Grand opening arrives for Great Taste bike trail

September 30th, 2014
[Press release]

New Zealand's latest cycling asset, The Great Taste Trail, has now reached the sands of Kaiteriteri Beach, and to celebrate there is a grand opening on Saturday 11th October.

Gillian Wratt, Chair of the Nelson Tasman Cycle Trust, which has overall responsibility for getting the Trail built, says "we are thrilled to reach Kaiteriteri and want to invite everyone who has helped us to come to this celebration event".

To get this far a lot of players have already come to the party. The Trust acknowledges the massive input from the community and a team of enthusiastic local contractors who have gone the extra mile.

Over the past four years, support from 25 contractors has enabled trail construction to a high standard for a reasonable cost. A massive 10,000 tonnes of pavement material has been laid, and thousands of volunteer hours have gone into constructing the first stage of Tasman's Great Taste Trail.

The trail has been built in such a way that the on-road parts have little car traffic, while off-road trail surface is firm gravel or sealed. It is wide enough for at least two people to cycle side-by-side for most of the way.

To join in the fun, start at Motueka to meet up with the Trust and their supporters, and bike 14km to Kaiteriteri. Family Fun at Decks Reserve is being run by Our Town Motueka and starts at 9am.

At 11am the official ride takes place. This follows the coast and includes the Raumanuka Reserve, a beautiful off-road stretch along the estuary with expansive views of Tasman Bay. You will ride through fruit orchards and commercial hop-growing around Riwaka, and finally the 'Easy Rider' track at Kaiteriteri Mountain Bike Park.

The really keen cyclists can ride on 59km of easy Grade 1 or 2 track all the way from Nelson to Kaiteriteri.

At 2pm there will be speeches, a blessing, cake and cutting of the ribbon at Kaiteriteri Village Green. Trail supporters at Kaiteriteri Green will be out in force.

Ms Wratt encourages families to come and celebrate with Pic's Peanut Butter, who are making toast with peanut butter for everyone, as well as Cyclelogical who are selling bike tattoos and bikeart and giving free rides on their electric bikes.

Waka Rides Shoreline Cafe and Gone burgers will be doing special deals and there will be the ever-popular sausage sizzle. There is a free shuttle bus for people and bikes back to Motueka from 3pm.

Although not yet fully complete, the trail is popular with both the local community and visitors. Electronic counters recorded over 30,000 passes at the Waimea inlet during the first seven months of this year, of which about 80% were cyclists.

Ms Wratt says, "one reason this Trail so popular is, as well as gorgeous scenery, its suitability for beginner cyclists and families, as well as cycle enthusiasts".

Tasman's Great Taste Trail is a loop track and, along with other local cycling options like Dun Mountain and Kaiteriteri Mountain Bike Park, is expected to make Nelson-Tasman a premier cycle tourism destination.

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