Mountain Biking in Wellington, New Zealand

Most mountain bikers know about the great riding on offer in New Zealand but Wellington isn’t the first destination that comes to mind—this anomaly needs to change!

If you’re into social media and follow some of the world’s top mountain bikers, you’ll see a common thread over the past few years. They’re increasingly escaping their miserable northern hemisphere winters and heading to New Zealand; and who can blame them. With amazing countryside, even more amazing trails, great food, and super people it really is a hot mountain bike destination. Wellington and surrounds is definitely an ‘over the ditch’ riding region that adds yet another feather to that hat.

I recently travelled to Wellington to sample their trails and here’s what I discovered in that jammed packed week of riding.

DAY ONE – AL L-DAY SHRED IN WELLINGTON (AND SAMPLE SOME FINE BEER OF COURSE)

The day started with the task of picking my first ride location, and I’d been given a long list of suggestions. Seeing as I’m also a photo nerd and wanted get the best views, I headed for Makara Peak MTB park.

Makara was established in 1998 and it’s a purpose built mountain bike park that sits just on the edge of Wellington. It’s really easy to find and I was amazed at how accessible it was from town. You can ride there from the centre of the city but be prepared for some hill climbing.

At the trailhead I was astounded at the facilities; clean toilets, shared tools and a bike wash station, plus there’s all the maps and information you’d ever need to help you get around the 40km or so of trails. And if you’re ever in a bind, Mud Cycles is literally just down the road from the trailhead. I quickly located a route to the peak, and one great thing is that trails are numbered as well as named—I find it much easier to remember a connecting sequence of numbers, so this setup worked well for me.

The climb seemed ominous, as the peaky mountains of Wellington draw their impressive looks from their steepness—there’s nothing mellow about the slopes that surround the city.

Off I went into the thick dark scrub, prepared for a world of hurt. What I found, however, was a very well designed trail network that enabled a climb of over 260m to be made with relative ease. On the way up you get little previews of the vistas as the canopy frequently, but briefly, opens. When you finally get to the top you’re greeted by absolutely amazing 360 degree views of the city as well as Wellington Bay and the blue waters of the Cook Strait.

Now I had a tough choice to make; which trail to take to the bottom? There are seven or so to choose from and I went with Ridgeline; a trail that I’d seen splashed over the pages of magazines and internet galleries. Ridgeline’s ‘expert’ grading is well deserved; it’s well-worn, rough, technical and oldschool yet super fun.

Mid-way down Ridgeline I ran into Rohan and Bryn from Southstar Trails. They were busy building a new trail and invited me to take a sneak peek. Called Peak Flow, this trail will offer an alternative to the raw and technically demanding tracks like Ridgeline. ‘Flow trails’ are all the rage at the moment and this was a good one; wide with berms, jumps and secret lines – Bryn is also a World Cup DH racer and he showed me a couple – it’ll be a great addition to trail network once it’s completed.

I only got to sample a small amount that Makara offers and it was enough to get me hooked. I grabbed a quick bit of lunch and headed off to the next ride location; George Denton Park and Polhill Reserve.

POLHILL RESERVE

Polhill sits within easy access of the city of Wellington, however it’s more a network of trails (some multi-use) than a specific mountain bike park. As with everything in Wellington, you have to be prepared to climb—this extends to walking, running, skating or ducking out to grab the eggs and milk.

The route I took to the top was probably the hardest. Following an old downhill track I climbed the Fenceline Trail which skirts alongside a predator proof Karori bird sanctuary. I’m not going to lie, it was tough but sometimes it’s better to get the pain out of the way as quickly as possible.

Again, super views were to be had but I wanted to get to the trails quickly to earn my reward. I found my way back down the mountain on some really well made and flowing trails. Once again I only got to sample a very small amount of what was on offer. I’d suggest finding a local for these trails, otherwise you might miss the best it has to offer.

