Be wowed by a hidden lake

Nestled in the centre of the St James is Lake Guyon, a gem with mirrored reflections of the mountains at dawn, a beautiful backdrop of regenerating beech forest, and a rustic six-bunk hut. This striking body of water is well worth the extra few kilometres cycling off the main St James Cycle Trail.

Directions: The track junction is approximately 16km from the Maling Road car park. Lake Guyon is another 2.5km from the signposted junction. The lake can also be accessed via Fowlers Pass.

Amazing mirror-like reflections at Lake Guyon (Lee Slater).
 

Can you spot the wild horses?

The St James Conservation Area is also home to a herd of horses that can be seen around the Henry, Waiau and Ada river valleys. These handsome creatures are mustered every two years, and their offspring removed and sold. The horses are technically wild and generally move away from visitors – do not approach them and avoid contact with the stallion and mares with foals.

Directions: Keep an eagle eye out, around the Henry, Waiau and Ada river valleys.

The wonderful and wild St James herd (Andrew Spencer).

Soothe aching limbs in the Cow Stream hot pools

What better way to soothe tired biking legs than with a restorative soak? At Cow Stream, four natural hot pools await. Dip your feet in the first one but then follow the trail downstream 50m and you will be rewarded with three hand-hewn pools – the top one is toasty hot, so take care, but the middle one is normally just about perfect –  aaaaaaaah!

Directions: Just after the second Edwards River crossing at 14km in from the Homestead, there's a 1.2km diversion up onto the terrace that then drops down into Cow Stream where you'll spot the pools.

Soak your cares away in the Cow Stream hot pools (Hurunui Trails).

Download the Great Rides App

This awesome (and free) app will help you locate this Great Ride's hidden secrets, and track your adventure using GPS (no mobile signal required). It also has maps, trail descriptions and info on trail services. 

Download the app from:

 

Find out more about the St James Cycle Trail here.