West Coast Wilderness Trail

Ross New Zealand
Image by NT Franklin from Pixabay

My second choice is based in my home region of the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island.  This awe inspiring coast line is one of the most rugged in the world. That makes it perfect for crazy cyclists! With rugged shorelines just waiting to be explored, the West Coast Wilderness Trail is one of the country’s smoothest and most accessible trails. Your journey will take you through ancient rainforest, along glacial rivers, around moody lakes and across some pretty stunning wetlands. There is so much to see and do on this trail that you will want to give yourself a few days to explore the 135.5km trail.

Fascinating natural and human history is revealed as this trail retraces old packhorse tracks, tramlines, railways and even water races, linked by new, flowing single track. Stretching from the ‘big smoke’ of Greymouth to the creaky gold town of Ross, it offers deep immersion in the Coast’s world-famous scenery as well as a journey back in time to the days of the Māori pounamu (greenstone) gatherers and the glittering gold rush era.