The hub where cycling's not just for weekends, Wānaka is on the right track, writes Sarah Bennett
"Epic rides with epic views". So says the Wānaka visitor booklet, which liberally sprinkles its biking write-up with superlatives such as "stunning", "spectacular" and "eye-popping".
A promo photo shows mountain bikers hoofing down a mountainside while a helicopter swoops off into the distance. The text reads: 'Heli biking – there is no better way!'
Really? That's not what my spies tell me. The Outlet Track, the Clutha/Mata-au and Hāwea trails, Sticky Forest, Deans Bank, Cardrona and Glendhu Mountain Bi Park are allegedly pretty mint, so it sounds like there's plenty of great riding without blowing your carbon budget.
Urban cycleways are all go, with several major arterial routes under construction and $16m of council funding recently approved to build a whole lot more.
"Wānaka is in transition," says Simon Telfer of Bike Wānaka, the local club. "We're moving from an expectation that you just ride on weekends to one where you can bike to school, to work, or to have a beer with your friends."
"We're the envy a lot of small towns in Aotearoa," he says. "Almost everyone owns a bicycle."
Wānaka's building boom has seen it sprawl in every direction with an inevitable explosion in roading and traffic. Happily, plenty of parkland has been preserved for the public, including the bike-friendly lakeshore and Clutha/Mata-au and Hāwea River reserves.
Wānaka's big hill, Mt Iron, has bike trails around its foot and walking trails leading up to its summit. For rides further afield you'll need fitness or a vehicle.
The mountains make it easy to navigate by just following your nose. The excellent, printed town map shows all key biking and walking trails in and around town. The Wānaka Tracks app is a trusty companion, detailing trails far and wide and linking to other useful info.
The essential sightseeing tour follows the Outlet Track along the lake edge and Clutha/ Mata-au River to Albert Town. Southern Alps panoramas and close-ups of the Clutha's swirling blue waters are stunning indeed.
The ride to Albert Town - one-two hours - is more or less flat with the odd rabbit-hole and rut to keep you on your toes. Signposted detours lead to Sticky Forest and Hikuwai Conservation Area which have meatier MTB trails.
Albert Town is home to bustling Pembroke Patisserie, where you can butter yourself up before heading back to town or venturing onward on to various trails starting from the bridge. These include the Deans Bank, Hāwea River, and Upper Clutha River trails that continue downstream towards Luggate. There are several days' riding in that lot alone.
There are various ways back to Wānaka from Albert Town, with options to detour to a couple of brewbars, a winery, and other tasty places. Wānaka Bike Tours (wanakabiketours.co.nz) offer the self-guided Bike & Taste Wānaka package that includes e-bikes, a map and a discount card for several hot spots.
Bike Glendhu is Wānaka's new mountain bike park (bikeglendhu.co.nz), which opened in 2020. It covers 1000ha of rolling high country farm at Glendhu Bay, around ten minutes' drive from town. It's only open September to June so we didn't get to ride, but our walking tour with managing director Charles Cochrane certainly whet our appetite to return.
The park is privately owned and quite the enterprise. It has 30km of single track, with more to come. There are trails for all abilities, from a cruisy loop with a friendly climb through to more techy trail and jumpy stuff. An adult day pass is $35 and there are multi-day and season passes along with guiding, coaching and uphill shuttles. The popular Four Hours of Power package gives you e-bike hire and a day pass for $125.
The views are epic. So is the conservation effort evident in major native replanting and a solar-powered base building that houses the ticket office, rentals and workshop. It's also home to the seasonal Velo Cafe and beer garden, which looks like an appealing place to lounge around after a ride.
Although it's possible to bike from town to Bike Glendhu along the Millennium Track, the 15km is reputedly a bit sketchy, so most folks just drive.
If you like the idea of rock-climbing but it's in the too-hard basket, check out Wildwire. It offers the world's highest waterfall cable climb on a "via ferrata".
Originating in Europe, a via ferrata is a secure, protected, climbing path that provides safe and relatively easy rock climbing for beginners upwards. Harnessed up and clipped on, the Wildwire crew guide you up beside the Twin Falls, with the most popular option the mid-range "Wild Thing" 320m climb featuring suspension bridges, hidden pools and spectacular views of Lake Wānaka and beyond.
Wildwire is around 20 minutes' drive from Wānaka.
Whether you're on the bike or off it, a visit to Pembroke Patisserie is pretty much compulsory. I went five times in a week and ended up mainlining creme anglaise. We're also faithful fans of Big Fig, which dishes up hearty hot food all day alongside good coffee and cake.
A report on two particularly good spectator sports. The first is Lismore Forest BMX jump park, 10 minutes' walk from town, where the young, firm and fearless pump, jump, drop, flip, bar spin, moto whip and possibly even superman. Don't try this at home.
The second is the Hāwea Wave, which is in fact two artificial surf waves engineered especially for white-water fanatics. The surfers and kayakers thrashing about in the torrent made it look a lot of fun, but no so much that I'd brave the waters in mid-winter, even in a 5mm wetsuit. You can bike there on the Hāwea River Track, which will take around 2–4 hours return from town.
Wānaka's weather is pretty extreme. It was so icy during our mid-winter visit we had to double-glove and cram woolly hats under our helmets. In summer, the heat is punishing and shade in short supply so you'll need to avoid mid-day riding and slip, slop, slap.
There's some very pleasant riding to be had on Wānaka's trails and those heading further afield via lakeside and riverbank. When it comes to decent mountain biking, however, the need to hop in the car or helicopter is a bit of a downside and parallels the problems with that other enviable Wānaka pastime, skiing. Fortunately, this cashed-up, super-active and future-focused community is well placed to lower their recreational carbon footprint.
For more New Zealand travel ideas and inspiration, go to newfinder.co.nz and newzealand.com
Telegraph: “A bingo card of disappointments.”