South Island Gravel Explorer

Itinerary Details

1. Day 1Christchurch Port Hills & Banks Peninsula

   Today, you'll find your cycle legs with a stunning ride on Banks Peninsula, one of New Zealand's most unique landforms. The route includes a decent climb, but the effort is well rewarded with breathtaking views! You'll begin with a 1-hour drive out of Christchurch, then set off along a flat lakeside trail to warm up your legs. After a short walk across a pebble estuary, you'll start the gravel climb up Bossu Road to a panoramic ridge. This ridge is the crater rim of an extinct volcano, offering incredible views of the Canterbury Plains, the snowy Southern Alps, and the vivid blue harbor. You'll eventually descend to the tiny settlement of Wainui for a picnic lunch at the water's edge.

   After lunch, it's just a short ride to the small settlement of Devauchelle, where you'll load up and drive back to the city center and your hotel, arriving in the late afternoon.

   Cycling Distance
   Little River to Wainui - approx 42km
   Wainui to Duvauchelle - 12km
   
   Elevation Gain
   1359m/ft4457
   

   • 33.6 miles
   • 4,458.7 ft
     4,458.7 ft
   • Lunch and Dinner

   • 

     Look Down over Akaroa

     Spend the first day on a stunning ride of the Banks Peninsula

2. Day 2Christchurch to Lake Tekapo

   After breakfast, you'll load up your gear and drive to the small settlement of Cave on the edge of the Canterbury Plains with a coffee stop at Pleasant Point. This area, New Zealand’s only “flat” land, is wide open country with braided rivers teeming with trout and salmon. The Canterbury Plains are also rich in sheep and dairy farming and today’s ride finds you traveling through a pastoral landscape. Today the ride takes you up the Little Opawa River Valley and over the Waratah Saddle, winding through rolling farmland. You'll then head towards the tussock covered hills and over the Mackenzie Saddle (785m/2575ft) which cuts through the ranges and gives your first views of the vast arid Mackenzie Country, where rivers flow through sweeping tussock plains with a backdrop of the snowy alps.

   You'll head northwards to meet the main highway at Dog Kennel Corner, a memorial to the importance of sheepdogs, prior to formal fencing of farmland. Here there will be the option to jump onto the support van or continue the last undulating 15km along the main road to Tekapo. In early summer this road is lined with lupins creating an incredible splash of color to the arid landscape. Upon arrival in Lake Tekapo, you can take in views of the amazing turquoise water and the Southern Alps from the Church of the Good Shepherd, and can enjoy a soak in the Tekapo Hot Pools before dinner.
   

   • 48.5 miles
   • 4,537.4 ft
     4,537.4 ft
   • Accommodation in Lake Tekapo
   • Breakfast and Lunch

   • 

     Lake Tekapo

     Cycle the lakes and mountains of NZ's south

3. Day 3Lake Tekapo to Duntroon

   This morning, you'll retrace your steps by vehicle to Dog Kennel Corner and start riding from the turn-off, where you'll see a sign pointing to Hakataramea Pass. The journey begins on gravel roads as you leave civilization behind and climb toward an indigo sky. The lofty views of the Southern Alps and the cloud-piercing Aoraki/Mt Cook behind you become even more imposing above the expansive Mackenzie Basin, whose vast scale is more apparent as you approach the pass.

   At the pass, marked with a fence line, gate, and signposts to destinations in both directions, you'll see a proud announcement that the pass is at 965m (3230ft) above sea level. A short, winding descent leads to the broad Hakataramea Valley. The imposing Kirkliston Range to the west towers above the orderly, rolling farmland as you descend to Kurow, a small town where the Hakataramea and Waitaki valleys meet. You'll overnight at the small settlement of Duntroon.

   Cycling Distance
   Hakataramea Road to Kurow – 76km
   Optional Cycle: Kurow to Duntroon - 27km

   Elevation Gain
   646m/2118ft
   

   • 64 miles
   • 2,119.4 ft
     2,119.4 ft
   • Accommodation in Duntroon
   • Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
4. Day 4Duntroon to Kyeburn Diggings

   Today, you'll journey over the remote alpine Dansey's Pass, a historic stock and gold mining route linking the Waitaki District with Central Otago. The route is unsuitable for towing vehicles, so we'll be without van support, as it will be relocated via alternative roads.

   Starting from Duntroon, you'll head up the gravel Dansey's Pass road, climbing over the fractured Kakanui Mountains. As you cycle through sections where the road clings to the cliffside, you'll eventually reach the barren, tussock-covered pass at 935m, with towering triangular-faced mountains above. From the summit, you'll enjoy a 9km descent to your accommodation at the Dansey's Pass Coach House, located in the former gold mining settlement of Kyeburn Diggings. The hotel's original stonework, constructed in 1862 by a mason known as "Happy Bill," was built with schist boulders, for which he was paid one pint of beer per boulder shaped and laid!

   In the afternoon, you have options to ride to the old settlement of Naseby, cycle through the Naseby forest, or participate in a game of curling. You can relax with a drink in front of the large fireplace and explore the old Kyeburn cemetery and mining relics before dinner.

