Tour Aotearoa route MASTER 2026-04-23.kmz

Tour Aotearoa route MASTER 2026-04-23

0 Photo control stops

P01 Cape Reinga - distance signs

P02 Ninety Mile Beach - anything anywhere on the beach

P03 Tane Mahuta - God of the Forest

P04 Poutu Point

P04Alt Matakohe Post and Telegraph Office

P05 Mt Eden - summit

P06 Between Thames and Te Aroha - a cow

P07 Lake Karapiro

P08 Centre of North Island

P09 Ongarue Spiral

P10 Bridge to Nowhere

P11 Drury Hill

P12 Manawatu River - from Parahaki Bridge near Ashhurst

P13 The giant kiwi in Ekatahuna

P14 Rimutaka Summit Tunnel

P15 Cook Strait Ferry - anything from the ferry

P16 Maungatapu Saddle

P17 Lake Rotoroa - from the jetty

P18 Maruia Saddle - the beech forest

P19 Waiuta Track boardwalk

P20 Greymouth Bar

P21 Hokitika Clock Tower

P22 Lake Ianthe

P23 Fox Glacier - from the lookout

P24 Knights Point lookout

P25 Haast Pass saddle

P26 Hawea Walkway Bridge

P27Alt Queenstown

P27 Duffers Saddle

P28 Between Mossburn and Invercargill - a random Southland local

P29 Bluff distance signs

1 Cape Reinga to Auckland

1.1 Cape Reinga to Rangiora Ferry Terminal

1.2 Ferry Rangiora Ferry Terminal to Rawene boat trip

1.3 Rawene to Dargaville

1.4 Dargaville to Pouto Point (boat pickup)

1.4A Option bypass around Kaipara Harbour

1.5 Charter boat down Kaipara Harbour

1.6 Parakai to Mt Eden Summit

1.6A Option into Helensville

2 Auckland to Taumaranui

2.1 Mt Eden Summit to Clevedon

2.1B Option Mt Eden Summit to Ferry Terminal [Note Maraetai Rd closure March-June 2026!]

2.1C Option Ferry Auckland to Pine Harbour

2.1D Option Pine Harbour to Clevedon via coast 21.8km

2.2 Clevedon to Kaiaua via coast

2.2A Option Clevedon to Kaiaua via Hunua Traverse

2.3 Kaiaua to Taumaranui

3 Taumaranui to Wellington and Picton

3.1 Taumaranui to Mangaparua Landing

3.2 Whanganui jetboat trip

3.2A Option Mangapurua Track to Pikipriki via Raetihi

3.3 Pipiriki to Wellington Ferry Terminal

3.3A Option bypass around Durie Hill elevator
If the elevator is closed you'll need to ride up the hill.

3.3B Option Ashhurst to Parahaki Bridge Pathway

3.4 Cook Strait boat trip

3.5 Option to Bluebridge Ferry

4 Picton to Greymouth

4.1 Picton to Greymouth

4.1B Option MTB track to Ngakuta Bay
A better mountain bike option

4.1C Option touring bypass via Rai Valley
If you have an overlaiden cycle touring bike you may choose this option. It has too much heavy traffic to be enjoyable.

4.1D Option bad weather bypass on Highway 7
Use this bypass only if Big River is in flood. Check with DOC in Reefton for river conditions.

5 Greymouth to Queenstown or near Lumsden

5.1 Greymouth to Cromwell

5.1B Option to Queenstown via Crown Range 2026-01-25
Since the Crown Range Road was sealed a few years ago, traffic on it has increased steadily - to the poiint that now it is busier than Highway 6 (between Wanaka and Cromwell).
Also - there are several good cycle trails over to Cromwell now. And the Kawerau Gorge Trail is due to be completed mid-2026.
So there are a lot of benefits to shifting away from the Crown Range.
But if you reach this point in early 2026 (before the Kawerau Gorge trail is open) then the Cromwell route will force you to also ride the Nevis Valley - which is a bit intimidating (big climb and isolated)... so you might prefer to brave the trffic on Crown Range Road.
We recommend you start at dawn to hopefully avoid the worst of the morning rush hour.
Update 25 Jan 2026: road works between Frankton and Queenstown have forced us to further change this bypass from Arrowtown to now go via Arhturs Point.

5.2 Nevis Valley (Cromwell to near Lumsden)
Before the Kawerau Gorge Trail is completed (mid-2026) the best way south from Cromwell is over the Nevis Valley.
It's a big climb and you'll miss out on Queenstown - but it's way better than Highway 6 between Cromwell and Queenstown (which is narrow, with zero shoulder and very high traffic including lots of heavy trucks - don't do it!).

6 Queenstown to Bluff

6.1 Option boat to Walter Peak Stn

6.2 Option Walter Peak to near Lumsden

6.3 Near Lumsden to Bluff