Christchurch to Te Anau &

Christchurch

After arriving we camped at the North/South campsite (cabins available) approx 2kms from the airport on the outskirts of Christchurch.Good bar/restaurant nearby. The campsite operate a free minibus service to/from the airport and also to the nearest bus stop to get you into town. On our return we also stopped at the bigger Meadow View campsite nearer town, bus stop outside the site. Christchurch is worth a visit, a mixture of modern and old wooden buildings, Cathedral Square is the centre. Some pleasant English type parkland areas a short walk from the centre. We also visited Akarora, an old French settlement, approx 80kms away on the headland, using public transport for the trip, cost £8 each return. A very beautiful bay.

Christchurch to Rakaia Gorge: 80kms

Generally flat & straightish roads across the Canterbury Plains towards the mountains. Busy road until Yaldhurst, road shoulder to ride on, then followed the West Coast road via West Melton (bar/cafe here), then the quieter, narrower Bealey Road, a straight road which now bridges what previously were 3 fords. Hororata has a hotel and a good store. Distant view of mountains then a quiet main road with 4k descent down to the impressive Rakaia Gorge.

This a view before the descent. The road drops down to the far right of the picture. Drinks are available from a small Jet Boat shop down by the river. We found no other facilities in the area. The basic camping ground over the bridge has toilets and cold water only, costs £1 a night. Used by NZealanders as a weekend retreat.

Rakaia Gorge

Rakaia Gorge to Geraldine: 84kms

A short climb away from the gorge then minor undulations on a quiet main road. Small store/cafe at Alford Forest, up for sale, may close. Mountain views to the west. Store also at Mt Somers, just off the road further down and store/cafe also at Mayfield. Road very straight for about 14kms before reaching township of Geraldine, all facilities and accommodation. Good campsite in town with cabins. A ride with the Canterbury plains to our left and mountains to our right.

Geraldine to Lake Tekapo: 85kms.

The main tourist route now from Christchurch to the Southern Alps for coaches etc, but not busy by English standards. Undulating road with a few short climbs through sparsely populated farming country. Cafe at top of 3km climb on way to Fairlie, good long distance views at the top. Fairlie has all facilities and a campsite. Another long straight stretch before gradual climb to Burkes Pass township, cafe here then a 3k climb over Burkes Pass at 709’. After the short descent it is generally a level route with good mountain views on the way to.....

The beautiful Lake Tekapo area. This is a view from just off the road before reaching the township where there are shops/cafes, various types of accommodation and a good campsite down by the lake. You can also camp at the Youth Hostel with exceptional views across the lake.

The following day was very hot, so we stayed and had a swim in the lake, a wander around and a general rest.

Lake Tekapo to Mt Cook/Glentanner: 80kms

Took the flat ‘scenic drive’ route by hydro canal, left turn shortly after leaving Lake Tekapo. Long distance views and first view of Mt Cook before reaching Lake Pukaki. No shade at all today from the sun. Only place to get drinks was from a Salmon Farm outlet by the canal. There is an information centre at the foot of the lake. Undulating road then for final 35kms by the side of lake to Glentanner (cafe/campsite and the centre for Mt Cook flights) where we arrived by early afternoon and decided to stop because of the heat. Good campsite with cabins available. Because of the beautiful clear blue skies we opted to take a plane flight over the Mt Cook range. About an hour for approx £60 each but one of the highlights of our trip - absolute knockout views of the Southern Alps, glaciers and the west coast - see pictures below.The next day we spent a cooler, cloudier day cycling up to Mt Cook village about 12kms further up the valley. There is a small campsite nearby with limited facilities. There is also a day shelter in the village with toilets/showers available.Cafe at the Hermitage hotel with a small shop - the only place for provisions we could find in the area. The Information Centre is well worth a visit for a history of the Mt Cook area.

Two views from the plane:

Franz Josef Glacier & the West Coast

The Southern Alps & Glacial Lakes

Glentanner to Omarama: 72kms

Retraced our route to the foot of Lake Pukaki then downhill and flat to Twizel township. Cafes/shops etc. A township developed for workers building the dams/hydro schemes. Easy road then through open countryside with some mountain views on the way to Omarama, a small township at a road junction with cafes/shops etc. Good campsite with cabins. You have the option of going east here to the coast and then down to Dunedin - some cyclists were going that way.

