Planning a mountain bike trip to New Zealand? If there’s one ride you should put on your must-do list, then it has to be the Queen Charlotte Track, a 71km stretch of continuous single track, located in the stunningly beautiful Marlborough Sounds area at the top of the South Island. All you need is plenty of energy and your hydration pack as your luggage is transported by water taxi to one of the many accommodation options along the route.
Mountain Bike Tracks in New Zealand
While there are many exciting mountain bike tracks in New Zealand, the Queen Charlotte Track will challenge even the most experienced mountain biker with constantly undulating terrain that rises up to 400m from sea level. If the weather is good, the clay soil on the track is wonderfully firm and climbing is easy; but after rain, the clay turns to slippery mud, making every kilometer a challenge, as you can see from my personal images of the trail.
The Queen Charlotte Track is open to both hikers and bikers, but the narrowest and best single track sections of the trail between Ship Cove and Camp Bay are closed to bikers from December 1st to the end of February at the peak of the summer season.
Single Track Biking Adventures on the South Island
Experienced riders should be able to cover the 71km route in two days, but while novice riders may also want to put this awesome South Island single track adventure on their itinerary, be warned that if the weather is bad and the tracks slippery, even fit riders may have to curtail their journey. When we rode the track in March 2004, not only did the mud-covered tracks make for some gut-busting climbs and long days in the saddle, bad weather had washed away part of the final section from Torea Bay to Anakiwa and we were forced to get a water taxi to pick us up.
There are several large operators like the Cougar Line offering water transport from Picton to the start of the Queen Charlotte Track, although there are also cheaper, private operators based at Picton. The official site for the Queen Charlotte Track has a downloadable map, a full map of the bike route and plenty of information on transport and accommodation options, which must be pre-booked, especially in peak season.
Queen Charlotte Accommodation
Whether hiking or biking along Queen Charlotte Sound, the views are truly spectacular, even in poor weather, and the choices of accommodation along the route will suit all budgets.
Choose from luxury options like resorts and lodges or simple bed and breakfast accommodation with bunk bed style rooms for a budget overnight stopover. The Department of Conservation also has campsites, but these are perhaps better suited to backpackers, as mountain bikers will find the route far more difficult if they have to carry their overnight luggage, not to mention washing the mud out, if unlucky enough to ride during a rainstorm.
Discover Queen Charlotte Sound by Bike
With challenging single track, spectacular views and the novelty of traveling with your bike by boat to the start point, discovering Queen Charlotte Sound by bike will undoubtedly be one of the highlights of any mountain bike trip to New Zealand. Just remember to plan your trip after March 1st if you want to ride the entire 71km trail.
If your itinerary doesn’t leave enough time to ride the awesome Queen Charlotte trail, Skippers Canyon, located just outside Queenstown, offers an equally exciting but much shorter single track ride. Or maybe splash out and book the mountain bike trip of a lifetime, a heli-biking experience on the Remarkables.
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Helen Smeaton - Helen Smeaton runs a cycling and hiking business and is also a freelance writer and web designer. Read her profile for more information
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