So Where is Mapua?
Mapua is a small town to the west of Nelson. Just a 30-minute drive from the city, it is a charming seaside village. It is becoming a favourite holiday spot for tourists and locals alike. Mapua has a thriving wharf and commercial area but the area’s population swells over the summer months.
The wharf began as an exporting point for apples, other fruit and flax and it shaped the development of Mapua. The anchor chain from the ill-fated Wahine.
There is now a lively cluster of restaurants, art galleries and wine bars. We were particularly interested in cycling the trails that are in the area. Namely The Tasman’s Great Taste Cycle Trail.
Getting There
After our house sitting assignment in Blenheim (see Hanging out in Blenheim Blog), we were eager to hit the road again.
Just a small detour on the way to Mapua
As it’s not a long drive from Blenheim to Mapua, we decided to take the scenic route – after all, life is all about rushing things slowly.
St Arnaud
As I’m not familiar with the area, I was a little confused as to the difference between St Arnaud and Lake Rotoiti.
The village of St Arnaud (located on the northern end of Lake Rotoiti) was previously called Rotoiti up until 1921 when it was renamed to avoid confusion with other communities of the same name.
No wonder I was confused as the locals continued to call their village Rotoiti until well into the 1950s. In fact, some residents still give their address as Lake Rotoiti regardless of its official name. Over half of the population supported a return to the original name back in 2007. It wasn’t to be and is still officially known as St Arnaud.
The small village caters mostly for the small number of locals, tramping and skiing tourists.
Lake Rotoiti
Now you won’t find any homes, buildings or construction on the banks of Lake Rotoiti (formerly known as Lake Arthur). Although located a short distance from St Arnaud, the lake appears to be in the middle of nowhere. It is obscured from the village of St Arnaud which adds to its mystique and stunning setting.
Did I mention how stunning it is here!
The entire lake is surrounded by Beech forest and is 7.5km long and 82 metres deep.
We made our way to Kerr Bay where there is a massive picnic reserve and a small DOC operated camping ground called Kerr Bay Campsite. (NZMCA #6360)
It is also the starting point for many tramping tracks in the area as well as a Water Taxi service which shuttles trampers to and from the Coldwater and Lakehead huts at the head of the lake.
The location must be heaving during the summer season as water skiing, trout fishing and eel feeding are popular past-times.
No camping allowed on the lakefront picnic and parking area, but nothing to stop us from enjoying a morning cuppa stopover
It would be a far cry from the somewhat deserted parking area we pulled into for our morning tea stop.
There was a very keen wind blowing which made my eyes water. Even the prolific population of eels which apparently live under the concrete ramps and wharf weren’t willing to make an appearance. Maybe I should have shared my muffin to entice them out!
Sometimes you just have to stop and stare!
Mapua Leisure Park
As we only had 4 nights before we needed to make our way to Tapawera for our next house sitting assignment, we decided to ‘splash out’ and book into the Mapua Leisure Park (NZMCA #6166). They do offer a discount for NZMCA members but because we were staying 4 nights, it was cheaper for us to take their other offer of ‘stay for 4 nights – pay for 3’. So for $108 for the four nights, it made it a bit more doable.
top spot close to the water and be careful where you take your clothes off!
We weren’t planning on being in the caravan much during the days we were there, so it’s the peace-of-mind to have the caravan sitting in a more relatively secure location.
The camp seemed huge! It actually sits on 25 acres on a piece of land which borders Tasman Bay and the Waimea Estuary.
It does state in its advertising that it’s a “CLOTHES OPTIONAL” type camp. I did wonder if we would cop more of a view than we bargained for. However, it is only during certain times of the year and also in a certain part of the beach/camp. It was way too cold to be considering taking any layers off, let along getting buck naked!!!
Tasman’s Great Taste Trail
The Great Taste Cycle Trail loops through the Tasman Bay towns of Nelson, Wakefield, Richmond, Motueka and Kaiteriteri. As it forms a big loop, (174km in total) the trail can be enjoyed in full over several days or cut down into shorter hops or day rides.
