The inaugural NZ MTB Rally
Are you yearning for an adventure set across a variety of breathtaking landscapes that will push your biking limits, create lasting friendships, and open your mind to what a mountain bike race can be? If so, the NZ MTB Rally could be just the ticket you’ve been waiting for. A fully-supported 6-day race across some of the best trails in New Zealand that will leave you breathless and fizzing with pure joy.
Multi-day mountain bike race events are nothing new, you’ve probably heard of some of the classics such as the Trans-Provence (now retired) or the Tran-Madeira. The NZ MTB Rally is the latest in this format to be launched and has blown all expectations out of the water. Like all successful ventures, it’s the team behind the scenes that makes it run smoothly. The NZ MTB Rally was curated by the team at trailAddiction who have been running guided MTB Tour packages in the European Alps for decades and are part of the people responsible for the hugely successful Trans-Savoie Big Alpine Enduro events (amongst others) which ran from 2012-2022.
This time around, trailAddiction set its eyes on New Zealand as the location for their next multi-day event, the NZ MTB Rally, featuring a lot of trails set in the little-known area of, Nelson. In simple terms, yes, It’s an uplift-assisted enduro race with 4 to 6 gravity-biased race stages each day.
Mind-blowing scenic backcountry liaisons are connected via shuttled 4×4 uplifts, helicopter, and boat transportation. Riders will be visiting a different corner of the region each day from three different basecamps. All you need to do is turn up, race, and have fun. Sounds good?
A journey of legends: Embark on an adventurous odyssey amidst three majestic national parks, where historic pathways merge with exhilarating, IMBA Gold-Level mountain bike trails.
Imagine world-class trails, world-class scenery, and a fully supported team organizing the food and accommodation each day. All you need to do is turn up, race, and have fun. Sounds good?
The NZ MTB Rally promises to wow the riders with the incredible trails at Nelson with a week-long, ultra-intense, best-of-the-best itinerary in a circular itinerary around the top of NZ’s South Island. We think after this event, the trails here will now be put on the world stage, like it or not, the proverbial cat is out of the bag.
Excitement was high as 120 Riders from around the world convened at Nelson for the inaugural NZ MTB Rally. For the majority of racers, this would be their first visit to the Nelson region.
Whilst Nelson’s reputation for long, raw, natural tracks is legendary with NZ racing circles, compared to the likes of Queenstown and Rotorua; Nelson has remained very much under the radar to international audiences.
Day 1: The Wairoa Gorge
This deep, rugged valley was purchased back in the 90’s by a secretive billionaire, to create his own rider’s Disneyland for his exclusive, private, personal use. Yep, you did read that correctly. Nope, we don’t know who he is. Since then it has been hand-built over several years by a trail crew picked out from amongst the world’s best.
Destiny would have it that the entire site was recently gifted to NZ’s Department of Conservation, who in turn handed it over to Nelson MTB Club for operational management. (Sweet as, billionaire bro!) This is no fairy-tale, just 72 km of exquisitely crafted beech-forested goodness, accessed all day long by a fleet of 4×4 shuttles.
These are 100% hand-built tracks and while they are amazingly flowy and rewarding if you work hard, they will physically punish you if you don’t. Either way, don’t expect more than the briefest of moments of off-the-brakes cruising, at any point whilst on this first stage.
An impressive suspension bridge spanned the clear waters of the river, bringing racers directly out to the finish area. Those already finished their day were more than happy to line up at the finish, and watch the spectacle of their competitors tackling this trail, descending from on high across the valley. The subsequent heckling was inevitable…and encouraged by the organisers who even provided vuvuzelas and air-horns to anyone that wanted to get rowdy about it.
A traditional Kiwi sausage sizzle at the finish line was the reward for racers, with beers and ciders on ice from local award-winning brewer, McCashins.
Day 2: Golden Bay
Day two started with a 60-minute coach transfer out towards Golden Bay and the Abel Tasman National Park. Historic single-track in the ancient forest through the national park; one of only a few spots in NZ where riding is permitted inside these protected areas. Huge, majestic old trees, giant ferns, and native bird songs treated the rider’s senses.
Fresh-faced and eager to start day 2. With some early bike prep, the racers were doing it all again. This time the trails were based in an ancient and lush forested national park. NZ MTB Rally is net-zero carbon certified through carbon credits, themselves sourced from this very forest.
The forest is part of an ecological project to restore and retain NZ’s native bush.
Unloading at the top of the near -1000m hill and looking out to sea over the National Park; riders were treated to a wake-up coffee at The Woolshed Cafe (yes – it is a cafe and yes, it is also an active wool farm. This is New Zealand, after all).
A long shuttle returned riders back up to ~1000m above sea level and from here, it was pretty much downhill all the way to the beach. Riders enjoyed a 90-minute picturesque transition through private farmland, to arrive at Kaiteriteri Nature Reserve. This hand-built trail on a sandstone surface, has a mix of armoured rock slabs and rooty shoots. What looked like occasional patches of snow on the trail, is in fact natural quartz rock in the bedrock. But there was no time to stop and investigate, on this occasion!
