Just 25 minutes outside of Queenstown you’ll find Coronet Peak. With the growing popularity of mountain biking in the area, this was a must-do for the SMITH team and just what was needed after the long drive.
Just after getting a first taste of the famous Rude Rock Trail the clouds rolled in, and so did the rain. Our ride was once again cut short and we were forced to take shelter in the wrecked RV, the last place any of us wanted to be.
Without much to do and the rain not letting up, we headed to breakfast. Arrowtown’s a quiet, small bike-friendly town with loads of great cafes, character and a perfect place to stay if you’re looking to get away from the tourist scene of Queenstown and still be close to the same great trails.
After a morning of rainshowers we headed towards the sun. We found ourselves winding up through neighbourhood streets towards the Moonlight Track trailhead. With the jagged mountain landscape at our backs this made for a great detour while the weather cleared.
We were down to the final hours of the trip and we had one last trail on our minds. The Corotown track starts just on the other side of the Coronet Peak lifts and drops down through the country spitting you back in the town centre. It’s a trail with a little bit of everything to offer, from steep chutes, high speed flats, to a dozen stream crossings that painted you in its gold flecked soil, it was the perfect trail on which to end our trip.
“After a loop of the South Island we have finally come to a screeching halt back at SMITH NZ HQ. Riding down to white sand beaches, amazing food, camping on the beach, vehicle problems, early mornings, wild trails… the list goes on and on. We’ve certainly packed in a month long journey into a short ten day window for one hell of an experience. It’s crazy to think about how many things have to go wrong, for a trip to go right. Until next time…” – Joey Schusler
Thanks for the ride New Zealand, we will all be back.
Team Riders:
Joey Schusler
Lars Sternberg
Mike Hopkins
Rosara Joseph
Alex “KrunkShox” McGuinnis
Carolynn Romaine
Photos: Paris Gore, and Joey Schusler
Film: Joey Schusler and Thomas Woodson
Words by: Mallory Burda, Team Manager
