If you had asked me to recommend a true backcountry trail near Queenstown a decade ago, I would have been stumped. There were ample trails for downhillers, jump parks in which to get airborne, and a network of cycle trails for those preferring to keep their wheels grounded, but I would have directed riders outside the region for a genuine cross-country experience. Local cross-country enthusiasts like me used old-school trails that involved navigating steep fire breaks, following the deep ruts of 4WD roads, and flicking up poo while using high-country sheep tracks. Those days were rough on gear, tough on our bodies, and exhausted us as we ground our way up steep hill tracks built for powered machinery. Today the opening of the Coronet Loop Trail begins a new era of backcountry experience for the area. It’s a sweet relief for us riders too – at last there’s a trail built for us cross-country types, one which skips into Skippers, corners around the Coronet, and shoots along the Arrow River to return to Arrowtown.
The new loop is of work interest
