From the dramatic seashore of Kaikōura, for many, the ‘home’ of kai moana, the Hurunui Heartland Cycle Trail route starts by following the Inland Road (previously SH70) through dramatic landscapes of the inland Kaikōura mountains. The Heartland ride has been designed as a quieter, safer alternative to the busy State Highway One. On its 260km journey, the route traverses a diverse range of landscapes – from the rocky Pacific Coast, through mountain ranges, tussock lands, pastoral farms and the vineyards of North Canterbury – before ending at Christchurch’s Cathedral Square. Along the way are a range of historic sites, inland Canterbury towns and the Waipara wine country.
If gravel roads are more your style, two other Heartland Cycle Ride routes will lead you into the Hurunui from Marlborough – the Molesworth Trail through the expansive high-country Molesworth Station, and the Rainbow Trail, a ride from Nelson Lakes through working stations in the Rainbow Valley and the St James Conservation area.
