Remutaka Rail Trail Ebike Explorer

From the very first communication directly with Issac at Wildfinder until we were dropped off after our trip, we experienced nothing but outstanding support. Tried booking super early (started planning/booking things for this trip back in February), and the dates we wished weren’t coming up as available. I reached out just to confirm that there wasn’t a problem and was told not to worry, that window hadn’t opened for booking yet, but they would reach out and let us know when it did. I received an email a month or so later when the booking window opened and booked within minutes of receiving it. Additional comms, including the night before our ride just to confirm things were still on with forecast winds, were answered immediately. Pickup was right on time and we had a very pleasant ride out to the trail site, chatting with a fellow rider and our driver, Tom. The bikes, equipment and a (very good) boxed lunch were prepped and ready to go. After a very thorough brief, we were on our way. The rail trail is amazing. The views and signs along the way really tied the history of the railroad and the area together. If you are a rail fan, you can help but enjoy this ride, especially the ruins at Summit. The wind was pretty strong at some points, but nothing we couldn’t handle. Pickup at our turnaround point (Cross Creek Carpark) was great and everything on the return was just as smooth and pleasant. The folks at Wildfinder did an outstanding job, from planning, booking through execution. You can tell that they really do care and enjoy what they are doing. I maybe should have mentioned this in the beginnning, but this was our first time doing an e-bike trail ride and my wife did have a couple of “moments.” Nothing serious, just a few bruises. Our last comms with Issac regarding our trip? Asking if my wife was alright. These guys really care about your experience. What an amazing experience with an amazing company and I can’t recommend them enough.

Great ride and an easy track thanks to the pedal assist eBikes

We did the 3-day loop trip including the coastal piece from Ocean Beach to Orongorongo. We had excellent bikes, packed lunches, accommodation and a very well put together map package for self-guiding. The Wildfinder crew are super. We had brought a head torch for the tunnels, but that was unnecessary as all bikes had their own one mounted on the handlebar which is much better. Definitely get comfortable with walk mode on the e-bike as you will need it during the last kms along the beach. It's the hardest section and wouldn't be for everyone, but if you like a challenge or are a cyclist leave yourself enough time and I really enjoyed the full ride.

Wonderful! Definitely recommend! Beautiful ride, good lunch, great communication. This was our favorite experience in New Zealand.

Excellent and very fun full-day experience! We were picked up on time at 9:30 am at the Wellington Railway station and driven about 30 minutes to Kaitoke where we were outfitted with our bikes, helmets and a fabulous box lunch and water before we hit the beautiful trail. The scenery was gorgeous, just a few other bikers so we often felt we were all alone. Several tunnels and the swinging bridge were quite fun! Picked up in Featherston and driven back to Wellington arriving around 3pm.

What a great ride and operator, on time pick up from station and then a 45 minute drive to the start of the trail. Bikes were excellent, as was the boxed lunch. The self guided cycle is easy to follow with some stunning views, tunnels, swinging bridge and best of all an exhilarating downhill finale. Thoroughly enjoyed the cycle and the e-bikes made the hills easy. Highly recommend you book this trip, it was fun and gives you a buzz when you get to the car park at the end of trail, great company and people.

This was truly amazing. Such beautiful natural landscapes, tunnels and bridges to encounter. All make it for such an exciting ride. Using the e-bikes made it a little easier but of course the option to use the power of the legs. Alex was very helpful and made sure we were equipped with the knowledge and goods to enjoy this ride. She was very kind. Definitely an activity to put on the bucket list

Incredible experience all around. Would recommend it to those who love biking and the beauty of the outdoors. Our tour guide, Isaac was the best and took good care of us.

Awesome adventure thru a beautiful area! Thanks to Sam we were set up for a safe & super fun ride and a picnic lunch.

We really enjoyed biking through the hills on the e-bike. We saw nature up close and also biked into a nearby town. The boxed lunch provided as part of the tour was delicious!

