Sanitarium Senior Leadership Group Retreat NZ

Cycle the new Lake Dunstan Trail and the spectacular Roxburgh Gorge on your Sanitarium Senior Leadership Group Retreat

Stunning blue waters on the Lake Dunstan Trail | Lisa Jones

Lake Dunstan Trail, Central Otago | Ross Mackay

Clutha River Jet boat

Cromwell vineyards | Peter Walton

Roxburgh Gorge Trail, Central Otago | David Wall

Lake Dunstan Trail | Natalie Tambolash

Stunning blue waters on the Lake Dunstan Trail | Lisa Jones

Lake Dunstan Trail, Central Otago | Ross Mackay

Clutha River Jet boat

Cromwell vineyards | Peter Walton

Roxburgh Gorge Trail, Central Otago | David Wall

Lake Dunstan Trail | Natalie Tambolash

Introductory to Moderate

Activities

4 day cycle trail

Accommodation

5 nights 4+star accommodation in single rooms

Meals

4 Dinners
4 Lunches
5 Breakfasts

Trip Code: SOG7788

Trip highlights

Explore the breathtaking Queenstown Kelvin Heights & Arrow River Bridges cycle trails
Cycle the full Lake Dunstan Trail on this stunningly engineered trail
Enjoy the scenic Wanaka Outlet Track and Hawea River Trail
Ride the Clyde to Alexandra River Trail
Follow NZ’s mightiest river along the Roxburgh Gorge Trail
Experience a scenic jet boat transfer
Soak up the glittering history of towns such as Arrowtown, Clyde and Cromwell

Join the Sanitarium Senior Leadership team from both Australia and NZ to explore the stunning Lake Dunstan and Roxburgh Gorge trails on this fully supported e-bike trip.

After warming up on the Queenstown Trails we head over to Wanaka where we ride the Outlet Track and Lake Hawea River Trail. Next up is the Lake Dunstan Trail, initially following the glistening lake's edge to Cromwell, with time to explore the Cromwell Heritage Precinct. The following day we ride the remainder of the Lake Dunstan Trail, heading across the Bannockburn Bridge, into the picturesque Cromwell Gorge and through to the charming town of Clyde.

Our final day takes us along a section of the historic Otago Central Rail Trail. Following the beautiful turquoise waters of the mighty Clutha River, we head into the Roxburgh Gorge which includes a scenic jet boat ride through the narrow, rugged gorge.

Our expert guides will show you the trail’s best sights, charming country towns and warm hospitality are all part of the package, as is delicious food and opportunity to meet the locals.

Itinerary

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Day 1
Arrive Queenstown

On arrival into Queenstown Airport please make your way to your group hotel. Taxis and shuttles are readily available from the front entrance of the airport terminal building. The rest of your time is free to explore and enjoy the ‘Adventure Capital of NZ’ known for it's adrenaline activities as well as it's stunning lakeside and mountain views.

Meals: Nil

Day 2
Queenstown Trails to Gibbston Valley - 43km Cycle

After breakfast we will meet our guides at your hotel for a briefing and bike fit. We set off riding and join the Frankton Trail, a well formed shingle track along the shore of Lake Wakatipu with stunning mountain and lake views. On reaching the old Kawerau Bridge at Frankton, we join the Twin Rivers Trail and then the Countryside Trail through to Arrowtown, a delightful old gold mining town, in time for lunch. We then continue onto the Arrow River Bridges Trail which includes 2 spectacular suspension bridges and is a delightful ride through to the historic Kawerau Bridge where we can witness bungy jumpers and zipliners getting their adrenaline fix! A scenic drive over the Crown Range through the delightful Cardrona valley takes us to the lakeside town of Wanaka where we'll spend our first night and enjoy our first group dinner this evening.. Cycling distance: 43km

Meals: B,L,D

Day 3
Wanaka to Cromwell - 41kms Cycle

After a hearty breakfast we head out of Wanaka on the Outlet Trail following the crystal clear waters of the Clutha River/Mata-Au from the Lake Wanaka outlet to Albert Town. This stretch of the river is world-renowned for its trout fishing and the track offers easy riding with many spots to stop and enjoy the spectacular scenery along the way. Next up is the delightful Hawea River Track, easily accessed from the end of the Outlet track. This 10km bike trail following the Hawea River from Albert Town to Lake Hawea is an easy grade and beautifully scenic. After lunch we transfer the short distance to Smith's Way on the shore of Lake Dunstan. From here we ride the first section of the Lake Dunstan Trail along the lake through to the Cromwell Heritage Precinct. Here we’ll park up and explore the boutique galleries, stores, restaurants and cafes on offer before checking into our accommodation. Cycling distance: 41km

Meals: B,L,D

Day 4
Lake Dunstan Trail to Clyde; River Trail - 53km Cycle

Today we rejoin the Lake Dunstan Trail which loops back and around the Bannockburn Inlet and continues toward Cornish Point, passing by vineyards and olive groves. The trail enters the stunning Cromwell Gorge where you’ll cycle around sheer rockfaces and over lake inlets on impressively engineered platforms and bridges rising above Lake Dunstan. Lake Dunstan was created from the damming of the mighty Clutha Mata-au River, New Zealand’s second longest river, and the trail passes the historically controversial hydroelectric Clyde Dam before finishing at the Red Bridge at Clyde. Our final ride today is on the Clyde to Alexandra River Trail, a delightful, mainly flat 10km ride along the bank of the Clutha River. We then drive back to Clyde with time to explore this small historic gold mining town. Cycling distance: 53km

