Storm the South Island

We want you to have the best experience of mountain biking in New Zealand, so it’s important to be sure that this is the perfect mountain bike adventure, with the right level of challenge, for you.

You’re an experienced mountain biker, riding at least twice a week through the season and comfortable on: long climbs on double and singletrack; technical singletrack descents; rough, rocky trails, some with exposure; and muddy forest trails. Read more on our intermediate+ skill level.

Does this sound like you? Your vacation time is precious and we want to be absolutely sure that you’re making the most of it. Be honest with yourself, if this adventure isn’t right for you, we have other MTB tours that may be a better fit for your mountain biking ability.

Please note: The skill level required reflects an overall rating for the trails on the trip but you should expect to find sections and obstacles that push your ability levels.

Skill level: Intermediate+

• You are generally comfortable riding most types of terrain in different conditions: singletrack, double track, muddy, dry, loose, bedrock…
• You can brake, use gears and corner instinctively
• You’ll have a go on moderate technical features, such as small rock gardens, small drops and steeper sections, but may get off and walk certain technical features
• You mountain bike two or three times a week throughout your biking season
• And the ‘+’ part of ‘Intermediate+’ means that you will be aiming to tackle more of those moderate technical features

Fitness level: 6/7

• You have an excellent level of bike fitness, exercising four or five times every week throughout the year, for at least an hour at a time
• You are comfortable mountain biking up to six hours a day at a moderate pace, with snack and photo stops, for four or more consecutive days
• You can tackle several serious climbs a day, up to 600 metres each

Typical trails you’ll be riding

• Double track: undulating and sometimes steep forest roads made up of hard-packed dirt, and loose tracks with golf ball- to fist-sized rocks
• Singletrack: purpose-built and natural singletrack, at times with golf ball- to head-sized (fixed) rocks, roots, and sand sections. Some trails may be very steep
• Forest trails: dirt tracks crossed with roots and sometimes very narrow through the trees
• Trail surfaces may be dry and sandy or muddy, depending on the weather, and you will encounter river crossings
• You will also encounter a degree of exposure on certain trails

The ideal bike for the trails on the South Island of New Zealand is a good quality full-suspension mountain bike with 29” or 27.5” wheels, dropper seat post, and 130mm -150mm of travel front and rear. Ideal tyres for New Zealand are…

We recommend travelling with your own bike, and we have some handy tips on how to do this.  When travelling with your own bike, you must ensure that it has been properly serviced before the trip.

If you are taking your own bike to New Zealand please ensure it is spotlessly clean, like new. The New Zealand border authorities are extremely vigilant about foreign organisms entering the country and will stop kit entering if it poses any risk to their natural eco-system.

We only run small group mountain bike tours to ensure that everyone has the best experience possible, and there will be a maximum of 10 people in each group.

The minimum number of people we require to run this mountain bike tour in New Zealand is six.

Our mountain bike tour in New Zealand caters for a wide age range; typically between 30- and 55-years-old. Regardless of age, you must have the appropriate level of physical fitness and mountain biking skills to participate in this adventure. Please refer to clause 14 of our terms and conditions of booking to find more information on rider age.

This mountain bike tour in New Zealand is a guided mountain bike vacation, ideal for intermediate+ mountain bikers. Riding here, in the wild, dramatic landscapes of New Zealand you’ll experience some tough climbs and descents, as well as some lovely flowing singletrack.

You’ll ride through a huge diversity of ecosystems, including rainforest, high alpine ridges, and glacial valleys, and you’ll experience some big backcountry wilderness riding too.

The distances we cover each day range from 18km to 54km. The flow of the itinerary has been designed to give you the ideal mix of long, epic backcountry days, and shorter New Zealand classic trails to ensure that you get the most from every single riding experience.

Each evening your guides will chat with you about the following day’s mountain biking and give you an idea of the sorts of trails you can look forward to. If there’s anything you feel anxious about, your guides will be happy to discuss it with you.

No, you only need to carry a 20 litre back pack with you whilst riding. We have a support vehicle and driver who will transfer your luggage to your next accommodation each day, and have it ready and waiting for your arrival.

On our big wilderness days where we ride into a mountain hut you need to carry a change of clothes for the evening/ next day’s biking, but other provisions will be dropped at the hut, ready for your arrival.

Your guide will be very happy to give you some bike skills help during your trip to help improve your confidence and your enjoyment of your mountain bike tour in New Zealand.

If there is a section that you would prefer not to ride, then you can simply hop off your bike and walk. You won’t be the only one to walk certain sections and it’s not a competition in biking ability; it’s a mountain bike holiday!

Your mountain bike guides are local to New Zealand and experienced professionals who have a real passion for mountain biking and for the culture and landscape of the South Island.

