WHICH KAYAKING OPTION?

SPOTLIGHT ON: RIWAKA

Words and Photography: Brendan Alborn.

First, a disclaimer: I live in Riwaka and believe it to be the most splendid place on this planet. I have been something of a nomad for most of my life so have lived throughout New Zealand and in a handful of other countries. After all of that tripping about and living away there is no other place in the world I would rather live than Riwaka. So, if you’re expecting an objective review of the tiny village that sits just outside of Motueka you should probably look away now.

While living overseas in the early 2000s my wife and I purchased a property in Riwaka, but it took us another ten years before we finally moved back to Aotearoa. During one of our holiday visits before we moved ‘home’ we had a group of friends come down from Auckland to join us for our holiday in Mārahau. We happened to be driving along Main Road Riwaka in a minivan on a cold and dismal rainy July evening having picked up our mates from Nelson airport to bring them over to Mārahau. I mentioned as we passed through Riwaka, and let me tell you it wasn’t looking its best in the dark and cold, that this was where we had purchased a house. Somebody in the van asked me if I was joking and questioned out loud why we would move from Shanghai to this rather bleak, tiny little freckle of a place in the South Island. At that moment I may have questioned our decision too, but I need not have worried. Riwaka has done nothing but become more wonderful in the ten years since we arrived to take up residence.

Riwaka is a hidden gem, a gem that is so well hidden many people local to the area don’t realise there is much more to the place than the bit they see as they drive along the main road enroute to Golden Bay, Kaiteriteri or Mārahau. The estuary area flanked by Wharf Road and Green Tree Road is a wonderful spot with many (cont’d)

Riwaka Estuary, moorings and boat sheds.

old boat houses and classic wooden launches moored Summertime swimming at the Riwaka Wharf. to jetties, giving the place the look and feel of an old English village. During summer, kids jump off the wharf for a swim or take to the water in all manner of kayaks, small boats and paddle boards. At low tides, it is possible to walk all the way to the mouth of the Motueka river back to the south or north across to Tapu Bay. Outer Island, or Goat Island as it is sometimes called, can be walked to at low tides and has a lovely sandy beach on its north side if accessed on fuller tides by water. When they were younger we convinced our children fairies lived on the island and they still call it Fairy Island to this day. I’m pretty sure they quickly realised this was just another one of the white lies we told them purely for our own amusement. those trout seem to be way too smart to be caught by an amateur like myself.

Like many of the areas in the Nelson - Tasman District, many people from outside of the area have moved to Riwaka over the past 10+ years. While the place still has a good number of multi-generational residents including many gnarled old orchardists, the influx of newcomers from elsewhere in the country and around the world has added to the vibrancy of the place. The influx of RSE workers from around the Pacific who arrive to work on the orchards adds to this vibe rather wonderfully. I can think of no better example of the old and the new than watching games at the mighty Riwaka Rugby Club. While some of the crowd will be yelling ‘Go Riwaka’ others in the crowd will be yelling for some strange team they seem to be calling ‘Re Walker’.

Cooks Reserve is the home of the Riwaka Rugby Club. During the winter Riwaka’s junior and senior teams play games on Saturday as does Kahurangi, a Riwaka-Huia combination team playing in the Tasman Division One competition. The ground will be absolutely jammed on big game days and the clubrooms will be full of people trying desperately to rehydrate themselves sufficiently with Steinlagers. On Thursday evenings between October and February every available field on both sides of the Riuwaka River bridge will be full of touch rugby teams playing in the local touch module. Riwaka also has a fantastic little bowling club and a croquet club located in the midst of the village, close to the Riwaka Primary School. The Riwaka Bowling Club hosts social bowls on Wednesday nights from late October through to mid-April that are open to anybody who wants a rollup. When you step into the clubhouse the splendid decor will instantly transport you back to the 1970s which is where the club seems to have frozen their bar prices.

