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Cycleway New Zealand

Welcome to Auckland

New Zealand's largest city Auckland got off to a slow start in terms of inner city offroad trails, but always has had a few great forest options on the city fringes since MTB came on the scene (Riverhead, Woodhill, Hunua and now Whitford & Maraetai).

It is now catching up with inner city MTB trail networks in Manukau's Totara Park and North Shore's Sanders Reserve with the www.cyclewaynewzealand.co.nz crew working on getting more trails sooner rather than later!  Not to mention non-MTB off-road options which we will keep you up to date on (use the RSS feed of the Auckland Trails menu below to the right).

Manukau Coastal Cycleway

Manukau Harbour, Auckland, New Zealand

Click for Auckland, New Zealand Forecast

If this doesn't become part of the New Zealand Cycleway we'll want to know why.  This is a good blend of easy flat riding whilst staying nice and off road.  See the sun sparkle over the massive Manukau Harbour and belt along this 14km+ of trail that is getting better every year as the native bush planted at the beginning of the 21st Century grow.

Manukau Coastal Cycleway offers an easy yet rewarding ride around an area that is becoming a great example of an effort to return the land to times of old after spending decades as Auckland's sewerage treatment.  It features the Southern Hemisphere's largest ever native planting project and is now host to lots of bird species, many of whom have flown around the planet to get there.


Check out this video of www.cyclewaynewzealand.co.nz junior member Offroad George taking on his fully armoured Dad around the Manukau Coastal Cycleway

Since opening as the Watercare Coastal Walkway 2005, cyclists and walkers have been enjoying the 7km path. But now with the little excursions noted in our Google Map. along with dropping across the old Mangere Bridge and riding the Pikes Point Cyclewat, you can enjoy a good 30+km of off road riding!!

Once a wastewater treatment area, this coastal stretch is now scenic, quiet and full of returning birdlife.

Stretching from Ambury Regional Park to the Otuataua Stonefields, it provides access to the Mangere Ihumatao foreshore, which is rich in cultural history.

The area is dominated by ancient volcanoes, Mangere Mountain and Puketutu Island, and was New Zealand's largest coastal restoration project.

With friendly farm animals for the kids to meet at Ambury Regional Park, there's something for everyone.

Black Swan - Be prepared to see a wide variety of birds along your way as there are several bird sanctuaries and even some bird spotting huts at points along the ride. Here a family of swans make the most of some post-winter flooding watched on by local rider, celebrity and top DJ Kapa T.  

Some History

Click here to see a newspaper clipping from the Manukau Courier (March 2005) relating to the opening of the trail (795kB jpg image, opens in new window).

Some excerpts;

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Click here to see a newspaper clipping from the Manukau Courier (April 2005) relating to the opening of the Oruarangi Creek to the sea for the first time in over 45 years - an emotional time for some of the senior members of the local community who can remember swimming and fishing in the area before it became too polluted to do so (812kB jpg image, opens in new window).

Some excerpts;


Where is the Manukau Coastal Cycleway?

The best way to begin this trail is at Ambury Regional Park where camping is permitted and you can see a working farm that is popular with the Auckland school trips.


View Manukau Harbour Cycleway in a larger map

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