9 minute read
ALPS 2 OCEAN CYCLE TRAIL
AORAKI MT COOK VILLAGE to ŌAMARU
6 days - 315km
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© AA Traveller 2022
Are you ready for pit stops like no other? From picnics under snow-capped mountains to refreshing swims in alpine lakes, things are about to get extraordinary. Currently New Zealand’s longest cycling trail, this one takes you from the Alps to the ocean over six incredible days.
The trail is split into nine parts ranging from easy to intermediate, so it’s also possible to create a day trip. Alternatively, you could tick off a couple of sections over the course of a weekend. The benefit of making it a multi-day affair is staying at various lodges, motels and cosy B&Bs.
Riders can start from either Tekapō or Aoraki Mt Cook from where a mix of sealed road, dirt and grass pathways, as well as smooth and rough shingle make up the route. Tracks wander below chalky-white mountains of Mt Cook National Park, vast open plains such as the
Pūkaki Flats, springy forest trail and six expansive lakes, including the phenomenally blue lakes of Pūkaki and Tekapō.You’ll take in the lofty views of Aoraki Mt Cook reflecting in Lake Pūkaki. At the highest point on the trail, you can marvel at the Mackenzie Basin and enjoy long stretches of fast downhill. Take a small detour that leads to the hoodoo-style rock formations at Clay Cliffs. This ride also takes in as many small towns, pubs, cafés and vineyards (specifically in Waitaki wine country) as it does natural highlights, so you’re never too far from good food and a yarn with the locals. Your ride concludes when you reach the Pacific Ocean next to Ōamaru.
TRAIL INFO
TRAIL GRADES:
AORAKI MT COOK TO BRAEMAR RD, 35KM - GRADE 2 (EASY)
LAKE TEKAPŌ TO TWIZEL, 55KM - GRADE 2 (EASY)
BRAEMAR RD TO TWIZEL, 40KM - GRADE 2 (EASY)
TWIZEL TO LAKE ŌHAU LODGE, 38KM - GRADE 2 (EASY)
LAKE ŌHAU LODGE TO ŌMARAMA, 43KM - GRADE 3 (INTERMEDIATE)
ŌMARAMA TO ŌTEMATATA, 35KM - GRADE 2 & 3 (EASY-INTERMEDIATE)
ŌTEMATATA TO KUROW, 44KM - GRADE 2 & 3 (EASY-INTERMEDIATE)
KUROW TO DUNTROON, 27KM - GRADE 2 (EASY)
DUNTROON TO ŌAMARU, 54KM - GRADE 3 (INTERMEDIATE)
MOBILE PHONE COVERAGE: Coverage ranges from perfect to patchy. WiFi at cafés & accommodation.
DRINKING WATER: Available in the towns along the trail. There are some long stretches without water, so it will pay to plan ahead.
TYPE OF BIKE: A ship-shape mountain bike is essential for the terrain. E-bikes (up to 300kw) are permitted.
FOR MORE INFO: https://www.alps2ocean.comGRADE 2 (EASY)
Summer riding © Rachel Gillespie
RIDING THE TRAIL
AORAKI MT COOK TO BRAEMAR RD, 35KM
The trail starts at White Horse Hill Campground, 2km north of Aoraki Mt Cook Village, offering riders the chance to soak up the stunning mountain scenery before setting off down a glacier-carved valley. It’s just over 7km to Mt Cook airport where a short helicopter-hop transports bikes and riders across the Tasman River to Rotten Tommy. Please note there is a charge for the helicopter ride and it must be booked in advance. The trail is a little bit lumpy as it winds alongside the Tasman River’s braided waters, which eventually empty into the turquoise blue of Lake Pūkaki. After 10km of riverside trail, Jollie Car Park marks the start of a 17km gravel road section to Braemar Rd. If you wish to avoid the helicopter crossing there are several alternative starts: Lake Tekapō, Tekapō B Power Station or Jollie Car Park.
LAKE TEKAPŌ TO TWIZEL, 55KM
The trail’s alternative start takes in the striking contrasts of the Mackenzie Country’s turquoise blue lakes and canals, surrounded by golden tussock plains and bound by majestic mountain ranges. Leaving Tekapō township, the trail heads off on gravel tracks past Tekapō A Power Station, and on to the long but rather lovely Tekapō Canal Rd which is closed to vehicle traffic. The road passes two salmon farms and reaches Tekapō B Power Station. The trail then drops down to Lake Pūkaki and meets Hayman Rd where riders join the Aoraki Mt Cook section of trail following the shoreline to Pūkaki Dam and across the tussock-covered flats to Twizel.
