5 Day Easy Explorer Hawke’s Bay

No, children are very welcome to come on this tour. There are various options available for children including all sizes of bike or trailers/infant seats etc. for smaller children.

Yes, you can hire a bike or bring your own. The bikes primarily used for this tour are Scott Sportster touring bikes, which feature 24 gears, front suspension, and comfortable gel saddles, and are fully equipped with panniers, odometers, locks, bottle holder and emergency repair kits.

The tour operator also has infant seats available for adult bikes, Trailers, Wee-Hoos and tag-alongs. Of course, there are child bikes available too.

The tour operator offers high-quality E-Bikes for this tour, subject to availability.  Brands include Moustache, Merida and Cannondale. These E-bikes are for adults only or teenagers who are over 160cm in height.

This route is largely off-road apart from day 4, when there is approximately 10 km (6.2 mi) of road riding with some hills. The tour operator can suggest an alternative route for you to ride to the Cape Coast off-road if you would prefer not to be on the road for that distance.  The alternative route would mean you will repeat an 8 km (4.9 mi) section of trail the following day, but it is a really nice piece of trail so that’s no hardship!

The tour is 80% off-road trails / 20% rural roads. Some cycling experience and confidence on roads recommended.

Your arrival information will include detailed, daily riding instructions for your tour along with the Hawke’s Bay Trails map showing your route highlighted. Riding instructions can be attached to the handlebars of your bike and will provide thorough information pointing out places of interest, worthwhile attractions, landmarks, distances and refreshment options.

Each day your bags will be collected from your accommodation after 10.00am and be moved to your next night's stay. The tour operator will endeavor to have your bags at your destination by 2.00pm.

The Hawke’s Bay region is blessed with long, hot summers, mild winters and low rainfall making it an ideal destination for cycling all year round. Average temperatures are:

Summer 23.8 degrees Celsius (75 degrees Fahrenheit)

Autumn 19.9 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit)

Winter 14.5 degrees Celsius (58 degrees Fahrenheit)

Spring 19.0 degrees Celsius (66 degrees Fahrenheit)

The tour operator is more than happy to pick up any purchases that can’t be carried on your bike and have them waiting at their reception center when you finish your tour. Simply text them with the details or what and where you have purchased and they will take care of the rest!

Mechanical backup service is included in your tour cost and the tour operator will provide you with a phone number to call if you need them. Depending on where you are, some waiting time is to be expected. For this reason, the tour operator provides spare tubes so you have the option to attend to any punctures yourself, which will most likely be your quickest option. However, they are happy to come out if this is your preference.

Takaro Trails can provide a pickup service for you and your bike if you’ve spent too long in a winery and don’t fancy the ride home!

Child cost applies to children from 4 to 16 years. Infant cost applies to those aged under 4.

Please also select the appropriate equipment hire option for your age of child.

Hire helmets are available and included in your tour cost, however please feel free to bring your own helmet if you prefer. A correctly fitting helmet is essential for safety and it is a legal requirement in N.Z. for all cyclists to wear a helmet at all times when riding on the road and trails.

The tour starts and ends in Ahuriri, Napier at the tour operator's office. This is based at 9 Nelson Quay, Ahuriri, Napier 4144.

Hawke's Bay Airport (NPE), also known as Napier Airport, is just a 10-minute drive from there but is only a domestic airport. However, there are regular departures to connecting international airports that are a few hundred kms away.

The tour operator will collect and drop you off at the Hawke's Bay Airport if you are arriving/departing that way. If you are driving they can provide parking for you.

All prices are based on 2 people sharing a room so yes, there will be an additional charge levied if you are traveling solo, to compensate for the higher cost of accommodation. This will also apply if you are traveling in a group but you would like your own room throughout the tour.

Please select the single supplement option when booking and please note that the cost of this can be subject to change, depending on the cost of accommodation at the time of your proposed trip.

Two different types of accommodation are given as choices to you; you can opt to stay in more basic/motel-type accommodation (standard pricing) or upgrade to a more luxurious experience (B&B/Boutique Lodge pricing) by selecting the appropriate option on booking.

The Lodging page gives a list of the typical accommodation providers used by the tour operators and they will let you know what's available for your chosen dates, based on your selection of either standard or boutique.

No, the tour does not include any admittance costs for attractions or wine tasting fees. This is mainly because it's hard to predict which stops you will make so it is easier if you ‘pay as you go’. This also allows you more freedom to do what you like, when you like, depending on your mood and interests.

Yes, you are very welcome to bring your own bike and equipment if you prefer, just leave off the equipment add-ons and the price will stay at the lower rate.

Note that if you bring your own infant seat for an adult bike, you must bring your own bike to use it on.