Beyond our borders

There are thousands of cycling routes around the world.

Where to start on your international two-wheeled adventure? Why not read about some of the bike touring experiences of our very own Bike North members!

Some general resources

Not sure what to take touring? Here is a starter Touring Checklist.

Here are some handy websites for planning and riding on tours, all over the world.

New Zealand

Just a short hop across the ditch brings you to Aotearoa/New Zealand, the land of the long white cloud. Scenic to the hilt, New Zealand offers a range of on-road and off-road routes from north to south and east to west. Be inspired!

16LakeWakitiputhroughbeechforestabovetheQueentowngondola — Lake Wakitipu through beech forest above the Queentown gondola

New Zealand tour resources

New Zealand has many great cycling attractions, and Bike North has several members with extensive NZ cycling experience.

Are you thinking of riding there, perhaps on an organised tour? Have you considered doing your own ride there, self-supported? Do you want to incorporate some short cycling highlights in an NZ driving tour? On this page, you will find some resources distilled from the NZ experiences of some Bike North members. For example:

Mountain Bike Rides

New Zealand is a mountain bike rider’s paradise, with many MTB Parks, rides from town and return, downhill rides, point to point rides, wilderness rides and bikepacking routes. If you are keen to sample the many MTB experiences, you’ll love this overview, provided by Greg Pointing.

New Zealand's North Island ‘Great’ Trails

There are hundreds of cycle trails in New Zealand. One good place to start planning is by reviewing the many “Great” Cycle Trails, listed in https://www.nzcycletrail.com. Here is a sample of YouTube videos, one per Great Trail.

Twin Coast

Hauraki Rail

Waikato River

Motu

Whakarewarewa Forest

Hawke’s Bay

Great Lake

Timber

Mountains to Sea

Remutaka

New Zealand South Island ‘Great’ Trails

Queen Charlotte. For more information about the Queen Charlotte Track, see pages 7 and 8 of this excellent resource, provided by Greg Pointing
Coppermine

Tasman’s Great Taste

The Old Ghost Road For more information about the Old Ghost Road, see pages 9 and 10 of this excellent resource, provided by Greg Pointing

West Coast Wilderness For more information about the West Coast Wilderness Tour, see this excellent resource, provided by Ian Meller

St James

Alps 2 Ocean For more information about the Alps 2 Ocean Tour, see this excellent resource, also provided by Ian Meller

Lake Dunstan

Otago Central Railtrail

Roxburgh Gorge

Clutha Gold

Queenstown

Around the Mountains

Credits

Thank you, Natalie Cleary, Richard Kelly, Greg Pointing, Ian Meller, Laura Cunningham, Mark Reynolds and Phill Hart for being panellists on our 2022 New Zealand Cycling Forum evening. Thank you Richard, Ian and Greg for providing resources listed above. Special thanks to Oz-NZ Wanderer, whose undying enthusiasm and energy led to the creation and compilation of these resources.