Route

Tip to tip…that was the plan. Then it changed when we talked the plans over with the kids. My daughter wants, I mean REALLY wants, to visit the Great Barrier Reef. So we thought about spending 2 months in NZ and one month in Aus. We looked into flights from Queenstown to Sydney, the train to Cairns, a diving trip to the reef and the flight back to Auckland. For four. Ouch. The old VISA card would be melting in my wallet from overuse. It became obvious that Australia was for another time. We just could not afford the additional costs nor did we want the added hassle of carting our bikes around Australia or storing and retrieving them. It was all too much. So we went back to the original plan: stay in New Zealand for the full three months.

We’ll land in Auckland and spend a few days there. Then we rent a car and head north (the car rental agency will store our bikes for us (Thanks About® New Zealand Rental Cars!). We hope to make it to Cape Reinga and camp in one of the DOC campgrounds on the northern tip. We will visit Whangarei, Poor Knights Islands (weather permitting), Russell, Doubtless Bay, Cape Reinga, Kaitaia, the giant Kauri trees including the Tane Mahuta (the Lord of the Forest), and back to Auckland.

After another pit stop in Auckland, we’ll jump on our bikes and head south down the west coast. To help us route plan, we have purchased a copy of the book Classic New Zealand Cycle Trails by the Kennett Brothers. We hope to use this guide to avoid the busiest routes and find some of the most scenic corners of New Zealand that you can see from a bike. This is a wonderful guide. I hope it proves as useful and helpful as it looks.

Our first destination of note, south of Auckland, is Raglan, where we hope to take some surfing lessons. We’re not sure how we’ll do it, but from Raglan we hope to head inland (with or without bikes) to find Hobbiton and Rotorua. Back on our bikes, we head south toward Waitomo Caves. And south some more, around Tongariro and across to Napier. From this art deco town, we’ll more or less follow the southeast coast of the North Island to Wellington. We will take Route 52 which is described as follows in our guide book Classic New Zealand Cycle Trails: ‘This classic tour through quintessential rural New Zealand offers quiet roads, country pubs, and friendly locals.’ You can’t ask for much more than that.

After a stop in Wellington, we will take the InterIslander ferry to Picton. Here we will lock the bikes up for a few days. We’ll take a small boat out the Queen Charlotte Sound to Ship Cove (where Captain Cook anchored for some time). Here we will be dropped off. We will hike (tramp) the Queen Charlotte Track all the way back to Picton, a distance of some 70km. We can opt to have the boat carry our belongings between our start and stops! And then it’s back in the saddle. We will head toward the west coast. We plan to travel as far south as Greymouth by bike. From here, we may do a day trip to the Fox Glacier. Instead of cycling up and over the Southern Alps, we plan to book passage on the TranzAlpine train than runs between Greymouth and Christchurch. It is supposed to be one of the most scenic train trips in the world. The tricky part is that there is only room for 4 bikes onboard. Good thing we only have two kids! I always thought a family of four was perfect because we fit perfectly on chairlifts. Apparently, 4 is perfect for more than skiing.

From Christchurch, we will head inland across the Canterbury Plains toward Lake Pukaki, south of Mount Cook. We’ll then follow cycle paths including part of the Otago Central Rail Trail and the Roxburgh Gorge Trail back to the coast. We’ll then follow the southeast coast from Balclutha to Invercargill following the Catlins Coastal Route. ‘The Catlins is an intricate lanscape with hidden scenic treasures around every corner. The wild coast, vast tracts of native forest, native birds and animals, and engaging local hospitality make for an unforgettable holiday,’ according to our guidebook.

From Invercargill, we make our way to Queenstown, with a visit to Milford Sound. In Queenstown, we hope to experience some of the sports offered: a little parapenting, maybe a bungee jump, definitely some jetboating. As December 15th approaches, somehow, some way, we have to get ourselves back to Auckland to fly home. We are still not sure how we will do it. That’s part of the fun and adventure.

While in NZ, we will cycle self-supported, meaning we will camp along the way. We are experienced campers, so we are looking forward to experiencing camping Kiwi-style.  We hope to stay in DOC campgrounds, Top 10 Holiday Parks, and the occasional town domain. If the weather is too foul, we have budgeted for the occasional hotel. We are also looking into renting a small house or apartment in Auckland when we first arrive…it is often cheaper than a hotel (or even a hostel) for four.

We have set aside three months for this career-break trip. During that time, we can stay as long as we wish in one place, take a train to skip a particularly difficult pass, or just take our time. No timeline other than our pre-booked flights. It is rare in this day and age to be fully in control of your schedule, free from the demands of others. Nothing makes you feel more free than the freedom of time.

Click here to see our planned route (which may change without warning). The map below gives you a rough (okay, very rough) idea of where we plan to go.

Our planned route…time will tell how optimistic we are.