Oh, and that reward I was talking about; there’s a cool little brewery located in an old petrol station. Aptly named Garage Project, you’ll find it just as you leave the trails and head back into town through Aro Valley. I’m a connoisseur of fine beer and Garage Project didn’t let me down. I wished that I didn’t have more riding planned but I had to control myself and preserve some cognitive ability for my last ride of the day; Mt Victoria and the Super D track.

MT VICTORIA

Mt Victoria is literally a stone’s throw from the city centre and I quickly located trails and signage that pointed me to the top of the mountain. I arrived at the top as the golden hues of sunset were starting to spread across the city. Taking a moment I started to reflect; all of this, all of those trails, all surrounding the convenience and lifestyle of a city so close. I was a special little moment that brought a tear to my eye—maybe it was the beer…

The Super D trail was a mixed bag of fun. Roots, jumps, speed, steep, narrow, wide; it had a bunch of variety and I could only imagine how much fun it would be when they use it for a race. I just couldn’t imagine the roots in the wet!

DAY 2 – A FERRY WITH A VIEW

I literally rode my bike onto the Interislander ferry as I headed across the Cook Strait to the top of the North Island. While you could spend a week exploring the MTB trails that immediately surround the city, the greater Wellington offers even more. Catching the ferry to Picton was an experience in itself. This three hour journey is definitely a must do; arriving at the North Island and negotiating the Marlborough Sounds is something that will stay with you forever.

In Picton I was greeted by Jason Henry from Destination Marlborough and we headed for a short drive over the hills to ride White’s Bay. White’s Bay is a popular local beach and camping destination that also hides one of the best mountain bike trials in the region; a spot that’s also on the map for the NZ Enduro Series. At the trailhead I met up local rider and wine maker Tim Adams from Astrolabe Wines. There I was, in the middle of arguably one of the greatest wine districts in the world, and I had to admit that my only vice is beer. He took it well.

Tim explained what was ahead; heaps and heaps of climbing, followed by a super long descent. Tim was right; there was heaps and heaps of steep climbing. The climb took about an hour, give or take an hour, but who was counting!

The descent however was worth all the pain. What originally started as a secret downhill trial has been made official through work with the Department of Conservation. The White’s Bay descent now offers a very long brake-burning 487m drop that encourages you to ride as fast as your fear lets you, all with a magical finish back on the beach where you started. There aren’t any huge jumps or drops to worry about but there are plenty of rocks, roots and sections of trail that can really get away from you. Luckily I like to take photos, so I had an excuse to rest a couple of times and let my arm pump recover. Tim must have forgiven my insult to his craft and was even good enough to take me out for a beer after the ride—Renaissance Brewery was just around the corner.

DAYS 3 & 4 – IS THE QUEEN REALLY A CHARLOTTE?

The next two days would see me tackle the famous Queen Charlotte Track. Originally a walking track, it has been progressively opened up to cyclists. The 70km long trail skirts an amazing route from Ship Cove to Anawika—it’s the one of the longest continuous pieces of singletrack in New Zealand.

I wouldn’t be doing it alone though, as I was joined by the world’s most knowledgeable guide; Martyn from Wilderness Guides. As with everything in the Sounds you have to get water transport, so we loaded our bikes on a boat and headed for a trail head at Camp Bay. Camp Bay isn’t the official start but during the peak season the first third of the Queen Charlotte is closed to bikers (26.5km from Ship Cove to Camp Bay). Not such a bad thing as it we only faced a 40km journey over two days—easy!

Well, maybe not so easy. As soon as you jump on your bike at Camp Bay you head straight up a very steep hill. Lucky I had been in New Zealand for a few days and I was getting familiar their version of hills. The rest of the day was a mix of up and down, and plenty of amazing views. About halfway through that first day we took a quick detour to the top of Eatwell’s Lookout. From there you can really take in the scale of the surroundings and realise just how special it is to be riding in such a remote location.

While our first day was only 20km, it was a hard slog with way more climbing than the previous days’ combined. By that afternoon when we arrived at Portage Bay, I was totally stuffed. On a boat again I was ready for some relaxation and I headed to the peaceful surrounds of the Lochmara Lodge.

