There are very few places in the world that can boast 400km of single track within 45km of a town centre and also have an IMBA Gold Ride Centre badge. Nelson Tasman, New Zealand does!
Nelson Tasman is located at the top of the South Island and is gaining a reputation as a riding mecca for riders of all abilities. Including rail trail type trails, flow trails minutes from the city, multi-day back country rides and the infamous Wairoa Gorge Bike Park, Nelson offers mountain biking diversity that other regions can only dream of.
For the seasoned mountain biker, the natural, steep terrain through native and pine forest, is what Nelson Tasman is most famous for. Trails like 629, Sunrise Ridge, Butters and Te Ara Koa are perfect examples of these and should be on any visiting mountain biker’s bucket list. But no bucket list is complete without the Wairoa Gorge Bike Park (“the Gorge”), the world class park built by a billionaire and gifted to New Zealand. There are mouth-watering shuttled descents on over 70km of hand-built single track, which cost over $30m to develop. With shuttles managed by the Nelson Mountain Bike Club, this is a mountain bike park for mountain bikers, run by mountain bikers.
Although The Gorge carries a history of being for the “rock stars” (and parts of it are), with over 70% of the Gorge trails being made up of grade 3 and 4 trails, this is a destination for the passionate rider. This reflects in the riders that visit the park, with a high number of mountain biking families, groups of mates and international visitors enjoying the variety of trails the Gorge offers plus the accommodation options.
The Gorge Facts:
45 minutes from Nelson Airport.
Local operators provide transport to and from the Gorge
Self-contained on-site accommodation options. From $45 a bed at Barry’s Lodge to $599 for Gibbs private Lodge/night which sleeps up to 8 people.
Individual, group and private shuttle booking options.
70km of hand build single track- all shuttle accessed.
21% grade 3, 52% grade 4 and 23 % grade 5 with a 1000m vertical descent
Prices for shuttles range from $69 for youth (U18), $99 (Nelson MTB Club Member) -$129 (non- Club Member)
Nelson Mountain Bike Club owned and operated for the benefit of its members and wider riding community
Online booking thegorge.nz
Wholesale booking available
Other riding around Nelson Tasman
It is hard to beat riding from your accommodation and it is easy to do this in Nelson Tasman. Within ten minutes from the centre of Nelson City, you can be climbing through the forest to a huge range of trails in the Codgers or Sharlands mountain bike areas.
A little further afield is the Kaiteriteri Mountain Bike Park is especially popular for families and has the added bonus of the beach for a quick dip after a ride, and being the gateway to the Abel Tasman National Park. Cable Bay Adventure Park (only 15 minutes drive from Nelson) has grade 3-5 shuttled and free-ride options and some of the best milkshakes in town in the café.
Nelson Tasman cannot be beaten for variety of top quality trail options for all levels of mountain bikers.
For more information, please contact: Donna Adlam, International Marketing Lead at nelsontasman.nz donna.adlam@nelsontasman.nz
Or visit – www.nelsontasman.nz/visit-nelson-tasman/things-to-do/cycling-and-mountainbiking/mountainbiking/
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