   • 29.8 miles
   • 3,608.9 ft
     3,608.9 ft
   • Danseys Pass Hotel
   • Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
5. Day 5Kyeburn Diggings to Clyde

   Today is definitely a Queen stage in terms of distance, but the terrain is mostly an old railway line with hard-packed shingle and no steep climbs, making the ride relatively straightforward! The highlight is the best section of New Zealand’s original and most famous “Great Ride,” the Otago Central Rail Trail. Steeped in history, this off-road rail trail offers a scenic and historic journey into the heart of Central Otago. The ever-changing landscape includes rugged mountains, crystal-clear rivers, and steep, winding gorges. Keen riders can choose to ride an extra 33kms to reach the Rail Trail from our accommodation, while the rest will join in from the iconic Wedderburn Station. From there, it's a steady climb to the highest point on the trail before descending to cycle over the impressive Poolburn viaduct and Manuherikia Bridge and through the 229m Poolburn tunnel.

   With views of the Dunstan Mountains and the Raggedy Range, continue to Clyde, a quaint historic town in this up-and-coming wine region. Once a wild and bustling "canvas" town filled with gold miners, shopkeepers, and ever-present dancing girls, Clyde’s Dunstan House was the first hotel built there and served as a social hub for the thousands of miners. This unique hotel, with its ambiance of yesteryear, is your accommodation for the night. The “gold” of this region today is wine, and before dinner, you have the option to try award-winning Pinot Noir with a private wine tasting at a local winery.

   • 72.1 miles
   • 2,552.5 ft
     2,552.5 ft
   • Dunstan House
   • Breakfast and Lunch

   • 

     Otago Rail Trail

     Bike a classic rails to trail route through Otago

   • 

     Dunstan House - example lodging

     Stay in lovely lodgings throughout the tour

6. Day 6Clyde to Clyde

   Today we get to ride 2 stunning NZ Great Rides alongside the mighty Clutha / Mata-Au River. The day begins with the drive to Lawrence, birthplace of the 1860s gold rush. After a wander around this delightful village, hop on the bikes at the start of the Clutha Gold Trail and head for the gentle climb up to the 434m-long Big Tunnel. Downhill at Beaumont you’ll meet the River - be prepared to be captivated by its swirling, turquoise waters.
   
   Twenty scenic kilometres on through the scenic Beaumont Gorge, you’ll reach the small farming settlement of Millers Flat. The next 30kms takes us past interesting riverside landmarks and deep into the orchard-lands of the Teviot Valley. The impressive Roxburgh hydro dam marks the end of the Clutha Gold Trail and the start of the Roxburgh Gorge Trail.
   
   With amazing northerly vistas across the Lake Roxburgh the trail drops into the Gorge and then heads away from the water passing through a small secluded valley with regenerating Ka-nuka (tea tree) scrubland and into sweeping hill country farmland. At Elbow Creek, it’s a gradual descent to Shingle Creek, the halfway mark where you will take a scenic jet boat ride for the next 10km to Doctor’s Point.
   
   The second half of the trail is equally remote and awe-inspiring with stone-walled water races and other remnants of gold mining activity. The group will continue tracing the gorge to finally emerge in Alexandra where there is the option to hop in the van or ride the 12km riverside trail back to Clyde.

   Clutha Gold: 71km
   Elevation Gain: 534m/1750ft

   Roxburgh Gorge: 21km
   Elevation Gain: 254m/830ft

   River Trail: 12km
   Elevation Gain: 94m/300ft
   

   • 64.6 miles
   • 2,585.3 ft
     2,585.3 ft
   • Clyde Accommodation
   • Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
7. Day 7Clyde to Queenstown

   Today, you'll cycle the newest Great Ride, the Lake Dunstan Trail, offering a spectacular journey through the unique and fascinating landscapes of Central Otago. This trail winds along the Clutha and Kawarau Rivers and the shores of Lake Dunstan, integrating the region’s rich modern, pioneering, and Maori history, brought to life in the Clyde and Cromwell Historical Precincts.
   
   You begin with a 30-minute transfer to Smith's Way on the shore of Lake Dunstan. From there, you'll ride alongside the lake to the Cromwell Heritage Precinct. Here, you'll park your bikes and explore the boutique galleries, stores, and cafes. Afterward, you'll get back on your bikes and follow the trail as it loops around the Bannockburn Inlet and continues toward Cornish Point, passing vineyards and olive groves along the way.
   
   The trail then enters the stunning Cromwell Gorge, where you'll cycle around sheer rock faces and over lake inlets on impressively engineered platforms and bridges rising above Lake Dunstan. This lake was created by the damming of the mighty Clutha Mata-au River, New Zealand’s second-longest river. The trail passes the historically controversial hydroelectric Clyde Dam before finishing at the historic Red Bridge in Clyde.
   
   The adventure continues with a scenic drive through the picturesque Kawarau Gorge to Queenstown, passing the historic Kawarau Bridge and heading into the vine-lined Gibbston Valley. You'll end your gravel adventure in Queenstown, your final destination.

   Cycling Distance
   Smiths Way to Cromwell - 16km
   Cromwell to Clyde - 38km

   Elevation Gain
   570m/1870ft
   

   • 33.6 miles
   • 1,870.1 ft
     1,870.1 ft
   • Breakfast and Lunch

   • 

     Enjoy a Steamship Sailing

     At the end of the trip take a memorable boat trip to the final destination of Queenstown

   • 

     Finish in Queenstown

     Arrive in Q'town feeling great and ready to explore