Easy to follow signs takes you to all sorts of wonderful destinations
Here is a brief breakdown on the different sections of the trail:
- Nelson-Mapua (35km one way, grade 2/easy, 2-3 hours). Starts at the Nelson i-SITE
- Mapua-Motueka (26km one way, grade 2/easy, 2-3 hours) Ruby Bay
- Motueka-Kaiteriteri (16km one way, grade 2/easy, 1-2 hours)
- Richmond-Wakefield (15km one way, grade 1/easiest, 1-1.5 hours)
- Wakefield-Kohatu (25km one way, grade 2/easy, 2-3 hours)
- Kohatu-Riwaka (57km one way, grade 3/intermediate, 3-6 hours)
For more information on starting and finishing points click on the link – Tasman’s Great Taste Trail.
Mapua to Tasman (Day 1)
From our central starting point in Mapua, we could head in two different directions
We donned our cycling gear the next morning and set off from basecamp to ride the section of the trail from Mapua to Motueka.
We rode as far as Tasman and took a detour to visit the Kina Penninsula. Neither of us had been to this area before so we were pleasantly surprised with what we found.
We cycled past wineries and some rather large residential properties until we reached a large protected reserve (no camping), which opens out onto the Moutere Inlet.
Our morning tea stop on the Kina Peninsula
It must be really popular in the summer with kayaking, canoeing and water skiing high on the list of activities in the area.
On our return back to the trail, we diverted off to have a look at the Kina Beach Reserve. This is just one of the many Tasman District Council owned reserves and camping grounds (NZMCA#6151). Dogs are allowed on leads and there is a maximum stay of 4 nights per calendar month. It’s a lovely spot but not much room. It would be first in first served to secure a waterfront spot. Some of the set-ups there would indicate that some of the campers have been there way longer than the 4 nights. At only $5 per adult per night, it’s a great option.
First in first served when it comes to a waterfront camping spot.
Turn Around at Tasman
Once we got back to the main road, we studied our map. It was still another 16km one way to Motueka. It was all inland which didn’t really inspire us to continue. We had already cycled 22km and knowing that we had to do the same on the way back, it was a unanimous decision not to continue on.
Finding our way back to base camp
It was a much more attractive option to call into Jesters House Cafe for lunch. This is a truly quirky little cafe with yummy homemade food. It is a family-friendly spot with plenty of outdoor activities for the kids to explore and even feed the tame eels in the neighbouring stream. Check out their website for more information.
Their Ploughman’s Platter and coffees went down a treat. An ideal refuelling spot.
Always time to refuel!
Grossi Point
Upon arriving back in Mapua, we detoured down a side road by the wharf to visit Grossi Point. At the end of Tahi Street, we found the recreational reserve. It covers the end of a small peninsula which extends into the Waimea Inlet.
It is also of major cultural significance to many iwi groups as it is said to be the site of a Maori fishing village, which dates back as early as 1200AD.
The Grossi Point Recreation Reserve is very popular with the local community. It is very well used for swimming, boat launching and dog walkers. It is actually the only public boat ramp in the area since the Mapua Wharf boat ramp closed.
The mountains a perfect backdrop for this grand old girl of the sea
It was deserted on our visit but I managed to score some great photos of the water, boats and snow-capped mountains in the distance.
By the time we cycled back to the caravan, my Trip Metre was showing 41.8km for day.
Mapua to Nelson Airport (Day 2)
While the good weather was still holding (and my backside was still intact!!) we decided to head back onto the Tasman’s Great Taste Trail, but this time in the opposite direction.
In order for us to do this, we wanted to start and finish on Rabbit Island.
The Rabbit Island Ferry’s Winter Timetable shows that they do not operate during the week, only on weekends. If you are keen to catch the ferry, it would pay you to check their timetable and prices (click here).
We loaded the bikes on the back of the ute and headed to Rabbit Island via the bridge from the mainland.
Moturoa/Rabbit Island
Rabbit Island is nothing like I expected it to be.
It is connected to the mainland via a causeway/bridge. The long narrow island is 8km long and is largely planted in pine forests (watch for logging activity and trucks).
A series of roads criss-cross their way around and over part of the island. The closest you can drive to get to the passenger ferry from Mapua (when it’s running) is within 3.5km so you have quite a walk or cycle to get too and from the landing point.
