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Thanks to the awesome organising ability of Melody Guo, I found myself shivering at Mount Cook Village one brisk morning in mid-April, contemplating a 301 km ride from the middle of New Zealand's south island to its eastern coast at the seaside town of Oamaru.  Myself, Melody and 4 other Bike Northers intended to ride the iconic Alps to Ocean route in the following sections:-

Day 1 – Mount Cook to Twizel

Day 2 – Twizel to Lake Ohau

Day 3 – Lake Ohau to Oatamata

Day 4 – Oatamata to Duntroon

Day 5 – Duntroon to Oamaru

You could also do the ride in 7 days by breaking days 1 and 3 into 2 separate stages but as we were using mountain e-bikes, we had no problem with a couple of days that were slightly longer.

We had decided on the self guided tour with a company called Cycle Journeys. The service they provided us was the hire of mountain E bikes and transport of hire car with our main luggage. They also provided us with sufficient panniers so that we were able to carry enough clothing for those days we were on our own, being the nights at Lake Ohau, Otematata and Duntroon. But the usual service is they deliver your luggage to each night's accommodation and you travel light. One of the many advantages of having an E bike is it allows you to carry extra luggage without feeling it.

The Alps to Ocean Trail is unlike any I have done before.  The scenery is simply awesome – each day is different to the last.  It also has a wide variety of terrain. On that first day from Mount Cook to Twizel, the terrain varied from huge white pebbles to dirt paths to rocky ground to a corrugated road. The Great Rides app is very good in letting you know what kind of terrain you will have each day, even giving to the percentages. See www.greatridesapp.com

On day 2 we rode Twizel to Lake Ohau, which was quite an easy ride, especially compared to yesterday. The views around Lake Ohau cannot be sufficiently extolled. Our lodging at the Lake Ohau lodge was a stand out – the food is excellent.  Also keep in mind they have an outdoor hot spa so bring your swimmers if you are planning to stay.

The most challenging day was definitely day three as that involves a steep climb up to the Tarnbrae Summit.  The first 6 kms are a gift but the next 5 are a bit rocky. It did not help that it was very misty and drizzly, but we all managed it very well. The descent on the other side was quite easy as the gradient was not too steep. However it was after we thought the challenges of the day were behind us that disaster struck one of our number. On a corrugated road with deep gravel drifts just outside of Omarama, Melody skidded her bike into a drift and came down hard, suffering a minor fracture to her wrist. Thankfully Cycle Journeys came to our rescue and helped us arrange medical assistance for Melody, collecting her and her bike. It just shows you cannot afford to become complacent on the A2O. 

So now we were 5 cyclists and would remain so to the end of the trail although Melody was able to join us at each night's accommodation. The following three days was a dizzy mix of incredible scenery and narrow paths winding around mountains. The key is not to look to the side and wonder what would happen if you veered too far to the left.  Just keep the line, appreciate the lakes and mountains and you will be right.

Our second last day riding to Duntroon we had brilliant blue skies and sunny weather.  We also crossed over 4 babbling brooks with only one of us losing momentum and getting wet feet.

Our last day, Duntroon to Oamaru, was rain from start to finish.  A new experience for me, who has never ridden a mountain bike in the rain.  However, I live to tell the tale!  Riding through the Rakis Railway Tunnel gave us a brief respite from the rain.  This section has a tiny bit of rail trail to it.

Finally we cycled triumphantly into Oamaru, through the historical Victorian precinct, past the Steampunk Headquarters and to the ocean where there is a huge picture frame purpose built for that final photograph.  Melody was able to join us for that last memento.

As someone who considers herself a novice mountain biker, I found the Alps 2 Ocean a bit of a challenge but definitely worth doing.  It has given me confidence to tackle trails rated as intermediate.  Also I loved the country towns, delicious food and such a wide variety of New Zealand beauty.  It is a week that will live in my memory forever.