In contrast to the steeper tech of day 1, the first three stages on day 2 were off the brakes, warp speed, and grin-inducing affairs.
Day 3: Cable Bay
After a night in lodgings at the Kaiteriteri beach, racers were treated to an 80-minute sunrise boat cruise across to Cable Bay. An awesome experience, with breakfast and coffee served onboard to top off the experience.
After a 20m warm-up ride on the road from the beach to Cable Bay Adventure Park, the riders headed to the first race stages of the day, shuttling and pedaling up to reach the best trails of the Bike Park.
Day 3 saw hand-shaped trails set in native forest, playing between the ferns under an impressive canopy that might have been a set from Jurassic Park. Cable Bay Adventure Park, our hosts is a showcase for the amazing Nelson MTB community.
A crew of around 30 dedicated volunteers have built this entire park by hand over the past 3 years, through regular Tuesday-night digs. It has already gained renown within the NZ MTB community having recently hosted the NZ Enduro National Champs. From our perspective, it was as simple as amazing dirt, raw, narrow, challenging singletrack…and heaps of grip, all day long.
INTERLUDE…True Grit
Before we go any further, we need to mention the herculean effort of one of the riders in the event. If you look up the word “true grit” in the dictionary, it’s quite likely you will see Matthew Fairbroither’s name next to it. Why? Because Matthew decided to do the entire NZ MTB Rally race fully self-supported. Yes, you read that correctly.
So what does this mean? It means Matt did not use the 4×4 shuttle service, the helicopter drop-offs, or boat journeys. Matt pedaled up every single mountain under his own steam, and often overnight to get to the next day’s transition starting point. Some of the drop-offs were via helicopter, so these were big mountains that Matt ground his way to the top of every day. If that wasn’t enough, Matt also did a 7-hour, 37km night time Sea Kayak to get to the next stage.
As soon as Matt finished each day’s race (and remember these are multi-stage races), he didn’t have time to hang around to grab a beer with his fellow racemates or wait to hear his results. Matt was off again, heading for the next day’s starting point. Some of these were up to 80 km away. Unbelievable!
While the rest of the riders indulged in steamy gourmet meals and reclining on cloud-like beds, not to mention chowing down on a breakfast fit for royalty followed by a blissful shuttle ride to the next location, there was Matt. Our hero was his own one-man crew, lugging around his gear and tools like a pack mule. His dining experiences were strictly al fresco, courtesy of whatever he could scrounge up from local shops. His bedroom, is a five-star bivy with a clear view of the cosmos, because who needs a hotel when you’re carrying your home on your back like a modern-day, pedal-pushing tortoise? However, Matt was certainly no tortoise.
SPOILER ALERT!!!
Although the tortoise won the fabled race, in this case, Matt was tortoise and hare rolled into one, astonishing everyone by winning the entire event! Yes, Matt exhibited extraordinary determination, energy, skill, concentration, and endurance, succeeding in finishing ahead of both Chris Allman and the former Canadian National DH Champion Matt Beer in the competition. But it was never a stroll in the park. Matt pushed himself beyond the limit, perhaps sometimes dangerously.
On one of the stages, Matt collapsed at the finish line, bleeding from his nose and briefly losing consciousness. Medical personnel responded swiftly to aid Matt who, in a demonstration of his self-reliance, chose to self-administer emergency sustenance with his own supplies. Upon intake of additional fluids and food, his health status was evaluated by the medics.
Matthew underwent a medical evaluation during the race which allowed him to continue participating under strict supervision. Against the odds, he not only recuperated but remarkably won the next remaining stages of that day’s event.
Matthew Fairbrother experienced both challenges and joys while kayaking in open waters. A particularly memorable moment occurred when he encountered a large fin 15km from shore, initially sparking fear. However, his anxiety turned to elation when he realized it belonged to a pod of dolphins. The group of dolphins swam with him for an hour, an event fortunately captured by the camera on his safety boat, dispelling any notions it was a mere hallucination.
Despite facing tough challenges, what stood out was Fairbrother’s positive spirit during the event. Matt made sure to talk with other competitors before and after each part of the race and stayed down-to-earth even after winning. It was clear that this young 19-year-old had achieved something incredible in mountain biking.
In an absolutely awe-inspiring display of endurance and tenacity, Matthew Fairbrother achieved the extraordinary feat of covering a colossal distance of 582km (361 miles), while conquering a staggering 17,382m (57,027 ft) of elevation! This monumental achievement is nothing short of a Herculean effort, a race-within-a-race that stands as a testament to human spirit and determination.
OK, back to the main story… Day 4: Coppermine Saddle
Every day on NZ MTB RALLY is a new adventure, and Day 4 was no different. But all racers were especially looking forward to this one; the first of two Heli-Bike days! Of course, the Heli-ride itself was worth the trip on its own…never mind the epic ride back down. It’s not every day that you get to the top of a mountain with your bike slug out of the side of a Helicopter, in NZ’s renowned rugged but beautiful surroundings.
Once at the top, the experience was bordering on unreal: launching straight into the Coppermine trail with your bike, whilst being flown over directly above, by helicopters filled with more friends on their way – all whilst surrounded by stunning scenery.
