Julie Silverlock
by Julie Silverlock

Get down and dirty in New Zealand on this much-loved mountain biking tour showcasing the South Island’s finest, gnarliest, and most downright exhilarating trails. Soar high with the downhills and boldly tackle the epic singletracks as you traverse the South Island from Christchurch to Queenstown. Of course, you’re in New Zealand, so are guaranteed sublime panoramic looks from every nook and cranny you conquer on this pure adventure ride.


Biking in the Mountains

Biking in the Mountains

Ride high and experience epic views

The bike tour starts in Christchurch, a burgeoning mecca for MTB lovers with the phenomenal Adventure Park offering hearty and hairy helpings of daring downhill action. As you elegantly ascend up the mountain gondola, the dramatic peacefulness of the setting is juxtaposed with the heart thumping wild thrills that await. Nature’s playground is in full force here and there’s a range of tracks to appeal to a spectrum of bikers, all guaranteed to be beaming at the bottom.


Biking boulders

Biking boulders

Rocky versus MTB

Starting off on the right foot, so to speak, you’ll be hurled deep into the beating heart of New Zealand’s MTB scene from the outset, heading off to Godley Head, Port Hills, and then to Castle Hill. The white-knuckle trails at Craigieburn will test your mettle on 37-degree trusty alpine tracks, with lesser pucker-inducing paths available for those needing to catch their breath. Resting in rustic and ideally situated lodgings close to the action, there’ll be plenty of time to kick back and regale the heart-stopping moments of the day with your fellow dirt seekers après-MTB.


Discover the MTB delights of the South Island

Explore thrilling trails

Discover the MTB delights of the South Island

Moving further south, Wanaka is the next stop and provides a veritable buffet of choices for the adventurous mountain biker. Whip the dicey trail bends that follow the curve of the land and frame majestic Lake Wanaka, and enjoy a thrilling night ride, sure to get the adrenaline dancing a speedy jig. As with the rest of the tour, a range of biking options are available during the stay, with graded trails from 1-6 accessible, many closely intertwined, giving shared group experiences across a variety of skill-sets.


Lake Wanaka MTB heaven

Bike the Wanaka trails

Spend the last half of the tour in THE adventure capital of the South, incredible Queenstown. You’ll arrive here on day four and with good reason, there is so much going on here and it is truly an extraordinary destination for MTB riding with heaps on offer to grip your gears into. Jump into the action head-on with Coronet Peak downhill biking; the local’s favorite - Sticky Forest trails; another gondola-powered beauty, this time at Queenstown bike park; the 7 Mile Bike Park; and a host of other awesome biking adventures. There’s also time and opportunity to enjoy the host of activities on offer in Queenstown, from canyon swinging to the quintessential Queenstown bungy, skydives, 4x4 safari, and – hold onto your helmets – Heli-biking. That’s right, taking a helicopter ride to the top of a mountain and bike your way down in true action-adventure movie style; it’s the stuff of legends, and here you can be the hero of yours. Enhance an outstanding tour with a spellbinding end – the perfect exclamation to an epic MTB adventure.

Picturesque gondola ride

Picturesque gondola ride

Brace yourself for a fantastic downhill ride