Rides+Events

A recipe for adventure

Begin with Aotearoa, a land continuously blanketed with a long, white cloud. Add in some gruelling hills in the form of massive glaciers and serrated limestone cliffs and then blistering winds that change direction several times a day. Now, bake at high heat under some of the strongest UV rays on the planet and you’ve got New Zealand, home to the most stunning nature and welcoming people on earth, and my base during a six-week cycling adventure.

New Zealand was my first big cycle tour and I quickly found out it takes more preparation than I had anticipated. On the plane from Vancouver to Auckland, I opened my guide books for the first time and came up with a route: a clockwise circle around the South Island followed by a counter clockwise swing around the North. The best and only advice I followed upon arrival was to get out of Auckland as quickly as possible: I immediately got myself and my cycling gear to Christchurch.

After assembling my bike and packing my panniers, I rolled out into the muggy air. Shaking with excitement and fear I pushed off. It didn’t take long before I was in the midst of some of the most beautiful sights on Earth. The South Island is about half the size of Colorado, yet its natural wonders rival that of the entire North American continent. White water rafting, limestone-cliff climbing, bungee jumping and an uphill race against a few thousand honeybees kept my heart pounding even on off-days.

The South Island offers stellar scenery at every turn along with unique wildlife. The blue and yellow-eyed penguins are a protected species while the world’s smallest dolphin, the Hector’s, can be seen from the roads far south. However, not all nature is wonderful. Dive-bombing birds and sand flies are pests and make you love the 75 km-h gusts of wind.

New Zealand has 10 times more sheep than people, but these people have big hearts and make visitors feel welcome. The local residents saved me multiple times during my journey. There was the family who owned an avocado farm and took me in during a typhoon; And then a woman who drove 89 km to find me on the side of the road to deliver my wallet, which I had left at her gas station that morning.

New Zealand is an incredibly photogenic place. It’s tough to take a bad photo and, regardless of the weather, the views and scenery will stay with you for a lifetime. The nature, the people and the small size of the island make it a good destination for riders of all ability level. The combination of massive glaciers plus rainfall of nearly 60 feet per year makes the fiord lands’ scenery around Manapouri and Te Anau indescribable. Through the centre, check out Queenstown and Wanaka for adrenaline and then head through the Haast Pass and towards the Franz Josef Glacier for un-spoiled nature and people. Up north, Nelson and Picton are both nice towns and the vineyards through the Marlborough wine region trump those of the Napa Valley. If you have more than a month, see the North Island too. It has a stronger presence of Maori culture and people, which adds value and depth to the travel experience. Keep in mind that while the South Island is windy, rainy and hilly, the North Island is all of those things, only worse.

Getting there:

Cheap flights from North America fly through Australia with Quantas. Otherwise, Air New Zealand frequently flies to and from all of Canada’s and New Zealand’s major cities. Once there, New Zealand has an excellent country-wide and intercity bus systems which allow bicycles.

When to go:

As weather is such a major factor in the land of the long white cloud, the best time to go is during the warmer summer months of November to April on the South Island and October to May on the North Island. February and March often have the most settled weather.

What to eat:

New Zealand lamb is available in North America, but when you can get it fresh you learn why it’s famous. Other foods to try include oysters, fish and chips and chocolate. Kiwi food is well known for having little to no flavour, so if you like spicy or flavourful food, bring your own seasonings from home. White wine, in particular from the Marlborough region and Oyster Bay, are worth the long trip. The coffee is also surprisingly good. Try either a Flat White (latté) or Long Black (half espresso, half water.)

Where to stay:

Holiday Parks are cheap, clean and easy to find. Campsites for tents with communal kitchens and hot showers typically cost less than $12 a night and small cabins for the colder nights cost between $20 and $40 depending on the time of year. In major cities like Dunedin, Invercargill and Nelson, try the youth hostels.

More information

The Peddlers Paradise is a useful guide for cycling in New Zealand. Tourist information ‘I Sites’ are in every town and are a good source for local maps. As with all Kiwis, staff are friendly and will even book buses, tours and accommodations for you. Check out pedaltours.co.nz and bike-nz.com for more information.

Linda Lisa McGrew has travelled New Zealand, Hawaii, Indonesia, China and, most recently, the entire continent of Europe by bike. She balances her time between China and her hometown of Victoria, B.C., where she is working on two novels and planning her next bike trip.