The final day of riding on the Queen Charlotte Track was the section between Portage Bay and Anawka, and it proved to be the best. Yep, it started with an epic climb, but the lengthy descent into the finish was an absolute blast; the last few kilometres were easily the best trail on the whole Queen Charlotte Track. The only thing that holds you back from going absolutely flat out is being conscious and respectful of other trail users. Perhaps they can close that section down for a week or so, just for the mountain bikers!

We chose to ride the Queen Charlotte Track (albeit an abridged version) in two days and it’s up to you whether you do it over one or 20 days.

DAY 5 – F INAL RIDES…

By now I was back in Wellington for my final day of riding and I was looking for something different. Dave from Adventure Ventures hooked me up for some welldeserved shuttle runs at the Wainuiomata Trail Project in the Lower Hutt, about a 30 minute drive or 45 minute ferry ride across Wellington Bay. The seas were rough for my ferry ride and I always enjoy starting my mountain biking with that sick feeling (not).

The lower section of the Wainuiomata mountain bike park has a skills area and beginners’ trails. Higher up the hill you’ll find some super fun downhill and flow trails. It is also a perfect spot to do shuttle runs; a main road runs over a saddle in the mountain and from there it’s an easy push or ride to the top. I was stuffed after four days of solid riding, so the shuttle option was perfect!

After a couple of runs it was time for lunch and we headed off for food and beer. To me, that was a big reason I loved the mountain bike riding in Wellington. The trails are amazing (even the small sample I was getting) and the off-bike activities are so easily reached from every trailhead.

After lunch I asked for something completely different; something that any member of your family could enjoy, no matter what their cycling skills are. You could say that I wanted to cover the full gamut of cycling in Wellington, but I’d be lying, I was totally stuffed and wanted to take it easy but still experience the amazing landscape and scenery in the area. We headed off to ride the Pencarrow Lake and Lighthouse region where the scenery was definitely Instagram-worthy.

I had an absolute ball in Wellington, although I’d only scratched the surface of what the region has to offer. I was constantly hounded by friends in the area to ride so many other ‘even better’ locations. It made it clear that Wellington deserves a higher standing on the New Zealand riding map. Yeah, we’ve all heard of, or been to Rotorua and Queenstown, but I honestly think that if you spent a good solid week in Wellington you would be far, far from disappointed. Plus, you get to hang out in a really cool town with some amazing food (Ekim Burgers makes a mean burger) and of course, great beer.

NZ mountain biking rocks and Wellington does too! Damian travelled as guest of Tourism Wellington. Special thanks to Giant NZ and Cycle Science for providing his shred machine.    

Gener al information

WHEN TO VISIT

To be honest Wellington can have some shit t y weather so summer is going to be your best bet. If you’re hardcore and like th e cold and wet the trails looks like they managed and conditions r eally well.

GETTING THERE

Even if you own a V W Beetle you can’t drive all the way to NZ so you’ll have to fly. NZ ’s national carrier Air NZ has some really cool safety videos and well worth the direct flights to NZ, but QANTAS will be able t o get you there as well. Wellington is spread out and we would recommend a rental car to save your legs for shredding but it’s not 100 % necessary as you can ride, ferry, taxi to most riding locations. We super recommend GPS though. The streets are a maze.

BIKESHOPS/RENTALS & TRAIL INFORMATION

Wellington is very well equipped with bikes shops and tour operators. Here’s a bunch that you can visit: Burkes Cycles – www.burkescycles.co.nz Dirt Merchants – www.mountainbikingwellington.com iRide – www.iride.net.nz Mud Cycles – www.mudcycles.co.nz Cycle Science – www.cyclescience.co.nz Wellington Mountain Bike Club - www.wmtbc.org.nz

ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS

Oh man, where do we start! As the capital city of New Zealand, Wellington has no shortage of options. The Positively Wellington Tourism website is a good place to begin: www.wellingtonnz.com/discover/accommodation