Starting at Cape Reinga at the top of NZ’s North Island, I’ll then head down Ninety Mile Beach before cutting across to the east and the magic gravel trails around Whangãrei, through Auckland, Middle Earth and on to the Waikato River Trails.
From here I’d love to loop both Lake Rotorua and Lake Taupo but may have to cut this to just Taupo.
After Taupo, I then head south westerly to the Forgotten World Highway and the Republic of Whangamōmona before on to the Cape Egmore lighthouse and hugging much of the coast down to Wellington.
The Wellington > Picton ferry actually has a net gain of 1km north despite travelling from the North Island to the South Island. Rather than jumping straight on to the popular Sounds 2 Sounds bike packing route at Picton, I’ll take another ferry north past the Bay of Many Coves and start riding on the South Island along the Queen Charlotte Trails and through several National Parks to the west coast before heading over the Southern Alps at Arthur’s Pass. Back on some well-trodden trails, I’ll pass Castle Hill, Lake Tekapo, Lake Pukaki and skirt back through the Alps to Milford Sound. From here, it’s a small double back on myself to begin heading south again down to Bluff.
With that being top to bottom done, I don’t stop there and will have a mad dash north back to Akaroa and Christchurch ready for a flight to Sydney in time for Christmas!
TINK
TRAVEL TO THE START
I was initially denied entry to New Zealand NZ when transiting at Sydney. Although I have a new NZ visa with my current passport, it turns out their immigration system still referenced my previous passport number. Slight panic finding that out and sorting!
Having built the bike and loaded the panniers ahead of a 25 km ride to a mate’s place in Auckland, I quickly learnt that this setup was not going to be feasible. NZ is very lumpy, and this setup was good for wheelies and not much else. Initially I had wanted to keep al weight off the forks / steering but also learnt I wouldn't be going fast enough for that to become a problem. Luckily, I was armed with some fork bags just in case. A trip to the local bike shop sorted me out with a decent handlebar bag and some other essentials. A big shout-out to Matt at EVO Cycles in Mount Albert, Auckland!
The trip for me can’t properly start until I get to Cape Reinga and start riding south, so yesterday 05Nov) was effectively day one, despite it taking a few days to get there! I took a tiny domestic flight from Auckland to Kaitaia- luckily my bike was the only passenger baggage not removed as the plane was overweight. Al 9 other passengers had their luggage removed to go on the next day's flight. Fortunately, they can't have been too annoyed with me as one couple on the flight offered space on their front lawn (in Ahipara, bottom of Ninety Mile Beach) to pitch my tent a couple of days later when I'd be going past.
I took the road route up to Cape Reinga to save Ninety Mile Beach (also an official highway) for the ride south. I met Swedish Martin- also riding top to bottom, but over 3 months. He had a fishing rod and hiking boots strapped to the bike and far too many panniers for me to think he's going to enjoy these hills!
The road got lumpier and when I found the last shop on the road was shut (it's not yet summer season) I did worry as I knew the campsite was basic (boil the water before using, cold showers and nothing else). I was pretty cooked in the heat but incredibly German Johann drove past and must have seen the state I was in, as I was suffering from cramping in both legs! He pulled over just round the corner and offered water and cookies. He'd just arrived, bought a car, a sleeping bag, and a stove, and will be driving around NZ for the next 5 months. I met him again at the Cape Reinga Lighthouse and the Tapotupotu Bay campground.
Day 01: Tapotupotu Bay > Ahipara. 109km, 702m.
A 3:45AM alarm and a tough gravel climb out of the bay back onto the road isn't how I'm planning to start every day, but low tide was due at 500 AM and I don't know how much of the beach would be rideable at high tide by 1120. AM.
Repeating the very lumpy stretch of road from yesterday in reverse, I then had to navigate Te Paki Stream Road, which is genuinely a free-flowing stream running along the edge of the Te Paki Giant Sand Dunes. At the end of the stream, I turned left on to Ninety Mile Beach and headed south!
The beach was hard work. The sand is firm close to the water but is hugely energy sapping. After about 30 km of heading south on the beach, a car went past heading north- the first person I'd seen since setting off 3 hours earlier. The last 40 km of the beach, I turned into a headwind which stung with the sand and ki led any form of average pace that wasn't much more than a walk! I also found out that the potential coffee / ice cream shacks near the beach (at campgrounds) were still shut, waiting for the summer season. I was out of water and even checked out a summer house (in the dunes) outdoor tap for water. Nothing.
I was so glad to get to the end of the beach and relieved it was Apihara, where I could pitch my tent on the lawn. I didn't care that this was about 30 km short of my original target for the day. The beach ki led me! I bought 2 lolies, 2 L&P's NZ's famous fizzy drink), water, and snacks and sat on the curb for 20 minutes before I could ride the last 1.5km to Jeff and Flo's house. While waiting for them to get home, I used the outdoor shower to try and get the worst of the sand out of everywhere. They then upgraded me to the spare room and put some homegrown steaks on the barbie! More amazing Kiwi generosity.
