5 Day Cycle Tour - Marlborough, South Island, NZ
Highlights
Enjoy five days cycling the beautiful Marlborough High Country terrain, visit High Country huts, enjoy meeting local farmers and spend a day relaxing in Hanmer Springs.
Food
- Daily continental breakfasts
- One lunch is on a station with the owners and other lunches country picnic style
- Evening meals are two courses
- Tea Breaks include award-winning local coffee or tea and a selection of home baking and "biker biscuits" or snacks
Things to Know
Bikes and bike hire
Mountain bikes with thick tyres are recommended and shock absorbers are not essential but will make the trip more comfortable. If you are bringing your own bike and helmet, make sure it is in good condition (recently serviced) and you have a spare inner tube.
We can arrange bike hire for you including a helmet for $160 for the five days.
Degree of difficulty
You will need a moderate level of fitness with some off road experience biking on shingle surfaces.
Pricing
Twin/share rate is $1550 per person; single supplement options are available at $220.
Tour includes three nights’ accommodation and all meals while on tour. Bike hire available for an additional $185.
Tour Dates 2012
Tours on request for a minimum of 4 people
| Day 1: | Approx 25km ride - Biking starts 20kms south of Blenheim at the start of the Awatere Valley Road, bike 8kms then rest with refreshments and something to eat, bike another 17kms to the high country station where we will have lunch with the owners, then enjoy a ride further up the valley then cycle 8kms to your overnight farm accommodation in the upper reaches of the Awatere Valley arriving about 5.30pm. A hot shower a few drinks and off for a traditional roast meal at the homestead. |
| Day 2: | Approx 49km ride - After a hearty farm style breakfast we will drive you up to the top of Upcot Saddle so you can enjoy a mainly downhill ride of 10kms to Castle Creek with a break here, then enjoy a ride to the start of Molesworth Station, we will let you ride all the best downhill sections after lunch into the afternoon biking into Hanmer Springs approximately 5.30pm. Time to relax in the thermal pools before a gourmet dinner is served at 7.30. |
| Day 3: | A free day to enjoy the delights of Hanmer Village, with its many cycle tracks, walkways, cafes and hot pools. |
| Day 4: | Approx. 34km ride - Departing at 8.30am and driving into the back country over Jacks Pass, stopping off at different points of interest, e.g. Fowler's Hut to Lake Tennyson, for morning tea with an amazing back drop of mountain scenery. At the bottom of Island Saddle starts the cycling for the day, cycling downhill mostly following a river, picnic styled lunch on the river's edge after crossing into Rainbow Station, then bussing to Tophouse Accommodation arriving around 5.00pm. Dinner at 7pm. |
| Day 5: | Approx. 60km ride - Bus to St Arnaud to look around the DOC centre; feed the tame eels and ducks with a quick trip to a lookout across the lake and morning tea. Back to Tophouse then cycle to our lunchtime picnic spot beside the river then cycle on down the Wairau valley to the historic Wairau Hotel for refreshments, returning to Blenheim by 5.00pm. |
Awatere River Stopover
Historic Molesworth Station
Family Dinner
Picnic
Glenalvon Lodge Motels
Upcot Station Shearers
