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Mountain To Sea Cycleway

(2-3 days)

The Mountain to Sea Cycleway is one of the newly designated National Cycleways, providing an essential view of New Zealand. You can source more information about the progress of the Mountain to Sea Cycleway project at the Department of Conservation website.

The track begins at the top of the Ohakune Mountain Road and kicks off with 17 km of fantastic downhill riding into the Ohakune village before turning right onto Old Station Road and then right again into Marshalls Road. From the carpark at the end of Marshalls Road, ride on the recently completed Old Coach Road track through native bush and over railway viaducts to Clydes Access at Horopito.

At this stage the section from Horopito to National Park is along the highway (approx 30 km) with alternatives yet to be finalised.

Mountain to Sea Cycleway Map

From National Park take the Fishers Track. Follow this until you come to the ‘monument’. Turn left and follow the mostly metalled Oio Road for 26kms to Whakahoro at the convergence of the Retaruke and Whanganui Rivers.

The next stage of the journey leaves Whakahoro south via the Depot Road along a farm access track the base of the Kaiwhakauku Track. Due for completion April 2011, this stage is for the most part, a tramping track so is currently quite gnarly and treacherous in places although certainly not unridable. Once you each Coulls Hut and begin the climb out of the valley to the Mangapurua Trig, the trail becomes a lot easier. When you make the trig you have reached The Bridge to Nowhere cycleway section of the Mount to Sea which was completed in May 2010. 

A quick stretch of the legs up to trig outlook is worth a visit just for a 360° view of the Whanganui National Park which is the second largest national park in the country. Turn left at the trig and drop down into the Mangapurua Valley (approx 30 km) where you will follow the Mangapurua Stream all the way along the valley floor to the Bridge to Nowhere.  Twenty minutes past the Bridge to Nowhere the track exits on to a landing on the Whanganui River. 

Options here include:

  • Arranging a jet boat pick up
  • Ride back the way you came to the Mangapurua Trig then follow the track 5 km down to the Ruatiti Road where you can also arrange a pick up
  • Or alternatively when you reach the Ruatiti Road turn right and ride out 35 km back to Raetihi

At Wades Landing. we offer pickups from and drop offs to any part of the cycleway and can offer a jet boat return to and from any part of the Whangaui River sections as well. Contact us for more information.