Riding New Zealand with a 12 Year Old

komdotkom

Likes Bikes and Dirt
My wife has booked tickets to New Zealand so that we can avoid attending yet another excruciating family Christmas this year, and my son and I are keen to get a bit of riding in while we are over there.
My son went riding at Redwoods earlier this year while he was over there and loved it, does anyone have any other recommendations? I know that Queenstown is a popular destination but is it going to be a bit too much for a 12 year old? We'll take our own bikes and my son can ride pretty well, he has ridden nearly everything in Victoria and our local is Smiths Gully or YT's.
From what I can gather we'll be going back to Redwoods so that my young bloke can 'show me around' because I was busy at work during their last holiday, is there anything else on the north island that I should be looking at?
Queenstown Bike Park looks ok too, but I'll have to keep an eye on the trail gradings from what I understand they actually have some relevance unlike here where a black Diamond varies drastically from venue to venue.
So in summary, any recommendations for flowy groomed single track with not too many massive drops or doubles on either island?
 

moorey

call me Mia
Plenty of awesome trails for all levels at skyline QT and the Christchurch bike park for starters.
Felix was only just 13 when we went...and while an experienced rider, he loved playing on the flowy blues and greens as much as the black runs.
1/2 day pass first up is my advice. No one can avoid burnout and exhaustion at QT on an all day pass.
 
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nzhumpy

Googlemeister who likes bikes and scandal
Q'town around Xmas is heaving as well and can be a bit of a shitshow, Christchurch has plenty of stuff and easy to get to/from if you're based on the NI.
 

moorey

call me Mia
Q'town around Xmas is heaving as well and can be a bit of a shitshow, Christchurch has plenty of stuff and easy to get to/from if you're based on the NI.
Christchurch is SI...I also fucked up.
It’s a bit bare since the fires, but Felix loved it.
 

komdotkom

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Thanks gents, will look up the stuff in Christchurch. Thanks for the tip on Queenstown being busy, I can do without that.
 

Kurtnz

Likes Bikes
Skyline Qtown limits access to the lift from 25th - 12th Jan to 8am - 10am and trust me that hill is not fun to climb.

The Chch bike park is good if you want to do lots of runs but definitely isn't as nice since the fires but there is a new blue jump trail in the trees that should hopefully open by xmas.
 

DMan

shawly the least hangeriest guy on rotorburn
My wife has booked tickets to New Zealand so that we can avoid attending yet another excruciating family Christmas this year, and my son and I are keen to get a bit of riding in while we are over there.
My son went riding at Redwoods earlier this year while he was over there and loved it, does anyone have any other recommendations? I know that Queenstown is a popular destination but is it going to be a bit too much for a 12 year old? We'll take our own bikes and my son can ride pretty well, he has ridden nearly everything in Victoria and our local is Smiths Gully or YT's.
From what I can gather we'll be going back to Redwoods so that my young bloke can 'show me around' because I was busy at work during their last holiday, is there anything else on the north island that I should be looking at?
Queenstown Bike Park looks ok too, but I'll have to keep an eye on the trail gradings from what I understand they actually have some relevance unlike here where a black Diamond varies drastically from venue to venue.
So in summary, any recommendations for flowy groomed single track with not too many massive drops or doubles on either island?
I'm confused. Are you planning on riding in both the North and South Island?
 

nzhumpy

Googlemeister who likes bikes and scandal
(Assuming you’re taking the piss) Don’t worry. I was thinking Wellington was South and Christchurch was North when I replied :(
Yup, I was, I kinda meant in my original post that Chchc is easy to get to from the NI if you are willing to jump a plane for 2 hours -or a good 2 days drive...all assuming Roto is where you're basing yourself. With the drive option you could expand that out by a day or so and ride in Welly before catching the ferry which would break up the travel a bit.

Still heaps of trails albeit less groomed over the other side of the Port Hills (Bowenvale) problem with that is you'll only do that climb once and then decide to ride around Cashmere Rd back to the park.
 

DMan

shawly the least hangeriest guy on rotorburn
Yup, I was, I kinda meant in my original post that Chchc is easy to get to from the NI if you are willing to jump a plane for 2 hours -or a good 2 days drive...all assuming Roto is where you're basing yourself. With the drive option you could expand that out by a day or so and ride in Welly before catching the ferry which would break up the travel a bit.

Still heaps of trails albeit less groomed over the other side of the Port Hills (Bowenvale) problem with that is you'll only do that climb once and then decide to ride around Cashmere Rd back to the park.
I could fill my time just between Rotovegas and Taupo. Wellington has some great riding too.
 

Tim_the_Clyde

Likes Dirt
Plenty of awesome trails for all levels at skyline QT and the Christchurch bike park for starters.
Felix was only just 13 when we went...and while an experienced rider, he loved playing on the flowy blues and greens as much as the black runs.
1/2 day pass first up is my advice. No one can avoid burnout and exhaustion at QT on an all day pass.
This


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komdotkom

Likes Bikes and Dirt
We're flying into Wellington but we are there for a couple of weeks so will travel around a bit to avoid boredom. Since I don't have to tick off any other destinations on the visit I have the luxury of structuring the itinerary around riding, eating and drinking.
At this point we'll probably ride Craters at Taupo and Redwoods then fly south to Christchurch, that should be enough I reckon.
I'm sure my son will be bugging me for a dually after this holiday.
 

DMan

shawly the least hangeriest guy on rotorburn
We're flying into Wellington but we are there for a couple of weeks so will travel around a bit to avoid boredom. Since I don't have to tick off any other destinations on the visit I have the luxury of structuring the itinerary around riding, eating and drinking.
At this point we'll probably ride Craters at Taupo and Redwoods then fly south to Christchurch, that should be enough I reckon.
I'm sure my son will be bugging me for a dually after this holiday.
Take me then. I have my own dually already Dad.
 

Dozer

Heavy machinery.
Staff member
There is so much more to do around Queenstown than the bike park. I actually ride that place the least when I visit. Coronet Peak will be running a chairlift this summer, Cardrona runs a chairlift etc etc but yeah, Christmas is a busy time around there.
 

nzhumpy

Googlemeister who likes bikes and scandal
Christmas is a busy time around there.
This.

If you're there over the Xmas/NY break you want to lock up the car and leave it alone as even getting in and out of town is a massive shitfight, ride everywhere.
 

frenchman

Eats cheese. Sells crack.
We're flying into Wellington but we are there for a couple of weeks so will travel around a bit to avoid boredom. Since I don't have to tick off any other destinations on the visit I have the luxury of structuring the itinerary around riding, eating and drinking.
At this point we'll probably ride Craters at Taupo and Redwoods then fly south to Christchurch, that should be enough I reckon.
I'm sure my son will be bugging me for a dually after this holiday.
Both great spots. Also check out the Great Lakes trail in taupo. There about 60km of singletrack that can be broken up into 3 segments. Get dropped off at one end (Orakau) and ride from the hills To the lake or start at kinloch and ride 25km then catch the fast boat back. (W2K)

In wellies there is a shop called Mud cycles by Makara peak mtb park. They’ll let you hire out mid level dual suspension meridas to take up there for $60 or $80

There is heaps of great riding in wellies even when the weather is shithouse and the locals are super friendly.

I’d be inclined to skip the Christchurch bike park and go to Nelson instead. Bucket loads of singletrack and less crowds.
 
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