How to get there
Rimutaka Shuttles
By train
By Bus
Events
There’s always something happening at the Trail – either taking place or in the stages of planning. Our Events page will list what’s on and provide links for further information.
Quite Revolutionary
Runners
The Trail is a great 10km round-trip, straight and (almost) flat. You can pick one of a number of turn-around points to shorten the distance.
We hope to build up a list of local running clubs with links. Please get in touch to add your club.
The GRT parkrun
What is parkrun? In their own words:
parkrun is such a simple concept: turn up every Saturday and walk, jog or run 5k. You can also volunteer in numerous different roles too! It doesn’t matter how fast you go. It doesn’t matter what you’re wearing. What matters is taking part.
There are now parkrun events each Saturday in 20 countries all around the world. All events are organised by a group of wonderful, dedicated, local volunteers – our hi-vis heroes!
The Greytown Rail Trail parkrun will take place weekly on Saturday mornings between 8am and 9am. The course will be a 5km marked route, starting at the Woodside station end and heading towards Greytown, before turning around and heading back. The run will cater for all abilities, including buggies and dog-walkers! The course will be marshalled at the start/finish and any crossing points etc. The first event was held on Saturday 3rd November 2018. We also maintain a roster of folk who are prepared to marshall, hold a stop-watch etc. If you wish to participate, or support the parkrun, do get in touch!
Non-runners
So all I want to do is walk my dog / push my buggy / soak up the rural atmosphere…. What do I do with all these runners about in such a confined space??
First of all – DON’T PANIC! Runners are people too and will not deliberately aim for you! In general, a string of runners will follow the one in front, so if you make a gap for the first one, you’re sorted! Even when there’s a scary-looking crowd of them, they will all filter into the gap. You’ll probably even get a cheery “Thanks” from them!
Likewise, runners recognise that buggies and cyclists prefer to use the hard smooth surface in the centre of the trail; so they will generally keep to the sides to let you wheeled folk through. So just keep going straight and true, and let the runners flow either side! It’s so much easier than weaving from side to side while you decide where you’re going to go!
Enjoy the trail!
Walkers
We regularly see walkers, either individuals or groups taking advantage of the Trail and enjoying a stride out in the fresh air. The views are wonderful it provides a great opportunity to catch up with friends or just get your thoughts straight and clear your head!
Dog walkers
The Greytown Rail Trail is a great place to walk dogs and you can often see a variety of breeds and owners out on the trail. In addition, the two water races provide a wonderful opportunity for dogs to paddle or cool-off on warm days. We are very fortunate that the local land-owners and farmers have given permission for dogs to use the Rail Trail – subject to some ground rules to protect the stock in adjoining paddocks:
- Dogs to be kept on leads
- Any mess to be cleared up.
Cyclists
Bike tourism based on Greytown as the Hub:
Imagine a four-day biking visit incorporating the following circuit and targeting the mid-week baby boomer market: retired, empty nester’s, cycle groups etc.
- Day One (Mon, Tues .)
- 2 pm. Train to Woodside (free with Gold card) bike travels free on the train! Leisurely roll down new Trail into Greytown.
- Spend day/afternoon shopping, coffees, Cobblestones, Greytown Park etc before 2 for 1 meal at the Swan , or Top Pub etc
- Stay overnight. Homestays, pub accommodation etc.
- Day Two: (Tues, Wed,.)
- Ride to Gladstone for lunch at “Gladdy” or vineyard via Parkvale,Tiffin Hill etc.
- Relax by river then good ride via Longbush to Martinborough.
- Wine taste, dinner at wherever, great accommodation choices!
- Day Three: ( Wed or Thurs)
- Morning in Martinborough, or local bike circuit
- After lunch head south to Tuhitarata turnoff , cross Ruamahunga back via Kahutara, Te Maire rd to the “Tin Hut “ for dinner.
- Stay at Racecouse accommodation overnight.
- Day Four: (Thurs or Fri.)
- Via Featherston, and Western Lake rd, over the Rimutaka incline and train from Maymorn to Wellington!
Excellent circuit capitalising on midweek availability of facilities.
Greytown Lions Cycling Without Age
The Greytown Rail Trail is probably the only cycle trail in New Zealand to feature “Cycling Without Age”.
The Cycling Without Age movement began in Denmark in 2012. It involves volunteer ‘pilots’ providing open-air rides for older and less-abled people in a specially-designed trishaw that facilitates conversation and story-telling between passengers and pilot. The concept has already spread to 45 countries. The Greytown chapter is the only Cycling Without Age chapter that is operating in a New Zealand community and the only one owned by that community. Others are owned and operated by retirement villages.
Greytown Lions, Greytown RSA and the local Freemasons lodge are the major sponsors of Greytown’s Cycling Without Age Chapter along with a number of small businesses and generous private donors.
The photos show the trishaw operating both on the trail and around the streets of Greytown.
For more information, visit our Facebook page.
Geocaching
Geocaching is a type of global treasure-hunt involving people looking for hidden stashes of objects – or “geocaches”. Geocaching may also be described as a series of hide-and-seek games, where hiders provide online clues for seekers. Seekers use global positioning system (GPS) devices, or their phones, to find hidden geocaches.
The hobby has changed little since it started in Oregon in 2000, and has evolved from a small hobby to huge, well-organized treasure hunts for people of every age and ability.
Since geocaching is generally an outdoor activity, the participants are required to know their environment. Travellers sometimes get to know an area they are visiting by trekking to find caches, while weekend geocachers notice features in their own habitat.
Geocaching is a way to learn about the environment and help clean it up. Cache in, trash out is a common activity. “Earthcaches” (developed by the Geological Society of America) provide educational lessons about the physical geography of the geocache’s region.
In Greytown there are over 80 geocaches within a 5km radius, and on the trail there are six, plus several others within a short distance of the trail. So if you aren’t already a geocacher, why not check this fun activity out – www.geocaching.com, you can create an account for free and get started straight away.
After the Trail…?
We love getting your feedback. Your impressions help us shape the continuing development of the Trail and help us focus our funding for best effect. Please take the trouble to complete a copy of the Survey Form. When you hit “Submit”, your comments are stored and reviewed at the next committee meeting. “Every comment is listened to!!” A printable version is available if you would prefer to complete by hand.