New Zealand Cycle Trail

Kaitaia

Bluff

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The originally proposed start and end points of the cycleway. Commentators noted that the route was unlikely to succeed if following State Highway 1's route and that it should instead be routed through smaller communities, for the benefit of both tourists and the towns on the route.^[1]
It was later announced that while the intention remained to eventually connect the whole of the two islands, funding would initially concentrate on particularly promising routes.^[2]

The New Zealand Cycle Trail project (Māori: Nga Haerenga, "The Journeys") is a New Zealand government initiative, co-funded together with local councils and charitable trusts, which is to build and operate a network of cycle routes through the country.

As of mid-2011, the first of 18 proposed 'Great Rides' (dedicated cycleways, mostly off-road and in particularly scenic locations) were being finished, while construction was ongoing on most of the others. The first set of 'Touring Routes' (mostly on-road, to connect Great Rides), had also been announced. At the end of 2013, with the initial $50 million (plus local co-funding) essentially all spent or allocated, about 19 routes were expected to be in operation.^[3] By 2016, when added funding was announced, the total route length was about 2,500 km (1,600 mi).^[4] The addition of Whakarewarewa Forest Loop in 2022^[5] brought the total number of 'Great Rides' to 23, covering 2,755 km (1,712 mi), ranging from the 21 km (13 mi) Roxburgh Gorge Trail to the 315 km (196 mi) Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail.^[6]