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The Wild West

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The West Coast Wilderness trail is a pretty raw product right now.  Thirty kms in, Kumara accommodation was okay, but options for coffee, etc are thin on the ground.  From there, there is 80kms of, granted, lovely off road riding in a beautiful and historic part of New Zealand, but for most people it is aimed at, I would imagine there is a lack of hospitality they might hope for to accompany their expedition.  Even the controversial, well patronised Cowboy’s Paradise looked empty and desolate when we passed through, probably suffering from COVID and recent bad press. 

The work done on this trail is impressive though, and as I’ve already said, the landscape is amazing.  It’s worth doing if your focus is the riding and you don’t mind carrying food, or cycling long distances like 80k without the trappings of civilisation.  Hopefully over time, the trail will return to its reportedly more vibrant state as the country recovers from a disruptive few years of COVID.

As for us, we enjoyed the ride.  It includes some fun off road and the highlights already mentioned above.  It was also great arriving at the coast again and to Hokitika which is a lovely place to spend a night.




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