We had a few days spare, so we decided to jump on a plane and head down to Wānaka for some mountain biking. Because, obviously, when you have a few free days, the sensible thing to do is go somewhere with mountains and spend most of the time riding down them.Our first stop was Sticky Forest, right on the edge of Wānaka. It’s a network of more than 20 trails winding through the pine forest, with everything from flowing berms and rollers to steeper, more technical sections.
The great thing about Sticky Forest is that it feels like proper local riding. You’re ducking between the trees, popping over little rises, railing corners and occasionally wondering exactly why you thought that particular line looked like a good idea. From central Wānaka, it’s only about a 10-minute bike ride to the network, so it’s incredibly easy to get to.
Then we headed out to Bike Glendhu, just 10 minutes by car from Wānaka, overlooking the spectacular Glendhu Bay
This place is something else. There are nearly 40km of purpose-built trails spread across the mountain, from cruisy flowing trails to technical singletrack and bigger features. We spent the day working our way around the park, enjoying the berms, rollers, fast flowing sections and, of course, stopping every now and then to take in the views.
A few days, two great riding spots and plenty of tired legs later, we were pretty happy with our decision to head south.
Wānaka is one of those places where you could easily spend weeks exploring. Mountains, lakes, trails, good coffee and enough adventure to keep you busy.
Not a bad way to spend a few spare days.