The section of the off-road Great Taste Cycle Trail from Stoke (that’s where our HQ is) to Mapua via Rabbit Island (that’s where all the locals go to swim and picnic) is now open. That’s great news for cyclists looking for a ride that combines lots of Nelson’s best things – beaches, fresh fruit stalls, cafes, wineries, a craft brewery, what more would anyone want? We can shuttle cyclists out to the far end of the route, approx 20km from our HQ. That way, the ride starts in the pretty coastal village of Mapua with a 10minute ferry ride across a channel to join the Great Taste Trail on Rabbit Island. From here it’s all easy flat cycling back to base. The photos that follow were taken along this length of trail.
The Mapua Ferry
Very useful info board and map, showing cycling distances and times
The Great Taste Trail. Pine forest trail at Rabbit Island
The Great Taste Trail. Beachfront trail at Rabbit Island
Horses grazing alongside the trail
Great Taste Trail suspension bridge, Appleby River
View from the bridge, Appleby River