Great Rides enthusiast and adaptive rider Natalie Gauld is delighted one of her favourite Great Rides has bought a Motom. 

"It's wonderful a Motom will be there for others - locals or those from further afield - to enjoy as we have.  

"Getting out in nature is so good for the soul, especially when done with friends and family, and the Motom will enable that."  

Natalie has a similar three-wheeler electric pedalling machine of her own but she says it can be difficult to move equipment like hers around the country. It's often either costly to hire or not possible to hire three wheelers on a trail.

"While all disabilities are different and not everyone will be able to ride the Motom, it will make it financially accessible to those who can and provides an excellent opportunity to try something different." 

Natalie has ridden the West Coast Wilderness Trail several times, and says the Motom will open it up to others who may not have been able to experience it in the past. 

"We keep going back for the beauty and variability of the trail, the West Coast hospitality and all the other things you can do there.  

"On the trail we've found beautiful fungi (pictured right), seen and heard native birds including a kotuku (white heron) and a koekoeā (long-tailed cuckoo), seen kāmahi trees in flower, ridden through rimu, enjoyed beautiful flowing paths, and stopped on the beaches at Greymouth to admire the incredible variety of stones nature has made." 

The Motom is available for use for a donation, which helps to cover ongoing management and maintenance costs.  

It can be ridden with others on bikes or with walkers, long distances or short distances.

It is managed, maintained and stored by West Coast Scenic Waterways owners Cindy and Gavin Hopper. 

All of our 23 Ngā Haerenga Great Rides are at various stages of their accessibility journeys and it's constantly evolving. Check out our adaptive riding hub here