The pristine sandy beach of Rabbit Island
There is a wonderfully laid out reserve with both wood and gas BBQ’s available. What surprised me the most was the beautiful, unblemished white, sandy sweeping beach. This is a popular spot for swimmers during the summer and local residents from far and wide visit for a perfect day on the beach.
Back on our Bikes
We parked up at one of the parking areas on the beachfront and set off to ride the trail to Nelson (see map above).
We cycled the designated trail, crossed the causeway and bridge and followed the directions which took us across farmland and flood banks.
The CB Kidson Suspension Bridge and following the signs to Nelson
As the trail nears Richmond it splits in two with the righthand fork taking you to the township and the lefthand fork continues onto Nelson.
We followed a waterside pathway between Nelson’s major highway and light industrial area. We hugged the coastline of the Waimea Inlet. It’s the South Island’s largest enclosed estuary. A wide range of sea birds makes it their home. There are a number of information boards dotted along the pathway to help you identify the birdlife, which I found to be extremely helpful.
The trail from Rabbit Island to the Nelson i-Site is 35km in total. It is an easy and well-formed track. Extensively used by recreational cyclists, including the more keen lycra-clad, serious cyclists. Be sure to stick to the left and keep a keen eye out for oncoming, fast-moving cyclist coming towards you.
As it was mid-week, we didn’t encounter too much cycle or walking traffic.
Nelson Airport Turnaround Point
We stopped off at a small reserve close to the end of the Nelson Airport runway for a spot of lunch on a picnic table and watched a few planes come into land.
Cycling the boardwalks and bridges over the waterways of the estuary and our lunchtime stop by the airport
Not keen on cycling any further into the city, we decided that this would be a great turnaround spot and proceeded to make our way back to Rabbit Island.
Spring winds are quite common for the area. This made for a challenging slog for our return trip. It certainly elevated the heart rate.
By the time we made it back to the ute at Rabbit Island, we had clocked up another 44km. That, added to our 41km the day before meant that our legs and bums were certainly letting us know that we had put them through a bit more activity than what they were used to!
Pic’s Peanut Butter
My backside was telling me to have a rest day from the bikes! We decided to book on the free tour at Pic’s Peanut Butter.
Now we’ve visited plenty of brewery and winery tours BUT NEVER a Peanut Butter Tour. There’s a first time for everything!
Now that is one BIG jar of peanut butter!
Pic’s Peanut Butter World in Stoke, Nelson, started off with humble beginnings. Pic started roasting peanuts in a stainless steel concrete mixer over a gas ring and a benchtop grinder all in a home garage to become New Zealand’s best-selling peanut butter in just 10 years.
Nearly every supermarket in New Zealand stock Pic’s. It is exported to countries around the world including more than 1500 supermarkets in Australia and 750 supermarkets in the UK.
The production line in full swing
Their free 40-minute tour runs x4 times a day, bookings can be made online. During the summer, tours can be booked out well in advance. Make sure you get in early as they can only take small groups at a time.
Did you know that NZ’ers prefer crunchy over smooth with 7 jars sold of crunchy to every 1 of smooth? We’re a crunchy household.
You can buy a jar or a bucket full……I promise I only brought 3 items and they didn’t include a bucket!
In addition to peanut butter, they produce almond butter, cashew butter, Peanut oil, boysenberry jelly, as well as coffee beans!!!
My pantry is now a little more full!!!!
Summary
Our four-night stay in Mapua was perfect for a little downtime, plus giving us the opportunity to complete some more sections of the Tasman’s Great Taste Trail.
A camp of many options, we enjoyed our morning coffee spot, our Weber dinner and our ‘treat night’ fish and chips on the wharf
I particularly appreciated being so close to the water. Although it isn’t close to the city, the small village of Mapua has everything you need if you need to re-stock the cupboards. The handful of shops and the wharf are all within walking distance to the camp. Particularly handy when we decided treat night would be a feed of fish and chips from the Smoke House located right on the Mapua Wharf.
The obligatory photo frame shot on the wharf. Make sure to make Mapua a stopover if you can.
Click on the link below to see highlights of our trip to Mapua and snippets of the bike trail and peanut butter tour.