The Riwaka Valley, home of the Riwaka Resurgence, would be Riwaka’s other major ‘natural attraction’. Te Puna o Riuwaka is the source of the Riuwaka River and is where the water makes its exit after draining through the porous Takaka Hill. The rock and caves of the Takaka Hill do an excellent job of filtering the water so it is about as clear and pure as water gets. Even on the hottest of our summer days the water is extremely chilly and therefore perfect for a dip. The trail up to the source is rather picturesque in its own right. Both the Riuwaka and the Motueka rivers are internationally recognised trout fishing locations although

Grape harvest at the Riwaka River Estate is an annual community event.

Riwaka is blessed with one of the country’s very best craft breweries, Hop Federation, with a tasting room and shop right in the middle of Main Road. While Hop Fed’s standard range is outstanding, their seasonable releases using fresh hops are a modern thing of wonder for anybody else out there who agrees that bog-standard, commercially brewed lagers are boring beyond concept. There is something special about having a craft brewery located right smack in the middle of the country’s premium hop growing area.

Riwaka has a couple of special vineyards producing outstanding wines too.

Riwaka has a couple of special vineyards producing outstanding wines too. Riwaka River Estate, located close to the bottom of the Mārahau Hill is a wonderful boutique family owned and operated vineyard. You’ve let yourself down if you haven’t visited their cellar door to sample their high quality, small batch wines. Motueka Wine Company, producers of Anchorage Family Estate, has various blocks around Riwaka and their cellar door in Brooklyn.

Right in the middle of Main Road and across from Hop Federation you’ll find Riwaka’s landmark containerized cafe, Ginger Dynamite. Brad Dalton’s signature pies have been known to make gruff, monotone-talking, grown men well-up in appreciation. On the same site is Thomas Brothers where you can buy fresh cherries and other produce grown right there on the orchard. Real fruit ice creams are available during the summer months and are just as popular with locals as they are with visitors to the area. Back towards the other end of the village is Mrs Smith’s a cafe come vegetable shop, makers of a splendid apple strudel and other classic Kiwi comfort food.

The Riwaka Hotel was completely renovated and reinvigorated by local entrepreneurs Carsten Buschkuehle and Angela Morris in 2020. After many years sitting empty the Riwaka has retaken its place as the social hub of the village. While the new renovation plays homage to the history and significance of the establishment it is also modern and classy. Of the 23 beers available on tap, one of those beers is Speights which is still available by the jug, something that is a prerequisite for many of the local patrons. Just like the rest of the village, a visit to the Riwaka Hotel will have you rubbing shoulders with legendary, dyed-in-wool Riwaka locals along with a diverse range of visitors and new residents. The Hotel also hosts live bands and other music events throughout the summer season.

OFF THE BEATEN (CYCLE) TRAIL Words: Brendan Alborn.

With ever expanding trails and brand-new cycling locations having come online in the past several years, even mad-keen cyclists in these parts can still discover new places to ride in the Nelson - Tasman District.

Each time I discover a new trail that has clearly been brought into existence by an enthusiastic group of cyclists, most of which will be volunteers, it fills my heart with joy.

I feel like finding those responsible and, if they’re not onboard with getting a hug from a strange man, at least offering my sincere thanks for their labours. The cycling locations featured in this edition of the magazine are some of those that have come into existence, or at least have become known to me, in more recent years.

Motupipi Hill

Motupipi is one of the small settlements located between Takaka and Pohara. With the recent construction of the cycle trail between those two places you can cycle to the Motupipi Hill Mountain Bike park from either direction without having to ride on the road. If you’re coming by car you need to park on Abel Tasman Drive just down the hill at the corner of Rototai Road. The entrance to the mountain bike park is on Burnside Road through some farmland.

Motupipi Hill is a fantastic network of trails located on private land. It was created and is managed by the Rata-Tui Restoration Trust which was set up by Beth Burdett and Phil Castle. The trails are well-formed and are mostly easy to intermediate grade, which suits me right down to the ground as I’m not a technical rider. This also makes it the perfect place for a family ride for a mix of ages and technical abilities. After a short ride up a forestry slip road, the single tracks peel off to the right and then wind their way along ridge lines and down into low areas. There is a wonderful view to be had, looking across the estuary towards Pohara and further along the coast to the northern end of the park.

