Exploring New Zealand is a positive joy, and even more so when it involves stunning cycle trails. Elisabeth Easther shares highlights of her seven-day guided tour around Nelson, Tasman, and Marlborough.
Adventuring in one of the most beautiful places on Earth is a pretty good way to spend the week, particularly when all of the details are taken care of and like the best kind of holiday, you just need to turn up and enjoy. Our seven-day guided cycling, walking, and sailing experience was part of a tour dubbed The Great Taste Trail & Beyond. Aptly named, as it involved a smorgasbord of fun, food, and fresh air.
Take me to your leader
As a tour company, Adventure South sees their guides as one of their greatest assets, and I can see why, as Chris Cameron and Jude Fieldhouse were both excellent in their leadership roles. Interestingly, it was thanks to a campervan expedition that saw Jude find herself at the helm of these tours.
Rewind the clock a few years ago when Jude owned and operated a pair of Pita Pits in Palmerston North.
“I was working seven days a week, with no time for fun, then along came COVID, and I thought there had to be more to life. So, I sold up after the first lockdown and bought a Renault campervan.”
Following a quick trial run around Castlepoint in Wairarapa, Jude was hooked and decided to set off for a full year on the road.
Six months in, Jude was chatting to a fellow motorhomer in picturesque Kaiteriteri and (admittedly following a few glasses of wine) they hatched a plan.
Jude would cycle the length of Aotearoa over 28 days and her new pal would be her support driver.
Already a keen cyclist, Jude had previously taken a trip with Adventure South, riding their Alps2Ocean itinerary as a guest. Then, during her longer cycle adventure, where she also raised $10,000 for Diabetes NZ, Jude fell even more deeply in love with Aotearoa, so when an opportunity to join the Adventure South team arose, she jumped at it.
Now let’s cut to the chase. How was my week-long off-road odyssey? In a word, divine. The perfect combination of biking and hiking, with plenty of time to smell the flowers and hug the trees.
Day one: Nelson to Tapawera, 61km cycling
Right: Anchorage, Abel Tasman
Day one was largely rural off-road riding. Departing from Monaco Point on Nelson’s skirts, the opening stretch was gentle and flat as we headed towards Brightwater and beyond. There were 12 of us in all, a mixed bag of Kiwis and Aussies, a couple of Americans, and a Canadian thrown in for good measure, and we quickly became a well-oiled machine.
Riding wide concrete cycle paths, with one guide leading the way and the other driving the van, we loved the forest roads and were full of admiration for Spooners Tunnel, the Southern Hemisphere’s longest decommissioned rail tunnel. So many joys. Fields full of crops and creatures, including a charming flock of imperious alpacas. And if I ever ride this way again, I’ll be sure to spend longer at Kohatu Flat Rock Cafe where a cool feijoa drink and a scone hit the spot just nicely for afternoon tea. Completing the day in Tapawera, we were transported back to Nelson for the night, and I wrote my first rule of the tour. Do not be on a diet, as dinner at the waterside Anchor Restaurant was hearty and wholesome.
Day two: Tapawera to Riwaka over Baton Saddle, 62km cycling
Back to Tapawera, we started where we stopped the day before and crossed paths with riders who were tackling the 1500km Sounds to Sounds from Queen Charlotte to Milford and the formidable 3000km Tour Aotearoa. As much as I’d like to ride both those routes, I also liked being pampered on a fully supported tour, where tummies never rumble and instead of sleeping in tents, we had warm beds in five-star lodgings.
The riverside riding was wonderfully rural, with leaves turning on the trees, a signal of cooler weather on the way. Baton Saddle was a bit of a climb, but we were well-provisioned and happy to be pedalling in paradise. Plus, riding a bike is a bit like being on a roller coaster: you meander ploddingly up a steep section, then whizz down the other side. All in all, a stunning day that ended in vibrant Motueka.
