8 day South Island Tour

You will be met on arrival at Christchurch airport and transferred to your accommodation. We then have a scenic afternoon tour of this picturesque 'Garden City' and dinner together as a group. No Cycling.

Day 2

Christchurch - Lake Tekapo
Starting from the Rakaia Gorge the ride takes us through rolling countryside to Geraldine. After a picnic lunch we continue cycling via Fairlie and Burkes Pass to the small lakeside township of Tekapo. Enjoy the view across the lake into the majestic Godley Valley and the Aoraki/Mt. Cook National Park. For all astronomy fans, the Mt. John Observatory is probably a must-see during the evening (optional).

Cycling from: Mt. Hutt to Geraldine - 80km Geraldine to Lake Tekapo - 91km.
For further details about Tekapo area: www.tekapotourism.co.nz

Lake Tekapo - Queenstown
Depending on your cycling preferences, you can choose between a flat ride along the hydro canals or a hill climb over the Lindis Pass (or both)!

We ride alongside a hydro-dam canal from Tekapo to Lake Pukaki, where on a clear day, we can view the breathtaking snow capped peaks of Aoraki, or Mount Cook, the highest mountain of New Zealand. Continue to Omarama "Place of light" which is famed worldwide as a gliding centre. We stop here for lunch.

From Omarama we make our way up the Lindis Pass, and cruise downhill and alongside Lake Dunstan to Cromwell. From here we will drive the remaining 60km to Queenstown.

Cycling from: Lake Tekapo to Omarama - 87km
Omarama to Cromwell - 112km

Day 4

Queenstown (Rest Day)
Enjoy the many options the outdoor adventure capital of the world has to offer, such as bungy jumping, an exhilarating jet boat ride or a relaxing cruise on the steamer Earnslaw across Lake Wakitipu.
Cycling: none
For further details about Queenstown: www.queenstown-nz.co.nz

Queenstown - Wanaka
We start with an early morning visit to the historic gold mining town of Arrowtown. We follow this with a challenging ride over the Crown Range. Stops to take on more oxygen are rewarded with fabulous views back over the Arrow basin toward Queenstown and Lake Hayes. From the Cardrona Saddle there is a great downhill into the Cardrona Valley to Wanaka.

Cycling from: Queenstown to Wanaka - 81km

For further details about Wanaka: www.lakewanaka.co.nz

Day 6

Wanaka - Fox Glacier
Today we drive through the high country alongside lakes Wanaka and Hawea to Makarora. Our cycling starts with a hill climb, but feel free to stay in the support vehicle for another 15km to the top of Haast Pass.From the summit of Haast Pass (563 m/1700 ft) we begin a pleasurable ride for 60km along the Haast River to the sea and the township of Haast.

We load the bikes and continue on to our overnight destination to the small village of Fox Glacier, at the foot of the Glacier of the same name.

Cycling from: Makarora to Haast - 82km
Haast Pass to Haast - 65km
Driving from: Haast to Fox Glacier - 119km (about 2 hours)

For further details about this area: www.glaciercountry.co.nz

Fox Glacier - Hokitika
After a couple of early morning walk options we make our way to Hokitika. You have options for longer and shorter rides over undulating terrain today. The distances range between 30km to 110 km.

Cycling from: Whataroa to Hokitika - 110km
Haraihari to Holkitika - 76 km

For further details about Hokitika: www.hokitika.org

Hokitika - Christchurch
It is the last day of our tour and we intend to finish on a high note!

From Hokitika we travel further up the coast, to Greymouth and into the small, historic coal mining town of Blackball. We stop here for morning tea and you have the option to 'carbo-load' before today's ride. The local salami factory is well known in New Zealand for its delicious products.

We then bike to Lake Brunner and the lakeside village of Moana for a well-deserved break. From Moana we bike to the little town of Jackson on the main highway to Christchurch. Here we finish in style at the Jackson's pub (which is actually the township!) for a pint or two.
The rest of the day is spent cruising over the Arthur's Pass back to Christchurch. Once in Christchurch, all participants will be transferred to their post tour accommodation where the tour ends.

Cycling from: Blackball to Moana - 45km biking
Moana to Jackson - 20+km biking

For further details: www.greydistrict.co.nz/blackball