Get organised

If you’re travelling a long way or across several time zones to New Zealand (which most of you will be!), we recommend arriving into Christchurch a day or two early to allow your body to adjust and to make sure any flight or luggage days don’t spoil your trip.

Your guides will meet you at the H+I recommended hotel on the morning of day 1.

The first day of your mountain bike tour in New Zealand starts off bright and early, when your guides will meet you at the designated pre-trip hotel. We’ll transfer to our local base so you can build your bike or get kitted out with a rental.

Once everyone’s geared up, we’ll pack the van and hit the road. Before we set off your guide will go through the all-important pre-trip briefing.

Your first taste of South Island singletrack will be a traverse round the volcanic crater rim that separates Christchurch from the impressive Lyttelton harbour. 

You’ll shake-down your bikes and legs after your travels before we drop into the fantastic Christchurch Adventure Park. You’ll enjoy a mix of flow trails and pedalling, and get spectacular views out to the Southern Alps, our destination later in the tour.

We’ll have lunch at a local café before driving 2 hours to our first accommodation and second ride of the day. This afternoon we will ride purpose-built mountain bike flow trails that are smooth, full of berms, rolls, pops and hips – the perfect way to round off our first day on trail together!

Our first day will round off with drinks and dinner as the sun disappears behind the hills.

Eat well and muster up all your strength over breakfast, because today we hit Craigieburn – world-renowned for its technical singletrack trails that weave and wind through the area’s beautiful beech forests.

The mountainous terrain of the Craigieburn Range has spectacular views that rival the grand majesty of the American Rockies, so we’ll spend most of the day riding through and enjoying the varied trails Craigieburn has to offer. Mountain biking with these incredible views will take your breath away. 

This area is of special cultural, spiritual and historical significance to the Māori Ngai Tahu tribe, as well as boasting some of the best mountain biking trails around!

Once we’ve had our fill of this epic riding, we’ll drive through the mountains to the historic gold mining town of Reefton.

Over a hearty dinner we’ll share stories and prepare ourselves for tomorrow’s ride on the legendary Old Ghost Road.

After revelling in the fabulous singletrack of Craigieburn, today you’ll need to have your climbing legs with you for the first stage of your two-day adventure through the rainforest.

We’ll fuel up at one of the best bakeries in New Zealand, then make the drive to the start of our adventure-within-adventure.

You’ll step out of the van right into the jungle at the foot of New Zealand’s longest singletrack – the Old Ghost Road. At a fairly easygoing incline of 2%, you’ll winch your way up the bench cut forest track, carrying our overnight supplies with us, to the ridge peak at 1400m.

At 28km, the trail may be long, but it’s also long-standing: originally trekked by gold miners seeking their fortune in the 1870s.

Once the trees thin out and we hit the ridge line, you’ll get a breath-taking panoramic vista of the rainforests below, sprawling out as far as the eye can see. By the time we reach our home for the night, Ghost Lake hut, your provisions will all have been dropped off so you can settle in for a quiet night high above the rainforest. We’ll wash, change and grab a beer on the terrace as we watch the sun set over the rainforest as daylight gives way to an awe-inspiring night sky.

Sitting at an altitude of 1200m, you’ll gaze out into the depths of the universe with unparalleled clarity, just as the miners would have over a century before.

Please note: Ghost Lake Hut is a basic accommodation in the New Zealand rain forest. You’ll carry your overnight kit and camp meals (provided) with you and be entirely self-sufficient. You’ll be sleeping on basic beds with sleeping bags, in dorm-style rooms with bathroom facilities outside the main building. It’s rustic but absolutely adds to the sense of adventure.

As morning light breaks over the tree tops, you’ll awaken to the distinctive songs of the Bell Birds echoing around the forest canopy. Mother Nature’s way of telling you to get up and ride bikes!

We’ll leave the hut on a singletrack leading down the opposite side of the mountain and back towards civilisation. The track leads through a diverse range of scenery as we make our way towards the valley floor.

The path carves fluidly back through the rainforest on a singletrack trail, leading over bridges that span deep gorges and old landslides in the steep sided valley.

As we reach the end of the trail it’s just 10 seconds to our accommodation; a truly unique lodge where Marion Boatwright first conceived the idea of the Old Ghost Road. The lodge is the spiritual home of the Old Ghost Road, and as well as learning about the fascinating history of the trail, you can enjoy pizza and beers on the deck overlooking the Mokihinuni River.

