Bikepacking the Tour Aotearoa - South Island

Connor and Al continue their bikepacking journey along the Aotearoa Trail tackling challenging climbs on New Zealands South Island.

A ferry crossing - delayed by poor weather - took us to Picton, which lies in the north of the South Island, in the heart of the Marlborough Sounds. Arriving at 2am, we got to the nearest campsite and tried to set up without disturbing anyone. Waking up to clear blue skies and beautiful sun, we began riding with a new lease of life. Pedalling along the winding road which hugged the Queen Charlotte Sound, we headed west towards Nelson.

This costal road had us admiring the views at regular intervals. On one climb, we tucked in to let some cars pass and managed to both fall into a ditch on the side of the road, luckily we were unscathed and managed to see the funny side - laughing about it for the rest of the day. Making the most of the quiet roads, we had a pretty laidback ride to Havelock. Unfortunately from here, we had no option but to join the State Highway for a 18km stretch. Though it’s a bit stressful with cars travelling at 100kmh, it definitely makes us pick up the pace for a while.

Reaching the beautiful Pelorus Bridge, we found the perfect place for a swim. Clear, inviting water was a welcome refreshment on such a warm day - especially with what lay ahead of us. Onwards and upwards (literally), we headed towards the infamous Maungatapu Saddle, aptly nicknamed the Pylon Track. This route had us climbing ~700m over around 7km. Ascending steep, rough terrain rewarded us with the most beautiful views. Nobody around for miles, we again had the overwhelming sense of remoteness which was recurring on this trip. Stopping for dinner (the usual peanut butter wrap, some couscous & vegan dried mince), we admired the vast forest, the scattering of pylons being the only indication of civilization. After eating, we raced the sun to a wild camp spot just shy of the summit, then ran the last 100m to the top of the track to catch the last of the sunset.

The next morning, we began the descent towards Nelson. Though beautiful, the descent wasn’t as rewarding as we were hoping after the climb yesterday. Steeper, dropping the same elevation in roughly half the distance, it cooked our front brake pads and some of it required walking. Reaching Nelson, we had our first coffee of the South Island. Once we had finished, the barista noticed our loaded bikes and asked if we were following the TA. She was a mountain biker and looking to do the route next year, so we shared some highlights and tips. We found an outdoor food court where we bought some delicious fresh falafel for lunch, then cycled out of Nelson. We were both impressed with Nelson, and wished we could have spared a little more time to spend there.

Joining the Great Taste Trail, a highlight of the trip, we pedalled past land growing all of the produce you could imagine. Every variation of fruit & vegetable, grapes for wine - We discovered Nelson has a temperate climate year round, making it ideal for growing. Along this trail, we found a fridge outside somebody’s house with blueberries for sale - dropping $4 into the honesty box, we devoured the punnet. These sweet berries were the perfect refreshment, fuelling us to get to the camp site that evening.

Arriving at the campsite still in daylight (a rarity for us), reading the signs, we realised we were on a dark sky reserve - in fact the first designated International Dark Sky Park in Aotearoa. Looking up to a clear sky, we were looking forward to stargazing when dark came - and we were not disappointed. Bright, clear stars scattered amongst a faint line of the milky way, we’d never seen a night like it. It’s humbling and makes everything else feel insignificant, but we felt so lucky to experience such a beautiful night.

The next morning, still on the Great Taste Trail, we carried on, riding hard-packed gravel and dirt towards Spooners Tunnel. A gradual climb took us to the 1.4km tunnel. Lights on, we went through the tunnel enjoying the refreshing chill. 20km of descent on the cycle trail took us to a Four Square in Tapawera. Eating some hummus wraps for lunch, we then set off for the afternoon's ride.

Reaching Lake Rotoroa that evening, in the heart of the Nelson Lakes, sandflies slightly soured the beautiful surroundings - this, however, didn’t spoil an evening dip in the lake. In the morning, sandflies were hitting the tent like a pattering of rain. We scattered as quickly as we could in the morning, waiting until we were on higher ground so we could enjoy our breakfast uninterrupted.

Gradually heading South, we found a delicious vegan cafe in Murchison, where we also did some long overdue laundry. Making our way to the motel that we had booked, we rode into a strong headwind which dramatically slowed our progress for the afternoon. Climbing towards Maruia Saddle, Both of us pretty spent, we begrudgingly ascended, switchbacking through Beech forest. Having finally reached the motel, we ate to our hearts content as we were in the habit of doing on the nights that we weren’t in a tent.

The next two days were exclusively on sealed roads, and exclusively raining. Soaked through, we camped the first night & stayed in a quirky hostel the second night. Using the provided heaters to dry our clothes and gear, the room became unbearably hot. Speaking to the owner the next day about our upcoming route, we were excited for the West Coast Wilderness Trail.

