At some stage in our lives most of us ridden a bicycle, but perhaps not for a while. Well New Zealand is the ideal destination to test the scientific truth “you never forget how to ride a bike”. The advent of e-bikes and the fabulous network of thousands of kilometers of cycle trails of all levels means that adding some cycling to your New Zealand holiday works for just about everyone.
Cycling around the wineries, stopping for tastes and a lingering lunch is always a hit. There is something very special about rocking up to a vineyard which you may have heard of, tried their wine before, but today you are on location and arriving under your own steam. Sitting amongst the vines, sipping wine in the sun and just soaking it up before it is time to turn the pedals and make your way to the next. Hawkes Bay is the natural location with over 200km of “off the road” cycle trails but opportunities abound in all regions.
Queenstown, Cromwell, Clyde and Central Otago offer a wealth of off road trails for all levels. Stunning scenery which just absorbs you. Big, stark and silent. In many instances you are far from the road and the traffic sounds. The coffee boats, country pubs, wineries, curling, jet boat ride, cafes, museums, information boards detailing the history of the area all serve for welcome rest stops and local chats. The gentle pace of cycling and the stops and chats make you feel like you are part of the country, not just looking at it.
And all over the rest of the country there’s a multitude of trails, again ranging from a couple of hours to multi day – gentle meandering along the flat to technical mountain biking and everything in between. But what these trails don’t do is have you competing with the traffic. They are either purpose built off road or use the quiet back roads.
Trails vary from a couple of hours to multi day and are so well supported by bike hire and shuttle companies that you will find one or part of one to suit your experience, fitness (remember those e bikes) and time.
So do make sure at some point on your New Zealand holiday, you take a day or two at a slower pace and just soak it up. Cycling truly is one of the magic ways to spend some time seeing our country.
