Tour code: WT - Bluff 01    14-Day Cycling Tour of Bluff - Gore - Clyde - Queenstown - Wanaka - Haast - Franz Josef - Hokitika - Westport - St. Arnaud - Picton

Deparutre: Daily

 Day 01: Entry Bluff
We fly into the southern most domestic airport of Invercargill where we meet our guide for the first time. We board our support vehicle and drive further south to the small Port Town of Bluff, where we check into our accommodation. After assembling our bikes, we have time to relax before dinner, when we get the chance to taste the local delicacies, including those famous Bluff Oysters.

 Day 02: Bluff - Gore (Cycling 96kms)
Today is our first day’s cycling. We have a leisurely 96kms ahead of us which will test our bike setup and allow us to cycle any of the dreaded jetlag out of our bodies. The route winds its way through undulating farmland and takes us in a northerly direction to our destination of Gore.

 Day 03: Gore - Clyde (Cycling 150kms)
After yesterday’s warm-up day we ‘up the pace’ as this is one of our three 140kms days. We notice how dramatically the scenery changes from the green Southland pastures to the dry & barren hills of Central Otago. As we ride beside the Blue Mountains and the Old Man Range we pass gold mining areas and Hydroelectricity stations. The riding today is mostly undulating with some steeper climbs to test the legs as we approach the small farm servicing town of Alexandra, located on the banks of the Clutha River. Then it is just a 10km ‘warmdown’ to our accommodation for the night, located right below the Clyde Dam.

 Day 04: Clyde - Queenstown (Cycling 84kms)
With our first long day behind us, we now have an easier, flatter day riding alongside Lake Dunstan and the Kawarau Gorge into Queenstown, the adventure capital of New Zealand. There are no major climbs today, but instead, plenty of distractions tempting us to stop along the way. For those who suffer from cramps, why not straighten out the legs with a bungy jump as we pass AJ Hacket’s famous first location.

 Day 05: Queenstown
Today is a rest day, having already completed 330kms of our tour with plenty more to come. There are many exciting things to do in Queenstown, including a fly-cruise-fly package into the famous Milford Sound. For the more adventurous there is bungy jumping, white water rafting, jet boating, mountain biking and many other options. If you just wish to relax, a massage and afternoon cruise on the TSS Earnslaw is a great option.

 Day 06: Queenstown - Wanaka (Cycling 77kms)
After a day’s rest our legs will be ready for the most challenging climb on our tour, the Crown Range. The ride is fairly easy for the first few kilometers to the historic gold mining town of Arrowtown, with only one real climb. But then we have a hard 3kms up steep hairpins until we reach a plateau for another 5kms followed by a lung wrenching, leg burning additional 3.5kms to the summit of the highest highway in New Zealand at 1080ms. From here it’s all ‘plain sailing’ as we follow the Cardrona River down the valley to Lake Wanaka where we replenish ourselves with the local cuisine and vino in this quaint lakeside town.

 Day 07: Wanaka - Haast (Cycling 145kms)
Today we have a longer ride, across the Southern Alps and down into the West Coast. As we travel from East to West we notice a dramatic change in the scenery. The dry, arid landscapes of Central Otago are left far behind as we travel through the dense rainforest to the Coast. We ride up over the Haast Pass and from there, follow the Haast River from its inception to where it meets the Tasman Sea.

 Day 08: Haast - Franz Josef (Cycling 142kms)
Today we follow the coastline north, initially flat for the first 35kms after which we climb and descend until we pass Lake Paringa. A nice flat section until just before Fox Glacier at 120kms lets us recover, but from there it’s three steep climbs and descents for an additional 22kms to Franz Josef. The rugged coastal scenery and dense rainforest make today’s ride one of the more spectacular on the tour but it’s hard to pick a favourite.

 Day 09: Franz Josef
Nothing is arranged today and you can have a good rest.

 Day 10: Franz Josef - Hokitika (Cycling 134kms)
We have a relatively flat to slightly undulating ride to Hokitika today. The only hills are a short climb over Mt. Hercules on a beautiful winding and twisting bush-clad road and some small undulations around Pukekura, home of the Bushman’s centre and some ‘tall tails’.

 Day 11: Hokitika - Westport (Cycling 140kms)
Today continue Northward again towards our overnight town of Westport. We have a flat easy ride till we reach Punakaiki, home of the Pancake Rocks and Blowholes. After this stop we ride over Perpendicular Point and Pakihi Hill before descending into Westport for a pint of the local Miner’s Beer.

 Day 12: Westport - St. Arnaud (Cycling 158kms)
After following the coast for three days we now head inland following the Buller River past Fern Arch, Hawks crag, Inangahua Junction and Murchison to Kawatari, where we turn off the main road and head North East towards the alpine village of St. Arnaud. This is where we spend the night in the Nelson Lakes National Park beside Lake Rotoiti and the towering Mt. Robert. Today is our longest day and whilst overall it’s entirely uphill for 158kms, we only climb from the sea to 700ms above sea level.

 Day 13: St. Arnaud - Picton (Cycling 120kms)
Sadly today is our last day’s riding to finish off our 1246kms in 11 days. We ride from the lake to the ocean via the Wairau Valley to Blenheim and then onwards to the Port of Picton. Mostly downhill with a short final climb before Picton, we finish the ride with a celebration meal and a feast of the local seafood on offer.

 Day 14: Exit Picton
After 11 great days of riding we pack up our bikes and continue on our travels to our next exciting destination. If you are heading to Wellington and the North Island, the Interislander ferry terminal is only a short walk from the hotel. For those who wish to return to Christchurch our support vehicle leaves for the 5 Hours’ drive back via Kaikoura and the East Coast.