New Zealanders’ favourite places to go cycling

posted in: Places, Things to do | 0

With more than 10,000 votes cast from keen New Zealand cyclists, the nation has chosen its favourite place to go riding. The best cycle ride in New Zealand is on a disused railway line in the South Island, according to voting in a national competition.

NZ’s Favourite Places to Cycle is an annual competition to identify, share and celebrate favourite places to ride, whether these are off-road or adventure trails, a city route, part of the official NZ Cycle Trail, or, even better, someplace waiting to be discovered by more than a few who are in the know.

New Zealanders’ favourite place to cycle is on the Otago Central Rail Trail

Top choice

Otago Central Rail Trail

Central Otago

Entirely off-road, this trail provides rugged scenery, country pubs and historic gold-mining villages as cyclists follow the 152km trail that follows the former route of the Otago Central Railway. The old railway line became New Zealand’s first off-road cycleway and walking trail, opening in 2000.

2016 category winners

Otago Central Rail Trail

Nga Haerenga NZ Cycle Trail and Overall Winner

The Redwoods (Whakarewarewa Forest), Rotorua

Off-Road or Adventure Ride

Napier

Urban Trail or Commute

Taupo and surrounds

On-Road Ride

Finalists

NZ Cycle Trail

Hauraki Rail Trail (Waikato)

Hawkes Bay Cycle Trails (Hawkes Bay)

Great Lake Cycle Trail (Taupo)

Queenstown Trail (Otago)

Otago Central Rail Trail (Central Otago)

Off-Road or Adventure Ride

The Redwoods (Whakarewarewa Forest), Rotorua

Taupo MTB Trails (Taupo)

Makara MTB Park (Wellington)

Kaiteriteri MTB Park (Tasman)

Port Hills (Christchurch)

Urban Trail or Commute

New Plymouth Coastal Walkway and Trails (Taranaki)

Auckland Bays and Central Suburbs (Auckland)

Taupo Central Trails (Taupo)

Napier (Hawkes Bay)

Christchurch (Canterbury)

On-Road

Taupo and surrounds (Taupo)

Napier and Hastings Urban Cycleways (Hawkes Bay)

Wellington Bays (Wellington)

Dunedin surrounds and Otago Peninsula (Otago)

Port Hills and Banks Peninsula (Canterbury)

Previous winners

The Redwoods in Rotorua was voted New Zealand’s Favourite Place to Cycle in 2014 and 2015.

The 2015 category winners

Otago Central Rail Trail

Nga Haerenga – NZ Cycle Trail

The Redwoods (Whakarewarewa Forest), Rotorua

Off-Road or Adventure Ride and Overall Winner

Taupo lakefront trails

Urban Trail or Commute

On-Road Ride

Taupo and surrounds

Source: Bike Wise, New Zealand’s national cycling programme, is funded and co-ordinated by the NZ Transport Agency. It runs the NZ’s Favourite Place to Cycle competition to celebrate Bike Wise Month, launched in February 2014.

10 top water experiences in New Zealand

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Northland’s Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve is one of the best water adventures in New Zealand, says travel guide Lonely Plant.

The Poor Knights reserve has received wide recognition for its beauty and range of dives. Aquatic legend Jacques Cousteau once said it was one of the world’s top 10 diving spots.

“The island’s underwater cliffs drop steeply through crystal waters to form a maze of archways, caves and tunnels adorned with sponges and a vivid array of underwater vegetation. Rays, and a variety of colourful fish not present elsewhere in New Zealand, can be spotted here thanks to the subtropical current from the Coral Sea.” – Lonely Planet.

Lonely Plant’s Top 10 Water Experiences

Diving at the Poor Knights marine reserve

Raglan surfing

Auckland sailing

Blackwater rafting in Waitomo

Tongariro River rafting

Kayaking in Okarito Lagoon

Kayaking in Abel Tasman National Park

Torrent River canyoning

Swimming with seals in Kaikoura

Swimming with dolphins in Akaroa

Source: Lonely Planet’s top 10 list of unmissable aquatic adventures, 2015.

Top 10 swimming holes in New Zealand

 

Best milkshakes in New Zealand

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As the world’s biggest exporter of milk products, it’s hardly surprising that Kiwis love to drink so much of it.

They drink it neat, full fat, low fat, calcium-enriched or in any other number of ways.

But milk comes into its own when whisked with a dollop of ice cream and milkshake flavouring. Until the 1990s, most suburban dairies had a rack of bottled flavourings and could whip up a single (one scoop of ice cream) or a double shake within minutes.

Shakes are making a comeback with a growing number of cafes now treating them as specialty drinks.

It’s even led to the launch in 2015 of a national competition to find New Zealand’s best milkshakes with entries judged against four key criteria – uniqueness, texture, aesthetic appeal and of course, taste.

New Zealand’s best milkshake

Top choice

Ice Chocolux Shake

Made by Lulu and Max Cafe which has since closed

Hastings

Regional winners

Chocodream Shake

Made by Snacks & Scoops 

2033 Great North Rd, Avondale, Auckland

Woohoo, My Mango’s Got Pashinit Shake

Made by Espy Café 

10 Esplanade, Whitianga 

Mandarin Chocolate Stracciatella Shake 

Made by Blenheim Railway Café & Ice Creamery  

2 Grove Road, Mayfield, Blenheim 

The 2016 competition was judged by food writer Nici Wickes and received more than 300 competition entries, and more than 26,000 public votes to help narrow the choices.

Previous winners

Top choice

Aw Fudge I Crushed My Nuts Shake

Made by Espy Café 

10 Esplanade, Whitianga 

Regional winners

Snacks & Scoops 

2033 Great North Rd, Avondale, Auckland

Scott Drive Foursquare

 29 Scott Dr, Flaxmere, Hastings

Halswell Dairy 

456 Halswell Road, Halswell, Christchurch

The 2015 competition was judged by milkshake judge Deanna Yang who travelled the country, checking out the best entries from 320 cafes, dairies and bars.

Source: Anchor Milk’s Best Milkshake Competition.

Alternatives – Auckland’s best milkshakes are here.

Kiwis’ favourite names for baby boys

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New Zealanders’ favourite names for baby boys are short (four letters or less in many cases) and have a Victorian flavour to them. The top three choices of names could all have been plucked from Charles Dickens novels.

The most popular names for boys registered in 2016 revealed little change in the top three from the previous year.

About 61,000 births were recorded during the year and 18,000 of them were given unique first names, reflecting the efforts of parents to find distinctive names for their children.

Favourite names

(2015 place in brackets):

1. Oliver (1)

2. Jack (2)

3. William (3)

4. Mason (6)

5. James (4)

6. Hunter (7)

7. Noah (11)

8. Lucas (14)

9. Leo (24)

10. Max (13)

Source: Department of Internal Affairs, New Zealand.

New Zealanders’ favourite names for baby girls  Ι  The worst names for New Zealand babies

 

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