Many people choose Nelson as a holiday destination. When people say they are going to Nelson, that can mean many things, in terms of where they actually will stay and the places they visit. Quite often they mean the Nelson region and indeed as there are many options for accommodation and activities in the area, they can quite often not really be in Nelson at all, but in the neighbouring Tasman region. Hence the whole area frequently gets referred to as Nelson/Tasman.
Regardless of where you are staying, the region is interconnected with the Great Taste Trail (Tasman’s Great Taste Trail to be precise). This cycle trail is one of the Great Rides of NZ and it forms a loop through some of the Tasman regions as well as connecting to Nelson city. If you look at a map of the trail you will see that the loop is almost complete, with a missing piece about to be completed in autumn/winter 2022. Great Taste Trail map.
So why should you experience The Great Taste Trail when visiting the area?
1 The cycle trail will get you to locations you would not have seen or known about if you chose to explore the region by car. This is especially true when the trail takes you through the countryside that is not near the main road. If you opt for several days of cycling, or you follow the full loop, locations in the Motueka, Baton and Tapawera valleys are seldom visited by people who go to Nelson for a holiday. You don’t need to spend several days finding traffic-free places. Even a one day ride can get you to quiet locations. A popular one-way ride on the trail between Kaiteriteri or Riwaka and Mapua allows you to see a mix of countryside and coastline, some of which you would never see if relying on a car to explore the same area.
2 You can take a ‘nibble’ of The Great Taste Trail if you haven’t been on a bike for years and do as little as a couple of hours cycling and still get a flavour of the region by stopping off along the way at places like Pics peanut butter world. If you choose to start your short bike ride outside of Nelson city, Mapua village is the perfect place to start from and either explore the very easy paths on Rabbit Island or head towards the next village of Tasman (there is a village called Tasman as well as the name of the region). Returning to Mapua, with its café, wine bar, galleries, gourmet ice cream and craft beers allows you to savour a range of tastes after your bike ride. Cycling to a café, winery or brewery makes everything taste better!
3 Cycling gives you time to take in the area and be part of the environment you are cycling through. The local cycle Trust has placed information boards along the trail. You can quickly find out about the history, the people and the environment. You can also cover more ground than if you tried to explore on foot.
4 The cycle trail can get you away from traffic and noise and if you want to put your phone on silent you can, at least for a short time, enjoy the simple pleasure of cycling without the usual daily digital distractions. The only technology you need to use is the bike. The cycle trail is well marked and most operators will provide paper maps so no need to look at digital information for at least a few hours.
5 Cycling is a very eco-friendly way to explore a new location and when you use a cycle trail such as The Great Taste Trail, you can either follow just the trail route or you can use it as a means of getting around the region with lots of opportunities to go off-trail and explore other locations too. For example, if you follow the trail to Kaiteriteri you can leave your bike for a few hours or a few days and head off into the Abel Tasman National Park Info. You could easily explore the Nelson region without the need for using a car.
Contact us now and we can help you make the most of your Nelson holiday – info@wheeliefantastic.co.nz
