“We don’t escape life by travelling – we return to it”
I came to New Zealand for some well-earned R & R — a mix of cycling, hiking, and simply slowing down for a while. My first stop was just south of Napier, in the famous Hawke’s Bay wine region — a place where the rhythm of life seems to move to the gentle hum of bicycle tyres on gravel and the clink of glasses at day’s end.
The region offers an exceptional network of Grade 1–2 trails, many built along the raised stopbanks of the region’s broad rivers — practical flood protection that doubles as some of the most scenic cycling routes in the country. The surface is smooth lime-sand, the gradients forgiving, and the vistas endlessly changing — from orchards and vineyards to the shimmer of the Pacific on a clear day.
Seasoned cyclists often describe the Hawke’s Bay network as “the closest you can get to a European cycling holiday without travelling to Europe.” Having recently pedalled through the Loire Valley’s wine country, I can vouch for that comparison. There’s a similar sense of connection between landscape, produce, and people — an effortless blending of recreation and culture.
Add to that a mini-Mediterranean climate, fresh local food, and wines of international standing — Hawke’s Bay is one of only twelve official Great Wine Capitals of the world — and it’s hard not to feel you’ve found something special. Whether you ride for fitness, photography, or the quiet pleasure of discovery, it’s a place that invites you to linger just a little longer.
Reflection: When The Pieces Fit
There are moments on the road when everything aligns — the weather, the rhythm of the pedals, the scent of the sea breeze through vineyards — and you realise how easily the pieces can fit when you let them.
This trip has reminded me that renewal isn’t found in doing more, but in rediscovering balance. When the body moves and the mind quietens, space opens up for perspective, and for gratitude.
Sometimes all it takes is a simple trail, a soft wind, and the freedom to just keep moving — not to escape life, but to let life breathe again.
Just an old navy custom
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