FROM THE TRAVEL EDITOR

I tried to ignore the outrage around Auckland cycle lanes last week. It’s baffling to me that anyone could object to our biggest city becoming a safer and more environmentally friendly one. But I’m biased — I am ardent about cycling, having completed bike tours in Sri Lanka, Portugal, France, Australia, the US and New Zealand. I even commute to work by bike at least three days a week. So any investment in cycling infrastructure around the country gets a big tick from me.

While some were fuming about the perceived threat to their right to drive, elsewhere the country celebrated two of our fantastic cycleways being officially named Great Rides of New Zealand: The Lake Dunstan trail, which we’ve featured a few times since it opened on May 8 last year, and the new Whakarewarewa Forest Loop in Rotorua. This means they get increased funding to ensure their continued success well into the future.

For anyone who thinks it’s only lefty greenies who benefit from investment in cycling, a study conducted by MBIE about usage of the Great Rides during the JulyJune 2020/21 financial year found that “cycle trail users brought an estimated direct economic contribution to regions of more than $950 million”. So biking is good for all of us, whether you’re a rider or not.

To read our previously published stories on the Lake Dunstan trail, go to nzherald.co.nz/travel.

And for more cycling holiday inspiration, turn to p10 and p18 for great biking destinations both home and away.