Last updated October 2026
Geraldine’s volunteer bike club has built the Bike Geraldine trails, about 37 km of tracks around the town, starting with its long-standing paths on the Orari River bank.
The club also advocated for the newer Geraldine to Woodbury cycleway, which sets off along Templar Street; a parent told the Otago Daily Times in April that it is roughly an 18 km return trip, with the bridge about 5 km out of town.
Bike Geraldine has built and maintained trails along the Orari River bank for many years, in partnership with Environment Canterbury and the Timaru District Council. The tracks are used by runners, walkers and dog walkers as well as riders, so this is a network to share.
Bike Geraldine trails at a Glance
- Cycleway start
- Templar Street, Geraldine
- Geraldine to Woodbury cycleway
- About 18 km return; about 5 km from town to the bridge (ODT, April 2026)
- Whole network
- About 37 km of tracks built by the club (ODT, October 2025)
- Orari River trails
- Built and maintained along the river bank since 2006
- Users
- Cyclists, runners, walkers and dog walkers
- Orari River trails built by
- Bike Geraldine, in partnership with Environment Canterbury and the Timaru District Council
- Status
- Check with Bike Geraldine for current track conditions and closures before you ride
More About Bike Geraldine trails
Bike Geraldine formed in 2016 and became an incorporated society in 2017, when two local groups merged. One began as a Geraldine Lions Club sub-committee and became the Geraldine MTB club in 2013; the other was started by the Timaru District Council to support cycle trails in the Riddell’s Reserve and Peka Peka Gully areas. The club’s aim is to plan, build and maintain tracks for cycling, walking and running.
The oldest part of the network is on the Orari River bank, where the group began creating trails in 2006. Bike Geraldine credits a strong partnership with Environment Canterbury and the Timaru District Council for building it on a low budget, and volunteers still turn out for track maintenance working bees.
The newest addition is the Geraldine to Woodbury cycleway, which the club advocated for. Club treasurer Syd Woods told the ODT it was “proving very popular”, partly because parents no longer have to drop children’s bikes off somewhere to ride, and he said the reopened café in Woodbury had drawn people out along the route.
The Geraldine to Woodbury Cycleway
The cycleway sets off along Templar Street. One parent told the ODT that his nine-year-old son comfortably rode the 5 km out of town to the bridge, that his six-year-old rode with him to Woodbury Domain on the passenger seat, and that the trail is roughly an 18 km return trip that a relatively active family could manage.
Work Still Going On
The club keeps changing the network. It has moved a stop bank path from Bennetts Road to Vance Road, and plans to link Bennetts Road river access to the Templar Street cycleway, Vance Road to the high school, and Coles Street to the township along the river depend on the club keeping a healthy membership. Check with the club before you go.
Helpful Resources
Bike Geraldine: the club’s history, its Orari River trails and contact details.
Otago Daily Times: Riddell’s Reserve cycleway proving very popular: the April 2026 report on the Woodbury cycleway and the club’s track work.
Your Questions Answered
Where does the Geraldine to Woodbury cycleway start?
Along Templar Street in Geraldine.
How long is it?
A parent told the ODT it is roughly 18 km return, with the bridge about 5 km out of town.
Who looks after the trails?
Bike Geraldine, a volunteer club, working with Environment Canterbury and the Timaru District Council.
How much riding is there around Geraldine?
The ODT reported about 37 km of tracks built by the club as of October 2025.
Can I walk or run on them?
Yes. The club’s tracks are used by runners, walkers and people walking dogs as well as cyclists.
Are any tracks closed?
Check with Bike Geraldine for current track conditions and closures before you ride.
Spotted something incorrect on this page? Let us know.