Day 1
Following introductions and safety briefing, we head out for our first cycle ride of the tour on the volcanic Port Hills above Christchurch. From Dyers Pass, we cycle 20km south east along the summit road, a 10km traverse followed with one of those down hills that goes on forever. After a café lunch, we drive back to the crest of the crater rim and cycle a further 35km out onto the Banks Peninsula. On a clear day the view is one of the best NZ has to offer, the snow covered Southern alps , the patchwork Canterbury plains and Kaikoura Ranges in the distance with inner and outer harbour bays reaching in on each side of the road.
Day 2
As we shuttle out of Christchurch city, we pass the rapidly expanding vineyards of the Waipara Basin, and enter the quiet inland Greta Valley, where we begin our ride for the day. We visit Brian and Julia on their farm at Waikari (27km) for lunch, and have to drag ourselves away from their panoramic garden as we head north into the mountains to the natural thermal reserve at Hanmer Springs, for a well earned soak in the hot pools.
Day 3
This morning the beautiful beech forests of the Lewis Pass beckon. By minivan we gradually climb over the picturesque Lewis and Rahu Saddles, and then cycle 45km from Springs Junction or 65km from Lewis Pass to Reefton for lunch. On beautifully sealed roads with lush temperate rainforest lining the roadside we ride another 20km until we reach the rugged beauty of the Charleston overlooking the sea. Accomodation at Birdsferry Lodge.
Day 4
Charleston is a great place to see glow worms up close... as we head south to Punakaiki's Pancake Rocks and onward to Greymouth for the night.
Day 5
One of the trips many highlights are the quiet back roads where you are more likely to meet a sheep than a car. Today we leave the main road to cycle over Blue Spur and around Lake Kaniere for a picnic beside the lake, catching up with the traffic of SH 6 again at Ross. From here on south there is only the main road, SH6, and the most common road kill, possum, a pest imported from Australia is hard to miss. One place worth a visit, if only for the humour, is The Bushman’s Centre where a large sandfly hanging up outside is their open sign and possum pies are on the menu. As we get further south, we see more and more evidence of the glacial origin of the big west coast rivers due to their milky colour. As the road gets narrower we hop in the van and shuttle over Mount Hercules to a farmstay at Whataroa for the night.
Day 6
A pleasant 24 km cycle brings us to Okarito, famous for its white heron colony, where you will have plenty of time for a kayak paddle in the lagoon before we head on to Franz Josef, a further 27km, and then over the hills in the van to Fox Glacier.
Day 7
At last, a chance for a day off the bike seat with a full day to explore the rainforest and glacier. Options available include a half or full day glacier hike, helicopter sightseeing or a walk around an old glacial lake.
Day 8
Lake Matheson before breakfast is a great one hour walk to see the reflections of the snow capped Southern Alps and then its 60km of easy cycling through rainforest to the Paringa salmon farm for lunch, In the afternoon we have a further 25km of easy cycling to Lake Moeraki. We see the spectacular seascape of Knights Point from the comfort of the van and then have the choice of another 25km ride to Haast.
Day 9
Another great ride on easy terrain to Pleasant Flat (49km), followed by a van transfer up to the top of Haast pass, for lunch and 30km of undulating cycling to Lake Wanaka. You can’t help but notice the changes in the natural vegetation on this ride, starting with the dense rainforest at the coast, transitioning to more open beech forest as we pass into a rain shadow and then the dry desert country around Wanaka.
Day 10
Today’s ride follows the gold trail up the Cardrona Valley over the Crown Range and enters Queenstown through the valley below the old gold town of Arrowtown. The mix of schist rock tors geology and a desert climate has created a unique landscape . Accommodation at Queenstown House.
Day 11
Today we return to Christchurch by van with a great ride through the quiet roads behind Timaru to break up the trip. If you wish to stay in Queenstown and see Milford Sound, hike the Routeburn Track, or do a Lord of the Rings tour, we will have to say goodbye after breakfast as we head north. We will arrive back in Christchurch by 6.30pm
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