We wake up to bright, cool blue skies. The front has passed through, and it is a lovely day. We’re served a fantastic breakfast by Blanche and Craig, and then it’s back on our bikes. We have a very short and easy ride today— only 12 kilometres to the finish— so we ride in one big group, taking our time and savouring the experience. We follow the trail through the Oamaru town outskirts and then ride through the picturesque botanical gardens. We come out of the gardens near the Oamaru downtown, which is filled with magnificent, large buildings, churches, wool stores, and such— all made of beautiful white Oamaru limestone. We wind through the old waterfront buildings and reach the finish at the port. It’s all over too quickly! We grab a group photo at the finish, then change out of our riding gear into street clothes and spend a few hours on our own exploring the Oamaru shops and sites. At noon, we gather for a final pizza meal at Scott’s Brewery. Then it’s back into the van for a five-hour drive back to Queenstown, where we say farewell to our new friends. It’s been an absolutely awesome week! ——————- Thoughts on the tour: Lisa and I are usually walkers, not cyclists, but we loved this trip! Firstly, Escape by Cycle is an awesome tour company. Not the lowest cost tour, but we think it was excellent value. Almost everything included (except alcoholic drinks and barista coffee are extra), and everything from the e-bike gear, accommodation, and food was high-end. Don’t come on this trip thinking you will lose weight unless you have great discipline, as the guides are constantly offering you yummy food, and the dinners are huge and tasty with lots of choice for different preferences or dietary requirements. I tried to ride on eco mode as much as I could so I would be forced to work harder to compensate for all the food and drink I consumed. The lodging was unique and highly comfortable, always with your own private ensuite bathroom. Between the riding and additional non-riding activities (such as wine tasting, hot tubs, etc.) , we seemed to be always busy from morning to evening but at a pace that suited all of us. The tour groups are small - we had ten riders. The other eight were a group of friends from Auckland, but they opened their arms to Lisa and me and helped make the week very special. Finally, our guides, Leyton and Shaun, were superb! Always good-natured, affable, and service-oriented, they ran our tour perfectly - very organised yet flexible to group needs and desires. It all added up to a magnificent week! Kudos and huge thanks! 🙏👏 We highly recommend Escape by Cycles. Carl / Pilgrim #cycling #A2O

Mountain Biking

New Zealand, South Island, Alps To Ocean, A2O, Cycling

Waitaki District, Canterbury, New Zealand

time : Mar 4, 2025 9:08 AM

duration : 1h 19m 47s

distance : 12.5 km

total_ascent : 52 m

highest_point : 93 m

avg_speed : 15.3 km/h

user_id : gstreet

user_firstname : Carl

user_lastname : Greenstreet

We wake up to bright, cool blue skies. The front has passed through, and it is a lovely day. We’re served a fantastic breakfast by Blanche and Craig, and then it’s back on our bikes. We have a very short and easy ride today— only 12 kilometres to the finish— so we ride in one big group, taking our time and savouring the experience. We follow the trail through the Oamaru town outskirts and then ride through the picturesque botanical gardens. We come out of the gardens near the Oamaru downtown, which is filled with magnificent, large buildings, churches, wool stores, and such— all made of beautiful white Oamaru limestone. We wind through the old waterfront buildings and reach the finish at the port. It’s all over too quickly! We grab a group photo at the finish, then change out of our riding gear into street clothes and spend a few hours on our own exploring the Oamaru shops and sites. At noon, we gather for a final pizza meal at Scott’s Brewery. Then it’s back into the van for a five-hour drive back to Queenstown, where we say farewell to our new friends. It’s been an absolutely awesome week! ——————- Thoughts on the tour: Lisa and I are usually walkers, not cyclists, but we loved this trip! Firstly, Escape by Cycle is an awesome tour company. Not the lowest cost tour, but we think it was excellent value. Almost everything included (except alcoholic drinks and barista coffee are extra), and everything from the e-bike gear, accommodation, and food was high-end. Don’t come on this trip thinking you will lose weight unless you have great discipline, as the guides are constantly offering you yummy food, and the dinners are huge and tasty with lots of choice for different preferences or dietary requirements. I tried to ride on eco mode as much as I could so I would be forced to work harder to compensate for all the food and drink I consumed. The lodging was unique and highly comfortable, always with your own private ensuite bathroom. Between the riding and additional non-riding activities (such as wine tasting, hot tubs, etc.) , we seemed to be always busy from morning to evening but at a pace that suited all of us. The tour groups are small - we had ten riders. The other eight were a group of friends from Auckland, but they opened their arms to Lisa and me and helped make the week very special. Finally, our guides, Leyton and Shaun, were superb! Always good-natured, affable, and service-oriented, they ran our tour perfectly - very organised yet flexible to group needs and desires. It all added up to a magnificent week! Kudos and huge thanks! 🙏👏 We highly recommend Escape by Cycles. Carl / Pilgrim #cycling #A2O