Cycle Hawke's Bay

Usually more renowned for its food and wine, Hawke’s Bay may not be an obvious choice for a cycling holiday. A little research, however, unearths a wealth of options: there are over 130km of cycle trails, a premium mountain bike park at Eskdale, and three of New Zealand’s 19 national cycle trails to choose between. I’ve never been a cyclist but I like the notion of freewheeling, the wind whipping through my hair. Taking the plunge whilst avoiding the masses, I decided to travel along two of the three national trails to discover whether my romantic vision matches the reality.
The Landscapes Ride was first on my list. Assured that it is accessible for all at 46km long. I decided to take it easy and go with Coastal Wine Cycles who hire beach cruiser bikes from California that have swept-back handlebars, baskets and comfy seats.
We headed out from their depot in Te Awanga and joined the limestone cycleway along the coast. This path follows the beach through the seaside village of Haumoana right through to the mouth of the Tukituki River. This flat off-road trail is a beginner’s delight, overlooking vineyards on the left and the river on the right, and is even wide enough to allow cyclists to pedal side by side – very social. The scenery changes with its crop, grapes giving way to ordered acres of apple trees. Slowly, at my gentle pace, Te Mata Peak emerged before me.
Arriving at the foothills of the Tukituki Valley, the path splits. Suddenly, I was presented with a choice with fitness requirements changing from none to some. Rather than challenge myself (I was a newbie, after all), I elected to follow the quiet country lanes into Te Awanga and was delighted to find they were lined with honesty boxes of local produce. Time to stock up that basket. As I cycled over a rise, rows of grapes stretched out before me to the Pacific Ocean. The wineries I had been looking forward to were finally in view. After enjoying a tasting at the rustic Te Awanga Estate, I moved on to Clearview Estate and finished at the impressive Elephant Hill.
The next day I woke early to meet with Jenny Ryan from Takaro Trails. Jenny runs a variety of cycle tours, from one to five days in length. These run throughout Hawke’s Bay and incorporate all the elements the region is famous for. She introduces me to the Water Ride and Taradale loop – another national cycle trail and about a 50km round trip. We departed from the Napier i-SITE for Ahuriri, a trendy little village with a range of shops and seaside cafés. I wanted to stop but, alas, had to whistle past.
We travelled on towards the Ahuriri Estuary – the highlight of the ride. Managed by the Department of Conservation, the estuary is home to a variety of endangered wetland life. It is also used by locals for swimming, sailing, canoeing, windsurfing and walking.
From here, we headed into Taradale’s Church Road, where we had scheduled stops at Church Road winery and Mission Estate, New Zealand’s oldest vineyard. Each winery I visited varied so much in terms of its wine, architecture and style that every one offered something new, but really these stops are just the icing on the cake of an exhilarating tour. In the beginning I was so sure I’d be hanging on tight to my handlebars, panicking about road riding. It never occurred to me that I would find a real sense of nature and escape. What’s more, I have heard enough from ‘serious’ cyclists on multi-day cycling trips to realise that I haven’t even begun to scratch the surface of cycling in Hawke’s Bay.