Maitai Valley Trail – Nelson

Located a short way from Nelson City Centre this track is easily accessed.  You can join the track along the banks of the Maitai River in town or you can head up the Maitai Valley and park.

The ride needs to be doable for you and any riders you are biking with.
The ride is approximately 6km in length one way. It is a one way ride so you can determine how far you go by deciding when you turn around.  How much time do you have, how far should you go and what are your riders capable of? Answer these questions then work out your start and end point.

If you want a shorter ride could you get a car with a bike rack and park near the end point – a small carpark approximately 5 km up the Maitai Valley Road just past the Maitai Campground at the Pipeline Bridge.

If you want a longer ride this ride  can be linked to other rides if you want to go further

• Atawhai Shared Pathway
• The Matai Dam
• The Tantragree Saddle ride

Here is a link provided by the Nelson City Council –  map of Maitai Valley ride

This trail is a great safe introduction to single track riding. You will only need basic biking skills. Riding the trail will build on these skills and riders will gain confidence in; steering – sticking to and choosing your path,  changing gears – riding up short sharp rises, braking – riding going down these rises, negotiating obstacles – tree roots, stones, bridges.
The biking surface is compacted gravel, some loose gravel, compacted dirt with tree roots.  The ride is very gentle uphill riding, next to the river.
Remember the weather on the day will effect your ride

It doesn’t matter what ride you are doing or where you are going, you will always want to be safe. Check out the goRide guide How to have a “great day’ on the bike for general information on how to make sure you are safe on the bike.

You and safety – Am I safe to goRide?  A checklist to complete that ensures you are safe to goRide
Your bike and safety – goRide pre ride bike safety check – is it safe? A checklist to complete pre-ride so that you know your bike is in working order

If you have worked through the points above then you will be more likely to enjoy and have fun on your ride. There is so much fun to be had on a bike – the pace you go, being close and connected with nature, your ease to detour from the trail…I wonder what is around this corner, and your ability to stop and get off your bike means you get to discover all sorts of things along the way. Sometimes you will know about and plan to enjoy things and then there are those wonderful surprise discoveries.

Some things that you could plan to discover on the Matai River Trail.
Swimming holes – You pass some great swimming holes along the way.

• Black Hole – playground, fields, toilets, barbeque
  Dennes Hole – cricket fields
  Sunday Hole – playground, field, toilets
  All great places for a snack or picnic, or just stop for a swim. If it is too cold for a swim and it is safe there are good places for paddling or throwing stones or dam building in the river.

Playgrounds – At both Black Hole and Sunday Hole

Playing fields – Maitai cricket ground, Branford Park at Sunday Hole and Black Hole.

Walk to Centre of New Zealand starting from Branford Park. See here for map.