The perfect spot for both a road trip and a bike ride , as long as you have some sort of wheels, the West Coast is an ideal summer getaway, writes Eleanor Hughes A desire to cycle the West Coast Wilderness Trail and see never explored Karamea, morphed into a road trip from Auckland. With my mountain bike in the back of my Kia Rio and plans to hire an e-bike for my travelling, we crossed the Cook Strait at midday. Follow in our tracks as we make the most of a West Coast road trip.
READ MORE: Road trips in New Zealand through Gisborne and State Highway 35 Picton to St Arnaud – 128km, 1.5 hours Stop over at the alpine village of St Arnaud where Lake Rotoiti, encircled by bush-covered mountains, is idyllic. Water taxi from Kerr Bay across its 7.
5km length to Lakehead and return on the flat Lakehead Track. Black-trunked beech trees and verdant ferns provide shade with continuous lake views and shingle beaches to enjoy..