Celebrate Aotearoa Bike Challenge month with a bike ride. Photo / Supplied
Celebrate Aotearoa Bike Challenge month with a bike ride. Photo / Supplied
February marks Aotearoa Bike Challenge Month. A full 28-days when the nation is encouraged to cycle anywhere, anytime and to bring everyone else along for the (literal) ride.
Participants can sign up at lovetoride.net/nz, earn points and win prizes.
But it's not all about winning, the real target is to ride one million combined kilometres by bike instead of by car, in an attempt to prevent over 180,000 kg of CO2 from entering the atmosphere.
Whether you're up for the challenge or simply looking for inspiration to hop on the saddle, here's a bucket-list selection of nationwide bike rides.
Whether you are a biking fan, a pinot lover, or both, you owe yourself a journey across the alpine wonders of the Gibbston River Wine Trail.
Twenty-four kilometres east of Queenstown lies a winding cycling trail that's still, surprisingly, Central Otago's best-kept secret. It's snuggled on the sides of the Arrow and Kawarau Rivers and State Highway 6 - south of Arrowtown - and visitors get to ride over bridges, hills, and mountains, all while sipping on award-winning wines.
Cycling through the vines in Gibbston Valley. Photo / Tourism New Zealand
Pedalling around Wellington
Wellington has been in the news for all the wrong reasons when it comes to cycling lately, which says a lot about its urban riding and little about its recreational trails which are, quite frankly, stupendous.
Pencarrow Ride lookout, Wellington. Photo / Lee Slater
Cycling holidays in Nelson
Nelsonians bike to work or school more than anyone else in New Zealand. While the national average is six per cent of local commuters, Nelson nearly doubles that at 11 per cent.
This statistic was proudly relayed to me by the city council's transport manager, Margaret Parfitt. "Nelson has a long history of being cycle-friendly", she told me, adding that the city has picked up the nation's annual cycle-friendly town award several times.
Riding past the striking Nelson Cathedral in central Nelson. Photo / Lee Slater
New Zealand's greatest cycleways
Elisabeth Easther gears up for four of New Zealand's greatest cycleways...
I love exploring our countryside by bicycle, whether it's a short ride or a multi-day adventure, riding a bike floats my boat. Cycling also allows a person to admire every bird, branch and bloom, while having a modest impact on the environment. With so many great rides to choose from, here's a small handful of my favourites.
Cycling over Edger Bridge from Arrowtown. Photo / Thomas Bywater
Mountain biking in Rotorua
When it comes to cycling, Rotorua talks a very big game, claiming itself "undisputedly the mountain biking capital of New Zealand".
When I ask deputy mayor, Dave Donaldson, to back up the boast, he comes back with some pretty serious creds.
"We've hosted Crankworx six times, the UCI Mountain Bike and Trials World Champs, and the Singlespeed MTB World Champs twice. Our mountain biking manaakitanga is globally renowned."
The Te Ara Ahi cycle track takes in five of Rotorua's geothermal parks, and forests perfect for mountain biking. Photo / Destination Rotorua
The lesser-known bike ride on Auckland's North Shore
Fifteen minutes after leaving Auckland's CBD we arrive at Birkenhead Wharf, wheel bikes off the ferry and exit the terminal. Across the water, a silver conveyor belt stretches like a slide from salmony-pink Chelsea Sugar Refinery to where ships dock to unload sugar. To the left, I can make out the Northwestern Motorway, the Waitākere Ranges looming beyond. The ferry begins its return journey, we start ours.
