Tour Aotearoa Official Guides [Paper Edition]

This page is for the paper edition. There is also a PDF download version.

Tour Aotearoa Official Guides gives you the practical information you’ll need as you ride the 3000 kilometre Tour Aotearoa route from Cape Reinga to Bluff.

For those keen to ride the length of New Zealand, these functional guidebooks describe the 3000 kilometre Tour Aotearoa route from Cape Reinga to Bluff. Christened in early 2016, this route follows several Great Rides and Heartland Rides through a variety of inspiring landscapes and welcoming rural towns.

They are made to be used on the trails as a complement to GPS navigation. They include maps and elevation charts throughout the route, detailed cue sheets, contact details for important businesses along the way such as remote accommodation, cafes and supermarkets, transport operators, etc.

The North and South Island guides are provided as a pair – two staple bound booklets; 72 pages for the North Island and 48 pages for the South Island. This format allows you to only carry one light weight guide per Island – no unnecessary weight to carry.

The author, Jonathan Kennett, has been writing New Zealand cycling books for over 25 years and works for the New Zealand Cycle Trail. He rates Tour Aotearoa as “the best ride of my life”.

Packed with:

• transport options to Cape Reinga
• cue sheets for every section
• maps throughout the route
• elevation charts
• locations of the 29 photo control points
• contact details for campgrounds, accommodation, cafes, pubs, etc.
• phone numbers for boat operators on the five water sections
• transport options for leaving Bluff.

Main changes between 5th and 6th editions:

1. New option from Mt Eden summit to Clevedon via Pine Harbour Ferry
2. Route changed between Te Aroha and Arapuni; now goes via Cambridge via Waikato River Trail (Great Ride) to avoid Highway 29 and Arapuni bridge closure
3. Route changed between Apiti and Pohangina to avoid bridge works
4. Route changed between Ashhurst and Pahiatua to utilise new shared pathway
5. Route changed between Nelson and Tapawera; now goes via Mapua and Dovedale to avoid Great Taste Trail closures
6. Route changed between Albert Town and Lumsden to usilise Cromwell Trails, and new Kawarau Gorge Trail (when it opens mid-2026). We also want to avoid increased traffic on the Crown range. In the meantime the options are (1) Crown Range traffic, or (2) Nevis Valley hills.

Kawerau Gorge Trail

As soon as the Kawerau Gorge Trail (between Cromwell and Queenstown) opens in mid-2026 the route will switch to use it to get to Queenstown. In the meantime you can either ride the new cycle trails to Cromwell and then over the Nevis (missing out Queenstown), or opt to go over the Crown Range (which has a lot more traffic than it used to).

 

 

Note: Highway 6 between Cromwell and Queenstown has very heavy traffic and no road shoulder – don’t be tempted by it!

 

 

The Tour Aotearoa route has evolved from year to year to incorporate new sections of trail and bypass closed sections. The guidebook is also revised to update the ever-changing range of services available along the route. Please do not rely on out-of-date editions of the guidebook or route files – they’ll frustrate you!

Tour Aotearoa guidebooks were published in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2023 and now 2025.

Updates to the current 6th edition: will be posted here when when needed.