A new respect for bike tyres!!

 A new respect for bike tyres!!

Ruby Bay - Mapua

FRIDAY 21 FEBRUARY 2025 - SATURDAY 1 MARCH 2025

We had got quite hooked on doing more of the Great Taste Bike Trail so to set ourselves up for the next part of the ride we travelled about 45 mins to Mckee Memorial Reserve at one end of Ruby Bay in Mapua. We booked in for four nights and promptly got the bikes down to do the 16 minute bike ride to the Mapua Wharf. The old buildings at the wharf have been turned into a range of eateries, gift shops and art galleries but there is also a wee maritime museum. Using donated photos the museum told the very interesting story of shipping for the Mapua area but it also gave us the background of the family our reserve was named after. The Mckee family were instrumental in setting up the Tasman area as an area recognised for growing apples. With eight other orchardists they set up an apple packing co-operative providing jobs in the area and set up the Fruitgrowers Chemical Company developing fruit sprays. When Arthur McKee died in 1943 his family gifted the reserve to the city of Nelson. Okay so enough of the history lesson, we stopped for some lunch and finally got to sample some local beer - at last the Great Taste Trail was coming up with the goods.

Mapua Wharf

The next day we headed off for the much longer ride from Ruby Bay to Motueka, about 52 kms return. Most of this ride was on grade 2 trails and took us through farms, past orchards and was on fairly well maintained trails. Then - we started to climb which is no problem on e-bikes but then came the sign that announced that the next part of the trail was grade 3 and it was not maintained by the Tasman District Council. Going up was bad enough but riding down hill on steep, rocky paths with cracks and crevices took the ride to another level - well for me anyway, Dave was having the time of his life! At this point my respect for bike tyres and their ability to keep me from hitting the deck was starting to grow!! Motueka was super busy but we had a bit of a look around town, stopped for some lunch and headed back to Ruby Bay. The trip home, while just as challenging for me, seemed to go faster and we even stopped for a photo opportunity at the summit.

The summit of the cycle from Ruby Bay to Motueka

Staying at the Mckee Memorial Reserve not only gave us access to the beach but also a lovely bush walk. It was our first opportunity to see how well our new electric system was going to last over a sustained period and how I would cope with only having a solar shower to rely on.

A big part of this adventure is spending time deciding where we will go next, where we will stay, whether to stay in a campground, an NZMCA (New Zealand Motor Caravan Association) park, a POP (Park over Property) or Freedom Camp. How long we are going to stay there and what there is to do in the area.  We look at costs, proximity to town, what facilities the camp has and how the camp looks. We are totally spoilt for choice and at least we are doing this outside of the busiest holiday times.

To be able to do the last part of the Great Taste Trail we needed to base ourselves in Motueka. When we biked there we took the time to check out the NZMCA park. These parks are always close to town and are only $10 a night but the Motueka one was quite crowded  so we booked into Marchwood Park. This is an A & P ground and is only open for NZMCA members but we chose it as it had trees and grass - much nicer when you are camping.

Our first day here we decided to walk back into town which was a little further than we thought but as we knew we had another big bike trip coming up we were happy with that and so were our butts!!

The next day we set off for the last bit of the Great Taste Trail from Motueka to Kaiteriteri Beach - about 42 kms return. Most of the trip there was super easy either paved or good size gravel paths except the last 20 minutes which took us up and down a mountain in the Kaiteriteri Mountain Bike Park.

Some buffoon had graded the path that we had to take as 'Easy' but with big tree roots, sheer drops and 5 switch backs in quick succession - easy was not the word I would have used to describe the track. I didn't even know what a switchback was when I saw the sign warning that there were 5 coming up but very quickly realised after the first one that the next four were not going to be any easier.

When we arrived in Kaiteriteri I said to Dave that there was no way I was doing that again to head home - I would ride on the main road. Dave just quietly told me to put my big girl knickers on and psych myself into the return trip as the road was too dangerous. I tried not to let the thought of the return journey spoil our time at this beautiful, golden sand beach. While we were in Kaiteriteri we wanted to suss out the two campgrounds and booked in our next stop and we booked a boat trip to see Abel Tasman National Park from the sea and do a small hike from one bay to another. Having achieved that we went for a beautiful swim and a walk along this picture postcard bay.

Kaiteriteri Beach - such a jewel in the Tasman Bay crown.

As we ate lunch I had a very stern talk to myself and busted out my huge, ginormous big girl knickers girding my loins for the cycle home. To be honest I did feel more in control on the return trip as I knew what to expect and uphill switchbacks are easier to handle than downhill ones!! Surprisingly, Dave found the trail in the mountain bike park the highlight of the trip and was keen to do it again to see if he could do it faster. (As you can imagine, I am shaking my head as I type that last sentence!). At this stage though, my respect for my bike tyres became monumental. How they do not slip and slide out from under me is a mystery but I am so grateful that they don’t!!

Don’t let this innocent, welcoming sign fool you!!

We spent the next two days in Motueka planning where to go next and exploring Motueka either by bike or feet. It is a VERY busy wee town but has some lovely bike tracks and even has a saltwater swimming pool that is filled by the tide and maintained by volunteers.

Once again our next drive was only a short one but we wanted to base ourselves in Kaiteretere Beach for five days so we could spend some time exploring the area, swimming at this beautiful beach and making use of the fact that it is the gateway to Abel Tasman National Park. We booked into Bethany Park Holiday Park and Camp which is a bit further away from the beach than the other camp ground in the area but it is smaller, the facilities are fantastic AND the reception staff were super helpful in making sure we got the best price for our stay here.

To head into the Abel Tasman National Park we chose to book with Wilson’s Abel Tasman Tours and we were very glad we did. Right from the ticketing experience to the amazing day we had with them we have nothing but praise for the staff and the experience.

We left from Kaitereteri Beach and motored all the way to the end of Abel Tasman National Park or Totaranui Bay. All the way we got a fantastic commentary about the places we were seeing and the history of the area. We called in at Split Apple Rock, encountered dolphins playing and saw the female fur seals playing with their babies at Tonga Island. We then travelled back to Tonga Quarry and left the boat for a 2 hour tramp to Bark Bay. As it was high tide, the route we followed to Bark Bay took us over a swing bridge and past waterfalls. It was just beautiful. Stopping at Bark Bay we avoided the wekas who were trying very hard to psych us out of lunch and then had a well deserved swim. The Wilson catamaran couldn’t come into Bark Bay so we had a short 10 minute walk to Medlands Beach where we were picked up and returned to Kaiteretere. 

Honestly, this trip was worth every penny. There were so many people, most of them tourists taking advantage of the spectacular weather to experience this part of New Zealand and it made you proud to be a Kiwi. As a visitor to the South Island we have to say, “goodonya” to Wilsons for showing incredible Kiwi hospitality. Well done also to DOC for maintaining the tracks so well and trying to get the park predator free. We heard bird life, we saw many native plants but we did notice that there was not much visible sea life, not even seaweed even though there is a marine reserve in part of the park.

I was going to wait to publish this post until after we left Kaiteretere Beach but I have raved so much about Abel Tasman National Park and taken so many photos that I think I need to press publish now. Especially as we are heading to Farewell Spit next so that may need it’s own post too.