Weka Cycling Trip

Multi Day Fully Supported Biking Tour of the South Island · Molesworth and Mt Nicholas High Country Station Roads · Milford Sound · Arthur’s Pass · Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers · The West Coast · Overnight trip on the Central Otago Rail Trail

Our cycling trips ensure you’ll do the best biking the South Island of New Zealand has to offer, and visit some amazing locations too! This is primarily a cycling trip, but we have some amazing hikes to take you on too. You’ll cycle through unforgettable scenery, stay in lovely places, and see both the big names and some of the most off-the-beaten-track places in New Zealand. Our cyclists are fully vehicle supported, so you won’t need to worry about mechanical problems or flat tires! We generally cycle between 35 and 70 miles a day, although you can ride less than that – or more! – if you prefer. We’ll be taking in remote high country station roads, the legendary Eglinton Valley road to Milford Sound, the Buller River Gorge, New Zealand’s magnificent West Coast including Arthur’s Pass and the Franz Josef glacier, and we’ll also spend two days on the central Otago Rail Trail.

Tuesday - Arrive & Cycling on East Coast near Kaikoura
Most people leave the Northern hemisphere on a Sunday, and arrive in Auckland early on Tuesday morning. You’ll lose a day to the dateline – but you get it back on the way home! You’ll immediately take the short flight to Christchurch, in the South Island, where we’ll meet you. You’ll need to arrive in Christchurch by 11am on the first day, at which time we’ll drive up the coast and into the Southern Alps to the resort town of Hanmer Springs. You’ll get a chance to stretch your legs along the way with a short cycle into Hanmer Springs via the Waiau Valley. Tonight you can soak, relax and get to know your co-travelers a little better in the fresh water mineral spa at Hanmer Springs.
ACCOMMODATION:Hanmer Springs Bed and Breakfast (D)

Wednesday - High country cycle traverse of the Rainbow Station Road
We begin today with a short drive up Jack’s Pass to New Zealand’s largest back country sheep farm, Molesworth Station. There we will bike a spectacular high country farm road running from Hanmer Springs through to St Arnaud via the Rainbow station. During the winter this area is home to the Rainbow and Hanmer Springs ski fields and in summer it provides easy access to some of the most remote and spectacular mountain areas accessible on a cycle in New Zealand. Due to the remote nature of this road you will appreciate the convenience of vehicle support!

From the Jack’s Pass Saddle we follow the Clarence River up to Lake Tennyson and over the Island Saddle before following the crystal clear Wairau and Rainbow Rivers down to the small village of St Arnaud. We will enjoy a kiwi style evening BBQ tonight at our lodgings nestled on the edge of the Nelson Lakes National Park.
ACCOMMODATION:St Arnaud Bed and Breakfast (B,L,D)

Thursday - Cycling in the Buller Gorge and Punakaiki Coast
From St Arnaud we head through Murchison to the West Coast, cycling down the Buller River gorge from the massive Inangahua Slip, the site of a huge earthquake that dammed the river in the 1960’s. This gradual downhill ride allows you plenty of time to check out the awesome scenery, thick sub-tropical rainforest and historical gold mining sites on the way to the coast at Punakaiki. After lunch we get back on the bikes and do a short cycle along the coast road to the famous Pancake Rocks. This is one of our favorite parts of New Zealand and after a short hike along the beach you’ll see why we love it so much!

Tonight we will stay in the West Coast logging town of Blackball at the Blackball Hilton B&B. This is one of the most unique and interesting places we stay on any of our ACTIVE NEW ZEALAND trips – it’s a Hilton stay with a difference!
ACCOMMODATION: Blackball Hilton. (B,L,D)

Friday - Cycling in Arthur’s Pass
This morning we will ride the back road from Blackball towards Arthur’s Pass via Lake Brunner. This is a heavily forested area and it feels like you are really in the middle of nowhere! From Otira we drive up to the top of the pass, you’ll encounter the Kea - New Zealand’s famously cheeky green alpine parrot, and though we don’t feed them, you’ll find they’ll come really close to us, in the forlorn hope that we’ll throw some chocolate their way!