Starting in Westport, the West Coast Wilderness Trail is a beautifully planned walking & cycling route, finishing in Ross. Hugging the coast for the start & end of the trail, it veers inland for the middle section, making up 133km in total. This trail was an absolute highlight of the trip, passing beautiful lakes & reservoirs with the occasional view of the mighty Aoraki (Mount Cook). Smooth, graded trail passing through the very strange Cowboys Paradise, sweeping descents and flowy switch backs took us back down to sea level.

The end of the West Coast Wilderness Trail marks the beginning of a 250km stretch on state highway. Though thankful for the increase in pace, we were missing the remote off-road trails that we’ve been blessed with until now. Though we were on the main road, the views and stop-off points were frequent. Reaching Glacier Country, we got the opportunity to see both the Franz Josef & Fox Glaciers, which we saw 6 years earlier. The comparison was a stark reminder of the changes happening in the world and to look after the planet that we call home. We try to live as low an impact of a life as possible, and appreciate flying across the world isn’t great environmentally. We’ve both decided to make a conscious decision to have more local adventures and explore our own area.

We’d booked a motel in the Fox Township to again allow us to dry out after a day of torrential rain while climbing the three saddles between Franz Josef & Fox. We were greeted while cooking breakfast the following morning by a four legged friend at the door of the room, who obviously we had to open the door to say hello to. Leaving Fox Township, we ended up cycling with somebody from our local area who was also on a bikepacking trip - the west country accent providing a taste of home.

Continuing down the state highway, we enjoyed views of the Pacific Ocean to our right and the Southern Alps to our left. Reaching Haast, we camped at the start of the daunting Haast Pass, which we were to climb in the morning. We met some fellow British bikepackers at this campsite who have been living in New Zealand for the last 5 years and were doing a circular bikepacking route before moving back to the UK. They gave us some great recommendations for routes, activities and food for our upcoming days entering the Otago region.

Waking up early to climb Haast Pass before the roads got too busy, we ascended through the morning mist through the Gates of Haast. Spinning in our easiest gear, we soon made it to the summit and realised it wasn’t nearly as bad as we were expecting it to be. We locked the bikes up and after a short hike took in the stunning view of Otago where we met a lovely Canadian company, who had done a similar cycle trip 40 years prior and provided some inspiration for future adventures.

We took this opportunity to book a campsite in Hawea. Being slightly ahead of schedule for our flight home, we had the time to book 2 nights in Hawea followed by 2 nights in Wanaka and 2 nights in Arrowtown to rest, and make the most of exploring the area. Riding along the lakeside ride towards Hawea, we for once had a tailwind which followed us the whole way to the campsite. Viewpoints of where Lake Hawea and Lake Wanaka meet had us excited for the recovery days we had to look forward to.

Finding a spot to pitch our tent, on the brow of a hill overlooking the lake, we had some time to reflect on how lucky we are to be doing this trip, and how strange it’ll be to go back to normal life at home.

Greeted with a fiery sunrise over the lake in the morning, we unzipped and admired the morning sky in awe. Taking a few days to chill around Hawea and Wanaka was just what we needed. Coffee, food & even a bikepark trip (on a hired e-bike) was a nice reset from constantly feeling the need to progress towards our final destination. In Wanaka, we met Ali, an ex-alpkit employee who is balancing a life of being a swim tour guide and adventure. Conversations at camp had us looking forward to some more adventures both on and off the bike in the future.

Leaving Wanaka after a couple of days, we had the joys of climbing over the Crown Range ahead of us. This is the highest elevation that we reached during the tour, and despite not being our final destination, marked a symbolic end to the trip. On the climb up, we had drivers in the oncoming direction cheering us on, which kept us motivated. After reaching the summit of the Crown Range, we had a very fast descent with hairpin turns before turning off to Arrowtown. We managed to time Arrowtown perfectly, just as the autumn colours were coming in. Arrowtown seems to have its own season, with beautiful reds, oranges and auburns as soon as you enter the area. After 2 days here exploring the Coronet area by foot and bike, enjoying coffee from Wolf Coffee Roasters, the trip felt like it was winding down.

Reaching Queenstown, the final destination of our travels, was a mixed experience. We were so proud that we made it, while being disappointed that the trip was over. We hired a car to explore the area (and to get us and our bikes back to the airport in a few days) and while driving, we found ourselves envious of anyone who we saw on a bike. Our last day in Aotearoa was also Al’s birthday, Spending the day in & around Queenstown - we ate to our hearts content and enjoyed cocktails in the local bar to our Airbnb, nestled right beneath The Remarkables. One last ride on some trails around Jacks Point, where we were staying, emotions were high as it dawned on us that this was really the end of our trip. Returning back to our accommodation, we dismantled and packed the bikes ready for an early flight the following morning.

This trip was everything we wanted and more. It was scary for us, never really having bikepacked before. We were out of our depth but slowly adjusted into the lifestyle, and honestly life hasn’t felt the same since - it’s left us longing for more adventure. New Zealand was the perfect place for this trip - the trails and riding were second to none. But the people that we met and the experiences we had really made the trip.