To reach the stages 2 and 3, half of the uplift was done by 4×4 shuttle and the rest of the climb on a beautiful singletrack with a stunning views across Nelson Bay and the distant Kahuranghi mountains above the Abel Tasman National Park.
Riders experienced probably one of the toughest trails of the week named “Peaking Ridge” by the local club, it’s steep, fairly straight, and crammed full of black beech roots and tricky corners! Pure back-country riding which flattered the most confident riders and challenged the rest!
There were some “optional” trails on offer for those keen to test their skills. Stage 3 on day 4 was named “629” due to its 629-meter vertical drop, which was optional and only included in the extended course. It’s a classic trail in Nelson that combines technical and steep sections with fast, flowy paths, challenging riders to showcase a wide range of skills.
A reminder, just in case you forget.
The Last stage, in contrast to the shuttle-biased stages of the day, was fully pedal-accessed. After a long and sometimes steep climb, the riders enjoyed a beautiful panorama over Nelson city, before jumping into this fast and flow bike-park style stage straight into town and a well-deserved cold drink.
Day 5: WakaMarina
Day 5 saw the riders heading for Wakamarina and its formidable back-country trails. On the program: helicopter drop-off at the summit to explore these incredible forests offering a crazy diversity of landscapes and terrain: black beeches, rivers, ferns, leaves and roots galore!
Safety precautions were paramount on this stage due to the challenging extraction that would have been required, should anyone need it. Thankfully, (and perhaps after some stern words of warning in today’s briefing), the day went ahead without our team needing to implement a medical evacuation.
The vibe at the starting line was more electric than a squirrel in a lightning storm, as riders took off under choppers like they were about to zip through explosions in the latest Hollywood blockbuster. Cue the dramatic theme music! 🚁🎬🚴♂️
Rae Morrison & Morgane Jonnier enjoying the buzz of a high-adrenaline Heli-drop deep into Marlborough’s mountainous backcountry terrain.
The Helicopter pilots demonstrated remarkable skill by executing a perfect landing on an extremely small clearing, amidst a densely wooded ridge. This display of aeronautical proficiency is not unusual for these pilots, as they are well-experienced in the art of flying through remote and arduous environments.
Certain segments of the liaison phases proved to be the most challenging throughout the race, necessitating riders to haul their bicycles across numerous portions of the course but were rewarded by the exhilaration experienced during the final two special stages.
With helicopters, Rock Slabs, roots, chutes, endless flow, alpine-style switch-backs…and so much loamy goodness, day 5 of the NZ MTB Rally had it all. This is pure mountain bike dream territory and showcases just what this area can offer in terms of world-class mountain bike trails.
Tired and hungry, at the end of each day, riders were always treated to spectacular views and delicious food, prepared and served with love from the proud staff, another great example of warm Kiwi hospitality.
Day 6: Nelson City
On the last day of the race, the 120 racers left directly from their place of stay in downtown Nelson. The event planners wanted to highlight the great trails near the city, so they started and ended the race right in the heart of town.
It was set to be another busy day of racing with five special stages and scenic transitions, including two large 4×4 shuttles to reduce some of the suffering. The event featured a tranquil 30-minute ride along The City’s Maitai River before a shuttle carried racers up Fringed Hill for a breathtaking view of the city and Tasman Bay. Nelson’s consistently sunny weather provided excellent conditions for the race, with racers admiring the stunning outlook towards Kaiteriteri and Abel Tasman National Park from the start of Stage 1.
One thing is for certain, friendships will be forged, things will break, and unforgettable endings are assured on the NZ MTB Rally.
A fully supported adventure with world-class mountain bike trails set across incredible landscapes and a healthy dose of party vibes. What are you waiting for?
Local brewery, McCashin’s, provided racers with unlimited complimentary beers, ciders, and soft drinks throughout the week. There was much jubilation from the crowd which by this point consisted of many additional members of the local MTB community who had been captivated by the race unfolding here, over the week.
Nelson City Council saw the potential in backing the NZ MTB Rally event from the outset, and without whose strong support the project would likely never come to fruition. Nelson’s Mayor, Nick Smith MP was here at the award ceremony and gave a heartfelt speech, inviting all the riders to come back to Nelson in future and hopefully to spread the word about what an awesome place Nelson is to visit, to ride and even to live! We sure will, Mr Smith!
The team that made the magic happen. Such an exceptional team assembled here in NZ from all corners of the globe, last week. But in spite of the long days and extremely challenging logistics in this event, they absolutely nailed it even and kept a smile on their faces whilst doing it, too! NZ MTB Rally Crew, we salute you!
NZ MTB RALLY AVG DAILY STATS:
- 4 TO 7 RACE STAGES (30 TO 60 MINS)
- 25KM – 35KM IN THE SADDLE (4 TO 6 HOURS)
- 800-1250M CLIMBING
- 2000-3000M DESCENT
- YEP, THAT’S A BETTER THAN 2:1 PARTY-TO-PEDAL RATIO, RIGHT THERE!
SEE ALL RESULTS
GET UPDATES FOR 2025
Photography credits: The Perfect Line and Cameron Mackenzie.
