Wishbone Relay - Alps to Ocean Cycle

Your Alps to Ocean adventure begins with a drive down the coast to the historic Victorian town of Oamaru. After lunch and time to explore the delightful Victorian Precinct or the mind-boggling Steampunk HQ musem we'll gather at the official 'finish' line at the harbourside for a photo-op to mark the start of our adventure. Setting off we'll ride through the Precinct and main street full of stunning 19th Century architecture showcasing the local Oamaru stone. Riding through the delightful municipal gardens we'll then head out of town and into picturesque rural countryside. Riding along an old tram line we'll then duck through the town of Weston before arriving at Enfield. We have special permission to divert off the trail and ride through the grounds of the Elderslie Estate, once home in the late 19th Century to one of the district's original farming families. The same family also built historic Burnside Homestead where we will finish our ride and enjoy our first overnight stay. Cycle distance: 19km (Oamaru-Burnside)

Meals:  L,D

This morning the cycle trail takes us through the settlement of Windsor and then back on the old railway line through Raki's tunnel. A climb to the ridgeline delivers stunning views across pastoral land developed by early settlers in the area. What goes up generally comes down and we drop into a pretty valley before emerging into rolling country and the first signs of some of the incredible natural limestone formations responsible for the area recently achieving UNESCO Geopark status. One such landmark, the unique Elephant Rocks, is particularly impressive with huge formations strewn across a field and worth a stop to explore before dropping into the small town of Duntroon. From here we ride along the banks of the Waitaki River, negotiating some river crossings and passing vineyards before finally arriving in Kurow. Cycle distance: 40km (Burnside Homestead-Duntroon) 28km (Duntroon–Kurow)

Meals:  B,L,D

Today’s stunning ride introduces us to the Waitaki Hydro scheme with its impressive dams and the beautiful man-made lakes of Aviemore and Benmore. From Aviemore Dam we follow the quiet lakeside road leading to Benmore Dam, the largest earth dam in the country. Climbing up through bush with stunning views across the lakes and rolling countryside the trail then drops to the lakeshore to traverse around the shoreline of rock outcrops, little beaches and tree covered islands before popping out at Sailors Cutting. Less confident riders can choose a shorter, easier option from Benmore Dam if they prefer to avoid the more technical section. Our final ride continues along the shores of Lake Benmore before turning away from the Lake and riding alongside farming country before emerging into Omarama, a small town nestled in a broad basin between mountain ranges. Omarama is called "Place of Light" in Maori terminology, a reference to its extraordinarily pure and clear sky. This region is also famous for gliding due to some unique air wave systems and feisty thermals. This evening enjoy an optional soak in a private hot tub of fresh mountain water (own expense). Cycle distance: 67km

Meals:  B,L,D

From Omarama a short off-road trail takes us through to the Quailburn Road which is a quiet gravel road passing through rolling farmland leading to a historic woolshed. Confident riders can continue on the trail from the woolshed, a steady climb to the Tarnbrae Saddle (900m), the highpoint of the Alps to Ocean providing vast Mackenzie Country views as just reward for the climb. This section is moderately technical and steep in places with some rough and loose areas, so less confident riders may prefer to take the alternative route which involves a short ride in the van to the Lake Ohau Road. From the Saddle high point it is a rolling descent with the Southern Alps and Lake Ohau ready to welcome you at the bottom. After lunch, we leave Lake Ohau Lodge and cycle around the lakeshore firstly on a quiet country road and then a delightful single track which pops out at the back of Twizel and alongside the Ohau and Pukaki canals brings us into Twizel itself where we overnight. Cycle distance: 44km Omarama-Lake Ohau via Tarnbrae Saddle or via Lake Ohau Road Lake Ohau to Twizel - 38km

Meals:  B,L,D

Early this morning we drive to Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park to see the alps up close. There is the chance to visit the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre (own expense) or the excellent national park visitor centre (free of charge) before we embark on a short but memorable walk. We'll then head back to Twizel to get back on our bikes and complete the final section of the trail. We cross the extensive tussock-lands of Pukaki flats to Lake Pukaki before following a trail around the edge of the lake. We climb up a high terrace for expansive views back over the lake and surrounding mountains and then the hydro canals lead us towards Tekapo. Tonight we celebrate our 6 day Alps to Ocean adventure with Perry at our final group dinner. Cycle Distance: Twizel to Tekapo - 55km

Meals:  B,L,D

Today we are bound for Christchurch but not before a final 'warm down' ride on quiet backroads to Lake Alexandrina, a serene high country lake. We then travel back to Christchurch via Burke's Pass and across the Canterbury Plains. We'll visit the Church of the Good Shepherd and stop for lunch, and we will expect to return to Christchurch around 6pm.

Meals:  B,L