Pedaltours

We follow the Southern Scenic route on a journey through magnificent mountains, along the shores of lakes and beside innumerable waterfalls to Milford Sound and beyond to the empty spaces of the Catlins Forest Park and the rugged Southern coast.

From Queenstown we take the road beside Lake Wakatipu and head for Te Anau where we have two nights, allowing a day trip to spectacular Milford Sound. , past towering mountains, beside lakes and innumerable waterfalls. Take time out for a walk to The Divide on the renowned Routeburn Track. Much of our route is on very quiet sealed roads with little or no traffic. Stay with local farm hosts and experience local friendly Kiwi hospitality in a wonderful setting. We finish our Southern Scenic Cycle Tour at Larnach’s Castle on beautiful Otago Peninsula, known for its penguin and albatross colonies and close to the city of Dunedin.
Accommodation includes 3 and 4* hotels and the superb Larnach’s Castle

Your Southern Scenic Cycle Tour can be taken as an extension to the The Grand Tour to become  a wonderful 22-day holiday by combining it with the Southern Scenic route, or the Southern Scenic can be taken as a magnificent week long holiday by itself.

In between, we will visit the delightful towns of Cambridge, Taupo and Napier. From these bases, you will enjoy scenic rides on quiet country roads taking in rolling farmland, glittering lakes, volcanic fields, vineyards and coastal vistas. Both longer and more moderate rides have been developed for each day to cater for all riding levels.

North Island is one of New Zealand’s two main islands, known for its volcanic activity, national parks, winegrowing regions and cosmopolitan cities. It’s home to about three-quarters of New Zealand’s population.

The Rural and Wine tour is based on the format of staying in one or more hubs and choosing scenic
rides out from the hub each day. We start this tour in the Northern city of Auckland which has two major harbours and is known as the City of Sails and finish in the tourist haven of Rotorua which is famous for its exciting geothermal activity including geysers and mud pools. In between we will enjoy riding around the rich rolling green pastures of the Waikato region, then through to the stunning Lake Taupo, a volcanic crater created by a super volcanic eruption which occurred 6,500 years ago.

From there we transition to Hawkes Bay on the East coast, recognised on the world stage for its award winning wines. The region includes scenic coastal land as well as a hilly interior stretching up into the Kaweka and Ruahine Ranges with five major rivers connecting the two. Three days are spent exploring this delightful area, this includes a rest day. Time for both stunning rides as well as other attractions such as the wineries and the Art deco town of Napier. Leaving Hawkes Bay we travel to Rotorua which has a prominent Maori culture and a thriving adventure tourism industry. There is also a range of mountain bike rides around the area.

From Launceston we head inland to Cradle Mountain where we overnight at a wilderness lodge. From here it is a long downhill to Strahan on the coast where we have a rest day, and then over King William Pass to Lake St Clair. We finish with a long downhill to our farm stay and back it is back to the attractive city of Hobart, Tasmania’s capital.

We visit two National Parks where we will enjoy a close encounter with unique Australian wildlife. You will experience early colonial history and stay at some of the very best lodges in the State. A reasonable level of fitness is required.

It is wonderful biking country with fabulous beaches and magnificent mountains. Our 8 day tour takes us from Hobart the capital, to Launceston with a rest day at Freycinet National Park where we will enjoy a close encounter with unique Australian wildlife. The roads are very quiet, hilly and very scenic. A reasonable level of fitness is required

A fantastic 7 days cycling holiday, where you will cycle among the most important and beautiful places Slovenia has to offer. From the beautiful capital city of Ljubljana, the world-class attractions – the mighty caves of Postojna and Škocjan, to the Slovenian Adriatic coast.

The Bay of Islands, known now for its good sailing, has a rich history. Named by Captain Cook, it was home of the first European early settlers, and the historic towns dotted along its coast contain the oldest wooden and stone structures in the country. Horeke, on the beautiful Hokianga Harbour, is home to New Zealand’s oldest hotel. Much of the Twin Coast Cycle Trail tour follows the disused Bay of Island’s vintage railway.

We will meet you in the morning at your hotel in Auckland and drive to Helena Bay. On our drive we pass Warkworth, Dome Valley, the Brynderwyn Hills and the outskirts of Whangarei. Upon reaching Helena Bay, we will have lunch prior to commencing cycling on quiet back roads to Russell. We will catch the car ferry that crosses the Veronica Channel to get to Opua. From here we will commence cycling on the disused railway line towards Kawakawa. Kawakawa is known for its famous Hundertwasser toilets designed by Friedensreich Hundertwasser who lived in the town from 1975 until his death in 2000. From Kawakawa we continue on the disused railway to Kaikohe.

From these bases, you’ll enjoy scenic rides on quiet country road taking on true pristine natural beauty. The starting point is the Postojna, the jewel in the Karst Region and finishing in Divača the biggest settlement and seat of the municipality.

We leave the city on a cycle way that follows the Yarra River and head for the Victorian Alps where we bike for a day on a dedicated cycle way as we make our way to Mt Buffalo. Nearby Bright, in the Ovens Valley at the foothills of the Alps is where we have a rest day. Beechworth, our next stop, is a living legacy of the goldrush days with many fine granite buildings. From nearby Rutherglen we drive to Bendigo with its fine Victorian era architecture. Here you can either depart for home or continue on our Victorian Goldfields tour.

Prague is a UNESCO world heritage site – set on the Vltava river, with its magnificent architecture, medieval lanes and impressive castle, the largest in the world.

The Czech Republic has an amazing number of very impressive castles; we start our biking from Karlstejn Castle on the outskirts of Prague and make our way along the excellent network of marked bike paths crisscrossing the country.Gently rolling hills take us from one charming town to another as we make our way to stunningly attractive Cesky Krumlov where we have a rest day. Continuing south we cross the now deserted border into Austria, heading for the Danube and then the picture postcard town of Steyr, set on the confluence of the Enns and Steyr rivers. Austria is very well served by off road cycle ways that are well used by both locals and visitors.

Heading for the mountains we have an overnight at Gmunden on the shores of Lake Traunsee. Our last day of biking takes us over the one significant hill on the tour to Kamersee and Mondsee lakes as we make our way to Salzburg, a grand baroque masterpiece set on the Salzach river. Here our biking comes to an end, but the city, with cliff top fortress and little lanes and cafes selling decadent chocolate cake, is very worthy of an additional few days’ relaxation.

The Coromandel Peninsula is a cycling gem lying east of Auckland, in one of New Zealand’s most diverse and breathtaking locations. Known for natural beauty and pristine golden beaches the peninsula is a relaxed and wonderful place to see by bicycle. Luxuriant forest and mountain backdrops set the scene for a nearly untouched natural paradise.  See a giant kauri tree and ride a bush railway at the quaint town of Coromandel. You will bike by superb beaches and stop for a refreshing swim at lunchtime.

Visit two of New Zealand’s favourite natural attractions, Cathedral Cove and Hot Water Beach.  Te Whanganui-A-Hei (Cathedral Cove) Marine Reserve is one of New Zealand’s most popular tourist locations. The picturesque cove is named after the large cave which features a cathedral-like archway. The cave and beach was in the movie version of The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.

Luxuriant forest and mountain backdrops set the scene. See a giant kauri tree and ride a bush railway at the quaint town of Coromandel. Bike by superb beaches and stop for a dip at lunch time. A farm stay will give you the opportunity to meet some real “Kiwis”. At the geothermal spa town of Rotorua with the opportunity to experience the local Maori culture.