Canaan Loop Track

The entrance to the Canaan Loop Track is at the top of the Takaka Hill right where the more well-known Rameka Track starts. The Canaan Loop is another reasonably family-friendly, intermediate grade track that takes about 1.5 hours to complete.

The loop track starts with a steady climb along Moa Park Track up along the edge of the forest and the Canaan Downs farmland. The next 2kms of the track are among the most scenic of the ride as you duck in and out of native bush before you reach Wainui Saddle, which is where the track meets the junction between Wainui Track and Moa Park Track.

From Wainui Saddle, Canaan Loop Track sidles the hillside beneath the western slopes of Mt Evans. The track winds through a mixture of open pasture and low scrub, and through a couple of forested (cont’d)

stream gullies. There is a bit of climbing to be done but the elevated views are well worth the grunting, sweating and gnashing of teeth. The track builders have cleverly used natural features to bridge creek crossings, including the trunks of fallen trees and also some granite chip, to pave the track through the paddocks.

We found the navigation towards the end of the track through the swampy farmland a little challenging but that’s what you get when I’m put in charge of navigation. The track ends with a wonderful section through a strand of lovely native bush.

St Arnaud

The wonderful people at The MTB Trails Trust are responsible for building and maintaining many of the most wonderful tracks around the area. One of their first projects was the St Arnaud Trail Project, a network of trails in and around the vastly underrated alpine village on the shores of Lake Rotoiti. The variety and length of these trails now makes St Arnaud a genuine mountain biking destination for a weekend or even longer. The Beebys–Red Hills area is the place to head if you’re looking for some more adventurous riding but the most family-friendly trail I’ve found in the area is the Teetotal–Big Bush Trail Network located just to the south of the village.

The Teetotal area is accessible via a trail that sidles along the back St Arnaud just up above the bushline. The network of trails, once you’re out of town, are a mix of low, easy trails along the grassy valley

The Teetotal area is prefect for a family ride.

floor and more advanced tracks through the bush. Everything is well signposted with plenty of options available depending on your skill and fitness levels. Then when you’re done for the day you jump off the wharf into the lake for a swim or settle down for an evening at the always welcoming and wonderful Alpine Lodge in the middle of the village.

The Flora Saddle to Barron Flat Track is part mountain bike-ride, part ride-carry...

Barron Flat

The Flora Saddle to Barron Flat Track is part mountain bike-ride, part ride-carry, or at least that’s how it is for somebody with my level of coordination and riding skills. The trail starts from the Flora Carpark which is accessible from the Graham Valley Road. From the carpark the track heads through bush a few hundred metres to Flora Saddle past Flora Hut on a 4WD track down to Flora Stream. Once you get past Gridiron Shelter the track narrows to singletrack, and after another five minutes it forks. You take the right fork down to a swing bridge over Flora Stream and then down the true right bank of the Takaka River which is where the technical sections start, particularly when you cross the side creeks that can be full of large boulders.

You’ll be climbing for the next 1 to 1.5 hours up to Grecian Saddle. The track is mostly rideable but there are some boggy sections that can be more easily done on foot, before you drop down to cross a small stream. There is a mix of pleasant riding and more technical stuff followed by a graded

Barron Flat involves a reasonable amount of bikecarrying, particularly across creeks with large boulders.

climb up to a plateau. After some more single track that weaves in and out of creeks the track climbs up to meet a 4WD road on Barron Flat. After undulating across Barron Flat the road eventually descends for several kms down to the valley. You end up on the Cobb Valley Road and about 1.5km from Upper Takaka. This is where regular folk have either arranged a vehicle pickup or where human cycling machines ride up the Takaka hill and back to where the adventure began.