Day 02: Ahipara > Waimate North. 101km, 1629m.
Having finished short of where I'd originally intended and worried about how much yesterday's slow ride was beach or pannier related, I had to re-route today's plan to something more direct. I used more of the Twin Coast Cycle Trail, rather than the deep forest tracks, and made my way due east from Ahipara to Waimate North and a small Airbnb shack in the owner's garden! Fresh eggs from the chickens outside and an opportunity to charge everything, shower, hang out the tent to dry, and scrub some of the beach off the bike are al on the to-do list before an early night.
Day 03: Waimate North > Matapouri. 117km, 2002m.
Attacked by magpies divebombing me within the first 4km of riding this morning, I was questioning how my luck may go today but this worry was short-lived as I soon found gravel heaven. Heading due east from Waimate North to the ferry crossing at Opua - I climbed and descended through the Opua Forest which was magical. I was imagining there could have been a flock of the extinct giant Moa birds around each corner as the camber flipped through each bend. This was dreamy gravel! I rode straight on to the car ferry for the Opua - Okiato (NZ's first capital), paid my NZ$2.00 and 10 minutes later was climbing away from the water again. A couple more sections of incredible gravel through the Ngaiotonga reserve and Whanagaruru departments eventually led me down to the East coast at Helena Bay, fortunately after the gravel road had been closed that morning for competitor reconnaissance drives ahead of racing a couple of days later in the International Rally of Whangarei event. It seems the road was gravel heaven for rally cars and gravel bikes alike!
Arriving at the longest footbridge in the Southern Hemisphere at Whananaki, I restocked on water and a couple of lollies and then found the bridge was also about as wide as my pannier setup and getting wedged at a couple of points on the crossing! The route then picked up some of the Te Araroa hiking trail and dropped in and out of secluded coves, stunning hillsides and forest plantations until I arrived in Matapouri for fish and chips and a rest for the night.
Day 04: Matapouri > Wellsford. 141km, 2141m.
Aiming for a reasonably early start due to today's distance and elevation, I headed off knowing I'd seen a cafe in the next town down the coast on Googlemaps to fuel up at. On the road climb between Matapouri and Tutukaka, a local cyclist caught me and recommended another cafe for the best brekkie around. He wasn't wrong and whilst we chatted found I was riding some of the South Island gravel routes he is planning with his gang - some of whom joined us at the cafe. This wasn't the early progress I'd planned but a useful discussion checking over the route for the day ahead and excellent gravel roads down to Whangerai. This would be the biggest town so far and having gone from isolation on the trails to downtown, was a little worried but found an excellent cycleway all the way through town. Unfortunately, it delivered me on to State Highway 1 on the south side of town. Bracing myself for a few km along the hard shoulder as logging trucks flew past, I was glad to get back on the rural gravel roads again, here meeting Tito, a French cyclist on his way north by bike to start the ride south. I was glad I'd flown to Kaitaia to get myself most of the way to Cape Reinga from Auckland.
Heading back to the coast via Waipu (and a pie for lunch), the road climbed in and out of coves and pretty seaside villages with white sand beaches and beautiful blue seas. I'd really struggled to find any campsites that were either open (it's not yet summer season) or would allow tents (many camping areas require you to have a self-contained vehicle) in an area anywhere near where I needed to be to make Auckland the next day and my mate Marty's surprise 50th birthday party. I was back on Airbnb and must have looked a weary traveler when arriving as Juan and his family cooked me a Red Snapper, they'd caught that morning ahead of a good night’s sleep.
Day 05: Wellsford > Auckland. 115km, 2231m.
Back on gravel roads (and past ancient Jaguar ruins) lulled me into a false sense of security as this soon went straight uphill on Wilson's Road and became tough to stay on the bike without the rear wheel spinning. Back in the forest tracks on top of this ridge I had my first puncture - the tyre tread sliced by the gravel but quickly plugged and re-inflated. Ultimately these tracks turned more to mountain bike trails running through an incredible native forest environment. Questioning my route with this setup, I met Russell, mountain biking in the opposite direction looking surprised to see a bikepacking rig but assured me it wasn't much further through the trails to be back on the gravel roads and an amazing descent.
I then crisscrossed rural gravel roads with another mountain bike park before getting into the cycleway network of Auckland. The final 20km of the day was all cycle lanes - a stress-free re-introduction to civilization and just in time for Marty's birthday party.
My cycling buddy Lou had been in touch with her sister Sian and family who live in Auckland and had the generous offer of a spare bed for the night. Incredibly whilst on the way to theirs, my front hub exploded, pinging spokes and leaving the bike un-rideable. I'm now on an enforced rest day initially trying to get the wheel rebuilt with a new hub before ultimately settling for a new wheel as the option having the least impact on the schedule to get down to Bluff. A couple of shops and phone calls later and there's more examples of how helpful and generous everyone has been so far.
