The Northland Walking and Cycling Strategy was developed in 2017 by Northland’s various councils, Northland Inc., the Department of Conservation, the New Zealand Transport Authority, Sport Northland, Bike Northland, and the New Zealand Outdoor Access Commission. Its aim is to contribute to the region’s economy through improved infrastructure that would attract visitors region-wide and all year round.
The strategy originally prioritised 13 trails as meeting the vision for ‘Northland as one of the world’s best coastal walking and cycling destinations where the journeys and stories are as impressive and memorable as the scenery.’ The Implementation Plan demonstrated a program for building these trails to deliver a network that could be installed in prescribed stages.
The final route for many of the trails on this map are still to be defined. For the purposes of displaying these on a map, several of the marked trails follow nearby roads.
The following trails have been identified to be developed initially, with others added over time as use increases and resources become available. Preliminary designs and costings have been developed for each of these routes:
The purpose of the original strategy was to provide a strong tactical framework to support the development and implementation of district council walking and cycling strategies and to place these within a regional context by identifying actions that can be taken at a regional level. What has been highlighted in the last 3-4 years is that the 4 councils in Northland, Te Tai Tokerau, cannot do this on their own, and several communities have combined resources to develop trails in their local areas.
The Northland Tracks and Trails Project Team from Bike and Hike Northland supports these community groups and their local initiatives to connect the 700 km link by strategically collaborating across the groups and councils, assisting with long-term planning submissions to councils, funding applications, and providing this website to allow groups to be able to share their progress and ask for help where required.
All trails will deliver users to points of interest and destinations across Northland, Te Tai Tokerau, and beyond via a network ranging from mountain bike trails to relatively flat and easy rail trails to quiet country road experiences. Users will choose interconnected routes based on their ability, preferred start and finish points, local attractions and time commitment. Ferry crossings will provide links for some of the trails, adding a dimension of interest and interaction with Northland’s coast and waterways that will broaden the appeal of the overall experience. There is also some alignment with the Te Araroa Trail – the national walking trail.
Northland’s rich cultural and environmental narratives are not often apparent to visitors, though local communities are often very open to sharing their stories and experiences, given the opportunity. These stories are even richer, more complex, and more compelling, requiring time and moving through Northland at a human pace (on shared pathways) to read. Implementing a layered experience of interpretative media, enhanced plantings, sculpture, heritage sites and other features will increase a sense of engagement with Northland.
We will regularly update the progress with the overall 700 km objective and the individual trails on this site. If your trail group would like to contact us regarding your project, contact us via email.