Your safety is their number one priority, closely followed by your enjoyment of your mountain bike tour in New Zealand. They will always be on-hand to answer any questions or requests you may have throughout your trip.

On this mountain bike tour New Zealand on the South Island, you will be staying in a variety of different accommodations, from local small motels, to traditional hikers’ lodges, and a wilderness mountain hut.

Breakfasts are included each day, as well as one lunch and five dinners. Lunches will mostly be eaten on the trail from provisions we’ve bought in advance, or occasionally, in a café.

The ideal bike for the New Zealand trails is a good quality full-suspension mountain bike with 29” or 27.5” wheels, dropper seat post, and 130mm -150mm of travel front and rear.

Read the full kit list to find out what you need to pack for your mountain bike tour on New Zealand’s South Island.

Yes, you will have the chance to do laundry on three days during the tour.

Unfortunately not. We are working hard to provide each and every customer who rides with us an unparalleled mountain bike experience in every destination we ride. This takes years of experience, riding and planning to get right, and a drone adds a very real danger to the group’s riding experience and health & safety.

Most travellers will come to the South Island of New Zealand via Christchurch or Queenstown.
Major airlines travelling to Christchurch and Queenstown include:

• British Airways
• Air New Zealand
• Qantas
• Emirates

Here’s a video showing you how to pack your bike for travel.

Visas

For advice on entry visa entry requirements to New Zealand please visit the Tourism New Zealand website immigration.govt.nz

Arrival and departure details

Your mountain bike tour New Zealand will start in Christchurch and finish in Queenstown, in the South Island. As such, you should book your flights to arrive in Christchurch and depart from Queenstown.

We strongly advise that you arrive in Christchurch two days (or more) prior to the tour start date in order to overcome jet lag and travel weariness. We have a handy guide to spending 24 hours in Christchurch, which includes accommodation recommendations and things to do.

On the first day of your adventure, your guides will collect you from the designated pre-trip accommodation at 8:30am and transfer the whole group to our base 30 minutes from the city centre, where we’ll build and test bikes, ready for your antipodean adventure!

On the last day of your trip we will return you to Queenstown airport in time for your onward flight, which you should book no earlier than 10am.

If you plan to spend more time in Queenstown post-trip we also have a guide to spending 24 hours in Queenstown.

Our local mountain bike guides in New Zealand are of the very highest standard. They are qualified in first-aid, and have the knowledge and experience to lead a group safely through the diverse eco-systems and unpredictable weather of New Zealand.

Our guides have years of experience in the saddle on the South Island trails and will be able to enhance your holiday with facts and fables on local history, flora and fauna. They’re also genuinely nice people and will do their best to make sure that everyone in the group has a great time.

The majority of accommodation that we use on this mountain bike tour in New Zealand is family-owned and operated hotels, guest lodges and B&Bs.

You will have three nights in shared lodge accommodation, including a remote mountain hut in the middle of a beautiful rainforest to give you that real wilderness experience. Ghost Lake Hut is a basic accommodation where you’ll be in dorm-style rooms, sleeping in sleeping bags, and bathroom facilities are outside the main building.

You’ll enjoy fabulous food in New Zealand, made from fresh, locally-sourced produce, accompanied by delicious local wines and craft ales – all perfect reward for hard days on the bike!

Most of your meals will be in local cafés which, in New Zealand, serve the most delicious, home-cooked meals, from the best local ingredients. This includes freshly-baked bread, pastries and cakes, perfect for replenishing your energy!

All breakfasts, one lunch and five dinners are included in the tour price, and you should budget around 1,000 NZD for meals and drinks during your trip.

Whilst not all meals are included in the tour price, we will eat as a group at each mealtime.

No specific vaccinations are needed to enter New Zealand, but you should always consult your own doctor or physician before travelling to new countries to seek their advice on matters concerning your health abroad.

You can drink the water from the taps in New Zealand, and also from streams on the advice of your guides.

Your health and safety is on tour our top priority so when you travel with us you also have the peace of mind knowing that you will be covered by Global Rescue emergency medical and evacuation services.

The currency in New Zealand is the New Zealand dollar (NZD), and this is the only currency accepted in the country.

There will be plenty of ATMs along the way, but we recommend you have a reserve of around $300 with you on arrival, just in case.

Tipping

It is not compulsory to tip your guide team in New Zealand, although it will be very much appreciated.

We suggest a tip of 2% to 6% of the cost of your tour should be paid to your mountain bike guide at the end of the trip, which will then be divided between drivers, support staff and fixers, if you feel you have had a great experience on your mountain bike tour New Zealand.

You are required as a condition of booking to be insured against medical and personal accident risks. In this policy you must include cover for mountain biking and we recommend that you take out a policy which covers cancellation and baggage, including your bike.

We work with Global Rescue whose policies are specially designed for adventure travel and you can arrange your insurance cover directly with them.