Cycling in Hawke's Bay: From the National Aquarium of New Zealand to Bay View.

If New Zealand has a leisure cycling nirvana, Hawke's Bay is it. In a region with a warm, sunny, Mediterranean climate, lovely scenery and lots of things to do on those essential rest days, there are over 200 km of easy year-round cycling trails. Hawke's Bay encompassing the towns of Napier, Hastings and Havelock North in the North Island, is the perfect destination if you have never cycled on a holiday before and want to give it a go. None of the trails take more than a few hours and you will never be far from civilisation.

The National Aquarium to Bay View

Location - The National Aquarium on Marine Parade to Bayview, just north of Napier

Distance - 26 km return

Terrain - Flat, easy, sealed shared pedestrian and cycle path for almost the whole distance.

Difficulty - Easy

Highlights - The stunning street art and Art Deco of Napier. 

Of all the Hawke's Bay rides this is the best to begin with. It is flat, easy and scenic with the added benefit that because it follows the sea front you can't get lost. At 26 kms one way it is a good length for a leisurely, holiday cycle. The path runs for a further 20 kms or so past the National Aquarium heading away from Bay View so you can make the ride as long or as short as you want by beginning further south.

The path at Westshore

South of the National Aquarium - 

South of the National Aquarium the scenery becomes a bit monotonous, with not much to look at other than sand and waves.  However between the National Aquarium and Bay View there is so much to see you can easily take all day.

If you read my post on Street Art in Napier, you will already have seen this photo of the side wall of the National Aquarium, but it is such a great piece of art I had to sneak it in again.

Napier CBD -

You will start out cycling past long stretches of sand and surf. As you get closer to Napier, watch out for the Art Deco buildings strung out along Marine Parade. When you get to Napier city centre, take a quick walk (or cycle) around the block bordered by Dickens St, Clive Square and Tennyson St. Watch out for the Street Art and many Art Deco buildings.

Click on the link for my recent post on Art Deco in Napier

West Quay - 

Beyond central Napier the path goes past the Port of Napier with its container and cruise ship terminals. Don't miss the mural painted on the lighthouse at Perfume Point or the 'missionary pot' in front of the old Customs House at West Quay. A friend of ours has one in their garden and insisted for years it was used by cannibals to cook missionaries in the jungles of South America. In fact it is a 'whaler's try pot', used to melt whale blubber and extract the oil. It is more fun though if you imagine a couple of hapless missionaries headed for the dinner table - rescuied, of course, at the last minute.

Whaler's Try Pot - or is it a Missionary Pot!

If you are lucky you might also see a 'waka', a traditional Maori double-hulled canoe. We watched one being manoeuvred in the Ahuriri Estuary. It was a true mix of old culture and new with an enormous single oar right next to a bank of modern solar panels.

A Waka. Can you see the flat solar panel at the front and the huge single oar next to it?

Westshore -

Past West Quay you will be back to cycling past sand and surf on your right. Watch out on your left for the Ahuriri Estuary wetlands, a sanctuary for endangered wildlife. If you have the energy you can detour through these. 

Hawke's Bay Trails - the route is well signposted.

Bay View -

If you make it all the way to Bay View there is a nice little cafe at the end - perfect for coffee or lunch before turning for home. Just follow the signs through the Napier Beach Kiwi Holiday Park along the main drive past the cabins.

Cafes - 

There is no shortage of cafes and take-aways on this ride. Napier CBD is full of them, there are more at West Quay and one at Bay View, where David and I stopped for a break before tackling the return cycle.

Parking - 

There is a parking area at the National Aquarium as well as a couple of others as you drive south. Between the aquarium and Napier CBD you will run into pay parking and time-limited zones. Unless you plan to hire a bike in Napier, I would avoid parking here. At the northern end of the ride there are more parking areas between West Quay and Bay View.

The Hawke's Bay Trails Map marks parking places.

Bike hire - 

There are several bike hire shops in Napier, just ask at the Napier i-Site.

My tip - 

Be aware of which way the wind is blowing. The one drawback of Hawke's Bay as an otherwise perfect place for cycling is that it can get quite windy. If you have the wind at your back on the way out it is easy to cycle too far only to discover the return ride home in to the wind is a lot harder going than you expected.

Other trails we have cycled in New Zealand.

• The Hauraki Rail Trail (Part-1)

• The Hauraki Rail Trail (Part 2)

• The Otago Rail Trail and a Universal Truth

Other blog posts from our two weeks in New Zealand:

• Searching for Kiwi at Kiwi North, Northland

• A Cyclist's Lament: Welcome to New Zealand

• Wai-O-Tapu: Geothermal Wonders in New Zealand

• From Disaster to Art Deco in Napier: How an earthquake shaped the city

• Cycling in Auckland: Was it worth all the hassle?

• Sea Walls: Murals for Oceans, Napier

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