From the top of the pass you’ll cycle down towards the coast. On this section of road you will experience the spectacular Otira Viaduct before following the twisting river gorge to Kumara Junction. It’s then a short distance to Hokitika, where you can do some shopping for local arts and crafts, if you like. The area’s specialty is greenstone (Jade) carving and there are a number of fantastic galleries in this small town.
ACCOMMODATION: Hokitika (B,L,D)

Saturday - Coastal Cycle from Lake Mahinapua to Pukekura
Today we will head down the West Coast and cycle from Lake Mahinapua, just south of Hokitika. This is an area of dense green native rainforest, huge fast flowing rivers and spectacular views of the snow capped Southern Alps. For the morning we will follow the main inland road and after having lunch by the Mikonui River, we take the smaller costal road down to the small village of Pukekura, enjoying sweeping views of deserted West Coast beaches.
ACCOMMODATION: Glenfern Villas, Franz Josef (B,L,D)

Sunday - Cycling through glacier country
Today’s ride is off the scenery scale! We follow a winding road through an ancient podocarp forest to the amazing Franz Josef Glacier. This is one of the most accessible glaciers in the world, dropping 7000 feet in about 7 miles, from its neve in the Southern Alps almost to the sea. Tonight we stay in the West Coast village of Haast. During the evening you can stretch your legs on a beach walk in the quiet and remote Jackson’s Bay area.
ACCOMMODATION: Haast (B,L,D)

Monday - Cycling the Haast Pass to Lake Hawea
This morning we will leave the West Coast and cycle up from Thunder Creek Falls to the ‘Gates of Haast’ and over Haast Pass, which bridges the majestic Southern Alps. We will then follow the road down through the awesome Makarora Valley, which sits on the edge of the Mt Aspiring National Park and continue down to Lake Hawea. From here, it’s less than two hours to Queenstown.
ACCOMMODATION: Queenstown lodge (B,L)

Tuesday - Free Day in Queenstown
Queenstown is the adventure capital of New Zealand – you’ll find all the comforts of civilization: massage therapists, restaurants, sidewalk cafes, window shopping, as well as incredible hikes, bike rides, and adrenaline activities such as hang gliding, bungy jumping, jet boating, skydiving, horse trekking, fishing, wine tours... it’s all here! Queenstown is not a big place – the population is about 8000 – but there’s plenty to do! Or you can relax and take it easy, if you prefer to just soak up the atmosphere. It’s all up to you today – enjoy!
ACCOMMODATION: Queenstown lodge (B)

Wednesday - Cycling the Mararoa road from Cecil Peak to the Mavora Lakes
We’ll catch an early morning ferry ride across Lake Wakatipu today to the base of the imposing Cecil Peak where we’ll jump back on our bikes to follow the Mt Nicholas farm road to the isolated North and South Mavora Lakes. You’ll get fantastic views back towards Queenstown on the ferry ride to Mt Nicholas Station. From here we will bike up through the head waters of the Mararoa River surrounded by the towering Livingston mountain range. This is a true wilderness cycling experience on a practically deserted back road and after your free day in bustling Queenstown you’ll appreciate the peaceful surroundings!
ACCOMMODATION: Lake Manapouri Inn, Manapouri (B,L,D)

Thursday - Cruise Milford Sound, Hiking Routeburn Track & Cycling Eglinton Valley
This morning we start early with the drive to Milford Sound for a spectacular cruise on the Sound, taking in sheer rock walls, Mitre Peaks and its surrounding mountains, huge waterfalls, and all sorts of marine wildlife, from seals and penguins to dolphins and even the occasional orca! After cruising on the Sound, we’ll have lunch, and take the short drive to the trail head for the Routeburn Track. Here you have the option of hiking on the Routeburn – a two-hour round hike culminating in stunning views of Mount Christina, Lake Marion, and all the surrounding peaks – or cycling the Eglinton Valley towards Te Anau. Hikers can join the cyclists a little later on, and whichever option you choose, this will be a day to remember! In the evening, we’ll return to Lake Manapouri Inn for a well earned BBQ dinner and a cold beer!
ACCOMMODATION: Lake Manapouri Inn, Manapouri (B,L,D)

Friday - Central Otago Rail Trail - Ophir to Ranfurly
Today we start an overnight trip on the Central Otago Rail Trail, following the route of the old Cromwell to Dunedin train line which was shut down in 1990. Over the past decade the trail has been upgraded and rebuilt to become the best multi-day bike ride in New Zealand. Over the two day cycle we cross over 60 bridges and viaducts as we wind our way through the Raggedy, Rough and Rock and Pillar ranges. This area of New Zealand has a very dry climate, so the abundance of clear sunny days gives us ideal weather for cycling.

