- Tour leader: Eric O’Higgins, 250 557-4774, ccctsnz@google.com .
- Tour Dates: Jan. 8th, 2014, to Feb. 14th, 2014. (A partial tour may be possible for those interested).
- Participant No.: Maximum 12, Minimum 8.
- Rating: Intermediate. Optional routing for two days is rated advanced.
- Tour Fee: $2,700.00, plus a share of $3,600.00 for fixed cost expenses.
- Registration opening date: June 14th.
Registration procedure: Prompt registration (rooming arrangements will be double occupancy) is needed so those interested can discuss options available under this proposal. Registration will open on Friday, June 14th, 2013 at 5:00 p.m. PDT. A $2 non-refundable registration fee is required at the time of signup, which must be done online at http://tinyurl.com/m9dw6g. Within 72 hours, the tour leader will contact you. A deposit of $800.00 will be required by Sept.1st, 2013, to be paid online at the above address; the final payment of about $2,200.00 [the exact amount will be determined once the hostel costs are fully known, but will include van rental ($2,400.00 + $440.00 for ferries), and Picton storage space ($150.00)] will be due Oct. 15th, 2013, and to be paid as above.
An orientation meeting will be held in Vancouver, following or preceding the Vancouver Hub & Spoke (Aug. 12th -15th), at which time any detailed changes to the itinerary will be described and discussed along with other aspects of the Tour, including the assignment of a co-Tour Leader.
Tour Description: This is a circle tour, similar, in part, to one led by the current Tour Leader in 2007. Total distance will be about 1,750km and will go around New Zealand’s scenic South Island on paved roads (one exception – see below). The Tour will take the time to visit selected sites/attractions along the way. New Zealand’s excellent backpacker hostels will provide the bulk of the lodging.
The tour begins at Picton, South Island, after crossing Cook Strait from Wellington, and ends in Nelson. Bike cases and excess luggage will be stored in Picton. We will ride the Kaikoura Coast south to Christchurch with a trip into the hills to Hanmer Springs. We then ride to Dunedin and visit the Robbie Burns statue, after a visit to a penguin colony. Leaving Dunedin by train we go to the Otago Central Rail Trail (150 km from Middlemarch to Clyde through wide open country); a “must” part of the tour. Hereafter, the tour will pause for two days near Queenstown, with a bus/ boat trip to/on Milford Sound. We will cross the Southern Alps to the West Coast on easy grades, good roads and light traffic. There will be an easy day at the Glaciers and a longer stay at Tasman Bay and Abel Tasman Park. The last ride is the excellent bike route to Nelson; the flight home will be through Auckland.
To verify hostel conditions and routing, the Tour Leader will be driving the route, pre-Tour, over three days. Costs will be kept to a minimum.
Luggage will be carried by support truck, which will have room for an ailing cyclist or one with a broken bike. This is a classic CCCTS club expedition (Please read the new “CCCTS Tour Guidelines for Leaders and Participants” available on the Club’s website) where participants share all chores including cooking, shopping and driving. Cook teams will be organized, which will be responsible for shopping and driving the support vehicle on ‘their’ day.
Logistics/Riding Conditions: The Otago Central Rail Trail has a stone dust surface difficult for road-bike tires, and bike shops are a rarity in this area. A rental will be arranged to replace narrow-tired bikes (<28 mm); switching bikes in Middlemarch and reclaiming your own machine in Clyde. Touring bikes with 30-35mm tires should have no trouble.
Road touring in parts of New Zealand is not safe due to busy and fast traffic, however, the South Island is less populated with traffic incidents much reduced; that is with the exception of the road between Nelson and Picton, hence the tour’s cycling ends in Nelson.
Tour fee includes groceries, hostel accommodations, both the Tour Leader’s minimal reconnaissance expenses and his recompense of 5% of total tour costs, rail travel from Dunedin up onto the Otago plateau, and mountain bike rental, if required.
Tour fee does not include the Cook Strait ferry (about $55.00), optional events and side tour costs such as the Milford Sound boat trip (approximate cost is $120.00), replacement bike rental (if necessary), and travel costs to New Zealand (airfares from North America, including domestic legs should be about $2,400.00).
Itinerary:
Phase 1: Wellington to Christchurch – 338km. Ferry to Picton and then six days riding, two days off;
Phase 2: Christchurch to Dunedin – 361km. Four days riding, one day off;
Phase 3: Dunedin to Queenstown – 221km. Four days riding (plus 77kms Taieri Gorge Railway). Two days off in Queenstown;
Phase 4: Queenstown to Fox Glacier – 330km. Four days riding, but options for Cardrona Road and for Haast-Fox 121km by bus. Day off at the Glaciers;
Phase 5: Fox Glacier to Westport – 296km. Four days riding, one day off; and,
Phase 6: Westport to Moetueka/ Nelson – 225km. Four riding days, plus Abel Tasman Park,etc. Bike cases will be returned to Nelson from Picton.
Registration/Participant Selection: Successful applicants will be CCCTS members selected on the basis of date-of-registration. Each registrant will be consulted about their willingness to participate, their fitness and cycling skills in relation to the Tour rating, and each will be informed of the final installment amount. Those canceling the tour will incur costs made or committed on their behalf unless vacancies are filled. Tour queries should be addressed to the Tour Leader. Applicants registering after the Tour is full can be placed on a wait list at no charge; they will, however, be expected to inform the Tour Leader if they decide not to participate.