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There isn’t much of New Zealand’s South Island you won’t get the chance to see on our stunning 2-week tour. With probably the most varied and scenic landscapes packed into the smallest area anywhere in the world and the kind of roads (and lack of traffic!) you dream of, this is two weeks of motorcycle heaven. Where else can you see stunning alpine vistas, empty surf beaches, rainforest, and glaciers that almost meet the sea and all within an hour’s traffic free riding? And our experienced local guides will help make this one holiday you won’t forget.

Highlights

• Akaroa and the Banks Peninsula
• Farm stay
• Milford Sound
• Queenstown
• Fox / Franz Josef Glaciers
• High mountain passes
• Food and drink
• Your tour guide

Itinerary

DAY 1 Arrive Christchurch. We’ll meet you at the airport and transfer you to our tour hotel. Spend the rest of the day exploring the ‘Garden City’. Visit the famous Botanical Gardens, the Antarctic Museum, or Hagley Park. Meet your fellow riders in the evening. Chateau on the Park.

DAY 2 Christchurch – Nelson (350 km). After breakfast and a briefing, we collect the bikes and set off on our first day in the saddle, a leisurely ride to the South Island’s sunny north. The coastal highway takes us past Pegasus Bay and Waipara, known for excellent wines, and up to Kaikoura, a renowned centre for Whale and Dolphin watching and its Maori Cultural centre. After a break we ride along the beautiful coast of black sand beaches sandwiched between the impressive Kaikoura Ranges and deep blue Pacific Ocean. Our next stop is Blenheim in the famous Marlborough wine country. It’s also an area for serious “foodies”. There’s a choice of routes to Nelson, with the most scenic via Picton and Queen Charlotte Sound, before following the coast through Havelock and the Rai Valley. There may be time to stop at the Smith Memorial Museum in Picton, tea rooms at Pelorus Bridge, wineries, a zoological park, or the Old Whekenui Whaling Station. Trailways Hotel

Day 3 Nelson – Punakaiki (310 km). A gentle hilly ride takes us southwest through the Buller Gorge to the coast, past the Coaltown Museum in Westport and the Tauranga Bay seal colonies. There’s an optional ride up Lewis Pass for lunch, worth a ride in both directions! You can also take time out for some white-water rafting and jet boating, and if all that’s not enough, we visit the famous Pancake Rocks and blowholes in Punakaiki. Punakaiki Resort.

Day 4 Punakaiki – Hanmer Springs (260 km). Today there’s some serious riding to be done. We set off along the coast to Greymouth before we turn inland to Reefton and Springs Junction, following river valleys through the Victoria Forest Park. Then we ride the magnificent Lewis Pass at 864 m for some breathtaking scenery and plenty of photo opportunities, before dropping down through the Hanmer Range to the natural beauty of Hanmer Springs. Alpine Lodge.

Day 5 Hanmer Springs – Fox Glacier (520 km). We have a long ride ahead today, returning to the west coast, via Arthur’s Pass but, a shorter option returning over the Lewis Pass is possible. We start by heading south east to the Pacific Coast over the Weka Pass and through small rural towns before we turn inland, where our ride takes us up from the coastal lowlands and over the Porter’s and Arthur’s passes, both at over 900 m. This is an area of high alpine peaks, steep valleys, rushing waterfalls and some unique wildlife. We stop for lunch in the mountains before returning to the west coast highway and a gentle ride into Fox. There may be time to spot some of the indigenous wildlife – seals, keas, kiwis, penguins, dolphins and the rare white heron. Glacier Country Hotel.

Day 6 Fox Glacier – Queenstown (265 km). There’s time to walk on the glaciers, take a helicopter ride or a helihike or visit the Glow Worm Dell in Fox before riding down to the adventure playground of New Zealand. Heading south from Fox, we ride through the subtropical rainforest of Haast Pass, in the heart of Westland. Turning inland we head into the mountains of Mount Aspiring National Park and along the shores of Lakes Wanaka and Hawea. St Moritz Hotel.

