Queenstown and Wanaka, NZ. Where to ride?

[RAYZOR]

Hi fellow mtbers,
The family and myself are doing a NZ South Island holiday next January. Can anyone recommend trails that might be a bit more kid friendly. My boys aged 12 and 10, can handle single track on green and blue rated trails. How would skyline in Queenstown compare to Derby? I'm an intermediate level rider and I enjoy a challenge, just not keen on extreme downhill. I found Derby, Blue tier, atlas, big chook really awesome.
Thanks,
Rayzor.

[RonK]

I have ridden the Queenstown Trail which is very easy and a spectacular ride. Don’t know any others though. The Kennett Brothers are the experts.

[tubby74]

rode queenstown park earlier this year - there's plenty there for kids up to experts if they can handle blue trails. spectacular coming into hairpins with nothing visible past it but the lake far below

[Quency]

7 mile mountain bike park is 5 minutes down the road from Queenstown if your after something that isn't gondola lifted (i.e. free).
Nearby to Wanaka is Sticky Forest and Deans Bank
A quick google will get you trail maps and locations of all the above.

[RAYZOR]

Thanks for the replies and the link guys. As long as there are some easier trails for the kids there should be less whinging. Hopefully it won't be too long before I hear instead of " Dad wait up!" I hear "Dad keep up!"
I notice there's a piece in the latest issue of AMB about riding the South Island.
Thanks again.

[caneye]

that is such a beautiful part of the world. i was there recently. did a bit of skiing and travelling. didn't do any cycling though.
saw lots of MTB for rent.
and stumbled upon the 7 mile Q'town MTB trail by accident. only realised it was a MTB trail because of the number of riders showing up, dressed to the nines, in the carpark.

let us know how you go. i hope to return there some day .. this time to do proper biking.

[stevecassidy]

Many years ago (around 1988) I rode the length of the South Island on an MTP loaded up like a pack horse. One of the most spectacular parts of the trip was the ride from Wanaka to Queenstown. I found a trail on the map that looked like it would be passable, asked permission at the farmhouse on the way in and spent two days making my way over, camping by a stream close to the top of the pass.

Look's like it's now the Motatapu Trail open once a year for a big ride - amazing country alright.

Steve

[RAYZOR]

Hey guys, sorry for late reply and thanks again for all your input.
We ended up doing sticky forest. My boys loved it, although my 10 year old fell down the side of a steep edge when we stumbled onto a black trail. He lived to to tell the tail. My 12 year old was boasting about his Strava time being better than mine because I held back waiting for my 10 year old, so when I rode back to the bike shop to return my hire bike, I went via the forest and gave the hire bike a flogging. That showed him!
I also did 7 mile in Queenstown without the kids. Wow! Awesome trails, I wish I had more time. Definitely woth a visit.

Rayzor.