This ride combines the West Coast Wilderness Trail with back roads to create a figure of eight packing in breathtaking scenery, rich heritage and small-town charms.
This ride starts from Greymouth, which you can reach via the TranzAlpine train through Arthur’s Pass – a grand adventure in itself. It follows the wonderful West Coast Wilderness Trail south to Kumara, then branches off to Hokitika via quiet country roads. The route then rejoins the Wilderness Trail to reach spectacular Lake Mahinapua, then begins its loop back via the equally pretty Lake Kaniere to rejoin the Wilderness back again to Kumara. From there it heads east to loop around Lake Brunner via the lakeside town of Moana and back to Greymouth via Stillwater in the Grey Valley.
Highlights
- characterful towns including Kumara, Hokitika & Greymouth
- some spectacular forest sections complete with very cool bridges
- opportunities for a lake or river swim
- cafes & pubs dotted along the way, plus Monteith’s Brewery in Greymouth
- rich heritage including rusty relics galore
- fab camping & family run accommodation
- West Coast sunsets in Hokitika & Greymouth as seen from their river mouths
West Coast Wilderness Trail switchbacks from above (Lachlan Gardiner/Adventure South NZ)
Connecting bikepacking routes
From the southernmost point in this ride it’s possible to continue to the end of the West Coast Wilderness Trail at the old gold mining town of Ross. But watch this space, because more trails are in development in this area, besides which you’ve always got the option of heading further north or south via the Tour Aotearoa route which follows the West Coast from Greymouth to Haast. Then of course, there’s always The Old Ghost Road, Kahurangi 500, the Paparoa Track, and Reefton’s trails …
A more detailed route description and map for this ride can be found in the Kennett Brothers guidebook, Bikepacking Aotearoa.
