The NZ MTB Rally is a one-of-a-kind, week-long mountain bike adventure that takes you deep into the heart of Nelson, featuring a sampling of New Zealand’s most iconic trails.
120 lucky international riders took part in the second edition of the NZ MTB Rally – a 6-day epic through some of the best singletrack the Top of the South Island has to offer. From the moment they landed to the final finish line high-five, everything was taken care of by the crew: 4×4 shuttles, a heli-drop, a scenic boat crossing, top-notch food and accommodation, and yes – unlimited fresh craft beer waiting at the end of each day.
Among them was Stephen Matthews and his crew – a bunch of Aussie mates and regular riders who were keen to share their take on the adventure. Because while the NZ MTB Rally has a race format, it’s built for riders who just want to ride hard, laugh harder, and soak up the absolute best of Aotearoa on two wheels, as well as off the bike!
Introducing the Australian Contingent
They call me Showy…or maybe it’s Showbag (expensive, full of sh*& and you’ll get sick of carrying me), take your pick! I first got involved with Mountain biking around 2018 when my friends invited me on a ride with them. I soon realised that my friends would only wait for me at the top of each trail so many times (there was a bit of walking involved) and if I didn’t improve there’d be no more invites.
In 2019 I upgraded my 15-year-old faithful rig (not really sure what I owned but my mates called it an antique), to a Specialized Levo.
My mountain biking skill set improved greatly with the upgraded bike, and, I now had the ability to crash uphill as well as downhill.
Our group generally does 1–2 boys trips a year to locations like Maydena, Derby, Thredbo, Narooma and Bright. This year we planned to go to Queenstown, NZ, with 16 of us going until 7 of us got the call up for the NZ MTB Rally event based in Nelson. So as we are great mates, it was quickly decided that we ditch the others and chase international glory.
The characters I hang around are a clear sign that I’ve come from a small town with one postman. One, two and three are the Lowe Bro’s; Steve, Bob and Dave. Despite their appearances, they’re all punching well above their weight on the track and at home. The fourth is Chris Kelly aka Lay Down Sally – he likes to lay down on the trails mid race. Next up is Hudson Hornet, Ryan Hudson. He’s the quiet achiever and tour mechanic; and last but not least is Andrew ‘Jesus’ Wensing, even God steps aside for him when the camera’s start flashing.
Derby, Bright and Queenstown have given the group opportunities for a jam-packed boys trip every year where we can find where our ambition passes our abilities. Now with an event like NZ MTB rally, it gives us new places to explore with the added benefit of being fully organised by people that know the area well and have connections with helicopters, boats and 4WD to make an absolutely epic trip. Can’t wait.
The Adventure Begins
What an opportunity to be able to take on a fully organised 6-day enduro adventure with 6 mates. It doesn’t matter how many boys trips you do, they generally run the same way; the first day is always about pushing limits, going hard and releasing pent up juvenile energy. By mid-week, you realise that you went too hard and you’re not 18 anymore and by the last day your body is hating your decision-making skills as you push on.
Invariably, you then fly home, forget the pain and the pranks, then start thinking “that was awesome, what’s next?”
Day 0
New connections were already being made on the shuttle ride to our first camp. Once off the bus and room formalities done, the beers and fun started.
There was a good chance some of the guys weren’t going to see the start of the race with the shenanigans on the waterslide. Some played Basketball while the slowest bike race competition heated up with some of the riders as others started to put their bikes together. Day 0 was like every kid’s dream, complete with water slides, zip lines, a ninja course and 120 super fancy mountain bikes.
Greg kept impressing his new dorm mates by singing happy birthday in his sleep while Steve Lowe backed the beat up in our dorm, the fresh NZ air had disappeared.
Day 1 – Wairoa Gorge: Spicy first day trails
The shuttle bus trips quickly became a highlight of the day, as this was often our best opportunity to see the mountain we were about to descend. It’s hard to match the natural beauty of New Zealand, but it’s also hard to admire it as you’re racing down off-cambered, rocky, rooty single trails.
We are very appreciative of the local legends who very kindly gave up their week to cart a bunch of noisy, smelly, mountain bikers around.
Nelson-Tasman delivered in all areas. The first day riding was at Wairoa Gorge, affectionately known as The Gorge, is a billionaire’s bike park. Starting the week here was a huge wake up call – the tracks quickly escalated with a good mix of terrain from technical, flowy, chunky, tight switch-backs, and long unrelenting runs.
Unfortunately the Sunshine Coast’s 2-minute blue trails and some elliptical bike training wasn’t the best preparation for the 15-minute dark black trails presented to us on Day 1. Despite the race organiser Ali warning us that 80% of the injuries are done on the first day, there’s something about the primitive lizard brain that forgets about self-preservation when between the bunting.
As expected Day 1 delivered a whole bunch of carnage. On stage 1 Steve Lowe crashed on the first corner, taking out the title of the fastest ever crash in NZ MTB history. This was followed up by Chris Kelly taking an ill-timed laydown in the middle of the track holding up some pro riders (and some not so pro riders), then towards the end of the last stage I, too, became one of Ali’s statistics, injuring my rotator cuff.