Omarama to Cromwell: 112kms

Lindis Pass

A long day so we left early to avoid the heat of the afternoon. There is only one shop/cafe on the way at Tarras after approx 75kms. Backpacker accommodation available after about 20kms, otherwise there is nothing until Cromwell. Road flattish for the first 20kms then it turns south and gradually ascends Longship Creek valley, a picnic area on the way was handy for a rest in the shade. The road steepens for the last 3-4kms to the Lindis Pass at 995’

After some initial steep sections going down the road eases and is generally downhill and flat with only a few short rises on the way to Tarras and Cromwell. Barren, open countryside most of the way, but with some good mountain views, one of our most enjoyable days. Cromwell has all facilities and accommodation and is a mixture of new town and a few older buildings near the dam, it is also an important fruit growing area, used to be a gold mining centre. Had a rest day here.

Cromwell to Queenstown: 72kms

Jo the bungjumper

Flat roads to the Kawarau Gorge then mainly downhill. Café at Goldfields, a jet boating/gold mining museum centre.Impressive scenery but road quite busy onto the Kawarau Suspension bridge, scene of the world’s first bungy jump.You can do yourself for about £45, including tee-shirt, photos and a video,lots of people were, including a female member of this party. Turned off to Arrowtown, a picturesque but touristy old town with cafes etc. Worth a visit though. This route onto Queenstown is preferable to the main road. Choice of campsites at Queenstown.We stopped at the Queenstown Motor Camp, a 5min walk from town. Stayed 2 nights with a Jet Boat trip on the Shotover river for about £20 each. Queenstown is the main tourist centre for the Southern Alps and has all facilities and a lovely position by the lake, though the town itself has no real character. There is a nice walk around the headland.

The Remarkables

Queenstown to Mavora Lakes: 58kms

The road to Mavora Lakes

This route to Te Anau via Mavora Lakes is gravel road for 80% of the way and unless you are camping you will need to do the 130kms in one day. The alternative is by the main road, and longer, busier and probably not half as scenic! This Mavora Lakes route is throughly recommended, another highlight of the trip. Boat trip on the steamship SS Earnslaw across the lake to Walter Peak Station costs £7 each, first sailing is 10:00am. Reasonably easy gravel road to begin with and with superb views across the lake to the Southern Alps before it turns inland up the valley. We encountered one river crossing, which was easy because of the dry weather, before the road climbs steeply for about 4kms, we had to walk most of this section as the tyres would not grip on the gravel.

Superb scenery amongst the mountains with only minor climbs, the other river crossings now have wooden bridges before you get to the turnoff for the Mavora Lakes, which is about 4km from the road. A Department of Conservation camping ground, picnic tables, pit toilets. We used water from the lake, after treating it as we could not find a tap. A beautiful spot but beware of the sandflies.

Mavora Lakes to Te Anau: 72kms

The gravel road was harder going on this section to the main road 40k away. Note that the condition of most gravel roads can vary from time to time depending, according to the locals, when the grader was last through. They are at their worst (for cyclists) immediately after this. They can also be bad on corners where ridges build up from any traffic. Easy main road to Te Anau with all facilities and accommodation. A nice location by the lake. Good campsite with cabins on the outskirts of the town. Te Anau is the main centre for trips to Milford Sound and all walks in the Fiordland area. Campsite reception can arrange anything for you. We stayed here a few days. The Fiordland Visitor centre, and the bird wildlife centre are worth a visit. We had our first rain, heavy at times, during the first night.

Milford Sound Trip

We decided against cycling to Milford Sound. A busy tourist route of over 100k with the 1km unlit Homer Tunnel to contend with. Some cyclists we met had cycled one way and then got the bus back. There is limited accommodation options at Milford Sound itself. On a recommendation of some other cyclists we booked with ‘Trips and Tramps’ a local company using a minibus. This was a 10hr trip, 5 of us with a guide, cost about £30 each. A leisurely drive with stops of interest along the way, a 2 hr walk up the Routeburn track to a viewpoint.

	Mt Christina 2502' before Homer Tunnel on the way to Milford Sound. We had a coffee break here, a beautiful location.		Mitre Peak on the left & Milford Sound from near the boat landings. There is also a cruise ship on the Sound.

At Milford Sound we had a 2.5 hour boat trip on the MVS Wanderer (the best looking boat and the only one with sails on ) Seals and dolphins and totally stunning scenery. We were very lucky with the weather - this area gets 7 metres of rain a year!. If you do nothing else in NZ don’t miss Milford Sound. Another alternative, or you can do both if you like, is the Doubtful Sound trip from Manapouri.