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Volcanoes Cycle Tour
The Volcanoes cycle tour covers a great diversity of scenery from farmland to lakes, forests and, of course, magnificent volcanoes. From Rotorua, you will head south on minor roads to spectacular Huka Falls on the Waikato River. You will overnight on the shores of Lake Taupo, New Zealand’s largest lake and then climb to Tongariro National Park where you will have a rest day with the option of walks, short or long. Stay on a sheep farm, (meet some of New Zealand's 45 million sheep) and visit the world-famous Waitomo Caves for a magical glow-worm display before finishing in Auckland CBD by the Waitemata Harbour.
- CategoryRoad Cycling
- TypeFully Guided
- Duration8 days
- Culture LevelFamiliar
- Skill Level2 - Novice
- Activity Level3 - Active
- Elevation2 - Moderate
- TerrainMixed
- Distance146.6 miles
- Avg. Daily Distance29.3 miles
The tour starts in Rotorua, (pop. 54,000) New Zealand's "Spa City", known for its thermal activity, beautiful lakes and Maori culture. As soon as you enter Rotorua you will notice a faint scent of sulphur and escaping curls of steam. Rotorua has much to offer: Geysers and bubbling mud pools, a 4WD trip up Mt Tarawera, white water rafting, the luge rides, jet boat rides, the Buried Village, the Green and Blue Lakes (a 32km cycle ride), fishing, relaxing thermal spas and, of course, shopping. You can also experience Maori culture through one of the Maori Villages. See and hear about Maori art forms and Maori foods, horticulture, songs and traditions
Visit the magnificent Tongariro National Park during this cycle tour. The three peaks of Tongariro (1,968m/6,456ft), Ngauruhue (2,290/7,513ft) and Ruapehu (2,796m/9,173ft) dominate starkly the surrounding plateau of tussock and near-desert. Permanently snow-capped Ruapehu is the North Island’s main ski area and is known for its spectacular day walk, the Tongariro Crossing. There are also several short and very attractive day walks.
Piopio is a little village south of the world-famous Waitomo Caves and northeast of the Taranaki coastline. It’s ideal for exploring many of the dramatic and picturesque landscapes, for example, limestone/karst formations, pockets of native bush, rugged hills, river valleys and rolling productive farmland. Waitomo takes its name from the Maori words for water (wai) and opening/entrance (tomo). The Waitomo river emerges from the cave which is world-renowned for its spectacular Glow-worm Grotto.