BRAEMAR RD TO TWIZEL, 40KM
The trail follows a country road along the eastern shore of Lake Pūkaki, with notable flora and fauna and Tekapō B Power Station among the highlights. All eyes, however, will likely be latched on to Lake Pūkaki and the Southern Alps, all the way down to the bottom of Hayman Rd where an off-road trail heads towards Pūkaki Dam. After the dam, riders will have their sights set on the laid-back little town of Twizel, an oasis of green streets amidst the desert-like Pūkaki Flats.
TWIZEL TO LAKE ŌHAU LODGE, 38KM
The next leg heads out on a pretty country road to reach Loch Cameron at the 6km mark – a great place for a swim if time and temperature are on your side. Just ahead, across the canal bridge, a straight easy pedal leads to the edge of Lake Ōhau. The Ben Ōhau Range dwarfs all and sundry as you follow the lake foreshore across Ōhau Weir and onward along the lake past Lake Ōhau Village to the Lodge. Note: there is no way across Ōhau Weir when it is in flood, so be sure to check this link https://alps2ocean.com/trail-status for updates.
LAKE ŌHAU LODGE TO ŌMARAMA, 43KM
It’s a gentle 6km warm up to Freehold Creek. The next section has a 300m climb to conquer over a generous 5km. The trail then winds through golden meadows and past an historic woolshed before joining the quintessentially rural Quailburn Rd. Checking out the Clay Cliffs is a worthwhile (14km return) side trip off Quailburn Rd if you have time. From the SH 8 junction, Ōmarama (with its soothing outdoor hot tubs) is just a few kilometres away.
ŌMARAMA TO ŌTEMATATA, 35KM
It’s a whole new world after Ōmarama. Over Chain Hills, it’s a big Welcome to the Waitaki Valley with its big blue hydro lakes and little country towns. This short leg takes riders down to Lake Benmore, along its edge past Pumpkin Point and on to Sailors Cutting Scenic Reserve – a popular boating, fishing and camping spot. From here the trail follows the lakeshore on a scenic route expertly carved into the side of the hill until Benmore Dam is reached. Ōtematata is well worth the visit to restock and replenish.
ŌTEMATATA TO KUROW, 44KM
Head back to the Benmore Hydro Dam – the last 800m to the top of the dam is a bit of a grind. From Benmore Dam (New Zealand’s largest earth dam) the trail follows the road along Lake Aviemore (swimming possible) to the Aviemore Dam. The next 16km of newly built trail delivers grand lake and river views and even a ghost town, before arriving in Kurow, notable for locally produced award-winning wines (and Richie McCaw).
KUROW TO DUNTROON, 27KM
This section follows a smooth shingle path down the Waitaki Valley, traversing ancient alluvial plains and crossing three side rivers. This is the heart of Waitaki wine country – taste it where you can. The trail then hugs the highway as it gets closer to Duntroon, taking a minor detour to Takiroa Māori rock art site along the way.
DUNTROON TO ŌAMARU, 54KM
It’s just 7km from Duntroon to one of the trail’s strangest sights – the huge limestone boulders scattered across a grassy paddock, aptly named Elephant Rocks although mammoths and even hippos may well be imagined. More limestone oddities crop up as the trail leads onward on- and off-road through bucolic farmland to Rakis Railway Tunnel. The trail then hops on and off the railway line through the dots of Windsor, Enfield and Weston, and on to Ōamaru. The town’s magnificent public gardens are a fine prelude to the grand finale of gargantuan Victoria warehouses overlooking Ōamaru Harbour and the Pacific Ocean.
Aoraki Mt Cook – glacier explorers © SouthCanterbury.org.nz
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE TRAIL
• Ōmarama is famed for its indulgent outdoor hot tubs which are surrounded by bucolic views and tussock land.
• The Aoraki Mackenzie Dark Sky Reserve is the world’s largest dark sky reserve, star gaze in the villages of Tekapō, Twizel and Aoraki Mt Cook is incredible.
• Aoraki Mt Cook is the region’s earthly star of the show and a visit to Lake Pūkaki affords stunning views of the mountain range.
The brave can take a dip in the glacially fed waters.
• Tekapō Hot Springs can be enjoyed by day or night, for star gazing with a difference.
• A slight detour, but a must do, are the immense pinnacles of Ōmarama’s Clay Cliffs.
• In Twizel, see how salmon is farmed, feed the fish and catch your own at High Country Salmon. Accompany it with a trip to the local distillery, handcrafting white-whisky.
• For those devoted to the grape, sample a superb drop in the Waitaki’s wine region.
• Rakis Tunnel is a 500m-long abandoned rail tunnel with no lights. There is an alternative route if that sounds too claustrophobic.
• Save some energy and time for a visit to Ōamaru. A visit to the world’s smallest blue penguins in their colony is a must.
• Waimate Thirty-five minutes from Ōamaru, you’ll find some top MTB tracks, hoppingly cute wallabies and the White Horse Walkway leading to the famous monument.
Lake Pūkaki shoreline – Aoraki Mt Cook in the background © SouthCanterbury.org.nz
