Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Tour  

An epic cycle journey... New Zealand in all its colour and natural beauty

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​This trip will take you from the grandeur of Aoraki Mt Cook, past glacial lakes, rivers, dams, canals, wetlands, fields, farming country and cliffs all the way to the Pacific Ocean. Your days are filled with one breathtaking vista after another.

The cycling terrain is as varied as the views and you will find yourself on wide open plains, 4wd tracks and remote backcountry tracks. Sometimes you will be able to relax on tarseal, then get challenged on uphill trails and enjoy the thrill of the descent. Overall, this cycling journey is sure to give you a sense of profound adventure, excitement and accomplishment.

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Day 1: Christchurch - Canterbury High Country - Southern Alps - Twizel

We will meet you in Christchurch between 9:30 am and 10:00 am. Our journey begins with a drive through the beautiful Canterbury Plains and the Mackenzie High Country. You'll have the opportunity to get lunch (not included) and we will stop at picturesque Lake Tekapo and its famous Church of the Good Shepherd. It won't be long before we truly feel like being in an alpine environment and reach our first base near Aoraki/Mt. Cook, New Zealand's highest mountain (3.753m). Twizel is the perfect place to start our cycle adventure on the Alps to Ocean Cycle Trail as it gives us flexibility for our first cycle day tomorrow.

 

Driving: ~ 4 hours / ~ 290 km

Accommodation: Twizel – Motel

Meals: D

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Day 2: Cycle Tekapo to Twizel or vice versa

Depending on local weather/wind conditions we can choose to ride the classic route from Tekapo to Twizel, or opt for the other direction. Classically, one would ride along turquoise canals and down a quiet 4WD road along the shores of stunning Lake Pukaki with the Southern Alps and Mt. Cook as your backdrop, while if we cycle from Twizel to Tekapo we'd ride towards them, including fabulous views on a clear day. Heading South we bike through native plants, such as Kowhai, Flax and Tussock, follow an off-road section, all along the lake shores, pass over Pukaki dam and arrive at a car park at the southern end of Lake Pukaki. After a short break, we cross the Pukaki Flats, an expansive area of dry grasslands that are characteristic of the Mackenzie landscape and arrive back in Twizel.

 

Cycling: ~ 54 km, easy

Accommodation: Twizel – Motel

Meals: B, L, D, S

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Day 3:  Cycle Twizel to Lake Ohau

From Twizel, we carry on along quiet backcountry roads. Turquoise waters characterize the first hours of today's ride. We cross the canal bridge and cycle along the canal on paved roads, until we get to Lake Ohau. From there an off-road trail descends down to the lake foreshore, taking us to the Ohau Weir, offering spectacular views and the feeling of being totally alone in this vast landscape. Today's destination and bed for the night is at Lake Ohau Lodge further along the shore (or in Omarama on A2O27-0803 & A2O27-0904). 

 

Cycling: ~ 38 km, easy

Accommodation: Lake Ohau Lodge / Omarama - Motel (A2O27-0803 & A2O27-0904)

Meals: B, L, D, S

 

Day 4:  Cycle Lake Ohau to Sailors Cutting

Our journey continues along the lower slopes of the Ruataniwha Conservation Park, with stunning views back across the basin to the Benmore Range. From here it's a bit rough at times and a steady climb to the high point of the trail and a 300m height gain. There is no need to rush, and the group pace is managed so everyone can ride comfortably through this section. A descent with great views awaits us on the other side and into the valley, where we take a break and a detour (by van) to visit the stunning Clay Cliffs. Then it's mostly downhill until we cross over the Ahuriri River. The trail soon will be off-road again and we cycle along the beautiful Lake Benmore shoreline until you reach Sailors Cutting. Our van takes us back to Omarama from here.

 

Cycling: ~ 58 km, moderate

Accommodation: Omarama – Motel

Meals: B, L, D, S

 

Day 5: Cycle Sailors Cutting to Kurow

On the latest section of the trail from Sailors Cutting to Benmore Dam we will cycle through absolutely stunning scenery along the Lake Benmore shoreline. The scenery of this 16km purpose built off-road section is amazing and adds an absolute highlight. lt's a mix of Grade 2 (Easy) and some narrower and steeper Grade 3 (Moderate) parts. You might want to get off your bike to take photos but also perhaps to push your bike for a very short section or two.  Great views await us from the top towards Benmore dam. From there a fast and enjoyable downhill section follows along the shores of Lake Aviemore. There are plenty of nice places to stop and enjoy the scenery. After crossing over Aviemore dam, we cross State Highway 83 to enjoy another off-road section to Waitaki power station and further to Kurow. There are no real highlights on the last few kilometres from Kurow to Duntroon, so we finish our cycle day in Kurow, after thoroughly enjoying the newest section (time well spent!).
From Kurow we drive to Oamaru, where we spend the next two nights.

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Cycling: ~ 55 km, easy/moderate

Accommodation: Oamaru - Motel

Meals: B, L, D, S

 

Day 6: Cycle Duntroon to Oamaru

This last part of our incredible journey is an exciting mix of cycle paths, roads and rail trails. Starting in Duntroon, we soon follow an off-road trail through several farms to the unique limestone and rock formations known as Elephant Rocks. We will explore the impressive granite rocks and embedded fossils. We continue off-road through Island Cliff which is surrounded by limestone escarpments. Soon we pass the highest point of the section and drop down to Tunnel Rd which takes us to the Rakis Railway Tunnel. From here, we join the old railway line to our lunch spot in Windsor. The trail continues on sealed cycleways and roads through to the Victorian Historic Precinct of Oamaru and ends nearby at Friendly Bay and the Pacific Ocean - we made it - from the Alps to the Ocean! 

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Cycling: ~ 54 km, easy/moderate

Accommodation: Oamaru - Motel

Meals: B, L, D, S

 

Day 7: Oamaru and Return to Christchurch 

With a deep sense of achievement from our massive journey, we spend a relaxing morning enjoying the unique little town of Oamaru - renowned for its Victorian architecture, fascinating history and love of Steampunk. We enjoy lunch at a local cafe (not included) before hitting the road for our return journey to Christchurch. Sit back and let your guide do the driving while enjoying the views of the Canterbury plains before we arrive back in the city in the late afternoon (~ 6pm).

 

Meals: B

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B-Breakfast  L-Lunch  D-Dinner  S-Snack​

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Tour Grading

🚴‍♀️ Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Tour – Grade 2 (Easy) to Grade 3 (Moderate)

The Alps 2 Ocean trail is a mostly easy ride with a gentle, overall downhill gradient. The surface varies from gravel tracks to smooth tarseal, with most sections graded Grade 2 (Easy). There are two sections of around 15 km each that are Grade 3 (Moderate) – these include steeper, more rugged terrain and require a bit more riding confidence and bike handling skills.

See our full Cycle Trail Grading System explained → Our Cycle Trail Grading System explained
 

👉 Our recommendation

This tour is a great choice for riders with basic Ebike experience and a healthy level of confidence.

That said, there is a support vehicle available, and on the more challenging sections it is usually nearby. It’s no problem at all to load your bike onto the trailer and sit out a section if needed - especially if your guide recommends it.

Skipping these sections won’t take anything away from your experience – the Alps 2 Ocean is still an incredible and unforgettable ride!

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