Cycling New Zealand: The North Island

As we write this blog entry for you, we are sitting on the ferry from Wellington to Picton, which means that we have concluded the first part of our New Zealand travels on the North Island—a small but significant milestone in our ambitious journey ahead. While the ferry carries us across Cook Strait, we reflect on the past weeks and our impressions of New Zealand’s northern island so far.

Our route (which, by the way, you can always follow/retrace here) was planned on the go. We had a loose idea of where we wanted to go, but we wanted to leave space for recommendations and spontaneity. We started our journey up north in Auckland City, and although our legs were untrained, we took on the lumpy Coromandel Peninsula first. After a slow first week, we made our way down to Rotorua (or RottenEggsRua—the place stinks of sulfur from all the surfacing hot springs and volcanic activity). We weren’t overly impressed with Rotorua itself – perhaps it was the overpowering sulfuric smell –  but we did enjoy riding out through the Whakarewarewa Forest. We then had to decide whether to conquer Lake Taupo’s east or west side—well, we went for the “Wild West,” and many hills later, we had made it south of the lake, arriving in Turangi.

After a much-needed rest day, we were ready to ‘simply cycle into Mordor,’ otherwise known as Tongariro National Park. Rain and clouds accompanied us throughout this two-day endeavor, unfortunately allowing only scarce views of the three active volcanoes situated here (including ‘Mount Doom’). We were then spit out onto a terrible stretch of state highway and were eager to get off it as soon as possible. Our aim was the peaceful counterpart, Whanganui River Road, which we followed all the way back to the coast. At the end of it, black sand beaches filled with dramatically contrasting driftwood gave us a beautiful reunion with the ocean after two weeks of inland cycling.

At this stage, we were becoming more and more eager to see the South Island—widely praised by many Kiwis, travelers, and friends for its dramatic landscapes and breathtaking cycling routes. It felt like everything was building up to the epic southern landscapes. So, with nothing left holding us up north, we decided to hightail it to Wellington but were pleasantly surprised along the way. We discovered magnificent roads for cycling, including a decommissioned section of State Highway 3, and enjoyed our remaining North Island days more than expected. The final push to Wellington was not done by our own legs; instead, we took a train from Masterton to avoid traffic and big roads entering the city.

We were told many times not to waste too much time up north, and it is true that many hours of our cycling were spent beside fenced-off fields, either empty or full of sheep and cattle. We also endured some hours on busy roads with heavy traffic, trucks, and pickup vans—not great. But overall, the North Island treated us well, and we had a blast. In terms of cycling, we experienced some real highlights that we want to share with you:

1. Whakarewarewa Forest

We decided to skip the more direct and boring highway exit out of Rotorua. Instead, we ventured out to do part of the Whakarewarewa Loop, one of New Zealand’s Great Rides. It took us through giant Californian redwoods first, and while they were big and impressive, they didn’t quite live up to our equally large expectations. The loop then took us to the picturesque Blue Lake (Lake Tikitapu), a good spot for a dip and some pies.

It was at this point that the trail disappeared into a thick wall of trees. Picture us—overloaded gravel bikes, fully equipped with panniers, front fork bags, handlebar bags… Naturally, we were somewhat nervous about taking an off-road loop through a native forest. Well, we were in for a treat. Not only did our bikes love it, but we were in awe—a beautiful track undulating its way up and down through a tunnel of ferns, trees, birdsong, and pure green. Tumbling through the trees and emerging on the other side was amazing fun.

2. Whanganui River Road

Our second highlight was the Whanganui River Road, another one of New Zealand’s Great Rides called Mountains to Sea. The area is steeped in both Māori and European history, full of natural wilderness and heritage. The lush greenery sprouting from either side of the riverbed is a well-protected haven for birds and native bush alike. We joined the river road for its final 70 km, where it drains into the Tasman Sea.

The route took us through a stunning stretch of land. At times, the hills were testing, and the weather didn’t always cooperate, but the birds sang loud and proud, cheering us on as we climbed through this amazing patch of paradise. With the river as our only constant companion, it really felt like we were the only ones there—a welcome contrast to the previous day, when we had battled our way down a congested stretch of state highway.

3. The (Old) State Highway 3

Last but not least, the biggest surprise for us was the old State Highway 3 cutting through the Manawatũ Gorge. We had no idea what we were getting into when we found ourselves pushing our bicycles through a construction site, then down a single track, and eventually through holes in broken fences. At first, we were cursing Google Maps for taking us (once again) down a sketchy path, possibly leading to an impassable road. Instead, we were presented with the most eerily beautiful road—a once-busy highway passing through a small mountain range.

The road was closed eight years ago due to major landslides (“slips”), and while we weren’t sure if it was fully passable, locals reassured us that it was an adventurous but feasible route. Now defunct, it is commonly used by locals for walking, running, and cycling (several locals assured us beforehand that it was a feasible route). Nature has since reclaimed this once-main highway, and in many places, the overgrown road looks almost like a scene from a post-apocalyptic movie. The novelty of cycling down this abandoned highway never wore off. Having the time and space to take it all in was fantastic and left us wondering, “Why aren’t all roads abandoned like this?” Thankfully, even after exiting this approximately 15 km stretch of bliss, we were gifted with amazing roads with hardly any traffic all the way to Masterton.

We’re off to the South Island now and will update you soon on how we’re getting on! 👀

Happy cycling!

PS: Roads We Would NOT Recommend

If you happen to be cycling through the North Island of New Zealand, here are some roads we’d avoid due to safety concerns and heavy traffic:

🚫 State Highway 25A (connecting Hikuai with Kopu, in the southern part of the Coromandel Peninsula): A nightmare—barely any hard shoulder and many trucks and pickup vans.  

🚫 State Highway 4 (connecting National Park with Raetihi).  

In general, try to avoid the major state highways that serve as primary connectors between big cities. Due to road closures, for us some routes were more congested than usual, making certain sections even less enjoyable for cycling.