Bike the South 9 Days Queenstown Cycle Trail & Otago Rail Trail
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Bike The South 9 Days Queenstown Cycle Trail & Otago Rail Trail One of the Most Beautiful Places on Earth Awaits With A Journey Into The Past Through Spectacular Central Otago! tour highlights • Historical gold works • Vast wide open expanses • Lakeside biking • Alpine vistas • Rich in history • Easy trail riding • Great company • Experienced attentive guide official partner Tuatara Tours is proud to be in an official partnership with The New Zealand Cycle Trail. The objective of the partnership is to create a nationwide network of cycle trails that connect the Great Rides with the rest of New Zealand. the tour Your tour starts at Lake Hayes and spends 2 day on the Queenstown Cycle Trail taking under the soaring heights of the Remarkables mountain range and framed by the meandering coves of Lake Wakatipu. Queenstown is a right tours run show-off and you will experience it all. The surrounding Central Otago region is known for its Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vineyards, and we cycle the Roxburgh Tours run: November - April Cycle Trail and the Clutha Gold Trail followed by 2 days in the spectacular and tranquil Wanaka region riding the cycle trails alongside the mighty Clutha River tour cost and Lakes Wanaka and Hawea. Your tour continues today on the world famous 2019/ 2020 Otago Rail Trail. Trains typically travel through hills, around hills but (if it can be Starting in Christchurch: NZD$3900 avoided) not uphill (the maximum gradient is 2%). The Rail Trail runs for 150kms between Clyde and Middlemarch (close to Dunedin), passing through the towns options & supplements of Clyde, Alexandra, Chatto Creek, Omakau, Lauder, Oturehua, Wedderburn, Ranfurly, Waipiata and Hyde. Single Supplement: NZD$950 Bike Hire: NZD$380 Electric Bike Hire NZD$900 about your guide Our guides are very experienced, friendly walkers and bikers who love to share fast facts their knowledge of New Zealand’s flora and fauna and local history. They all hold Custom Groups: Options are available for this tour* current first aid certificates, passenger driving licences and are the very best people to ensure your experience will be one to remember. Tuatara Tours does not require single travellers pay a surcharge for travelling alone. We will arrange for at a glance you to share accommodation with another traveller of the same gender and if we can not match you up we DAY 1 QUEENSTOWN & LAKE HAYES will provide a single room at no extra charge. If you prefer not to share, a single supplement is payable DAY 2 ARROWTOWN, GIBBSTON, CLYDE, ALEXANDRA to guarantee your own room. The cost of the single DAY 3 ROXBURGH GORGE & CLUTHA GOLD TRAIL supplement is listed above. DAY 4 LAKE ROXBURGH TO WANAKA DAY 5 LAKE HAWEA & HAWEA RIVER TRAIL TO CLYDE DAY 6 CLYDE TO LAUDER DAY 7 LAUDER TO RANFURLY DAY 8 RANFURLY TO HYDE DAY 9 HYDE TO MIDDLEMARCH TO QUEENSTOWN 1 Bike The South 9 Days Queenstown Cycle Trail & Otago Rail Trail One of the Most Beautiful Places on Earth Awaits With A Journey Into The Past Through Spectacular Central Otago! what’s included • Accommodation Night 1: Comfortable Motel. Night 2: A charming turn of the century hotel converted into bed and breakfast accommodation with either ensuite or shared facility rooms. Night 3: Modern Lodge with bar and restaurant. Double or twin rooms We suggest flying in the night before the tour departs, with ensuite bathrooms. however if you plan to fly into Christchurch on the Night 4: Modern Hotel with double or twin rooms and ensuite bathrooms. morning of the tour then you need to have landed and Night 5: Same as Night 2 be in arrivals by 8:30am. Your guide will then come Night 6 : The original local store, renovated to provide modern bed and and collect you as the tour is leaving town. We don’t recommend catching flights on the same day as the breakfast accommodation. Private rooms with shared bathrooms, and tour departs or finishes. lounge area. *Please enquire for further information Night 7: An historic stage coach inn, rooms are simply furnished, with ensuite bathrooms. Night 8: Modern Motel . Ensuite bathroom. • Food frequently asked questions You will enjoy great local cuisine; continental breakfasts and hearty packed lunches during the day, and either restaurant meals or What do I carry while on my tour and what wholesome home-cooked fare prepared by your host/hostess in the happens to the rest of my luggage? evenings. If you have any dietary issues or food allergies, we are happy to cater for these, please advise the office of details when you On a walking, cycling or kayak tour your extra