Pizza, beer and sunset views over the Buller River will provide the perfect close to a truly epic first few days.

After a couple of big days on the bike, we have a day off to rest our legs and cover some miles in the van to our next destination. This is no ordinary transfer, however, as we’ll be driving down the breathtaking West Coast of the South Island, known as Te Tai Poutini, stopping along the way to stretch our legs and take photos.

Much of our 6 hour drive today will be lined with native bush and accompanied by views of the imposing Franz Josef Glacier, which descends 3,000m from its origins high in the Southern Alps, over a distance of 11km, making it one of the steepest in New Zealand.

We’ll break up the drive with stops at Pounamu Pathway Cultural Centre, lunch at Hokitika gold town, and a good walk around Okarito lagoon, home to more than 70 species of birdlife.

Your accommodation is a short drive from the glacier, and when we arrive we’ll have time to do a bit of bike maintenance, ready to get back in the saddle around Wanaka tomorrow.

We’ll leave Franz Josef Glacier in our wake and drive south for about 4 hours, surrounded by glacial lakes, to the small town of Wanaka – the unofficial capital of the great outdoors. 

On the way we’ll stop at Ship Creek for a native bush walk and to see the remnants of ships wrecks on this wild west coast. As we crest Haast Pass we’re leaving behind the lush region of Westland and heading into the drier climate of Otago.

Our ride today is a locals’ version of the Wanaka Sticky Forest Trails. We’ll pedal by the mighty Clutha River, through to its Lake Wanaka outlet, and finish lakeside in town. With a beautiful mountain backdrop, we’ll revel in flow trails, and ,maybe even stop for a swim before savouring a beer in the evening sunshine.

Between the water and the slopes, you’ll see why Wanaka dominates the summer and winter outdoor scene in New Zealand.

We’ll have dinner in another lovely local restaurant and get ourselves psyched up for a fun-filled day tomorrow.

Hope you’re still hungry for more riding, because today we’re tackling the newest ‘bike park’ in the area, the tremendous Glendhu Bay MTB Park. And we’re swapping our analogue bikes for e-bikes today!*

This is a bike park with a difference and, although you’ll have the benefit of an E-MTB, you’ll still do plenty of pedalling through the magnificent landscapes.

We’ll get up high today and enjoy spectacular views to Mount Aspiring and down to Lake Wanaka.

The riding at Glendhu Bay is characterised by (relatively!) easy climbing, big mountain views, rough moorland, and a delicious mix of super-flowy trails and technical descents.

We can do as much or as little as we want today, and prepare for our last big days of riding on the South Island.

Glendhu Bay Bike Park is set on Glendhu Station, a 1350 hectare high-country station with a focus on sustainability and conservation, both of Māori culture and the natural environment. Your local guide will uncover how mountain biking is helping sustain the area for generations to come. 

After an amazing day in the Wanaka region you can expect another fine selection of local craft beers before crashing out happily for the night.

*E-MTB rental for today is included in the tour price

Today we step out of the bike park and back into the backcountry!

After breakfast this morning, we’ll drive 1.5 hours from Wanaka to our next stop at Arrowtown. This historic gold mining town is the launching point for today’s 50km circumnavigation of Coronet Peak. This stunning backcountry trail traverses historic gold tailings, re-purposed water races, and will lead us through spectacular gorges.

We’ll wind our way into the wild, through lush bush, and uncover the remote trail that has been crafted by technical trail builders and teams of volunteers. With jaw-dropping alpine views, river crossings and epic singletrack sections, this is a true adventure day.

For the last day of your adventure we’re going to ensure you end on a high!

After yesterday’s big day in the saddle, today we’re minimising the climbing and maximising the descending. With a shuttle and then chairlift, we will aim for the highest point (1,650m) above Queenstown – Coronet Peak.

While we will ride the world-class trails that this bike park is known for, your local guide will continue the adventure beyond the park trails and uncover a seemingly endless 10-15km / 1200m descent. 

When you arrive at your Queenstown accommodation you’ll be ready – and deserving of – that post-ride beer and our final celebratory dinner together!

Sadly, this is the end of your mountain biking adventure with us, and we’ll bid farewell after breakfast. Having spent the night in Queenstown, you can depart whenever you wish today.

If you require a taxi to the airport, you’ll guide will be more than happy to arrange this for you. We recommend booking a flight no earlier than 10am.