Day 7 Queenstown (free day). An opportunity to sample some of the many activities in the ‘playground of the South’, such as jet boating on the Shotover River, tandem skydiving, fly fishing, a vintage steam cruise and of course bunjee jumping, right where it all started!. And too many more to mention! Then it’s time to relax in the Gondola restaurant or the Motor Museum, or go for a ride to Arthur’s Point lookout and Coronet Peak. St Moritz Hotel.

Day 8 Queenstown – Te Anau (195 km). Today we head south along Lake Wakatipu and into Fiordland. Before you get there, enjoy the ride and take in the Wildlife Bird Reserve and the stunning scenery. Our destination is a farm near the small township of Te Anau. Our farmstays are a great success with customers, you will get a tour of the farm, shown what they do, eat locally grown produce and receive the warmest of Kiwi welcomes. Farmstay.

Day 9 Te Anau - Milford Sound – Te Anau (240 km). An enjoyable morning’s ride takes us to the spectacular Milford Sound, where we take a bewitching cruise down the fjord and back. This really is some of the most scenic countryside on Earth. The riding along twisting roads is every bit a match for the cruise. Farmstay.

Day 10 Te Anau – Dunedin (290 km). Say goodbye to the lakes and fiords as head for the surf of the deep blue South Pacific Ocean. We ride across rolling green farmland covered in white woolly sheep, crossing wide river torrents and passing through small rural settlements before we reach Dunedin with its Scottish heritage, and the Otago Peninsula. Larnach Castle.

Day 11 Dunedin – Mount Cook (350 km). Leaving Dunedin for Mount Cook we have 2 options. We can head out past the famous boulders of Moeraki before heading inland past the fascinating Waitaki River, Avemore and Benmore Dams, or following the gold trail to the Victorian gold rush town of Cromwell, past the Ida Range, the majestic Dunstan Mountains and through the centre of the Mackenzie District. We stop at the historic gold-mining town of St Bathan’s, with time for a drink at the famous Vulcan Hotel, and finish the ride on the awesome road to Mount Cook. Hermitage Hotel.

Day 12 Mount Cook – Christchurch (350 km). Today, it’s back down from the mountains, passing the stunning glacier fed Lake Tekapo and over the Burke Pass, around the Four Peaks Range and past Mt Hutt before heading out across the flat farmland of Canterbury to Christchurch. Chateau on the Park.

Day 13 Christchurch – Akaroa – Christchurch (200 km). The road to Akaroa and around the harbours of Banks Peninsula will take you on a spectacular mountainous journey making today a grand finale of your NZ mountain tour. Big bends and endless curves are the road features for the day. Once out of town the views and roads just get better and better. Just 75 km from Christchurch, Akaroa is a historic French and British settlement nestled in the heart of an ancient volcano. Explore the village with its colonial architecture, galleries, craft stores, and cafés. Relax or take part in the many activities that are on offer. Explore the dramatic outer bays and take your time to soak in the magic of this area. After returning the motorbikes this afternoon, it just remains for us to celebrate the end of the tour with our Farewell Dinner. Chateau on the Park.

DAY 14 Depart Christchurch. We will arrange for your transfer back to the airport. Depending on your departure time, the day is free for you to explore Christchurch – how about the Antarctic Museum, the famous trolley buses, the Botanical Gardens or Hagley Park?

Total distance  c. 3400 km

Ready to book? Please click here

Price includes: 13 nights deluxe accommodation including 2 nts farmstay, all with private facilities, 13 breakfasts, 11 dinners, Milford Sound cruise, 12 days motorcycle hire including luggage and unlimited mileage, full motorcycle insurance, local motorcycle guide, support/luggage vehicle, tourbook, maps, tour gift.

Price excludes: Flights to/from New Zealand, travel insurance, optional CDR bike insurance (see rental table for details), pre/post-tour accommodation (all of these may be arranged through H-C Travel), petrol, meals not stated above, riding gear, personal items and expenses.

Please refer to our rental pages for more information on the motorcycles available.

Also available as a self-guided tour, please refer to our Self-guided Tour pages

Any questions? Please click here

 |Southern Moonlight | On the Beach | Mountain Kings | Explore New Zealand | Maori Discovery | FAQs |
| Self-Guided Tours | Rentals | Guided Tours |

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