Natural High Tel

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1 5 Day North Canterbury & Marlborough Cycle Tour Daily trip notes This 5 Day 4 Night itinerary includes New Zealand s largest high country farm in the Awatere Valley and the stunning Marlborough district Trip highlights Cycle via quiet back roads to Oxford where we visit Jo Seager s famous cafe & cooking school. Spend a night at a vineyard in the Waipara Valley, the Old Glenmark Vicarage Lodge, 2010 winner of the South Island Best of Wine Tourism Award for Accommodation. Soak in the therapeutic hot springs at Hanmer. Cycle the remote Molesworth Road and visit the historic Molesworth Cob Cottage and Acheron Accommodation House. Overnight in the shearers quarters of a high country merino sheep farm. Cycle alongside a spectacular river as it makes its way to the sea via the famous Sauvignon Blanc producing vineyards of the Awatere valley. Take an optional swim with the dolphins, whale watch or Pelagic bird (Albatross) tour in Kaikoura. This tour is a combined tour with and Adventure South. The trip The Molesworth High Country Cycle starts out of Christchurch, with five days of cycling in the Northern Canterbury & Marlborough districts. We visit the emerging wine growing district of Waipara Valley and travel via idylic Hanmer Hot Springs onto the isolated road through the Molesworth Station, New Zealand s largest farm. After a night in the shearers quarters of a back country Merino sheep station, we follow the river down the beautiful Awatere valley to emerge amongst vineyards alongside the Pacific Ocean. We overnight in Kaikoura with options to view whales, dolphins and albatross before returning to Christchurch via the spectacular Inland Kaikoura road. Day 1 Christchurch to Waipara Day 2 Waipara to Hanmer Day 3 - Hanmer to Upcot Station Day 4 - Upcot Station to Kaikoura Day 5 - Kaikoura to Christchurch Important: The night before your tour is to depart your guide will call your pre tour accommodation to advise what time they will collect you the following morning. (Please make sure you have given us information as to where you are staying). If you are not around when your guide calls they will leave a message at reception it s really important that you check with reception if you have not heard from your guide directly. If for any reason you have not heard from your guide by the morning of the tour please call us in the NZ office on (from within NZ). We then come to our depot for a bike fitting & test ride before driving out of town.

2 Day 1 Christchurch to Waipara Today s cycling itinerary is flexible depending on the prevailing wind along the quiet back road from Loburn to Oxford. During the day we will visit the scenic Ashley River gorge & the Jo Seager s famous café in the village of Oxford. Late afternoon we drive to our homestay accommodation amongst the vineyards of the Waipara Valley, tonight we enjoy a home cooked meal & sample local wines alongside the pool in the beautifully converted barn at the Old Vicarage Lodge. Meals: L,D up to 50kms / 31 miles Day 2 Waipara to Hanmer After a relaxed start we cycle the quiet back roads to the historic Hurunui Pub for lunch before driving to Hanmer. The rest of the afternoon you have the option to explore the local cycle trails or soak in the thermal hot pools. Tonight you are free to enjoy one of the several excellent local restaurants. Meals: B up to 50kms / 31 miles Day 3 Hanmer to Upcot Station An early start sees us drive to the top of Jacks Pass before cycling into the Molesworth valley. Flanked by mountain ranges, the road follows the Acheron River to the historic Acheron House. Built in 1863, it was an overnight stopover in the early stock droving days. We cycle & drive our way along the spectacular valley. Just after Ward s Pass, we pass the Molesworth Station settlement before meeting up at the Molesworth Cob Cottage built in We then load up and drive to our shearers quarters lodging nestled under Mt. Tapuae-o-Uenuku, NZ s highest mountain outside of the Southern Alps. We dine on local produce tonight with our hosts whose family have farmed this land for three generations. Meals: B,L,D up to 86kms / 53 miles Day 4 Upcot Station to Kaikoura A relaxed start this morning allows us to enjoy this high country Merino sheep farm. After saying farewell to our hosts, we set off along the beautiful Awatere river valley. The scenery is spectacular & the road undulating at first before we encounter a long flat section as the valley opens out into the terraced vineyards that produce award winning Sauvignon Blancs. We picnic on Yealand s Estate, a modern vineyard following sustainable horticultural practices, before driving along the scenic coastline to Kaikoura. If time allows you can take a dusk walk around the Kaikoura Peninsula. Meals: B,L,D Up to 63kms / 40 miles Awatere Valley Vineyard Ride 32kms / 20 miles Day 5 Kaikoura to Christchurch Early morning you have the option of taking a Whalewatch tour, or going on an Encounter with dolphins or albatross. Our guides will deliver those that want to ride to the Inland Kaikoura Road before returning to collect the rest of the group from their marine wildlife experience. We meet up with the cyclists before enjoying an easy downhill run into the village of Waiau for a picnic lunch. There is a final option for one more back country ride before we load up & return to Christchurch where you will be delivered to your local lodging. Meals: B,L Up to 110kms / 68 miles Mt Lyford to Waiau 28kms / 17 miles Waiau to SH1 via Leader Road 31kms / 19 miles

