Perfect Great Rides holidays with family and friends

Published 2022-09-14

The Great Rides are a lovely way to reconnect, whatever your tastes and budget.

Take time out this Spring with family and friends on a relaxing escape full of memorable biking, beautiful scenery and fantastic attractions. Ngā Haerenga Great Rides of New Zealand offer endless adventures for every age and ability.
The 23 Great Rides cover the whole country from Northland to Southland, with cycling holidays and experiences to suit everyone. Read more about them in this blog, and download a map of the whole network here.
Make the most of your precious time together by exploring New Zealand's holiday hotspots on two wheels. Enjoy these easily accessible Great Rides with plenty of short, leisurely options – along with great food, accommodation and other bike-friendly services so that you can keep things simple and focus on the fun!
Hawkes Bay Trails

Feel tip-top, together on the Hawke's Bay Trails – leisurely pathways touring the best sights and activities this popular holiday destination has to offer.

Explore the coast, rivers and beautiful Heretaunga Plains on a series of easy rides for all – whether you want to go wine-tasting or wander around art deco Napier, or get back to nature at the national aquarium, bird-filled wetland or amazing Cape Kidnappers. Enjoy the Bay’s fresh and vibrant dining scene which features plenty of vineyards and other al fresco options that make the most of the region’s sunny climate. What’s more, it’s easy to keep kids on track thanks to trailside playgrounds, swimming spots and ice cream shops!

Find out more, and plan your Hawke's Bay Trails' adventures here.

Easy riding and bluebird days – a common feature of the Hawke's Bay Trails.

Visit some of the country's best wineries on the Hawke's Bay Trails.


Tasman's Great Taste Trail

If your idea of a good time is scenic bike rides, sunshine and wine, make a beeline or the Tasman region – one of New Zealand's holiday hotspots.

Gather your friends and family for a peachy, beachy holiday at the top of the South – blessed with one of New Zealand’s easiest Great Rides alongside a dazzling array of other outdoor adventures such as swimming, walking and boating. Hang out at glittering Tahuna or Kaiteriteri beaches or venture into Abel Tasman National Park. Linger over lunch in seaside cafes or garden bar, and refuel the crew at fruit stalls, bakeries, fish & chip shops and ice-cream kiosks. Being a major wine region and New Zealand’s ‘home of hops’, a wee tipple or two is on the cards, too. Whatever you do, get ready for long, lazy days of good times you’ll remember for years to come.

Find out more, and plan your Great Taste Trail adventures here.

Rabbit Island Beach and the Tasman Bay on the Great Taste Trail (George Guille Media).

The new Baton Bridge on the inland section of Tasman's Great Taste Trail (Chocolate Dog Photography).


Hauraki Rail Trail

Easy riding, hot pools, Hobbiton and gold mining history in spades make the Hauraki Rail Trail a Great Ride to enjoy with family and friends of all ages.

There's fun for everyone on this and flat, easy and wonderfully laidback trail that traces the Shorebird Coast and follows old railway lines between the historic towns of Thames, Paeroa, Te Aroha, Waihi and Matamata. Complete the whole trail over 3–5 days, overnighting in atmospheric accommodation, or break it up into memorable day rides with convenient bike hire/shuttles and plenty of great cafes en route. Bird lovers won't want to miss the Pūkorokoro–Miranda Shorebird Centre where you can learn about the area’s precious birdlife, while riders wanting to sooth bike-weary legs can take a restorative soak at hot pools in Miranda and Te Aroha.

History buffs will be blown away by the impressive Karangahake Gorge with its flinty gold mining sites and spooky 1100m tunnel, while Lord of the Rings fans won't want to miss Hobbiton, easily accessed from the southern end of the trail at Matamata.

Find out more, and plan your Hauraki Rail Trail adventures here.

Long-distance flying Godwits are regular visitors to the Shorebird Coast (Department of Conservation).

The Hobbiton film set – just like in the movies! (Matt Crawford)


Looking for another type of cycling adventure?

Check out these blogs for more Great Rides inspiration:

Explore New Zealand's amazing landscapes by bike 

Relax and re-energise on the Great Rides

Looking for a challenge? Get going on a Great Ride