Lonely Planet salutes Rimutaka trail

The travel guide giant Lonely Planet says the Rimutaka Rail Trail was a "signature day-ride ... which follows a gentle incline through a forested valley dotted with fascinating old railway relics".

Lonely Planet has named the Rimutaka Cycle Trail as one the world's "hottest new travel experiences for 2015".

The travel guide giant described the cycle trail as an "interesting mix of urban and green spaces" and the Rimutaka Rail Trail section as a "signature day-ride ... which follows a gentle incline through a forested valley dotted with fascinating old railway relics".

It was listed alongside places like the restored Caminito del Rey walking trail in Spain, the Langjkull ice cap cave in Iceland, and the World Observatory in New York City, which are set to open this year.

The trail was launched in late 2013 as one of New Zealand's "Great Rides", part of the Government's Nga Haerenga NZ Cycle Trail project and has been celebrated for boosting business in Wairarapa. The 115km trail runs from Petone over the Rimutakas to Featherston and down to Ocean Beach, leading around Turakirae Head to the Wainuiomata Coast Road, at Orongorongo Station.

An idea is also being floated to extend the trail past Baring Head to Pencarrow and around to Eastbourne, making it an almost complete loop.

Destination Wairarapa general manager David Hancock said it was one of the original ideas for the trail but it would require a new path to be created.

He said the trail had been developed from existing cycle routes like the Rimutaka Rail Trail and the Hutt River Trail.

"We connected the trails that already existed."

Hutt City Council visitor market development manager James Lamb said the extension was the next step, but formal discussions with private and public landowners had yet to take place.

"That's the long-term dream, absolutely. The magic of it is that it would be quite a unique ride in New Zealand, offering a river, a mountain, farmland and coast all in one ride."

He said they had been concentrating instead on developing the Ocean Beach to Orongorongo Station section of the trail and getting permission from private landowners to enable access.

Shortly after the cycle trail was launched by the Prime Minister in October 2013, the section, which was previously closed to the public, was opened.

"We focused our attention on that and getting that section open. We have invested a lot in that section and people call it the most stunning part of the ride."

He said formal discussions about the extension would begin this year.