Beautiful countryside, despite driving rain at some points. More effective initial “enabling” for the uninitiated cyclist would be helpful…in places the track is narrow, stony and steeply downhill. E-bikes are extremely heavy and difficult to control in unfamiliar conditions, especially in oncoming traffic or unlit, uneven tunnels. None of these factors were adequately explained before we were sent off. Remember, there’s no guide accompanying you, so you’re on your own. Not all the pre-loaded information is clear e.g. the toilets at the summit point. However, my husband is a cyclist and had an utter blast, couldn’t wait to go again! Personally, my biceps, quads and knuckles were totally destroyed for several days afterwards from my stressful grip…but I survived.

One of the best things we did on the North Island. It was such a rush biking along this trail and seeing the sights. We had an amazing day!

What an incredible experience this was!!! The ride is very easy (you don't have to be an avid cyclist), and the scenery is gorgeous!! Staff for the tour was outstanding! Thank you James for making this memorable!!

Sam - the tour guide - was detailed in helping us to be prepared for the adventure on the trail . He ensured that we were comfortable with our bike . The e assist feature ensured that the ride to the summit was enjoyable . The scenery was breathtaking. The ride through the 4 tunnels was unique and the torch was able to illuminate for the ride . The picnic lunch was tasty at the summit . The ride down was challenging- as it was a narrow gravel path. The brakes did their job!! The twisted turns toward the end were mastered by walking the bike (if desired 😊) The ride to small village was unique - passing by farms, sheep and cows! Was truly an amazing thrilling and relaxing experience!

What a great day we had biking through the hills (mountain) outside of Wellington! The scenery was breathtaking. This is a non guided tour so you can go at your own pace. We road through tunnels (flashlights in the bikes were necessary), crossed a swinging bridge(spectacular), and ate lunch at the summit (delicious sandwich made from a local shop, Apple, granola bar, small candy bar, and a cookie- all provided). It was great to get some fresh air. The path was gravel, the section at the end was narrow- we rode it but others walked. A first aid kit is provided with the bike and we unfortunately had to use it but it was well equipped and had everything we needed to bandage a wound after a fall. We did do the optional ride to town(another 6 miles) not much in the town but the scenery was enjoyable along the way. The e-bike was easy to navigate and made the ride enjoyable. Definitely recommend to get out into nature!

Excellent! Best tour I had while in New Zealand! The biking was fun, at times easy and other times thrilling! The suspension bridge, trail, scenery were all amazing. Our tour driver was full of local information and lore. Definitely worth the money & time! Fun group!!

Great fun and as much of a work out as you want with the electric bike. You travel up to the mountain summit and then down the other side with multiple old train tunnels with the longest being 600’, not to worry the bikes are equipped with light and saddle bags! I’m over 60 and had a blast but ride with care as you ride on your own and no tour guides were on the trail. Our group had 4 people crash.

This bicycle trip was amazing. The sites were just gorgeous. Our friends were not quite as equipped to writing the bikes and found it a little scary in parts but all in all everyone had a fantastic time.

Wonderful ride through the trees. Note, Wellington is very windy! Be prepared for this, especially over the Siberian Bridge. Some bikes were having some shifting issues but nothing too big. You are equipped with bags to store your gear on the back. Also, there is a section that is single track. If you are not comfortable riding, you can walk. All riders are able to ride at that own pace. No having to wait for a whole group. Overall, a great, beautiful ride.

we were picked up by a van at the port. There were a total of 6 of us from the ship on this tour but pick up was 30 minutes late •the drive to the start of the abandoned railway trail took about 45 minutes •the e-bikes were in great condition and were comfortable. We were given instructions, a map, a satellite tracker, and a large and delicious packed meal •the ride to the summit was a very easy 1 hour ride up a gentle rise •the other half of the bike ride was all down hill and required very little pedaling •the ride included several tunnels and a suspension bridge over a gorge •the ride was self guided •the last 15-20 minutes was on a narrow path and was much closer to mountain biking on an e-bike •it was an exhilarating ride and I was glad the bikes handled well in some of the dicier spots •we were driven back (about 55 minutes) and given the choice of being dropped at the train station to walk around Wellington since we still had about 3 hours before all aboard or dropped at the ship. We all agreed on the train station •the weather was superb and we had a great time

