Independent Cycle Tours NZ

A more demanding version of our popular combination tour, with 8 days cycling to the top of the South Island and a days guided sea kayaking in the beautiful Marlborough Sounds.

This tour takes you from Christchurch to Kaikoura and the spectacular Pacific Ocean’s coastal scenery. Then it’s on to the vineyards of Blenheim, before the relaxed pace of Nelson and Marlborough Sounds.  From Anakiwi it’s back to Blenheim for a quick bike around the vineyards to end the trip.

A relaxed-paced trip to Kaikoura, that starts from Christchurch with a gentle cycle to the picturesque vineyards of Waipara and Amberley.  Then its on to the small country town of Culverden, and a taste of country life.

The following day, its back on to quiet roads and the dramatic backdrop of the inland Kaikoura Mountain range, as you head through to the alpine village of Mt Lyford.  From Mt Lyford and you last day cycling, its a steady descent to the Pacific Coast and the pleasant seaside town of Kaikoura.

In Kaikoura you have a chance to take in the dramatic scenery, whale-watching or any of the many activities on offer.

You then have an afternoon Tranz-scenic train journey, which passes the seal colonies that dot this spectacular coastline, back to Christchurch.

This bike tour starts from Christchurch and straight into the hills of Banks Peninsula, for spectacular views of Christchurch, the Southern Alps and the extinct volcano that forms Lyttelton Harbour.

Then it’s your choice of a quick descent or the more demanding hills of the crater rim, as you head to the seaside village of Governors Bay. From Governors Bay its a moderate climb to stunning views of the southern aspect of Banks Peninsula and then a gentle bike alongside lake Forsyth and lake Ellesmere and onto the small town of Little River with it’s quiet and relaxed pace.

From Little River you head over the steep 400m hill into Akaroa Harbour.  With a number of route options, it’s either a gentle ride alone the coast or a demanding climb around the crater rim to the quaint seaside township of Akaroa.  From Akaroa you return to Christchurch via the bus or bike (adding another day) to complete your tour.

A less demanding tour than our popular 10 day West Coast and Rain Forests tour, that starts from our base in Christchurch and begins with a classic train ride across the Southern Alps to Moana on the banks of Lake Brunner and then a gentle cycle to Greymouth on the West Coast.

From Greymouth you cycle north along the rugged West Coast, taking in the spectacular rainforest, Punakaiki rocks and limestone cliffs along the route.

Then it’s a gentle ride along the spectacular Buller River and through to the historic goldfields of Reefton, before heading back to Christchurch on the world-renowned Tranz Alpine scenic train.

This trip starts from Christchurch with a gradual warm-up with mainly flat riding on the first two days as you ride through to the quiet country towns of Methven and Geraldine.

From Geraldine you tackle some of the moderate hills that follow for the remainder of the trip as you cycle through breath-taking scenery to the spectacular lake-side town of Tekapo, where many of the scenes for the ‘Lord of the Rings” were filmed.

From Tekapo its along the canals and glacier-fed Southern Lakes and through the dramatic Mackenzie Basin to Queenstown, the Adventure Capital of New Zealand.

Here your adventure travel vacation can really start and we are able to help arrange a variety of activities from buggy jumping to jet boating.

An extension of our popular West Coast tour that starts with a steady cycle along the rugged West Coast, with views of the spectacular rain forest, Punakaiki rocks and limestone cliffs.

After a climb through the Southern Alps and relaxing in the geo-thermal springs of Maruia and Hanmer Springs, its on to Kaikoura with its abundant sea life and popular whale watching.

Then its along the beautiful Pacific ocean coast, passing the seal colonies that dot this spectacular coastline, as you head back to Christchurch via the vineyards of Waipara.

This tour starts from Christchurch with a gradual warm-up with mainly flat riding on the first two days as you ride through to the quiet country towns of Methven and Geraldine.

From Geraldine you tackle some of the moderate hills that follow for the remainder of the trip as you cycle through breath-taking scenery to the spectacular lake-side town of Tekapo, where many of the scenes for the ‘Lord of the Rings” were filmed.

From Tekapo its along the canals and glacier-fed Southern Lakes and through the dramatic Mackenzie Basin to Queenstown, the Adventure Capital of New Zealand.

After a rest day in Queenstown, you head to Cromwell and on to the historic Central Otago Rail Trail.

On the rail trail you tackle gentle off-road riding through the historic gold and farming towns of Central Otago as you head across the dramatic backdrop of the Maniototo Plains.

From Middlemarch there is a short bike ride and then a spectacular train ride on the Taieri Gorge Railway to your final destination of Dunedin.

Our popular West Coast tour that starts from Christchurch with a spectacular train journey across the Southern Alps to Moana on the banks of Lake Brunner, before a gentle cycle to the West Coast town of Greymouth.

From Greymouth you cycle north along the rugged West Coast, taking in the spectacular Rainforest, Punakaiki rocks and limestone cliffs along the route.

Then it’s a gentle ride along the spectacular Buller River and through to the historic goldfields of Reefton. From Reefton it’s a climb through the Southern Alps before relaxing in the thermal springs of Maruia and Hanmer Springs.

After a rest and sightseeing day in Hanmer, its on to Kaikoura withs its abundant sea life and the popular whale watching. Then it’s a trains ride along the beautiful Pacific Ocean coast, passing the seal colonies that dot this spectacular coastline, as you head back to Chrsictchurch to complete your tour.

This trip starts from Christchurch with a transfer to the base of Mount Cook, New Zealand’s highest mountain and its stunning glacial lakes. From Mount Cook we enjoy a diverse range of New Zealand’s unique alpine and coastal scenery as we follow the Alps to Ocean Cycle Trail to the Pacific Ocean.

The Alps to Ocean Cycle Trail is graded easy to intermediate and includes sections cycling on the road as well as off road on designated cycle routes.  The trail is approximately 300km long and has an overall descent of 2000ft/600m.