ABOUT TRAIL ADVENTURES
More fun, less stress
That’s what a Trail Adventures Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail tour is all about.
We do all the donkey work, the admin and the quality control, so that you’re free to focus on enjoying the ride and the incredible NZ scenery.
All of our experiences include your first night staying at Aoraki/Mount Cook or Tekapo, two of the most photographed and visited locations in all of New Zealand and an absolute must-have for any Alps 2 Ocean cycling experience.
Self-Guided | Fully-Supported
Our supported self-guided Alps 2 Ocean experiences enable you to ride the entire trail, or parts of it, from the official start point at Aoraki/Mount Cook or the alternative start at Lake Tekapo. You can choose your pace, from more leisurely to fast and furious. Click on a tour to view the available tour details.
The Full Monty – 8 Days
(6 Days Cycling)
The full Alps 2 Ocean experience with 6 cycling days which allows for a comfortable ride each day. This includes a scenic walk to the Tasman Glacier lookout, a van trip to view the Clay Cliffs, almost all meals and a celebratory drink at Scotts’ Brewery. With specific start dates, accommodation is guaranteed.
from
$2,770
Everything’s taken care of
Accommodation, bike hire & accessories and the majority of your meals
Self-guided while fully supported
You get to go at your own pace with the security of having vehicle support should you need it
Flexible & affordable tour options
Choose from one of our pre-arranged tours or build your own to suit
Small groups & personal service
Enjoy the camaraderie without the queues of a big tour operator
We have done many bike trips around the world in Italy, Germany, Austria, Vietnam and New Zealand Otago Rail Trail. This was by far the best in terms of both scenery and Vaughan’s service. We can’t recommend highly enough.
Stellar ride and support! Three e-bikes, 1 push bike, and 1 heli-ride took us from Mt Cook to Duntroon with Vaughan always just a phone call or message away to support us. He’s a can-do chap and a pleasure to be around. He happily personalised our itinerary and really clocked-up the k’s supporting us. 4 days were wet, wet, wet, but the last 3 were mostly dry and lovely – we loved every minute of our ride. Our accommodation and lunches were fantastic, and our dinners at Father Ted’s were incredible. Would love to meet Aimee some day, and maybe they can visit Rotorua, stay with us, and enjoy the bike trails in Whaka forest.
A true adventure in magnificent landscape with friends assisted by friendly and professional staff and top quality accommodation, food, facilities and logistics.
I can’t give enough superlatives about this trip. The scenery was stunning and varied from start to finish–it was most glorious scenery on a bike trip that we have had. The service by Vaughan and Aimee was likewise superb. They were very accommodating in ensuring we had a great adventure.
Frequently Asked Questions
You’ll need to have a moderate level of fitness to ride the trail. Some sections are classed as easy, while others are intermediate. This is not a rail-trail – there are inclines, declines and varied trail surfaces which means your sense of accomplishment is increased accordingly too! Most of the sections are between 30-50km. If you ride at an average of 10km per hour, this is 3-5 hours of riding. If it’s a worry for you then we recommend choosing the E-Bike option.
Yes. The locations of these are shown on the maps which can be found in the information booklet we provide you with. They should be stocked with toilet paper however it might be a good idea to bring your own as well just in case.
We are always just a phone call or text away for any help.
It is expected that at least one person in your group will know how to repair a puncture. Click the link to learn.
This varies between sections and is also dependent on your levels of fitness, experience and confidence. Feel free to get in touch and ask us for specifics.
There are sections that are on road however these are very quiet roads and you will expect to see very few, if any, vehicles while you ride.
We offer supported experiences. This means that if you need our assistance we are just a phone call away. We will endeavour to get to you as quickly as possible however if it is an emergency, it is best to call 111 immediately. We can offer a transfer from one accommodation provider to the next for a customer who decides they do not want to ride on a particular day due to sickness or injury. This will be done when luggage is being moved so must be organised prior. There may be a cost associated with this however this is decided on a case-by-case basis.
The weather on the trail can change quickly at any time of the year so it is important that you are prepared for this in terms of clothing and equipment that you bring and carry with you while riding. In general, the temperature tends to range between 15 – 25 degrees in summer (December, January, February, March) however it can be as cold as 5 degrees or as hot as 35 degrees. At other times during the cycling season (October, November, April, May) the temperature is usually between 10 – 20 degrees however it can be as cold as 0 degrees and as warm as 25 degrees.
