Great Taste Trio Cycling

Itinerary Details

1. Day 1Stoke to Mapua via Mapua Ferry

   After your shuttle pickup from Nelson city to the Tour Operator's office in Stoke, you will meet the crew and finalise your itinerary before bike fittings and departure. The ride today has no hills, so you will have ample time to visit a craft brewery, enjoy estuary views, stop for a swim and take a ferry built for bikes. The short ferry ride links the trail at Rabbit Island to the Mapua Wharf.
   

   Take time to explore the pretty coastal village of Mapua – it is casual and summery, with kids swimming, busy cafes, a brewery, and hot smoked fish and chips best eaten straight out of the paper. Pick up a patisserie or two in the village also, they are pretty hard to resist. Your B & B accommodation is near Mapua and cafes on the wharf is recommended for dinner.
   

   Add On: Additional night in Mapua
   Why not enjoy another night in Mapua and take a day to ride in the marvellous Moutere area. Visit the regions’ premium cellar doors, linger over a long vineyard lunch, and relax with a craft beer at the oldest pub in NZ. Contact us for more information.
   
   

   • 13.7 miles
   • B&B in Mapua
2. Day 2Mapua to Motueka

   Enjoy a relaxed breakfast at your B & B before departure. There are some rolling hills and spectacular views along the trail today (max elevation 100m/328ft) and two cafes with rambling gardens. From Mapua, the Great Taste Trail follows the coast to the sleepy settlement of Ruby Bay before ducking up onto an elevated route above the coast among the apple orchards. It is a beautiful gentle downhill into Tasman, home to a cafe, a stylish pottery and an optional detour out to the beachfront on the Kina Peninsula. The route then turns back uphill to follow a rolling trail along a ridge and down into Lower Moutere.
   

   Approaching Motueka township, the trail passes Toad Hall Cafe & Townshend Brewery, a great place to relax with some food and beer under the big oak trees in the garden. The last section of trail into Motueka follows the estuary waterfront, past rambling gardens and grassy beach reserves. Look out for the Saltwater Baths and the old wharf. Your accommodation is at a centrally located motel, with restaurants nearby.
   
   

   • 16.2 miles
   • Accommodation in Motueka
   • Breakfast

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     Enjoy coastal Mapua

     Discover a relaxed and beautiful environment on the South Island of NZ

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     Nautilus Lodge Motel, Motueka

     Enjoy a comfortable night's stay in a central location on night 2

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     Nautilus Lodge Motel, Motueka

     Enjoy a comfortable night's stay in a central location on night 2

3. Day 3Cycle from Motueka to Kaiteriteri

   Your personal guide is available this morning to provide any support you need for the last leg of the ride through to Kaiteriteri. This section of the trail travels through the fruit-growing area of Motueka with trail-side stalls providing a range of fruit to sample.
   

   As you rejoin the coast, the trail climbs and drops beside the road for a section before ducking into the Kaiteriteri Mountain Bike Park. This last section of 3.1 km (1.9mi), takes the Easy Rider Trail through the bike park. The surface here is smooth and it is not technical, but some riders might want to take it very gently as there are some tight corners. The trail winds down through the bush and pine trees and you will soon get your first glimpse of your destination – the stunning golden shores of Kaiteriteri Beach.
   

   If you’ll avail the Abel Tasman National Park add-on, by mid-day your guide will introduce you to your Wilsons Abel Tasman guide for your transfer into the park.
   
   

   • 10.9 miles

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     Meadowbank Lodge, Abel Tasman NP

     Choose the optional add-on to extend the tour for a few days and stay in lovely beachfront lodges

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     Meadowbank Lodge, Abel Tasman NP

     Choose the optional add-on to extend the tour for a few days and stay in lovely beachfront lodges

4. Day 4Walk and kayak, Abel Tasman National Park*

   * Today's itinerary is only relevant if you have selected the Abel Tasman add-on. If you have not selected the optional add on, your tour ends on day 3.

   This component of the trip is located within the Abel Tasman National Park, staying in the Wilson family lodges at Awaroa and Torrent Bay. Today you will walk, kayak or cruise to the Torrent Bay lodge, once the site of the Wilson’s holiday home.  Each day, your guides, lodge and boat hosts will help you plan, so you choose how active you want to be. Walk the well-formed track, enjoying the lush native forest and golden-sand beaches, kayak the best sections, or take a boat between the two Beachfront Lodges. Your package here includes all transfers, accommodation in the Park, and all meals and snacks.

   ** Accommodation only included tonight if optional Abel Tasman add-on has been selected, extending the tour to 5 days.
   

   • **Torrent Bay Beachfront Lodge, Abel Tasman National Park
   • Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

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     Torrent Bay Lodge, Abel Tasman N.P

     Choose the optional add-on to extend the tour for a few days and stay in lovely beachfront lodges

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     Torrent Bay Lodge, Abel Tasman N.P

     Choose the optional add-on to extend the tour for a few days and stay in lovely beachfront lodges

5. Day 5Walk and kayak, Abel Tasman National Park* and departure

   * Today's itinerary is only relevant if you have selected the Abel Tasman add-on. If you have not selected the optional add on, your tour ends on day 3.

   On the final day, walk, kayak or cruise back to Kaiteriteri with an included transfer back to Nelson at the end of the day.
   

   • Breakfast and Lunch