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Road Cycling:
For more information on cycling options or for copies of the gradient profiles for each route please contact our Reservation team
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or visit www.cycletour.org.nz
Crown Range-Cromwell circuit (anticlockwise) -173km, total altitude gain 1500m, main summit is an 800m climb. This ride take you on a long loop down the Cardrona Valley and over the Crown Range summit to picturesque Arrowtown in the Queenstown basin for an excellent lunch stop. Then it is a fast and winding ride through the Kawarau River Gorge to Cromwell, then the long straight flat section beside Lake Dunstan back to Wanaka.
Haast Pass - West Coast - Northwards - 155km, total altitude gain 1200m, main summit is a 260m climb. This long ride takes you from Whare Kea along the edges of Lakes Wanaka and Hawea through the Southern Alps over Haast Pass to the temperate rain forest of the West Coast finishing on the beach at the edge of the Tasman Ocean. This is a truly spectacular ride in this direction in the right weather - return to Whare Kea is by van. If the prevailing north wind is blowing, then the ride can be done in reverse, ie. southwards. This does however mean a very early start in the shuttle van to the coast and a very steep 450m climb up to the Haast Pass.
Te Anau - Milford Sound - Northwards - 117km, total altitude gain 1050m, main summit is a 700m climb. Similar to the Haast Pass ride but a little shorter taking you along the eastern shore of Lake Te Anau and through the mountains of the Fiordland National Park to the ocean at the head of Milford Sound. Unique to this ride, the summit occurs right at the entrance to the Homer Tunnel, from here it is a 10% down grade for 1.2km through the tunnel before the steep descent continues all the way to sea level. Once again this ride can be done in the reverse direction if the prevailing wind is too strong, although this increases the total height gain to 1250m and means a 10km at 8% climb to the summit. Both rides require good weather for the air access from Wanaka to ensure an early start in order to return the same evening.
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Lindis Pass - Omarama - 117km, total altitude gain 1100m, main summit is a 650m climb. This ride is a good option when the weather is more inclement taking you eastwards from Whare Kea through Wanaka, over the Lindis Pass into the McKenzie Basin to Omarama, with a return via shuttle van to Whare Kea. Again, this ride can be done in reverse.
Cromwell Gorge - Alexandra - 96km, total altitude gain 375m. This is a very fast ride with the prevailing north westerly winds behind you. The ride takes you from Whare Kea on perfectly formed quiet secondary roads down the eastern shore of Lake Dunstan to Cromwell, then on the main highway through the Cromwell Gorge to the Clyde Dam. The ride finishes with a flat run through the township of Clyde and along to Alexandra. Return to Whare Kea by van.
Treble Cone ski resort turn off and return - 33km, total altitude gain 400m. More of a pre-breakfast training ride, nevertheless this beautiful route takes you from Whare Kea around the southern edge of Lake Wanaka and along the floor of the Matukitukii Valley to the turn-off for the Treble Cone ski resort, all under the watchful eye of the Harris mountain range.
Lake Dunstan Circuit (anticlockwise) - 180km, total altitude gain 500m. This is the course used by the Challenge Wanaka iron-man competition. From Whare Kea this route take you to the Treble Cone ski resort turn-off, then back past Whare Kea, through Wanaka and Luggate, down the western side of Lake Dunstan, then up the eastern side of Lake Dunstan, past Tarras to Lake Hawea, then down the Hawea River to Albert Town, up the Cardrona River and back through Wanaka to Whare Kea.
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