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Rural and Wine Tour
Duration
9 days
Site savings
$33
From
$3,217 USD
Enjoy a fantastic cycling experience from Auckland to Rotorua. In between, you will visit the delightful towns of Cambridge, Taupo and Napier. From these bases, you'll enjoy scenic rides on quiet country roads taking in rolling farmland, glittering lakes, volcanic fields, vineyards and coastal vistas. Both longer and more moderate daily rides have been developed for all riding levels. You will stay multiple nights in Cambridge and Napier, allowing time to enjoy some of the many activities such as visits to thoroughbred horse studs, award-winning wineries, visits to Hobbiton, a significant location used for The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit films, Sanctuary Mountain, the largest eco-restoration project in NZ, to name but a few.
- CategoryRoad Cycling
- TypeFully Guided
- Duration9 days
- Culture LevelFamiliar
- Skill Level2 - Novice
- Activity Level2 - Moderate
- Elevation2 - Moderate
- TerrainMixed
- Distance183.9 miles
- Avg. Daily Distance30.4 miles
Quick Stats
- Duration9 days
- Main DestinationNorth Island
- Distance183.9 miles
- Avg. Daily Distance30.4 miles
- Elevation2 - Moderate
- TerrainMixed
Route Map (click to view larger image)
Itinerary Details
- Day 1Arrival
You will be picked up from central city hotels between 9.30 am - 10 am, come dressed to cycle. The first day of your trip is designed to allow visitors to settle in. You will take a short drive to Cornwall Park which is located around one of Auckland’s iconic extinct volcanoes. Your tour leader will hold a trip orientation meeting after which there will be time to fit you to your rental bike or unpack your own and take a short ride in the Park. A picnic in the park will follow after which you will leave the city by minibus and head to the pretty country town of Cambridge, approximately 2 hours slightly south-east of Auckland and the first Hub of the tour.
- Cambridge Mews Lodge
- Lunch and Dinner
- Day 2Cambridge Southern Loop
The full ride today heads southeast initially on a wide concrete cycle path towards picturesque Lake Karapiro, an artificial reservoir lake on the Waikato River, dammed to store water for the nearby power station. The lake is regarded as one of New Zealand’s best rowing venues and is home to the high-performance squad. You will ride past the Lake and the terrain becomes undulating with a couple of testing climbs. From there a relatively flat 10km (6.2mi) section as you resight the Lake at Horahora and then pass Lake Arapuni. You will then turn west along the Arupuni Road for some distance through gently rolling countryside before turning to head North and some last climbs before reaching Rotorangi and the homeward stretch. Overall an honest ride with some good climbs taking in some fantastic terrain along the way and for most of the ride you’ll be facing less than a dozen cars per hour! A picnic lunch at a picturesque park on the edge of town. Dinner is not included tonight with plenty of options to choose from in Cambridge.
There are options to either ride a more leisurely: 54 km / 28 mi today or for Intermediate/advanced: 79 km / 49 mi.
- 33.6 miles
- Cambridge Mews Lodge
- Breakfast and Lunch
- Day 3Cambridge Eastern Loop
After breakfast, you will leave town and cycle east with three loop courses available, all through quiet rolling countryside. This ride is the route for an annual cycle race called THE REV, which is a must for any cycling enthusiast given it’s renowned for its undulating hills, tight corners and notable climbs. The advanced ride features both category 3 and 4 climbs, including the infamous French Pass, Buckland Road (the home of Hobbiton) and the beautiful Scotsman Valley. The intermediate ride is ideal for those looking for a shorter but still challenging ride with 2 tough climbs and the casual ride may be shorter but is still a delightful ride with some undulations!
Plenty of good cafes for lunch on your return to Cambridge and afternoon activities available include a trip to Hobbiton or a visit to the brand new, world-class velodrome with the opportunity to have a go at riding on the track - remember track bikes have no brakes! Breakfast included today; lunch and dinner not included so try a couple more of Cambridge’s good eating spots.
Casual: 39 km / 24 mi
Intermediate: 60 km / 38 mi
Advanced: 93 km / 58 mi- 24.2 miles
- Cambridge Mews Lodging
- Day 4Ride to Taupo
Today you will leave Cambridge and the Waikato region and head South to Taupo, initially retracing some of yesterday’s ride in the minivan before the start of the longest option close to Lake Arapuni. Climbing steadily for 15km (9.3 mi) you will follow the Lake until it flows back out to the Waikato River which you can then follow through to Mangakino, a small town on the banks of the river located close to a power station at Lake Maraetai. Just down the road a welcome coffee awaits at The Dam Café, giving you the energy to tackle the long steady climb as you head away from the river and ride South through to Taupo with the last 20km (12.4mi) more down than up. You will be staying right on the lakefront so time for an afternoon stroll along the lake or perhaps a soak in the hot pools or a visit to Huka Falls.
