'I always have my head buried in travel books and magazines, taking note of places I’d love to visit. So I had to tick the Alps 2 Ocean ride (alps2ocean.com)
off my bucket list on a recent trip to New Zealand. It’s not every day you get to travel across an incredible landscape by bike. I love cycling – it allows you to get fully immersed in the landscape. And this trip didn’t disappoint – around every corner, an amazing new view with endless stunning mountains would appear.'
'The route starts on New Zealand’s highest mountain, Mount Cook at Mount Cook Village on the South Island, and makes its way down the Southern Alps, past colourful lakes, rapid rivers and amazing landscapes until it reaches the Pacific coast, 301km away. We’re here in summer and have chosen to do the whole thing in four days, self-guided, but you can take six days to do this medium-difficulty route, or just do one section of it, and you can hire a guide.'
Getting kitted up
'The day before we start, we pick up our bikes at the Alps 2 Ocean specialist tour operator, Cycle Journeys’ (cyclejourneys.co.nz) bike depot in Twizel, about 40 minutes’ drive from Mt Cook Village and the largest town in the Mackenzie District. We’re given hybrid bikes as they’re the best type for the trail’s mix of on- and off-road conditions. We’re also given a saddlebag each, containing route maps, spare inner tubes and bike tools. There’s also just enough room in the bags to squeeze in some food, a phone and some cash. Cycle Journeys will transport our main bags from place to place for us, and have pre-booked us into our simple but comfortable accommodation.'
DAY ONE: 77km from Aoraki Mount Cook to Twizel
'On our first morning, we’re out by 7:30am and are greeted with pouring rain. We bike 7km off road from Mount Cook Village to Mount Cook Airport – we have to cross the Tasman River and the only way is by helicopter! The flight to Tasman Point takes just 40 seconds. On a clear day, you can see New Zealand’s highest mountain peaks. Thanks to the weather, we, however, see just the local mountains and the Tasman River flowing in all of its glory. Before we know it, we’re back on the ground.'
'It’s around 9am now, still raining and very fresh. As we make our way along the rocky trail, the weather soon clears and we see lots of glaciers. Soon we’re riding beside the beautiful Lake Pukaki and stop after a while to eat our packed lunch, provided by Cycle Journeys, and take in the view. We’ve also packed nut bars, fruit and as much water as we can carry. We pass over the Pukaki Dam and bike through the Flats, an expansive area of grasslands with lots of twists and turns that are so much fun on the bikes. At around 5:30pm, we make it
to the Aoraki Lodge in Twizel, where we’re greeted with a cold beer, then hit the shower. We head to a local restaurant over the road to refuel, excited about what’s in store the next day.'
DAY TWO: 79km from Twizel to Omarama
'Today’s route is 72 per cent on road, which is quite different to day one, but great fun as we can really get up some speed. We make our way to the Ohau weir (an underwater dam), from which we split off onto the off-road shoreline of Lake Ohau. This huge glacial lake is like a disco ball of neon blues, which contrast with the beautiful yellow shrubs.'
'Our next leg is a steady climb (900m) to the highest point on the trail, Freehold Creek and proves to be the toughest part of the whole adventure. When we eventually reach the top (after experiencing several frustrating false summits on the way), we feel a huge sense of achievement.'
'After the hill, we make it to the Heritage Gateway Hotel in Omarama. We check in and head to the Omarama Hot Tubs, hefty wooden tubs that are filled with fresh water from the glaciers, powered by fire wood, and have a perfect view of the snowcaps on the mountains. It’s a fantastic setting in which to reminisce about the day. We have dinner in the hotel restaurant, and get to bed early.'
DAY three: 67km from Omarama to Kurow
'Feeling well rested, we start the next leg of the trail. The first section is a 24km ride along a mixture of tarmac and smooth, shingle roads. We bike past a beautiful area called Sailor’s Cutting Reserve – a secluded part of Lake Benmore with lovely old boathouses. We continue on and see the enormous structure of the Benmore Dam and power station. Benmore Dam (110m high) is one of the largest earth dams in the Southern hemisphere and Benmore power station is New Zealand's second largest hydro power station.'
'It’s a short, sharp climb to get right to the top of the dam, but it’s worth it. The views of the surrounding mountains and countryside are unbelievable and you see the vast scale of the dam. We set off again, following the road along the State Highway, passing Lake Waitaki and its smaller dam.'
'After lunch, we head towards our B&B, the Western House in Kurow. It’s tarmac all the way and we whizz past fields and more lake views for around 30km, until we arrive at 5:30pm. The owners welcome us with big smiles and a cup of tea and their sweet dog, Bonnie, curls up at our feet as we talk about their move to the area – they’re originally from England. We then walk into town for a spot of dinner at a local pub.'
Day four: 78km from Kurow to Oamaru
'It’s the final day already. As we step out of our B&B, we leave with heavy hearts knowing this adventure will soon come to an end. We head out to Duntroon, following the State Highway for miles past vast flat areas of agricultural land with rugged mountains in the background. After a while, we come
to an ancient Maori rock art site that depicts birds, sailing ships, monsters and animals, plus people riding horses.'
'Next, we pedal on until we get to the Elephant Rocks – lots of weathered limestone rocks from one to 10m high dotted about a hillside and known for their interesting geology and preserved fossils. We take a quick snap before we head off-road through several farms, enjoying the tight turns and rolling hills.'
'After a quick stop at Windsor – a tiny place where we sit in a farmer’s field to have lunch, we start our next leg – a combo of on- and off-road terrain until an on-road downhill run to the picturesque Oamaru Public Gardens, designed in Victorian days.'
'When we reach the finish point – Friendly Bay and the Pacific Ocean – we high-five each other like a pair of teenagers! We head to our hotel to eat dinner, then muster the energy to walk with tired legs to a nearby penguin-viewing point. Seeing the penguins waddle up onto the shoreline
and settle in their nests tops off a truly unforgettable experience.'
FACT FILE: We booked in the UK through New Zealand In Depth (newzealand-indepth.co.uk). Prices for a 10-day New Zealand Cycling Adventure start from £1,285 per person based on a couple sharing. This includes a six-day Alps 2 Ocean ride, including bike hire, local transport with cottage and B&B accommodation plus daily breakfast, picnic lunch and dinner. The six-day cycle takes you from Mount Cook to the Pacific Ocean at Oamaru and you’ll stay in Queenstown before and after the ride
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