We start the trail at the small historic gold mining settlement of Ophir and have a gradual climb through the Ida Valley to New Zealand’s Art Deco capital, Ranfurly. This valley was heavily worked for gold last century and you’ll get a chance to see some of the scarring left by the use of large hydraulic water sluices.
ACCOMMODATION: Ranfurly Hotel (B,L,D)

Saturday - Central Otago Rail Trail - Ranfurly to Middlemarch
Today we have a long, but gradual down hill cycle to the end of the trail at Middlemarch. We travel down the rugged Taieri River Gorge where huge schist outcrops dominate the landscape, passing through a number of small and often deserted rail settlements along the way.
ACCOMMODATION: Oamaru (B,L,D)

Sunday - Depart
This is the last day of your 13-day cycling trip around the South Island. See the itinerary for the Kauri trip if you want to take a few more days to see the North Island as well, or check out our Aussie Walkabouts itineraries if you’ve got lots of time and want to visit Australia, fondly known as New Zealand’s “Other Island”. We’ll leave after breakfast for the four-hour drive to Christchurch, and arrive early afternoon for the flights back to Auckland. International flights from Auckland usually leave early evening, so if you’re heading back to North America, you’ll get home some time on Sunday, even though you left on Sunday evening! Flights back to Europe, of course, take a little longer. You’ll be refreshed and invigorated from the good food, exercise, rest, and great times you’ll have had with us in New Zealand! (B)

ACCOMMODATIONS: The Weka is a fully supported cycling trip around the South Island. We’ve chosen interesting and comfortable accommodation throughout. In some places it’s quite luxurious. But many of the other places we stay are off the beaten track – and don’t have many accommodation options – but are really, really spectacular. Our clients often say a real highlight of the trip is meeting the New Zealanders who are their hosts. You’ll love the places we stay!

FITNESS: You must have a reasonable level of cycling fitness to enjoy yourself on the Weka. You don’t have to be young and extremely fit (although if you are, you won’t be bored) but you should be in the habit of doing at least some exercise. Age and experience are not important. For example, we would rather have a person in her 50s who hikes every couple of weeks than a 22-year-old couch potato!

EXPERIENCE: You don’t need any outdoor experience at all to enjoy our trips. All our trips allow you to make the most of New Zealand’s incredible environment. Our experienced guides are highly trained, and will look after you! You don’t have to carry a heavy pack. All we ask is that you be energetic and in reasonable shape – and we guarantee you’ll have an incredible time.

The challenges are there, though, if you’re looking for them. For instance, on the second day of the trip you can set off a little early and tackle the Jack’s Pass Road up to the Molesworth Station. The views are incredible – and they get better the higher you go, so the fitter members of the party often push ahead and do this, while others enjoy just starting their day’s cycle from the top of the pass. We manage the level of commitment to suit your experience, and we have an impeccable safety record. We hold all relevant government licenses, and our staff are highly trained and experienced.

Weka START & END POINT, AND DIRECTION OF TRAVEL : To keep our group sizes down, we run the Weka in two different directions around the South Island – Northbound (refers to initial direction of travel from Christchurch) and Southbound. This itinerary happens to be written up in the Northbound format. Whichever trip you take, you’ll do all the activities we’ve mentioned, just in a different order. The Weka is a product of many years of evolution and fine-tuning – it works well whichever way you do it!

FLEXIBILITY: Because of the off-the-beaten path and non-commercial nature of some of our accommodation on this trip, we sometimes need to change a night stop. We try to make as few changes as possible, but retain the flexibility to make sure your trip is as good as it can be.

DATES: 2007 - Feb 13-25, Mar 13-25, Apr 3-15, Oct 23- Nov 4,Nov 20-Dec 2, Dec. 4-16, Dec. 18-30,
2008 - Jan 15-27, Jan 29- Feb 10, Feb. 12-24, March 11-23, Mar 25-Apr 6

INCLUDED: The trip fare is US$2999 + 12.5% government taxes. We quote all prices in US dollars, so our guests from all over the world can more easily relate prices to their own currencies. You can also join for shorter periods of time, at a pro-rated fare. The trip fare includes just about everything, specifically:

* All guiding services. We always have at least two guides per trip, and we usually take up to 14 clients per trip. This means we can really make sure you have a great time!
* Comfortable accommodation for the entire period you are with us. We can also organize accommodation for you if you want to arrive earlier or leave later.
* All your meals, except in Queenstown where we’ve found people prefer to check out the wide range of restaurants. Alcohol is not generally included, although we do spring for a few drinks here and there!
* All cycling described in the itinerary, except optional extra activities. We have estimated the rates for optional extra activities operated by local activity operators in US dollars, but these rates may vary according to the USD/NZD exchange rate of the day. There are many optional activities available at extra cost, particularly in Queenstown. None of these activities are compulsory, and nor will your trip seem less awesome if you do the cheap or free options. Although some people enjoy sampling hang gliding, bungy jumping, jet boating, skydiving, and so on, others prefer to focus on more cycling, which is of course the reason you’re coming to New Zealand in the first place!

We’ll see you soon!