Overview
New Zealand in December 2009 - January 2010
Join Patrick and Lynn from Tandem Cycle Works as we head to New Zealand for a two-week tandem tour in 2009. We are looking for 12 tandem teams who would like to share the riding, the culture and the history of New Zealand with us.

Welcome (Kia Ora) to the Land of the Long White Cloud
New Zealand is known by the Maori as Aotearoa, the Land of the Long White Cloud and riding here is a must for cycle tourists. The country’s stunning scenery and laid-back lifestyle make it in many respects a perfect bike destination. With cliff-hugging roads, dramatic seascapes, delightful beaches, majestic mountains, glacier-carved valleys, high passes, rushing rivers and sparkling lakes it is a truly awesome place. There are also remote regions with habitations few and far between.

This 14 day itinerary takes in some of the very best of the South Island, starting and finishing in Christchurch. After arrival in Christchurch we cross the Canterbury Plain to the vast tussock covered McKenzie Basin. Our adventure begins with two days of beautiful lakeside riding past Lake Tekapo and Lake Pukaki including a side trip to the base of Mount Cook, the highest peak in New Zealand. On reaching the foothills of the Southern Alps, we ride over the Lindis Pass to Otago, and continue through the spectacular Kawarau Gorge to Queenstown, and our rest day. From Queenstown we will climb over the Crown Range to Wanaka and then over the Haast Pass to explore Westland, with its stunning coastal and mountain scenery with spectacular glaciers. The final leg of the tour takes us along the coast north towards Greymouth before we transfer by bus back over the mountains to Christchurch.

Tour Details:
14 Days / 13 Nights

Travel Dates:
December 26, 2009 - January 10, 2010

Trip Start / End Location:
Christchurch, New Zealand

Cost:
$2995* per person / $5990* per tandem team

Average Mileage:
Approximately 60 miles per day