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
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
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
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.
