Written by Gary Patterson ‘The Great Rides App and Great Hikes App Guy’. These apps have all you need to know for enjoying cycle trails and walking tracks in New Zealand.
Cycling and coffee are a perfect blend, so it’s unsurprising that there are plenty of places to hop off the saddle and enjoy cafe culture. To get a caffeine fix it seems that no trail is too far away, and all you need to do is pedal railside, shipside or even roadside to find some of the best cafes around. So, we have selected our favourite places along the cycle trails which are just a little bit unconventional than your traditional suburban cafe.
1. Coffee & Burger Afloat – Lake Dunstan Trail
‘Whatever floats your boat’ could be this cafe’s new slogan, being moored beside the trail on the shores of Lake Dunstan. Here food comes to you, as this brew is boated out each morning ready to reach the first riders along the trail. This is a unique stop and is perfectly positioned for a rest of the legs between the Cromwell and Clyde. Their second and newer business ‘Burger Afloat’ is moored up beside the coffee boat and caters for those with the munchies and has a delicious range of burgers. As far as cycle trail cafes goes, this one leaves the common cafe in its wake.
If you’re looking for more information on the Lake Dunstan Trail, check out our list of the Top 5 Day Rides in New Zealand.
2. Waikino Station Cafe – Hauraki Rail Trail
After the success of the original Otago Central Rail Trail, many former railway lines throughout the country have been converted into rail trails and some former railway stations have now become successful cafes. One of the best on the cycle trail network is the Waikino Station Cafe near Waihi. After cycling over former railway bridges and through tunnels the station cafe is perfectly placed to stop between Paeroa and Waihi. The station is as authentic as they come. While munching on a treat, a train could quite easily rock up beside your table, and if you are weary and full of food then there is even a bike railway carriage to cart you and your bike into town! All aboard!
Needing some more information on this trail or another cycle trail in New Zealand? Check out The Great Rides App.
3. Theatre Royal Hotel – West Coast Wilderness Trail
If it is first class that you’re after then the restored Theatre Royal Hotel is a splendid showcase. After cycling through the West Coast wilderness of backcountry bliss, arriving at this Kumara cafe is like striking gold. The grand building is the West Coast’s only fully restored gold miners’ hotel, and once was a world-renowned theatre. Park up your bike near the white picket fence and embrace the overflowing charm inside. It has an ornate interior of the early era of carpets, historic piano and big game heads on the wall. The cafe caters for simple snacks right up to high teas, and if you’re overnighting then consider a stay in one of their unique themed rooms with Victorian décor and antique furnishings.
4. Coffee Bomb – Around the Mountains
Our country’s most inland town need not be a dry desert of cuisine. The Coffee Bomb in Garston is a must stop for a shot of coffee and to refuel along the last leg of the Around the Mountains Cycle Trail. The cafe is served from a nifty and lovingly restored silver Airstream caravan and looks quite the part in heartland Southland. They have yummy, mean as burgers that are perfect to fill the emptiest of cyclist’s stomachs before returning to the trail to burn it off. If you’re looking for a culinary blast along the trail, then this one’s ‘the bomb’!
Check out The Great Rides App for more information.
5. Rough & Tumble Bush Lodge – The Old Ghost Road
If you think The Old Ghost Road is an amazing West Coast riding experience, then have an epic end at the Rough and Tumble Bush Lodge’s cafe. Set beside the trailhead, it’s easy to park up the bike and climb the stairs to one of the most authentic of cycle trail lodges. Surrounded by lush rainforest, this timber lodge just seems to blend into the wilderness. The cafe is open to the public and offers homemade pizzas, nachos, and baking with seating set beside the fronds of tree ferns and tumbling river. For the full experience stay in one of their luxury rooms with views out to the green canopy. This is truly a perfect example of a cycle trail cafe that blends into its environment.
This article was written by Gary Patterson at Mapworks – ‘The Great Rides App and Great Hikes App Guy’.
Get the app here – www.greathikesapp.com