Yes you can. However the majority of riders cycle from Aoraki (the Alps) to Oamaru (the Ocean) as the name of the trail suggests. This is because for the most part it is downhill and the prevailing wind will be behind you.
Please be aware that at times, due to weather conditions, the helicopter is unable to fly or has to take an alternative route. If the helicopter is unable to fly, we transfer you around to the nearest safest starting point to the helicopter drop off to continue riding. We also provide a $90 refund for this. If the helicopter has to land at an alternative location, you can decide to pay an additional $180 per person for this (it’s a longer flight) or be transferred around the lake with the $90 refund.
Yes you can. This is one of the options you have at the time of booking. Please be aware that there is a cost associated with transporting your bike from one location to the next if you are getting a transfer with us. Please ensure your bike has recently been serviced and that you carry a personal repair kit that contains items such as an inner tube, pump and puncture repair kit. If you bring your own bike and you require repairs, we will do our best to help however it is likely there will be a cost associated with this and there is a chance we won’t be able to carry out the repairs ourselves.
To some extent, yes. You may want to ride with your own clip pedals. Please ensure your pedals have clean, undamaged thread to avoid damage to our bikes. We have 2 sets of SPD pedals available to hire for $25 for the duration of your ride. Please let us know in advance if you wish to use these.
There are some parts of the trail where cellphone reception is very patchy or non-existent. The section between Lake Ohau Lodge and Omarama is the main section where this applies. It may be wise to carry a GPS tracker with you. You can hire one from Lake Ohau Lodge for $15 and return to the Omarama isite by 4pm the same day.
Yes. The tunnel is over 100m long and bends in the middle which means that natural lighting is extremely poor. Please ensure you have a bike light, headlight or torch. Alternatively, please walk your bike through the tunnel.
If you are doing the 9 day/8 night self-guided tour or a build your own tour that includes a stay at Braemar Station and/or Grandview Farmstay then the answer is yes. For dinner at Braemar Station you will have the option of steak or salmon and we will ask you which you would prefer on Day 1. Please be aware that all food will be prepared for dinner for you, however you will need to cook the steak or salmon yourselves. At Grandview Farmstay, once again, all food will be prepared for you however there will be some cooking required. At all other accommodation providers where food is part of your package, there is no cooking required.
No, not at all locations as some of the accommodation providers are in remote locations. We are able to transfer drinks with your luggage from one provider to the next.
Oamaru has plenty of options, from supermarkets to bars and eateries.
Twizel, Omarama and Kurow have Four Square supermarkets as well as other options such as pubs and restaurants.
Aoraki has eateries/bars where you can purchase alcohol.
Lake Ohau Lodge has it’s own bar facilities.
Duntroon has a pub.
Braemar Station does not have any facilities.
No, not all sections have this option. These are listed below:
Section 1: Aoraki to Braemar.
Section 3: Twizel to Ohau.
Section 4: Ohau to Omarama.
Alternative section: Tekapo to Twizel.
Yes although these are not always available on every section so we recommend starting each day with enough water for the full distance of that day. Our hire bikes are fitted with one bottle cage that is designed for use with a 750ml water bottle. You can carry extra water in the rear pannier or a hydration pack.
Flying into Queenstown or Christchurch is best.
If you are travelling by vehicle, from Christchurch City Centre, it is 315km and takes 4 hours via SH1 and SH8. From Queenstown, it is 170km and takes 2 hours 10 minutes via SH6 and SH8.
By bus.
The Intercity bus departs from Christchurch City Centre at 8:30am arriving in Omarama at 1:50pm.
The InterCity bus departs from Queenstown at 8:05am and arrives in Omarama at 10:35am.
Please be aware that catching either of these morning buses will require that you arrive and stay 1 night prior to the bus departure date (as flights generally do not arrive early enough for you to meet the bus). We suggest checking the current Intercity timetables on their website before making any travel plans.
Yes. If you are doing one of our experiences you may leave your car at the depot free of charge.
We provide you with a detailed clothing and equipment list so you can be prepared for your experience.