make your booking. Alcohol is not included in the tour cost, but is luggage will be transported for you each day to your accommodation that night. All you need to have available for purchase. with you is your daypack with your lunch, clothing requirements, camera and incidentals. For cyclists, this • Luggage can be left in the support vehicle while you are cycling Tuatara Tours transports all your luggage for the duration of the tour. as this is always close by for ready access. Please ensure the luggage you are sending on ahead is limited All you carry is a small day pack with your personal gear, drink and to one item and is packed in an easily transported lunch. We do the rest overnight bag or suitcase. On a hiking tour where huts and lodges are less • Tour Kit Bag - Exclusive to Tuatara Tours accessible by vehicle, you may be asked to carry your own luggage for some or all of the days of the tour, To ensure you get the very best out of your journey with the least of please refer to your itinerary for details. For this reason fuss, we provide you with a calico kit bag full of useful goodies. we recommend you pack as lightly as possible and This will be given to you at the start of your tour. carry only the items suggested on your gear check list. For any of our tours, we recommend the use of a • An experienced guide waterproof pack liner to keep your personal items as dry as possible. • All transport - support vehicle for the duration of the tour Do I really need thermals and a fleece, even in • Access and Concession fees paid to the Department of Conservation summer? • Entrance fees for Hayes Engineering, Curling and visit to the Real Dog Yes, as some of the areas visited can be exposed, and Company New Zealand weather can be notoriously changeable, you must be prepared for all weather conditions. • NZ Goods and Service Tax (GST) • Safety and Risk Management To ensure maximum safety for all, our guides are certified first aiders and fully qualified drivers. Tuatara Tours operate under a Safety and Risk Management Plan which is regularly audited and approved by a qualified and independent auditor. 2 Bike The South 9 Days Queenstown Cycle Trail & Otago Rail Trail One of the Most Beautiful Places on Earth Awaits With A Journey Into The Past Through Spectacular Central Otago! frequently asked questions itinerary How many people are in each group? Day 1 - Queenstown & Lake Hayes - ( 48km ) Typically, we take a maximum of twelve people on each tour. We feel this gives you the best opportunity to gain as much from your experience as possible and keeps We travel a short distance to Lake Hayes where your guide will fit you the feel of each tour relaxed and friendly. We are happy out with your bike. The first ride is an easy 8km circumnavigation of to discuss options for groups of more than the lake. twelve with you. From here we commence, a lovely easy grade cycle trail from Lake Hayes to the Shotover River past Queenstown Airport to Frankton. We then sidle How fit do I need to be? beneath the willow trees alongside the Frankton Arm on The Kelvin Peninsula of Lake Wakatipu 24km. The main purpose of a guided tour is to enjoy your surroundings and learn from your local guide, it’s not a race, however the more you can prepare for a tour, Here we take in the views of the peaks surrounding Lake Wakatipu - the the better the experience will be for you. As a general Remarkable Ranges, Cecil & Walter Peaks as well as Ben Lomond - which are guideline we suggest the following activity level guide stunning and provide a wonderful backdrop to this ride. for our tours. Easy: An average level of fitness, Walk 7km, Bike 15km on well-formed tracks and roads with very little incline. On reaching the end of the Kelvin Peninsula we can either ride into Queenstown Mild: An average level of fitness, Walk 12km, Bike 25km or travel in the support vehicle. (16km). We will have time to wander around on well-formed tracks and roads with average incline. Queenstown before departing to our accommodation in Arrowtown. Moderate: An above average level of fitness, Walk 20km, Bike 45km on formed tracks and roads with some average to steep inclines at times. Challenging: An above average level of fitness, Walk 20+ km , Bike 50+km on partially formed tracks and Day 2 - Arrowtown to Gibbston - ( 24km ) roads, some off-road , some steep inclines, some easy river and creek crossings. Clyde to Alexandra - ( 14km ) Do you have bikes I can hire? Today we cycle from our accommodation along the Arrow River. Cross We have cycles for hire and recommend you use them over two very impressive suspension bridges and over the historic as they are tried and true in the areas we operate.