Whakamaru - Taupo: cas. 45 km / 28 mi
Waipapa river mouth - Taupo: int. 67 km / 42 mi
Wharepapa Sth - Taupo: adv. 90 km / 56 mi
- 28 miles
- Millennium Hotel and Resort Manuels, Taupo
- Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- Day 5To Napier
This morning you will drive the highway from Taupo through to Bay View, just North of Napier, arriving mid-morning. The full ride starts here and heads inland over undulating rural country through to the Dartmoor Valley which follows the Tukaekuri River. En route includes one testing 3km (1.8mi) climb, upto 12% gradient after the initial 10km (6.2mi) warm up. Intermediate riders join at the settlement of Puketapu and the group will ride South to the start of the Crownthorpe loop, an inland sub-region of Hawkes Bay with elevated terraces. A steady 10km (6.2mi) climb on a lovely quiet road brings you to the high point from where expansive views of the region open up as you descend down to the plains finishing amongst vineyards with glimpses of the Ngaruroro River. You will drive the last 19kms (11.8mi) through the Napier suburbs to the motel on Marine Parade.
Crownthorpe Loop: cas. 48 km / 30 mi
Puketapu to Omahu + Crownthorpe: int. 57 km / 36 mi
Eskdale to Omahu + Crownthorpe: adv 85 km / 53 mi- 29.8 miles
- Beach Front Motel, Napier
- Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- Day 6Napier Rest Day
Napier, a coastal city on New Zealand's North Island, is set amid the renowned wine-producing region of Hawke's Bay. Rebuilt after a 1931 earthquake, the city is known for art deco landmarks like the zigzag patterned Daily Telegraph Building. Along the tree-lined waterfront promenade the Marine Parade, the Pania of the Reef statue, which depicts a Maori maiden, is a symbol of the city. The region offers plenty of options for a Rest Day, including winery tours, a visit to the world’s largest gannet colony at Cape Kidnappers, a walking tour of the Art Deco capital of Napier or enjoy a game of golf.
- Beach Front Motel, Napier
- Breakfast
- Day 7Tuki Tuki Loop
Today’s ride starts from the motel and heads south on a bike path which is a combination of tarmac and hard packed shingle and follows the coast with lovely views of Hawke’s Bay and Cape Kidnappers, a headland at the southeastern extremity of the Bay. There are also wetlands with interesting birdlife to enjoy along the way. You will switch to riding on quiet roads and follow the Tuki Tuki river before an optional climb up Te Mata Peak, which stands 400m (1312ft) above the Heretaunga Plains and is both a visual feature and an integral part of Hawke’s Bay history, Maori and European. The climb offers stunning and varied scenery, unique topography, geology, flora and fauna, a worthwhile reward for the 5kms (3.1mi) of climbing which briefly lifts to 15% gradient but is mostly between 5-8%.
Those opting not to climb the Peak can head straight to the pretty, country town of Havelock North for lunch and the climbers can follow once the Peak has been conquered. From there riders can choose to ride the 20km (12.4mi) back to Napier via a different route or spend time exploring Havelock North before hitching a ride back in the van.
Tuki Tuki Loop (exc. Te Mata peak): 67 km / 42 mi
Tuki Tuki Loop (inc. Te Mata peak) : 79 km / 49 mi- 41.6 miles
- Beachfront Motel, Napier
- Breakfast
- Day 8Taupo to Rotorua
In the morning you will drive to Taupo and then set off for a ride in rural farmlands. The ride has a slight uphill gradient for the first 7kms (4.3mi) and then descends gently for another 13kms (8mi) with the remainder being flat. From Reparoa you will transfer by van the last 30 mins to the Lakeside hotel in Rotorua. As soon as you enter Rotorua you will notice a faint scent of sulphur and escaping curls of steam. Rotorua has much to offer: Geysers and bubbling mud pools, a 4WD trip up Mt Tarawera, white water rafting, the luge rides, jet boat rides, the Buried Village, the Green and Blue Lakes (a 32km/20mi cycle ride), fishing, relaxing thermal spas. You can also experience Maori culture through one of the Maori Villages. See and hear about Maori art forms and Maori foods, horticulture, songs and traditions.
- 26.7 miles
- Novotel Rotorua Lakeside Hotel
- Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- Day 9Departure