3 KEY: B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner Information Included in trip cost All breakfasts (excluding day 1), 4 lunches, and 3 evening meals A great guide and transport Accommodation as detailed based on a twin share basis with private bathroom facilities Access and Concession fees paid to the Department of Conservation NZ Goods and Service Tax (GST) of 15% Not included 1 lunch and 1 dinner Cycle hire NZD$150 / AU$120 Entry fee into Hanmer Hot Springs Alcoholic and soft drinks with included meals Optional activities along the way Personal expenses Gratuities - tipping is not expected in NZ but gratefully received. It is at your discretion whether or not to reward for excellent service

4 Pre & Post trip accommodation If you are seeking a room before or after your tour, following are our recommendations. has negotiated very competitive room rates and if you wish we can arrange the booking for you. Accommodation Providers Pavilions Hotel 42 Papanui Road, Christchurch Ph: Fax: Chateau on the Park 189 Deans Ave, Christchurch Ph: Fax: Accommodation and meals The accommodation for this trip has been carefully selected to provide comfort and value in the best locations possible. The accommodation is in character lodgings on a twin share basis. If you wish to reserve a room to yourself, there will be a single supplement charge. Equipment Bicycles We ask clients to supply details of their height at the time of booking to allow us to allocate correct size frame. We use a Trek 7300 or Trek 7500 Hybrid bike that will be equipped with a helmet, water bottle and a small front and rear pannier bag - each has enough space for your jumper, camera, wallet etc. As part of our cycle safety policy our bikes have side flags, which create space on the road and bright rear reflectors. We believe in Be Safe Be Seen. Note we supply Helmets, Saddles & Pedals on our bicycles but you may wish to bring your own for your personal comfort. We also have available for sale bright cycling vests and rear-vision mirrors. You also may like to bring your own mirrors but these should attach to your helmet or glasses, not to the bike. Gear List The weather in New Zealand is often changeable, and due to the nature of the trip involved, you will need to have suitable clothing for a wide range of conditions. The following is a recommended list: Tee shirt and shorts Cycle pants and gloves (recommended but optional) Highly visible/bright cycle clothing for increased safety on our roads Long sleeved lightweight top or shirt Lightweight woolen jumper or fleece Windproof shell

