A blog about cycle touring in New Zealand including route maps and descriptions of the best cycle routes together with general information on cycle touring in New Zealand.
The New Zealand Cycle Trails project has resulted in the creation of dedicated off-road cycle trails in both the north and south islands. Originally the cycle trails project was intended to create a continuous cycleway from the North Cape to Bluff but this was not realistic given New Zealand's topography.
What has been created are cycleways in the regions and these projects have had a significant impact on both the local and national economies and no more so than for the struggling rural regions faced with declining populations. The cycle trails are located in some of the most scenic parts of New Zealand with accommodation and cafes along the way catering for all types of riders.
The good news is that there is now an app for both Android and Apple IOS devices that provides detailed information and maps on each of the New Zealand cycle trails. This is a well-designed app that is easy to read which is important when you are on your bike. You can download only the rides that you want to and all of the information that you will need to do the ride can be found in one place and is available to you while on the ride. You can find out all the essential things you need to know about each ride with the minimum of effort.
There are options for cycling around Northland. The first consideration is where to start the ride. If you are cycling up from Auckland I strongly advise against cycling up the main road to Whangerei as the carriageway is to narrow to provide a shoulder for bikes and the high volume of cars and heavy trucks. It is better to take an alternative route or to catch a bus from Auckland and to start your ride in Whangerei.
Route from Auckland North:
The first option to see Northland on a bike is to ride the Pou Herenga Tai Twin coast cycle trail which goes from the Bay of Islands to the Hokianga Harbour. Details of this ride can be found on the following link. It will give you a good taste of what Northland has to offer.
If you wish to see the whole of Northland then the following route will allow you to do this.
I have just completed a 750 kilometre ride around Northland that started in Whangerei and went up the east coast and then to Cape Reinga and then went down the west coast to Dargaville. From there we cycled back to Whangerei. There are some big hills to ride up but there are some great beaches and places to stay on the route.
On the first day from Whangerei to Whangaruru we went on a back country route which avoided the main road. It was shingle which can be difficult to ride on.
If you stay at camping grounds these usually have choices of camp sites and huts which are ideal for cycle touring. On the second day we headed to Kerikeri a distance of 76 kilometres and on the following day we rode to Matauri Bay. This is a great beach with a camping ground on the foreshore. There was big hill out of Matauri Bay as we headed to Cable Bay via Russell and Waitangi.
Matauri Bay
There is a spectacular coastline to ride along and there are some big hills. We then rode out to the Karikari Peninsula which is a very worthwhile optional side trip. From there we went to Awanui on our way up to Cape Reinga.
Cape Reinga is the place to start if you are doing an New Zealand end to end cycle ride.
After you have reached the top it is time to head down the west coast to Dargaville and there some very interesting places and towns to visit. You need to catch the ferry from Kohukohu to Rawene. Opononi is a very attractive seaside town. On the way down this coast again there are some big hill climbs.
Opononi
We rode the 82 kilometres from Dargaville on back roads wherever possible to avoid the traffic.
This round trip while fairly demanding because of the hills was a excellent cycle touring route provided you have sufficient time to enjoy the towns and beaches that you visit. It is best done at a leisurely pace.
The development of the cycleways in Auckland has been proceeding at a reasonable pace and for those wishing to ride around the city, there have been a number of cycleways but no way of linking the cycleways so that cyclists are able to do a circular route mostly on cycleways. This situation has changed with the opening of the new Waterview Cycle and walkway.
Starting in the city centre you can cycle ride up the Grafton Gully and join the North Western cycleway and then connect to the Waterview cycleway which follows Te Auaunga (Oakley Creek) between the suburbs of Mt Albert and Waterview. The first section runs between Great North Road at Waterview across the 90-metre-long Alford Street Bridge and into the Unitec campus.
At the end of the Waterview Cycleway, you can connect to the cycleway that runs alongside the South Western Motorway which finishes near Onehunga.
To complete the circuit back to the city centre ride up the Onehunga Mall and through Cornwall Park. You also have the option of continuing on the cycleway that runs from Onehunga to Penrose before heading back to the city centre. This ride is not completely on cycleways but a high percentage is. Finding your way along this route is not easy and there is a need for improved signage.