Meals: B,L,D

Day 5
Roxburgh Gorge Trail to Queenstown - 40km Cycle

Our final ride today takes us along a short section of the famous Otago Central Rail Trail and then the amazing Roxburgh Gorge Trail. Leaving Clyde, we follow the route of the old railway into Alexandra and then cross the Clutha River to head into the Roxburgh gorge. Our trail takes us through a remote barren, treeless landscape, flanked by bluffs up to 350 metres high, following stone walled water races and other remnants of gold mining activity. We arrive at Doctor's Point to meet a jet boat to take us on a scenic journey for the next 13km through the gorge to Shingle Creek. Back on our bikes we start a gradual climb to Elbow Creek and pass through a small, secluded valley with regenerating Kanuka (tea tree) scrubland and into sweeping hill country farmland. A series of switchbacks lead to a fitting finale, the impressive Roxburgh Hydro Dam lookout. Its then a further 9km along the river to reach Roxburgh where we load up the bikes and return to Queenstown. This evening we enjoy a final celebratory dinner to mark our cycling achievements this week. Cycling distance: Clyde to Alexandra 10km, Alexandra to Roxburgh 30km

Meals: B,L,D

Day 6
Tour ends Queenstown

The tour ends after breakfast, taxis and shuttles are available to take you to the airport.

Meals: B

Inclusions

What's included

Tasty vegetarian food - breakfasts (x5), lunch (x4), dinners (x4) catered to all dietary requirements
5 nights 4+star accommodation in single rooms
2 Experienced guides who handle all the hard bits and share epic stories
e-Bike hire (including helmet)
Tasty nutritious snacks, drinks and treats
Scenic Jet boat ride on the Clutha River
Transport from Queenstown (return)
Full vehicle support along the trail including trailer for luggage
$10 contribution to the trail trust

What's not included

International or domestic flights and taxes
Arrival and departure transfers
Meals not mentioned in the itinerary
All beverages, other than breakfast
Water bottle (help us save the environment and bring your own bike drink bottle)
Personal expenses (eg. phone calls, internet, laundry, shopping etc)
Travel insurance
Visa (if required)

About Your Leader

Our guides are one of our biggest assets and we pride ourselves on their level of quality and high standards. Once the trip reaches 8 people, we provide you with two of our expert guides to maximise your enjoyment and overall experience. You’ll know you’re in safe hands as all of our guides are certified in first aid and CPR and many of them are trained bike mechanics. They come from all walks of life but our guides have a common desire to give you the best possible experience, fun and lots of fond memories to take home with you.

Accommodation

Heritage Accommodation

Similar to a B&B, these family-owned heritage accommodations are rich in local character, clean, comfortable and run by hosts that help add to your experience. Most rooms are en suited, however, due to the heritage nature of these buildings, on occasion there may be shared bathrooms.

Lodge Accommodation

Don't be fooled by the word lodge. Enjoy the class, charm and character of these locally run accommodations and dine in-house at the pub or restaurant attached.

Bike information

Electric Bike

Our fleet of new Sinch e-bikes, made and designed in New Zealand for New Zealand trails, are perfect for cyclists looking to enjoy a little assistance on their travels. Pedalling our e-Bikes takes away the strain of a traditional bike, particularly on the hills. The powerful Shimano batteries provide up to 100kms of pedal assistance before requiring recharging. The bikes are very simple to operate and they provide people with varying levels of fitness or cycling experience the opportunity to really enjoy our cycling holidays. The extra small, small and medium sized bikes all have a low step frame making it very easy to get on and off, hydraulic disc brakes provide reliable braking and 80mm of air suspension travel is designed to make every ride comfortable.

Trail Surface

Compacted Gravel

Cyclists should be confident cycling on uneven surfaces and climbing some gentle hills.

Some Single-Track

Parts of the Lake Dunstan Trail are narrow in places with drop offs.

Grading

Introductory to Moderate
2

The cycle trails on this trip are graded introductory-moderate. The trails are generally a good width with a compacted gravel trail surface but there can be exposure in places along the Gorges, as well as narrow sections with switchbacks so experience on this type of terrain is needed. Most of the trails are a gentle gradient, however there are a few hills and sharp inclines. You will need a reasonable level of fitness and we suggest 2-3 rides per week of 2-3 hours for the three months leading up to your trip. We recommend training on compacted gravel trails, and completing a multi-day ride prior to your trip to get used to being in the saddle for long periods of time. The more training you have done on hills with switchbacks and narrow trails and on compacted gravel, the more enjoyable your trip will be.

Departure dates

Essential information

Ready to book? Make sure you download and read the detailed Sanitarium Senior Leadership Group Retreat NZ trip notes which contains all the essential information you need to know before booking. Once you’ve booked, we will supply you with a Pre-Departure document which contains a detailed gear list and other important information to help you prepare for your adventure ahead.