Traveling through the North and South Island of New Zealand, I'm constantly on the hunt for running and mountain biking trail data. In response, I'm creating my own, focused on some of the best New Zealand rides and runs I've done. The Wakamarina Track is the first of a series of bite-sized reports.

Wakamarina Trail

Location:

Havelock, between Blenheim and Nelson on the South Island of New Zealand. 

Details:

This sweet ribbon of trail is mostly singletrack with a mixture of loam, roots, clay and hike-a-bike. It's a point to point ride that's best done from south to north and can easily be done as a single day adventure. It's a long and hot ride so pack plenty of water and food. We opted out of the paid shuttle because we had two vans but we soon found out that the gate at the base of the start can be locked at anytime, without notice. Bonus climbing anyone? All complaints aside, the decent from the highest point is out of this world. The trail was originally a gold mining track that has a brilliant change in consistency as you decend into the Wakamarina Valley. From rooty and dry conditions down through loam, lush ferns and waterfalls.

Takeaway:

Always pack an antihistamine in your first aid kit - Dan was stung by a wasp... In The FACE.    

The Data:

TrailForks report can be found here

GPS data uploaded from my Suunto Ambit3 Peak n a cool little video here:

The Verdict:

Go ride this trail. It's a rad day in the saddle.