycle Trail — between two seas
The Twin Coast Cycle Trail crosses Northland from the Bay of Islands on the east coast to Hokianga Harbour on the west.
It surprised us in all the best ways.
There were rail corridors, quiet rural roads, farmland, rivers, bridges, estuaries and a wonderful sense of moving between two very different coastlines.
What impressed us most were the creative solutions. A vintage train carries cyclists through one gap section. A long boardwalk crosses a mangrove estuary. In the Utakura Valley, the trail zigzags through farmland instead of staying on the main road, turning what could have been a dull connection into one of the most enjoyable sections of the ride.
This is also where slow biking shines. We stopped at cafés, looked at views, lingered at little towns and enjoyed the rhythm of the journey.
The bicycle was the reason we were there.
But the stops were the story.
IF YOU GO: Twin Coast Adventures pulled it all together for us – bikes, accommodations, train reservations and fun! Highly recommend!
West Coast Wilderness Trail … rain, rainforest and switchbacks done right
It rained on us for three days on the West Coast Wilderness Trail.
Not mist
Not drizzle
Rain
Not ideal for photographs and occasionally hard on morale, but I am still glad we rode it. I have learned that reading about a place is never the same as experiencing it, even in bad weather.
The section I will remember most was not a famous viewpoint. It was the climb through the Arahura Valley, where the switchbacks were wide, sweeping and beautifully graded.
I did not have to stop once.
For me, that is remarkable. Many switchbacks feel tight, awkward or intimidating. These felt generous. The trail builders used the land well, allowing riders to climb steadily through the forest without feeling punished.
At the top we stopped at a picnic area surrounded by dripping trees, moss-covered terraces and trail disappearing into deep green forest.
It felt like Middle-earth.
The West Coast Wilderness Trail is not wilderness every single kilometre. Some sections are road connections and some feel more like transit than trail.
But the best parts are excellent.
And the lesson stayed with me: good design can make difficult terrain feel welcoming.
IF YOU GO: Kiwi Journeys put together our itinerary for the Westcoast Wilderness Trail and we were delighted with the variety of meals, accommodation, the boat trip and so much more! Highly recommend.
Hawke’s Bay Trails … not every ride looks like the brochure
The brochure version of Hawke’s Bay showed sunshine, blue water, vineyards and smiling cyclists in shorts.
Our version involved rain gear, flapping ponchos, wind, slippery limestone and puddles deep enough to create reflections.
And somehow, it became one of the stories we will remember most.
Sometimes the best part of a rainy ride is waiting under shelter with other cyclists and deciding what to do next.
We rode with people from Copenhagen, stopped where we could, laughed at the weather and eventually made our way to Craggy Range Winery.
There, with a glass of Hawke’s Bay red, a charcuterie platter and mountain views emerging through the rain, the day changed completely.
Travel does that sometimes.
It refuses to give you the postcard, then hands you the memory.
IF YOU GO: Takaro Trails put together our Hawke’s Bay itinerary and arranged a very welcome rainy day pickup.
Hauraki Trail … tunnels, bridges and Hobbiton
Close to Auckland, the Hauraki Rail Trail offers easy riding and for us the short Karangahake Gorge section was the highlight — one of New Zealand’s most memorable railway corridors where the trail follows an old railway corridor through tunnels, bridges and river scenery.
We also used the ride as a way to visit Hobbiton, which was touristy, yes, but also great fun. That is another thing I like about cycling in New Zealand: the rides connect naturally with other experiences.
IF YOU GO: Jolly Bikes put together our package – e-bikes, accommodation and luggage transfer.
Christchurch … cycling the rebuilding city
Christchurch is a powerful city to explore by bike, with riverside paths, parks and reminders of resilience.
Christchurch gave us one of our most meaningful urban rides.
We rented from Chill Bikes and rode with local writer and cycling advocate Angela Cassidy, following the Avon River through Hagley Park, the Botanic Gardens and the city centre.
The ride was beautiful, but also thoughtful. We passed the Earthquake Memorial, crossed bridges, saw new architecture and rode through the residential red zone, where cleared neighbourhoods reveal the scale of the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes.
Cycling made the city feel understandable.
Not in a quick tourist way, but slowly, block by block, path by path.
It reminded me that cities can tell their stories beautifully when they make room for people on bikes.
Auckland — pink paths and volcano views
Auckland is full of hills, so e-bikes were the perfect way to explore.
We joined Power to the Pedal for a guided city ride and followed cycleways, quiet streets, parks and the famous Pink Lightpath.
City bike tours are one of our favourite ways to arrive in a new place. You see how a city fits together. You notice details. It is the kind of local perspective we love — seeing how residents live, and discovering areas we never would have found on our own.
And sometimes you ride on a bright pink path above traffic, which is reason enough.
What I brought home from New Zealand
… You didn’t have to be fast. You didn’t have to ride every kilometre. You could take the train, catch the ferry, send your luggage ahead, stop for coffee, walk a steep bit and carry on. And perhaps most importantly, the trails welcomed ordinary riders.
That may be what we brought home most of all. The best cycling adventures are not necessarily the hardest ones. They are the ones that make you want to see what is around the next corner.
The bicycle takes you to the ferry, the bakery, the bridge, the forest, the vineyard, the conversation, the view and the moment you did not know you were looking for.
That is why we ride.
And perhaps the most interesting question after a trip is not Where should we go next?
It is – What did they do right and what could we do here in BC?
PLANNING YOUR TRIP:
There are excellent planning resources at and New Zealand Tourism, and the trail grading system makes it simple to match routes to your comfort level. With so many choices, we focused on rides that suited our “fun-first, no-rush” style.
- NZ Cycle Trail – official Great Rides information
- New Zealand Tourism – travel planning and cycling resources
- Ride With GPS – mapping and navigation for all routes
- Bike It Now!, Cycle Journeys, Kiwi Journeys, Jolly Bikes, Chill Bikes, Power to the Pedal – rental + shuttle operators we used
Big adventures, easy pace.
Watch for new stories featuring favourite rides, walks and hikes from around the globe.
Do you have a favourite ride somewhere in the world? I’d love to hear about it and perhaps feature your photos. colleen at letsgobiking dot net
