Kikiwa: Discover Historic Routes and Tours

Kikiwa lies in the upper Motupiko Valley and offers a special perspective on historic tracks and tours in the surrounding area. Here, fascinating questions about travel history meet a wide range of opportunities for hiking and mountain biking.

Historic Routes in the Upper Motupiko Valley

At Kikiwa, the historic Nelson Route joined the Motueka Route, which in turn connected with the Wairau Route. From Kikiwa, the historic route ran upstream along the Motupiko and then continued to Lake Rotoiti. This route makes the connection between the valley and the lake a notable part of local travel history. In the wider Tasman District, Lake Rotoiti provided abundant food and other resources that could be used to replenish supplies.

Summit and Hut Trips at Beeby’s Knob

Nearby Beeby’s Knob is 1,442 metres high. The return trip to the summit makes for a half-day excursion on foot or by mountain bike. The route runs along the ridge at Beeby’s Knob through open tussock grassland and alpine herbs. The car park for the Beeby’s Knob track is on Korere-Tophouse Road, 6.9 kilometres south of Kikiwa.

Nearby, Beebys Hut also offers an overnight accommodation option. It is a standard hut with six bunks in the Nelson Lakes area. Hikers reach the hut via the Beebys Track from Korere-Tophouse Road; mountain bikers can use the track from Tophouse Road. The hut is accessible on foot or by mountain bike; access by 4WD vehicles is no longer available. Check the latest access conditions and overnight accommodation options before setting out.

The landscape also changes along nearby Beebys Ridge: the ridge is mostly covered in beech forest, which opens into tussock grassland around the hut site. Part of the Te Araroa Trail also runs through the Beebys area. Hiking and mountain biking are popular activities there.

Circuit Routes and Mountain Bike Trails

Allow four to six hours for the Beebys Knob–Red Hills circuit via Maitland Ridge. Parking is available at the start of the circuit on SH63 and Tophouse Road. The nearby Maitland Ridge Track is a technically challenging, narrow singletrack for experts, with some steep descents. It runs through beech forest and across clearings with views of the Rainbow and Wairau valleys.

Another destination for mountain bikers is the nearby Unhinged trail: it is rated Grade 5 and has 700 metres of descent. It ends on Tophouse–Kikiwa Road, opposite Waireka Road. The routes described therefore differ not only in duration but also in technical difficulty. Check the latest trail and access conditions before setting out.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Anatori, Takaka, Ngatimoti, Owen River, Parapara, Wakefield, Nelson Lakes National Park, Mapua.

Back to the regional travel overview: Tasman District.