Day 3: Hiking and sailing, 12.5km walk, Marahau to Anchorage, three-hour sail to Kaiteriteri
Taking a break from the saddle, day three was a walk in the park – the Abel Tasman National Park that is. From the get-go, the olfactory symphony of early morning was in full swing. A combination of salty shore and fresh green fern, this is the sort of aromatic landscape where you feel lucky to be alive.
A world where fit young trail runners trot along at a lively lope and older folk approach with smiles on their faces. Intrepid parents hiked with babies strapped to their fronts while fantails darted about looking for lunch and tūī chirped in the trees. When we stopped to picnic at Anchorage Bay, I rather hoped our catamaran might be delayed. But at least there was time for a chilly dip before we sailed back the way we’d walked, to land at Kaiteriteri in time for a well-earned early dinner at The Beached Whale. FYI – Kaiteriteri is heavenly for motorhomes with parks right on the beachfront.
Day 4: Motueka to Richmond, 45km cycling, two-hour drive to Anakiwa and boat to Lochmara Lodge
Starting the day with a ride around the Motueka foreshore, we went on to climb through vineyards and orchards, stopping to admire views across Tasman Bay to Mt Arthur Range, which exudes a mystical charm. Making our way to Waimea Delta, signs alerted us to the presence of rare wading birds, including rails and bitterns, with locals working to protect the elusive birds’ habitats. Refuelling at a waterfront café in Māpua, a hotbed of galleries and artists’ studios, we then took a short ferry journey to Rabbit Island. Beachside riding got us to Richmond where we boarded the van and drove to Anakiwa – the home of Outward Bound – where a launch awaited to whisk us to Lochmara Lodge.
Day 5: Free time at Lochmara Lodge, Queen Charlotte Sound
Lochmara Lodge is heaven on Earth, with a focus on conservation, kai, and hospitality. It’s home to kunekune pigs, with those faces that only a mother could love, and precious tuna, or eels, readying themselves for their epic migration to Tonga. Lochmara also offers outdoor artworks and conveniently strung hammocks, with all rooms offering spectacular views of the bay. You can also walk the Queen Charlotte Track for hours in either direction. I loved the underwater observatory where we watched happy fish swim and snack from the submarine windows. You can also kayak, swim, or just laze about, with glowworms for those who can stay up that late.
Day 6: Mistletoe Bay to Anakiwa to Blenheim, 12km hike, optional cycle Anakiwa to Picton 22 km
Walking from Mistletoe Bay to Anakiwa, my heart felt lighter than it had in ages. The sounds and sights of nature, a break at Davies Bay to eat a top-notch packed lunch of filled rolls, baking, OJ, fruit and scroggin – made all the more delicious when eaten in nature after a decent walk. Arriving in Anakiwa, some of us chose to cycle in Picton. Be warned, this leg of the cycleway has some daring bits following storm damage, but it was still stunning hilly riding. Having worked quite hard, we were glad to arrive in Blenheim at the uber-groovy Hotel d’Urville, the perfect place for a last supper, and we dined like royals at the hotel restaurant. Speeches were made, and we raised an emotional toast to our guides because they really were the stars of the show. To Chris and Jude, you rock and roll.
Day 7: Whale Tail Trail, Blenheim to Seddon and back via Taylors Pass, 65km cycling
Our last day in the saddle featured steady climbs through rolling farm country, with a contrasting backdrop of barren tanned hills. Upon reaching Redwood Pass, we enjoyed a downhill to Awatere Valley where vineyards spread out in all directions, as far as the eye can see, the majestic Kaikōura Ranges and Mt Tapuae-o-uenuku dominating the skyline ahead.
After lunching in Seddon, we tackled Taylors Pass, our second big climb of the day, before heading to Taylors Dam where we loaded up the bikes and visited a local vineyard to sample a selection of their wines and say farewell – a fitting end to an incredible tour.
Trip duration: 7 days, 260km cycling, 26.55km walking
Grade: Easy to moderate, reasonable fitness required, whether you’re on an e-bike or riding under your own steam
Activities: Cycling, walking, sailing
Accommodation: 4 nights hotel/motel, 2 nights wilderness lodge