5 Rainwear - top and pants Socks and underwear Suitable cycle footwear Lightweight trekking / hiking boots or footwear for walks Personal toilet gear, towel, sun cream and lip balm Swimsuit for the brave and hardy Insect repellent Camera Casual evening clothing Small day bag for walks Safety All adventures, no matter how modest, involve an element of risk - that is their nature. However throughout the holiday, safety is always a most important consideration. Only reputable, experienced and safety conscious operators are used for the specialist adventure activities, and your widely experienced guides undertakes all the activities with the group. This means there is always a high level of skilled support. Health and fitness This is an active holiday so you need to be fit and in good health. If you are taking medication please let your guide know. Fitness is difficult to define. However as a general rule you should be able to comfortably cycle for up to 3-4 hours a day, on some uneven ground and with some uphill. If you don t do a lot of physical activity we would recommend you set yourself a program starting with short cycles of say half an hour a day and gradually building up to 3-4 longer cycles each week, including some uphill. The secret is to start slowly, and increase your exercise gradually. The fitter you are the more enjoyable your trip will be. Travel insurance We strongly urge you take travel insurance to cover cancellation and curtailment, baggage loss or damage, medical expenses, emergency travel, repatriation and personal accident. Changing money There are plenty of opportunities to change money at banks during the tour. ATM machines are readily available, credit cards are accepted in most places and some of the hotels will change travellers cheques. Smoking on tour In New Zealand we have a non-smoking policy in all indoor public areas (restaurants, bars). When travelling, there are plenty of opportunities during stops. Voltage New Zealand operates on a 230 volt (AC) main supply. The plugs are either 2 or 3 flattened prongs. Check if you need a universal plug adapter.

6 Culture The Maori are the indigenous Polynesians of New Zealand and they account for approximately 13% of the population. The rest of the population is predominantly Europeans/pakeha (meaning white person). Due to a recent awareness and revival of Maori culture, most New Zealanders now accept they are part of a distinctly bicultural community. Culture and cultural activities are an important part of the New Zealand way of life. They are reflected in our museums, libraries, on Maraes (meeting place for Maori people), and through activities such as music, theatre, books, films, paintings, pottery, crafts etc. Luggage We recommend you pack your luggage in a soft sports bag for easy stowing in the trailer. We urge you to keep your luggage to a minimum. If you have extra luggage you do not require for your holiday we can easily arrange to have it stored until the end of the trip. New Zealand Some interesting facts about New Zealand New Zealand is similar in size to the UK, Japan and the state of California Population is 4 million English is spoken by 95% of the population. However there are some English words that have a specific New Zealand meaning Largest city - Auckland approximately 1.5 million. The capital, Wellington has a population of 331,100 New Zealand s landscape is a mixture of flat land, rolling hill country and mountains. There are 360 glaciers in the Southern Alps, the largest, the Tasman Glacier is 29 km long New Zealand has 7 universities and 25 polytechnics New Zealand was the first country in the world to give women the vote in 1883 Apart from a small native bat, New Zealand has no native mammals Parrots -New Zealand has the only flightless parrot in the world -the kakapo, and the only mountain parrot -the kea There are 49.5 million sheep in New Zealand (that s 14 to every person) The Kiwi, a flightless bird, is a national symbol. It is also the name used to refer to New Zealanders. Weather New Zealand enjoys a sub-tropical maritime climate, i.e. a climate with few extremes. However the weather can be changeable. Maximum mid-summer temperatures range from C (65-77 F) with January and February being the warmest months. The temperatures are cooler in the mountain regions and it does rain at times especially on the West Coast. A good waterproof parka or anorak as well as rain-pants are crucial. Fortunately the weather rolls through quickly and often the next day is stunningly clear! Occasionally however weather conditions on the land may prevent us from completing a scheduled activity. The decision to alter the itinerary is made in the best interest of the group and its safety, and alternative plans are made.

7 Bibliography A History of New Zealand - Keith Sinclair (Penguin Books) - an in depth read of NZ history The Story of New Zealand - Bassett, Sinclair & Stenson ( Reed) - a quick light read The Native Trees of New Zealand - J.T Salmon. (Reed) - for interested botanists Natural History of New Zealand - Nic Bishop (Hodder & Stoughton) - coverage of NZ fauna / flora by zone. The Natural World of New Zealand - Gerald Hutching (Viking) - the reference book used by guides! Cycling New Zealand Lonely Planet publications - the bible for cycle touring in NZ