A friend and I rode the 20 km rail trail from Motukarara to Little River. Opened in May 2006 the ride is the first part of a 45 km trail that will start in Hornby, Christchurch. It follows the old logging railway along a predominantly flat trail, around the north-eastern side of Lake Ellesmere (Waihora). We had a tail wind, and as you can see from the photographs, a beautiful day. The road (HW 75 to Akaroa) is never far away, which makes it easy to rendezvous with a support vehicle. There are lots of places to stop along the way, with the best being a detour to Birdlings Flat to watch the surf crashing onto the shore. The Little River Store is a good place to aim for lunch as they have an excellent, wholesome menu and while you wait you can wander around the gallery, which is attached to the store. Akaroa is another 40 or so kilometres away, or you can turn around and head back to Motukarara. For more information, click here.