Everything was as described, ran smoothly. Lunch was very nice sandwich, snacks. Even water bottle was provided. However, I wish they had given us maps. It was difficult to judge how much time to spend at a stop, etc. not knowing the trail, and no maps on the trail, so you're kind of lost as to timing. I ended up finishing REALLY quickly and having to hang around in town for 2 hours waiting for the rest of the group. With a map, i could have seen better how far I still had to go. The actual off-road part of the trail is only 18km. I had thought it was 30km, since that was what the description said, but it's 28km including a long ride on a roadside into town. The actual nature part only took about an hour.

4 adults, in ok shape and had an incredible time. Staff were fantastic, shout out to Issac, James and Alex. I misread the instructions for pick up from ship. Literally outside the port gate is where they will get you. Instructions for e-bikes and trails crystal clear. Lunch provided was amazing. Highly recommend this day trip.

Awesome scenery. E-bike worked great. Isaac was very helpful. Trail map was easy to follow. Lunch was tasty.

This was probably one of my most favorite tours from the past 3 weeks. It's pretty straightforward. You are renting an eBike, given pickup and drop off transportation, a boxed lunch, and then sent on your merry way. The staff was very personable and gave clear instructions of what to expect on your ride, pointers to make it enjoyable, and safety instructions. The eBike has a GPS unit to keep track of you in case you run into problems, and they provide an alert button to signal for assistance. The terrain was beautiful and gave you a perspective from inside the "bush". The trail follows an old train path and includes tunnels and a swinging bridge. There are signs telling you to walk your bike over the bridge if windy....and that is exactly what I had to do. The bridge is safe to cross, but it was definitely swinging left to right and up and down with the powerful winds I encountered. In fact, when the guide picked me up, he was missing his original bike trailer as a wind gust had flipped it over and snapped the safety chain on the motorway. That is how windy it was. I absolutely loved the scenery and would definitely recommend this tour.

This is the most fun adventure we have done in New Zealand so far. It is a self-guided eBike tour along a re-purposed rail bed through the Remutaka Range near Wellington. We were picked up at our cruise ship, driven 45 minutes to the start of the trail head and supplied with a well-equipped eBike, a pre-packed lunch, maps and instructions. Off we went through some of the most spectacular scenery we have ever scene through the forest, with an occasional tunnel and bridge thrown in. The trail was easy to follow. Sam, our driver, was extremely helpful, knowledgeable and fun to converse with. A must-do for anyone visiting the area who enjoys this sort of activity.

Absolutely the best activity we have ever experienced. I fought my fear of heights and what better way to do it? Our rep/driver was the best ever! So sorry I forgot his name. He was informative and took the best care of us! Told us exactly what to expect. I am not the best of bicyclists in any way, but I did this and would do it again and suggest everyone try this out! You will feel pride and exploration! By the way, the lunch they fix you is amazing!! Way better than expected. Please! Try this. You won’t regret it at all!

It was an amazing experience. Starting with our driver James, he was super friendly, very pleasent character, and extremely knowledgeable with almost all north island attractions! Very helpful. The electric bikes we had were very well maintained and of high standards. We also had a delecious lunch box packed for us. We loved it. Highly recommend.

A great experience in beautiful spot. The suspension bridge was quite the treat if you like swinging in the wind! But such a lovely trail and great fun. Didn't realise no guide came with us so suggest you add self-guided to the description. Wasn't an issue but worth noting as some people may find that a challenge.

Everyone at this establishment was friendly, helpful and hd great communication skills. They were short handed the morning of our tour, so they sent an Uber to pick us up directly from our hotel. Alex facilitated all the details of the change directly through TripAdvisor app. They also followed up with a phone call. The day of our ride the younge man that helped with our bikes gave great tour details, answering all our questions. The provided lunch was really nice, sandwich, treats, an apple and granola bar. They also provided bottled water. At the end of the day Isaac picked us up at the determined place and dropped us back at our hotel. It was a perfect day!

