Gentle Cycling trips company logo
resting on the bike trip Nelson region
HOME / OUR BASE / OUR CYCLING / LATEST NEWS / FAQs / BOOKINGS / LINKS / PHOTOS

CLASSIC COUNTRY RIDE DETAILS

 

Classic Village to River Ride
Bring your swimming gear for this easy, relaxed cycling day and combine some exploring with a refreshing swim and picnic. Then enjoy a glass of craft beer or local wine in the pub on your return. Cycling out of the village of Brightwater, you will pass the pottery studio of Royce McGlashen, one of NZ’s foremost potters. As the farmland begins, look out for some beautiful old colonial farmhouses tucked among the trees. Further up the valley the road runs along beside the river until you reach the picnic spot, with it’s warm stony shores, rocky outcrops and crystal clear waters. There are toilets and changing rooms. The outward and return ride to the river follow the same route

 

 

 
Classic Village to Village Ride
Another easy ride, this pretty route starts at Brightwater and takes you along gentle country roads to the village of Wakefield for some more exploring, before returning on the same route. Lovers of history and rural life will find plenty to interest them here. Pick up a map for the Brightwater Heritage Trail and learn about the history of the village. The route to Wakefield passes the Lord Rutherford Memorial before leaving the village and then takes you through lush, flat farmland along roads that were once travelled by early settlers to the regions. Wakefield was named after Nelson’s founder, Arthur Wakefield and still retains its’ old village atmosphere. The village includes an antique shop, butcher shop, café serving local beer and wine, and pub. Faulkner Bush, set on the edge of the township, is a 17 hectare remnant podocarp forest with walking tracks, rich birdlife and lush vegetation. A track leads to a lookout with great views across the surrounding land and the Waimea Inlet to Nelson City. There are also two historic churches in the village, including St Johns, the oldest in the South Island

 

 

 
Classic History and Wine Ride
Take this gentle loop route if you love beautiful pastoral scenery with some winery visits along the way! You will start your ride in the village of Brightwater before heading out to the west, to connect with a grassy 7 km riverbank cycleway/walkway. The cycleway provides elevated views of picturesque plantings of grapes, kiwifruit, apples and hops. There are three historic churches and three wineries on the route and the very quiet roads, pretty gardens, hedges and roadside orchards make this a favourite route

 

 

 
Classic Beach and Wine Ride
This ride suits cyclists who want to bike a bit further and combine some beach time with winery visits. Starting in Brightwater, the route travels across the scenic farmland of the Waimea Plains to the beach at Rabbit Island. Cyclists could choose to take the 7 km grassy cycleway/walkway for part of the route or follow quiet roads all the way. Either way, the scenery is soft and agricultural and the causeway road access to the Rabbit Island Reserve, over a reedy wetland area, is particularly pretty. As well as toilets, there are changing rooms and barbeque areas here. You will pass three wineries on the route and may wish to make time to explore Brightwater village as well.

 

 

Freephone 0800 we bike     03 9295652
taking a break in the cycle trip Nelson