$60 million cycle trail proposed for South Island's Glacier Country

An ambitious $60 million cycle trail for the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island has passed the first hurdle on the way to joining Ōkārito to the Fox Glacier.

West Coast tourism authorities have released their findings in the form of a feasibility report into a four-day cycling trail linking "Glacier Country" communities.

Beginning at the scenic Ōkārito lagoon, the route would take cyclists to the face of the Franz Josef Glacier, out to the Gillespies Beach and back to the Fox Glacier township.

If approved it is anticipated that the trail could attract 26,000 cyclists and an additional 12,000 hikers per year.

Contractors TRC Tourism expanded on plans for a ‘Glacier Trail’ after an initial consultation with the Department of Conservation (Doc) and Te Rūnanga o Makaawhio earlier this year.

The overall building cost, including route construction, cabin accommodation and bridges was estimated at $57 million.

With a proposed cycling length of 154 kilometres, the trail would aim to be a part of the Ngā Haerenga Great Trails network.

Explaining the plan, documentation from TRC advises “the Glacier Trail - capturing the very best of the West Coast - will be recognised as one of the world's great trail experiences and considered a must-do for New Zealanders and visitors.

"Whilst the economic assessment model might not show a net financial gain at the regional level, this should be balanced with the non-economic benefits.”

In May, the Great Rides network accepted the first new tracks in more than a decade.

The Lake Dunstan Trail and Forest Loop Trail were added to maps, growing the number of trails to 23. A survey by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment into cycle tourism found that "trail users brought an estimated direct economic contribution to regions of more than $950 million," between 2020 and 2021.

With the Glacier Country's tourism business suffering the absence of overseas tourists, long-distance or day bike trails have been seen as an ideal solution to bringing more domestic and short-haul tourists into the area.

Over the past decade, a number of mountain bike trails have been established in the West Coast.

In 2013 the Old Ghost Road was launched to carry around 12,500 annual riders a year.

In 2019 the Paparoa Track opened as the first purpose-built DoC Great Walk trail, allowing year-round mountain biking.

The next steps for the plan is to secure the necessary funding and for DoC's West Coast Conservation Management Strategy to be updated.

This could take anywhere between three to five years before breaking ground, although the current West Coast Conservation Management Strategy 2010-2020 is currently overdue.

Images: View towards Lyell Range from Tombstone Rock on the Old Ghost Road cycle trail (top, credit: Shutterstock/Rob Davies Photography) the proposed four-day cycle route from Okarito to Fox Glacier (below, credit: TRC).