An exciting ride through some beautiful country! With tunnels, waterfalls, bridges, single-track trail, forest, streams, farms, history, hights and depths—this trail had it all! I had a blast! I started the journey solo (my husband was at a work conference) and ended up with a bunch of friends. The Royal Hotel at the end of the ride in Featherston was absolutely adorable. And I bought some famous “Summit Snow” brie from the Remutaka Pass Creamery across the street to commemorate the ride. Yum! Our driver was knowledgeable and kept us entertained on the drive their and back. All in all it was a fabulous day in New Zealand!

Despite the inclement weather, if dressed accordingly, this whole Ebike experience was the best as the scenery was spectacular and the track was varied passing through railway tunnels, over a sway bridge and finishing at the pub.

This is beautiful and really accessible. Run by awesome company, great communication. Beautiful and fun route. Great day trip from Wellington. Delicious lunch!! The tasty beer at end!

Brilliant experience. The guide was a great chat and explained the trail well. It’s better without a guide as you can take as long or as short as you need to take photos. The trail was super easy on an electric bike and would only be slightly harder on a normal bike if you want a challenge. Lunch provided was great, a fresh sandwich and some snacks on the side. Great end at the Royal Hotel for a pint. Would recommend for anyone who has seen the Wellington city and wants to explore outside into the wilderness. Beautiful views of countryside and mountain/ woodland environment with the added tunnels and swing bridge. Would recommend taking warmer clothes than you expect, if the city is cold, the mountains are even colder and you’re not working yourself as much with the electric bike.

Really enjoyed this bike ride, beautiful scenery and was lots of fun. We had a little bit of rain to start with so it was a little slippery but we just slowed down.

Dave and Issac they are both friendly and knowledge. We really enjoy this bike trail. Unforgettable experience.

A real taste of NZ nature trails, exploring the railway heritage and mountains of the Upper Hutt region

Great company. Always kept in touch. Guide was informative. Reassuring to know they had backup plans in place (not that they were needed-everything was well organised).

It’s very easy, hop on the bus n it takes me directly to the trail. Everything is taken care of, bike water snack safety. It was my first time going into a bike trail, Laura was great and assuring. The scenery was beautiful, last part of trail was a bit tough for me. Overall it’s a great experience, it was worth it!

Treacherous (fun) at end. Mountains biking vs. rail bed was not expected. We loved the forest, swinging bridge and tunnels.

In spite of minor mix up with their shuttle going off and leaving us, we had a wonderful fantastic day they had us get an Uber ride to the bike shop and then reimbursed us for the Uber ride. Isaac did the great job of fitting us with bikes and how much etc the bikes were in excellent shape period I can't say enough about the trail it was absolutely gorgeous we took e-bikes but I think we could easily have done regular bikes. Tickets to a wonderful little restaurant in featherton for lunch and then took us to the boat afterwards period Isaac was so pleasant and so easy to work with. Several places along the route to stop for a break period bathroom facilities at the beginning of the trail. Thank you for a wonderful day!

We absolutely loved this tour. The trail was beautiful with lots of picture opportunities. They provided a wonderful lunch which we enjoyed before the second part of the ride which was a bit more technical but lots of fun. I would highly recommend this e-bike excursion.

Stunning trail, ample time to make multiple stops including a long lunch stop. Great instruction on where to go and where to meet up. Bikes in great condition, and delicious well rounded lunch packed for us. Special mention to our guide Issac, he was great

This was great fun. Everything was provided so all I had to bring was my legs. Great views and great trail. Loved the Information signs along the way. Would highly recommend.

Amazing scenery and amazing people . Everything was just perfect . Punctuality was perfect to be able to return in the ship being in Wellington from for only 7 hours . I did experienced the real nature surrounding Wellington . Highly recommended .