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South Island Southern Scenic Tour (TourzPlus™)
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Bicycle Tours in New Zealand: South Island Southern Scenic Tour (TourzPlus™)

A magnificent bicycling tour. We follow the road to Milford Sound, bicycling through towering mountains, beside lakes and innumerable waterfalls. We finish at Larnach's Castle on beautiful Otago Peninsula, close to the city of Dunedin.

Learn more about our TourzPlus™ partner tours and how they differ from regular ExperiencePlus! bicycle tours.

Day 1: Meet in Queenstown

Highlights: Queenstown

Our South Island Adventure starts at Queenstown, where the day is yours to spend at leisure

Day 2: Queenstown to Te Anau

Highlights: Lake Wakatipu, mountain views.

A beautiful ride beside Lake Wakatipu to

Kingston, where the vintage steam train departs. From here it is relatively flat all the way to Te Anau, with views of the Murchison and Kepler Mountains in the distance. There are cafés at Kingston, Athol and Mossburn.

Bicycling Options:

Queenstown to Kingston: 46 km / 29 mi

Queenstown to Athol: 76 km / 48 mi

Queenstown to Mossburn: 114 km / 71 mi

Day 3: Te Anau to the coast and back to Te Anau

Highlights: Spectacular views, boat trip on the fjord

The road to Te Anau is one of the most spectacular in the world. There are superb view points along the way. After Homer Tunnel (we will drive through as it is unlit) the road descends steeply to the sea. Included is a boat trip on the fjord; in the afternoon we will drive back over the Divide back to Te Anau.

No bicycling today.

Day 4: Te Anau to Southland

Highlights: Southern Scenic Route, Fiordland National Park, farm stay

We head south to Lake Manapouri and then join the Southern Scenic Route, on the edge of Fiordland National Park on our way to Southland and our farm stay.

Bicycling Options:

Te Anau to Blackmount School: 59 km / 37 mi

Te Anau to Otautau turn off: 87 km / 54 mi

Te Anau to Otautau: 115 km / 72 mi

Day 5: Southland to Invercargill

Highlights: Coastal views

Around the coast to Riverton and then to Invercargill, New Zealand's most southerly city.

Bicycling Options:

Otautau to Colac Bay: 65.5 km / 41 mi

Otautau to Riverton: 76.5 km / 48 mi

Otautau to Invercargill: 112 km / 70 mi

Day 6: Invercargill to Papatowai

Highlights: Quiet roads through rural and coastal scenery

Quiet rural riding through mixed farm land with some excellent coastal views. From Curio Bay we head through Catlins Forest to the small seaside settlement of Papatowai.

Bicycling Options:

Invercargill to Fortrose: 48 km / 30 mi.

Invercargill to Niagra Falls: 82 km / 51 mi.

Invercargill to Papatowai: 110 km / 69 mi

Day 7: Papatowai to Dunedin

Highlights: Castle views, architecture

On reaching Balclutha (63 km) we will drive the remaining distance into Dunedin, known for its rich architectural heritage and solid Scottish origins. Dunedin was the ancient name for Edinburgh. Lanarch's Castle is set high on Otago Peninsula with superb views, a magnificent location for your final stay.

Bicycling Options:

Papatowai to Blaclutha: 58km / 36 mi

Papatowai to Dunedin: 140 km / 87 mi

Day 8: Tour ends in Dunedin

Highlights:

After breakfast we say farewell. We wish you a safe journey home and hope to see you again.
  • Highlights
    Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown, Farm stay, Fiordland National Park views, Cruise on Milford Sound
  • Includes
    Use of a quality 27-speed bicycle, 8 days, 7 nights accommodation, 6 dinners, 4 lunches, & 7 breakfasts
  • Countries
    New Zealand
  • Begin/End
    Queenstown/Dunedin
  • Arrive/Depart
    Queenstown Int'l Airport (ZQN) / Dunedin Int'l Airport (DUD)
  • Total Distance
    244-538 km (153-336 miles)
  • Daily Distance
    40-119 km (25-74 miles)
  • What to Expect
    Some long days with shuttle options for those who want shorter or intermediate mileage.
  • Rating
    201-301
  • Notes
    TourzPlus™ Program
  • Terms
    Terms & Conditions
Dates Price Single
Supplement*		 Next
Step
Jan 21 - 28, 2014 NZ$3665 NZ$585 Book It
Mar 09 - 16, 2014 NZ$3665 NZ$585 Book It
*We are happy to match solo travelers who would like to share a room with someone of the same gender. If no match exists, due to hotel pricing, we will charge 50% of the single supplement rate. This fee will be collected at the time of the final payment. If a roommate assignment is available this fee will be refunded at the conclusion of the tour.

Click on the "pins" for details about each day's highlights.

Map Key

Green pinStart
Yellow pinCity (on route)
Red pinEnd
Other city dotCity (not part of route, provided for reference)
What was your favorite experience on this trip? There wasn''t just one!! Farm stay was awesome. The hike was amazing. Ride was so beautiful day after day. The castle at the end was a grand finale!!
Charlene R., Cheyenne, WY
[My favorite memories are ] climbing Haast Pass and flying down the other side, staying with Helen and Davey Mavor, sheep farmers and hosts extraordinaire, winding through the Catlins and up the final climb before Papatowai (which is an incredible place and should have a layover day!), stumbling on Maori sheep shearers and having Bill (our great guide)arrange for us to see the real, unsanitized deal... Hard to pick just one favorite.It was also great that the group (by then 5 of us) were flexible enough to bag the last partial day of riding so we could go to the yellow-eyed penguin reserve, which was arranged on the fly for us at our request.
Nancy C.
Salt Lake City, UT