Traveling through New Zealand, I'm constantly searching for trail running and mountain biking information. To help endurance sport loving travellers of the future, I'm documenting my own adventures, focused on some of the best New Zealand rides and runs I've done. The Nydia Track is one of both, the next in my series of bite-sized trail reports.
NYDIA TRACK
The view of Nydia Bay from the first saddle - Spectacular.
Location:
Between Blenheim and Nelson in the Marlborough Sounds on the South Island of New Zealand.
Details:
This is another point to point mission. Most websites suggest traveling the 27k in a two day trip but we opted to do it in a long day. We decided to get creative with our shuttling by sending half the group to the Duncan's Bay trail head to mountain bike and the other half to Kaiuma Bay to trail run. Coincidentally, we met up for high-fives and lunch almost exactly at the half way point of the trail.
Report from the bikers was that the trail was pretty darn challenging with several greasy, technical fun bits. They also mentioned that riders should be prepared for a few hike a bike sections (on both the descents and the climbs).
Dan, descending into Nydia Bay
I was in the group that did Nydia as a trail run and I loved every moment. The trail has three primary climbs but rarely were any of the gradients too steep to jog. The portion of the trail that wraps around Nydia Bay itself is flat with some great stops for photos, especially with the legendary pet eel affectionately named Eddie, that you'll meet in a nearby river.
The elusive, but friendly pet eel, Eddie
Takeaway:
Bring plenty of water. The only place to refill is at the Nydia campsite and there's no guarantee that the water is safe to drink there.
The Data:
- TrailForks report can be found here
- Some history, maps and further logistics instructions can be found on the Department of conservation site.
- GPS data uploaded from my Suunto Ambit3 Peak n a cool little video here:
The Verdict:
As I mentioned on my Strava entry, the Nydia Track is the longest trail run I have done to date. A special thanks to my girly running tribe for the day, Lisa and Ali. With snack breaks and photo stops it was a really achievable journey. Do it by bike or running shoes!
If you have any suggestions for epic trail runs or mountain bike rides in New Zealand, leave your thoughts in the comments!
