| Whale Trail | |
| Location: | Kaikōura, Marlborough districts, New Zealand |
| Length: | 200km (100miles) |
| Use: | Walking Cycling Horse riding |
| Season: | Year round |
| Sights: | coastal scenery, rural scenery, railway viaducts |
The Whale Trail is a shared-use long-distance trail under construction from Picton to Kaikōura in the South Island of New Zealand. When completed, the trail will provide a route between Picton, Blenheim, Seddon, Ward, Kekerengu, Clarence and Kaikōura. Construction of the trail has included modifications to bridges, and environmental enhancement of places along the route with native plantings.[1] A 33adj=midNaNadj=mid section of the trail between Blenheim and Seddon was opened in 2023. The trail is expected to become one of the New Zealand Cycle Trail Great Rides on completion.
The Marlborough Kaikōura Trail Trust was formed in 2017 to develop plans for a trail between Picton and Kaikōura.[2] [3]
In 2019, the project received NZ $322,000 from the New Zealand Government's Provincial Growth Fund for investigation of route options.[4] [5] A further $18m of funding was provided in 2020 by the Government's Regional Economic Development and Investment Unit. It was forecast that on completion, 43,000 people would use the trail each year, with around 7,000 international tourists.[6] [7]
In 2021, there was public controversy about the choice of route through the small settlement of Tuamarina, between Picton and Blenheim. Local residents were concerned about safety, and possible unruly behaviour by cyclists.[8]
In 2022, a clip-on structure was added to the State Highway 1 bridge over the Wairau River, to provide a safer crossing for cyclists and walkers on the section between Picton and Blenheim.[9]
A 33adj=midNaNadj=mid section of the trail between Blenheim and Seddon was opened in 2023. This section of trail passes across the historic Awatere road/rail bridge, originally opened in 1902 and decommissioned for road traffic in 2008. The former single-lane vehicle deck below the rail deck was restored and re-opened for cyclists and walkers in December 2023.[10] [11]
In 2024, work began on the construction of a 13km (08miles) section from Kaikōura northwards to Hāpuku. As at June 2024, 74km (46miles) of the full length of trail from Picton to Kaikōura had been completed.[12] At the other end of the trail, in August 2024, organisers expressed frustration that funding was not available for the New Zealand Transport Agency to complete a 1.7km (01.1miles) section from Picton up to The Elevation.[13]
When completed, the trail will provide a route between Picton, Blenheim, Seddon, Ward, Kekerengu, Clarence and Kaikōura. Most of the length of the trail lies close to the path of the main road between the two trailheads, State Highway 1, with a major deviation between the townships of Seddon and Ward. Between these two settlements the trail runs coastwards before turning south to skirt Lake Grassmere, from there following the South Island Main Trunk railway line into Ward.[14] The trail is expected to become one of the New Zealand Cycle Trail Great Rides on completion.