This journey into Northland takes you to the most northerly point in New Zealand over 9 days of stunning road cycling. The scenery is sublime with long white beaches stretching between ancient volcanic headlands, remote dune-scapes melding into sub-tropical forests and warmer evenings yielding to spectacular bright starry nights. This itinerary provides challenging cycling as you ride from your hotel every day with a minimum of vehicle transfers.
From Auckland, you will follow the west coast via the magnificent kauri forests where you'll encounter Tane Mahuta, New Zealand's biggest kauri tree and the stunning Hokianga Harbour with its enormous sand dunes. The northward journey follows 90 Mile Beach and ends at Cape Reinga, where the waters of the Pacific Ocean collide with the Tasman Sea.
You will then head southwards down the east coast to the original capital, the harbour town of Russell, where there is a free day to explore secret beaches and climb up to a vantage point for breathtaking views. You will continue to follow the coast southwards cycling bay to bay through rolling green countryside and lush native bush, to arrive back in Auckland at the conclusion of the tour.
To determine the grade of a particular adventure the tour operator considers a number of factors. These include the condition of the terrain, the altitude, the amount of climbing, the types of roads and the length of the trip. This Northland Cycle is graded moderate to challenging.
You will need to be a competent road rider with stamina and a good level of fitness, you should be able to cycle comfortably for up to 6-8 hours or around 100km/60miles per day, day after day, with some extended uphill ascents. There are some long days and some steep sections. You should be confident riding on main roads alongside traffic which can be travelling at speed. This tour is not for beginners. The tour is fully supported and if at any stage you feel like having a rest from cycling you will be able to ride in the support vehicle.