This day of carnage combined with Andrew’s double flat tyre, took our team’s great hopes of podium contention.
NZ MTB Rally Day 1 – Wairoa Gorge
Day 2 – Silvan Forest: Dirt Surfing in Nelson
The second day gave us the best of the Nelson dirt surfing with powdered switchback after switchback. A common theme has already started to emerge as the stages went on that each trail is the best trail so far. But we were starting to wonder when the Kiwi’s were going to work out how to put a wall on the berms.
NZ MTB Rally Day 2 – Nelson
Day 3 – Abel Tasman National Park: Pig Tracks and Best Ever Trails
It wouldn’t be a boy’s trip if you don’t leave a mate behind. Dave Lowe’s battery charger failed overnight, leaving him to spend the morning sorting his issue out and becoming our group’s only DNF, while we went on the ‘best trail day’ of the trip.
It’s hard to convey in words just how great each day’s trails are. Just the transition to stage two on day 3 was worth the journey on its own. Across the full day of racing, we experienced nearly everything, from solid high-power grip to off-cambered powdered pig ruts.
In particular, stage 5 was a controversial one: an off-camber pig rutted trail, hand built by the local farmers whose land we were riding on was probably the most debated trail of the trip. You either loved or hated it, as Andrew Wensing says, “unique, left wanting to ride more”. That’s probably the best description of the trail – if you loved it. For the rest of us, it was carnage. A true test that separated the talented from the purely ambitious.
NZ MTB Rally Day 3 – Abel Tasman National Park
Day 4 – Kaiteriteri to Cable Bay: Flow for days
Day 4 started early with great coffee and a sunrise as we loaded onto the boat headed to Cable Bay – much more our paygrade.
We had now officially passed halfway, and today’s trails are old school flow trails with some early tight switchbacks, fast rollers, and tight flowing sections with decent drops.
We took the early finish given the pros were calling the extended stages spicy. “Last time I looked down my pants I didn’t see big enough balls for this extended stage” said Steve Lowe. It was now off to our new accommodation on the cliff at Nelson!
NZ MTB Rally Day 4 – Cable Bay
Day 5 – Wakamarina: From Heaven to Hell and back
Being introduced to bike hiking in the NZ backcountry at the age of 49 was something I’m now glad is behind me, but it’s ticked off my bucket list.
Watching those purists riding their analogues overtake me on an e-bike up a hill was a bit ironic, but then again so was watching them use the shuttles with motors!
Day 5 was one of those days that will be talked about for years to come. Starting with a chopper lift into the backcountry, we raced down remote tracks. Some riders were chased mid-stage by wild bores, and the day featured a hike up unrelenting bush tracks (a task made more difficult with an e-bike, oh the irony!).
A highlight and lowlight was crashing at the top of a waterfall and watching my Trek Rail tumble down said waterfall, end over end, as my mates laughed in hysterics above me. One thing for sure – my Trek Rail is unbreakable. Other than a few cosmetic scratches it’s ready to sell as a demo, hardly used!
It was another hectic day, and our bus driver Alistair knew his crowd, dropping into the first pub to grab three cases for the drive home. We were, in fact, part of the creation of New Zealand’s first mobile pub.
NZ MTB Rally Day 5 – Wakamarina
Day 6 – Nelson City: Is it too late to quit?
I woke up on day 6, and was more cooked than Walter White in a caravan. I had been lying in bed for the past two nights not being able to sleep through the pain.
Surely a day spent in the hot tub, sauna, ice bath, massage was a good option instead of the final day of grade 5, super black trails?
Fortunately, this moment of weakness imposed on me by Chris Kelly didn’t last long, as I swapped my board shorts for mountain bike pants and headed out to finally find some berms!
To celebrate this as well as the 6-day epic adventure we cracked a few local Stoke cans and cheered the Pro riders home around the final jumps of the 2025 NZ MTB Rally.
There’s next level riders and next level trails, and in Nelson we got to see both. The Nelson Council, local businesses and the mountain biking community have created an amazing mix of trails and services which should be on the top of every mountain biker’s bucket list, we will definitely be back.
NZ MTB Rally Day 6 – Nelson City
The grand finale
As we arrived at the final dinner, we were enticed by the delicious smell of pulled pork and beef. The team at Deville’s pub provided the perfect backdrop for the end of an epic week. Ali gave his final sermon for the week, and the winners of each event category were announced, and they proceeded to shower their worthy rivals in the region’s finest sparkling wine.
I’m not sure I’ve ever seen someone celebrate achieving fourth place in a race with such intensity, but such is the life of being the highest ranked Lowebro – where physical talent is in short supply and expectations of a decent race result are even lower. But at the end of 6 days of riding well above his paygrade, and emerging victorious over not just his two brothers, but four other mates, for eternal bragging rights, Bobby ‘Riccardo’ Lowe celebrated 4th place like an absolute boss – firing up the crowd and downing the first shoey of the night!
For more information head to NZMTBRally.com
