Great Taste Trail
The Great Taste Trail is a cycle trail in the Tasman District of the South Island of New Zealand. This trail is one of the Great Rides of the New Zealand Cycle Trail project. The trail is around long.
Route
The majority of the route is a loop from the coast at Richmond, travelling inland through Wakefield and Kohatu to Tapawera, and then back to the coast at Riwaka, returning along the coast, via Motueka, Lower Moutere, Tasman view lookout, Māpua and Rabbit Island, and then back to Richmond. The loop can be cycled in either direction. There is an extension from Riwaka to Kaiteriteri and a spur from Nelson connecting to the loop. The trail commences from three starting places in Nelson: on the Maitai River path in central Nelson, on Beach Road in Tāhunanui, and at Nelson Airport.The route uses parts of a historic Nelson railway corridor. The Nelson section was an isolated government-owned railway line between Nelson and Glenhope in the Tasman District. While part of the New Zealand Government Railways, the section was never connected to the national railway network, although there were plans to do so. The line operated for 79 years between 1876 and 1955. Sections of the Great Taste Trail that use the old rail corridor are: the Railway Reserve on the route out of Nelson city, an alternative route through Stoke, the route between Richmond and Hope, Tunnel Road and Spooners Tunnel through to Tapawera.
History
The initial idea for a cycle trail in the Nelson-Tasman area was conceived by a small group of cyclists in 2007. The original concept was for a cycle path from Picton, and through Nelson to Murchison. By 2009, central government was interested in the idea of a national cycle trail, and this was promoted by the then Prime Minister John Key. The national project ultimately became the New Zealand Cycle Trail – a network of 'Great Rides' that were dedicated cycleways, mostly off-road and in particularly scenic locations. In response to the government initiative, the Nelson Tasman Cycle Trails Trust was registered in July 2009 to promote the development of a tourist cycle route in the Nelson-Tasman region.By October 2011, the route of the cycle trail had been constructed across Rabbit Island, and the Māpua cycleway ferry had been launched to provided a means for cyclists to cross the Māpua channel. A route had also been completed from Nelson city to Richmond and Hope. The first section of the trail, from Nelson city to Māpua, was officially opened by Prime Minister John Key on 4 July 2013. The Nelson Tasman Cycle Trails Trust reported that 200,000 riders had used the trail in 2016. A report commissioned by the Nelson Tasman Cycle Trails Trust estimated that the total spend by visitors to the Nelson Tasman region who travelled specifically to bike the trail was more than $34 million for the year ending June 2023.
During the severe flooding in June-July 2025, around of the trail was damaged. Some sections of the trail fell into the Wai-iti and Waimea rivers. The trail was closed, with estimates of the cost of repairs exceeding $2M. Some sections of the trail were re-opened in mid-July. In September, Government funding of $1.6M was provided for rebuilding of damaged sections to allow the majority of the trail to be repaired by December, restoring the full loop.