Alps to Ocean Biking Adventure

Whether you’re combining the Alps 2 Ocean trip with a longer South Island adventure or simply taking a well-deserved week out of your day-to-day life, Christchurch is just a short journey from any other New Zealand airport. We recommend arriving the day before we start our trip. If that’s not possible, you’ll just need to make sure you arrive into Christchurch before 10am. Once we’ve met you at the pick-up hotel or Christchurch Airport, we’ll head south to the magnificent Aoraki Mount Cook. Along the way we’ll enjoy a picnic lunch nestled in the foothills of the Southern Alps. Once we arrive in Aoraki Mt Cook National Park, we'll be fitted with bikes for our trip. These are lightweight, cross-terrain touring bikes, perfect for the backcountry gravel roads and trails we’ll be travelling on. Once fitted, we’ll embark on a scenic 8km (5 miles) ride to White Horse Campground. If there's time today we'll take a popular walk along Hooker Valley, around 2-3 hours return.To wrap up an adventure-packed day we’ll be spending the night at lodgings in Aoraki Mount Cook Village. Get a good sleep tonight, tomorrow our ride to the ocean begins!

After breakfast at our accommodation this morning, it's a short ride from the start of our trail at White Horse Hill Campground, to the helipad, where comes an experience you won't soon forget - a helicopter flight over the Tasman River to 'Rotten Tommy', the next section of the Alps to Ocean trail. Our pilot will fly us and our bikes over the thundering waters of the river, flowing out of New Zealand's longest glacier, the Tasman Glacier. Be sure to stock up your day pack with snacks from the basket on the bus before we head off! Our ride today takes us from the end of Braemar road to Tekapo B Power Station, one of the hydroelectric stations on this network. The system transfers water from Lakes Tekapo and Ohau to lakes Pukaki, Benmore, and Aviemore, and finally along the Waitaki River to the Pacific on the East Coast, and is responsible for generating a vast amount of New Zealand's annual energy requirement. From Tekapo B Power Station, we'll skirt the rest of the east side of Lake Pukaki, but before we leave this lake behind, we'll pause at the lookout point for a water break (around 13 kilometers / 8 miles into today's ride). This is your opportunity to capture one of the most famous scenes in New Zealand - looking across the cobalt blue water of the lake to Aoraki Mt. Cook, where our ride started yesterday. Today is our biggest day in the saddle, but the mixture of ups and downs, plus views unlike anywhere you've ridden before, make it a day you won't want to end, even when your bum gets sore! Tonight we’ll stay in the Mackenzie Country basin, with stunning views stretching across the Southern Alps. The area is known for the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve, with light pollution strictly controlled, so it’s the ideal spot to stargaze!

Today, under our own steam, we'll travel along the winding canal to the shores of Lake Ohau. We’ll leave behind us the town of Twizel, built initially as a settlement for construction workers working on the hydroelectric scheme, these days Twizel has a character all of its own! Our ride today winds mostly along quiet, sealed roads, though towards the end of our pedal we'll negotiate smooth shingle on the wide biking trail leading up to Ohau Lodge. You can be forgiven for being distracted by the views along this stretch, looking across to Lake Ohau and the surrounding peaks. If we’re up for it, we’ll conquer the grunty climb up from the Lodge at 560 (1837 feet) meters to the highest point on the whole trail, Tarnbrae, at 900 meters (2953 feet). Along the way, we'll cross Parsons, Sawyers, and Freehold Creek, and be able to look across to the route we rode today. Once we hop over the top, it's a glorious uninterrupted downhill to Quailburn Road where we'll hop on the bus and drive back to Ohau Lodge for the night – if we’re lucky we may be able to relax in the hot tub in the deck! We'll dine together tonight in the Lodge restaurant.

Today's section of the Alps to Ocean trail starts with a grunty climb, so it's a good idea to stretch and be warm before jumping on your bike today! Luckily we'll be fuelled by a delicious breakfast, and ready to tackle the day. We'll climb up from the Lodge at 560 (1837 feet) metres to the highest point on the whole trail, Tarnbrae, at 900 metres (2953 feet). Along the way we'll cross Parsons, Sawyers, and Freehold Creek, and be able to look across to the route we rode yesterday. Once we hop over the top, it's a glorious uninterrupted downhill almost all the way to Omarama, where we'll take a well earned breather. Omarama is the gliding capital of New Zealand - due to its position on a flat plain surrounded by taller peaks, the thermals here are perfect for flying without an engine, so be sure to look up occasionally! From Omarama we'll push on for another 35 kilometres (21 miles), and arrive in Otematata. Today is one of the two bigger days in the saddle (79 kilometres/49 miles), but the mixture of ups and downs, plus views unlike anywhere you've ridden before, make it a day you won't want to end, even when your bum gets sore! We'll retrace our steps from Otematata on the bus back to Omarama where we'll spend the night.

Our day starts with a 45 kilometre (30 miles) ride from Otematata to Kurow, and almost all of this section is on low-traffic, tar-sealed roads - which might be a welcome break for your bum after yesterday's climb! We'll pass over the Benmore Hydro Dam, New Zealand's second-largest hydro station, before skirting the edge of Lake Aviemore and on to Kurow. Kurow is New Zealand's most up-and-coming pinot noir region, the limestone rich soils have proved a great tonic for the vines. After a leg stretch we’ll jump back on our bikes and tackle the second part of the day, a 28 kilometre ride from Kurow to Duntroon. This predominantly gravel trail brings us alongside the Waitaki River and sweeps along the valley. Today is our biggest day in the saddle, so we'll be taking it easy and making sure everyone is well fuelled and hydrated. There’s plenty to see along this diverse trail - we'll pass vineyards, rivers, and the Takiroa Maori rock art site - a limestone shelter containing several pieces of rock art dating back to between 1400 and 1900 AD. Once we arrive in Duntroon, we'll continue onto Oamaru, to spend the night, where we'll eat dinner together.

Our day starts with a 45-kilometer (30 miles) ride from Otematata to Kurow, and almost all of this section is on low-traffic, tar-sealed roads - which might be a welcome break for your bum after yesterday's climb! We'll pass over the Benmore Hydro Dam, New Zealand's second-largest hydro station, before skirting the edge of Lake Aviemore and on to Kurow. Kurow is New Zealand's most up-and-coming pinot noir region, the limestone-rich soils have proved a great tonic for the vines. After a leg stretch, we’ll jump back on our bikes and tackle the second part of the day, a 28-kilometer ride from Kurow to Duntroon. This predominantly gravel trail brings us alongside the Waitaki River and sweeps along the valley. Today is our biggest day in the saddle, so we'll be taking it easy and making sure everyone is well-fuelled and hydrated. There’s plenty to see along this diverse trail - we'll pass vineyards, rivers, and the Takiroa Maori rock art site - a limestone shelter containing several pieces of rock art dating back to between 1400 and 1900 AD. Once we arrive in Duntroon, we'll continue onto Oamaru, to spend the night, where we'll eat dinner together.