Northlanders keen to give cycle touring a go are well-positioned to make a start right here at home.

The increasingly popular means of exploring – particularly with the arrival e-bikes, which makes it accessible to
a range of ages and fitness levels – is also thought to hold potential for Northland to tap into a “very lucrative” market.

An effort to identify Aotearoa’s 10 best regions for trails conducive to cycle touring has ranked Northland eighth, not bad considering our relatively low number of trails – just two – featured in the analysis.

One was the Far North Cycleway, which spans 161km from the Cape Reinga lighthouse, along Ninety Mile Beach and inland to the Hokianga Harbour where it connects to three other trails.

Among them is the country’s northernmost Great Ride, Pou Herenga Tai Twin Coast Cycle Trail, which also featured in the analysis.

Great Rides – of which there are 23 in New Zealand – are described as exciting and environmentally sustainable ways to reach must-see sights and activities.

A spokesperson for the trail said it stood out for being one of the only cycle trails in New Zealand allowing reaching from coast to coast.

“It stretches 87km from Ōpua on the east coast, across the heartland to Horeke on the Hokianga Harbour on the west.”

“As one of only a few Great Rides that is almost completely Grade 1nd a 2, or the easy/easiest level, it’s perfect for riders of all abilities.”

They said the trail’s other benefits included access to rich history, easy access from Auckland and year-round accessibility thanks to our subtropical climate.

“The trail tells the story of an emerging nation, capturing the history and heritage of New Zealand’s earliest Māori and European settlements.”

They described cycle tourists as “very valuable” visitors.

“Most people who ride Pou Herenga Tai Twin Coast Cycle Trail are aged 40 to 70, many of them empty nesters with disposable income.”

“They also have the flexibility to travel outside of peak visitor periods.”

In a recent survey done by the trail, more than 70 per cent of respondents said they had travelled to Northland primarily to ride Pou Herenga Tai Twin Coast Cycle Trail.

They’d spent an average of 3.9 nights in the region although the ride is usually completed in under two days.

Tania Burt, GM of destination at Northland Inc, said operators had been working collaboratively to build offerings along the trail, from rental and guided experiences to accommodations, hospitality and more.

Burt said both domestic and international visitors were “choosing cycling experiences for a variety of reasons, be that eco-conscious sightseeing, health and wellbeing, or to get off the beaten track (literally).”

Bike Northland’s operations manager Arwen Page said Northland’s eighth-place ranking was specific to cycle touring – which is gaining traction especially amongst the retired and semi-retired – and not reflective of mountain biking offerings, another “massively growing” area in New Zealand.

Researchers said that were it not for the low “suitability score” – comprised of a trail’s stroller, kid and dog-friendliness, wheelchair accessibility and whether it was paved or partially paved – Northland would have ranked higher in the top 10.

Page said there were other relatively short trails in the region more suitable for families.

“There are several other shorter cycle paths which have been developed by passionate community groups: Waipu to Waipu Cove, Kaipara’s recently-opened Kaihu Valley Trail and Matakana to Omaha.”

Page also said Northland stood to benefit from the spending power of cycle tourists, should our offering be developed.

“There is potential for Northland to tap into the very lucrative cycle touring market by creating a much larger offering so cycle tourists will come and stay longer.”

“There has been significant work already done with the identification of a 660km route circumnavigating Northland, which would link up many existing trails and follow paper roads, existing quiet rural roads and old railway lines.

“The business case identified that the financial benefit to Northland would be eight times the cost.”

According to Burt, the region was building towards making Northland “one of the world’s best coastal walking and cycling destinations where the journeys and stories are as impressive and memorable as the scenery.”

She said one of the key focus areas for the strategy was developing cycling networks that connect Taitokerau Northland.

“So much of the new cycleway development and investment considers how cycle journeys can connect with each other.”

Burt said the recently-opened Kaihu Valley Trail was part of the Heartland Rides and formed part of the greater Kauri Coast Cycleway, linking the Kaipara with the Far North District and Auckland to the South.

Page said many small Far North communities could benefit from the development of cycle tourism, and pointed to the Otago Rail Trail as an example of what was possible.

Otago ranked as the country’s top region for cycle touring, followed by the West Coast of the South Island, Waikato, Canterbury and Manawutū/Whanganui to round out the top five.

The ranking was based on an analysis of data points obtained from global outdoor adventure app and website AllTrails, including total number of routes, their length, average elevation, user reviews, nearby attractions and the suitability of each trail.

Analysis was done by digital marketer gambling.com, with the full study available at https://www.gambling.com/nz/news/ranking-the-best-nz-regions-for-bike-touring-trails.

For information on shorter rides throughout Northland, see: bikenorthland.co.nz/category/where-to-ride/