The beginning of the Nelson Street Cycleway is like stepping out onto the red carpet

Driving alongside the new pink cycleway, near Auckland’s Nelson Street, it’s hard not to miss. So much so, I thought I needed to experience this expensive new fixture to the city.

So off I headed with a mate, hiring top-notch bikes for only $20 for 1/2 a day from Adventure Capital, at 23 Commerce Street, conveniently close to Brittomart. Laden with information and cycle maps, not only for the day’s excursion but for the many other cycleways in the city, I realised Auckland is a labyrinth of cycling trails. I was impressed.

The cycleway signs became a good guide once we knew what we were looking for.

Not being city savvy cyclists, we gingerly got ourselves along Custom Street on the footpath, avoiding pedestrians and found the beginning of the Beach Road Cycleway.

Thanks Auckland Transport for providing bike rails to hang onto when we’re waiting for the lights to change.

Finding the start was a little confusing and more signage would have been helpful although once we got going and knew what we were looking for it got easier. Signage on traffic lights and bike railings to rest against are all welcome addition, suggesting Auckland has changed its tune and is seriously embracing cycling.

The Beach Road Cycleway connects with the Grafton Gully Cycleway at the bottom of Parnell Rise, running up the side of Auckland University, past the business school. This dedicated cycleway has a manageable gradient, winding up to the top of Queen Street before looping back to the pink Nelson Street Cycleway.

Riding up the Grafton Gully Cycleway towards the Grafton Bridge

Appreciating the structure of the Grafton Street Bridge as we rode under it.

Without a doubt, Nelson Street was the highlight of my first city cycling experience.

An impressive world-class cycleway, with sturdy sound barriers separating us from the motorway traffic.

At Victoria Street the pink cycleway ceases and the grey paving returns, but it was very easy to cross to Victoria Street park and cycle to the water front enjoying the stretch from the Auckland’s Harbour Bridge back to the Custom Street.

This map shows the loop we completed (in red) from the water front to the top of Queen Street and back down to Nelson Street. The yellow trails are yet to be completed.

Auckland Transport says the inner-city cycle paths are more popular than hoped and when the Urban Cycle Programme is completed in 2018 we can all look forward to a more liveable and healthy city.

For more information on biking in Auckland:

Auckland Bike Maps