New 26km shared path from Invercargill to Bluff

For those hardy travellers walking or cycling 3000 km from Cape Reinga to Bluff, there is at last a safe alternative to the shoulder of State Highway 1 when riding to Bluff.

After riding it for the third time with mates, local cyclist Ray Robinson has declared that “it’s bloody good”. NZ Transport Agency has even received a poem from one grateful trail user, Tim Anderson, who said “10/10 for the workers, who laid that trail to Bluff”.

In the past, walkers and cyclists have had to share the road with large trucks racing to the port at Bluff. It was often terrifying and of course the truck drivers did not like it either. Now everyone is happy.

The 2.5-metre-wide path from Invercargill to Bluff is 26 kilometres long and has taken just over ten years to build. There are plans underway for a grand official opening in March 2022, once interpretation signs have been installed.

The trail starts at Tweed Street on the western edge of Invercargill and ends at the northern edge of Bluff. Travellers following Te Araroa New Zealand’s trail then travel through town to the famous AA signs at Stirling Point.

Above: Ready to start the trail Photo by Jodi Morrison.