I love riding cycle trail loops. You get to return without support, plus it’s satisfying to come back to the familiar. One of my favourite day loops is the Coppermine Trail, a NZ Great Ride in Nelson that starts in the city and climbs high above to offer a wilderness experience without the need to drive. Yet far from the wilderness, another type of loop is the sort that explores the urban jungle. The latest is known as Te Aka Ōtākou or ‘The Otago Vine’ a path that winds around the coves and points of Dunedin’s Otago Harbour. I was quick to pick from this vine as it’s just recently opened.
Before I arrive I visit Mosgiel on the outskirts of the city. That evening I attend a public meeting which discussed how the branches of Otago’s Great Rides will one day fruit into our country’s greatest offroad network. Yes, in the next decade, some 500+ kilometres of Otago’s cycle trails will form massive interconnected inland and coastal loops. The finale for riders, if they choose a multi-week adventure, will be to ride through the.
