The trust had seen year-on-year trail use growth over the past five years which it attributed to key marketing in Canterbury, Auckland and Australia.
‘‘Word is getting out about how awesome the trail is.’’
‘‘We see many cyclists enjoying the spectacular scenery of the Von Valley, and the section from Mossburn to Centre Hill Shelter has great feedback. The Kingston end of the Trail remains very popular with walkers and cyclists, usually doing return trips from Kingston.
Despite the trails being well-used, the trail had been regularly maintained and remained in good condition. Any damage after weather events was resolved quickly, she said.
She had been pleased with the ‘‘overwhelmingly positive’’ feedback from trail users who regularly commented on the region’s ‘‘off the chart’’ scenery and tranquility.
‘‘They just love riding the trail, as it offers a wide range of scenery and vistas.
The trust opened a new trail over the Nevis Valley in 2025, but trail counters had not been installed.
But Mrs Wills said anecdotal feedback from businesses in the area had noticed an increase in cyclists.
A feasibility report released late 2025 also had identified new trail options between Mavora Lakes and the Centre Hill Shelter.
Surveys performed by the RMCT Trust and the Fiordland Cycle Trail trust had revealed the majority of users were aged 50+ who sited an improvement in their physical and mental health through cycling.
E-bikes were popular choices to traverse the trails — especially by campervan users.
Fiordland Cycle Trail Trust chairman David Boniface said it had record numbers on the Te-Anau to Manapouri trail.
The trust, which had been recording numbers since 2018, recorded a massive increase of users after the pandemic.
From 2023 to 2024 riders increased 70% and increased 210% over the past five years. The trail’s busiest leg, from the Department of Conservation to the Wildlife Park, regularly hosted 65,000 annually, followed by 30,000 along the waterfront section — with usage peaking over December and January.
‘‘What we are seeing is quite a nice increase in numbers of people using the various sections within the middle of the trail.’’
While trail usage was closely linked to the weather he believed e-bikes had made a significant impact on all cycle trails in the province.
Mr Boniface said the trust had plans to develop the number of trails available in the Fiordland region to include a northern section towards the Fiordland National Park boundary at Te Anau Downs, as well as adjust the 30km Lake-to-Lake trail to divert the on-road section to a safer off-road track.
He hoped further trail development would encourage more users to turn a cycling trek into a weekend adventure where riders would stay overnight and use Te Anau as a hub to do more trails.
Toni McDonald
