Cycle the Kawarau, Dunstan and Roxburgh Gorges

Itinerary Details

1. Day 1Queenstown to Wanaka via Queenstown & Arrow River Trails

   After an early morning briefing in Queenstown, you’ll saddle up for your first ride on arguably the best of the Queenstown Trails. Starting from the hotel, you’ll quickly join the Frankton Trail, a well-formed shingle track along the shore of Lake Wakatipu, offering stunning mountain and lake views.

   Upon reaching the old Kawarau Bridge at Frankton, you’ll transition to the Twin Rivers Trail and then the Countryside Trail, arriving in the charming old gold mining town of Arrowtown just in time for lunch. The journey continues on the Arrow River Bridges Trail, featuring two spectacular suspension bridges, leading you to the historic Kawarau Bridge where you can watch bungy jumpers and zipliners getting their adrenaline fix! A scenic drive down the Kawarau Gorge will take you past the historic Roaring Meg and Kawarau gold diggings to the lakeside town of Wanaka, where you’ll spend your first night and enjoy a group dinner.

   Itinerary from January 2026 with opening of new Kawarau Gorge Trail (53km)
   

   After an early morning briefing in Queenstown, you’ll head straight to the old gold mining town of Arrowtown and start your adventure on the picturesque Arrow River Bridges Trail. The trail crosses five bridges over the willow-lined Arrow River on its way to Gibbston Valley, where you'll connect to the Gibbston River Trail winding its way high above the Kawarau River through Central Otago’s premier wine-growing region.

   Fuelled by a scenic picnic lunch, you’re ready to tackle the newest Great Ride, the Kawarau Gorge Trail which has opened up previously inaccessible segments of the stunning Kawarau Gorge. Meandering around the Nevis Bluff, you’ll be riding on bluff bridges around the edge of the Kawarau River, past rapids with a spectacular view up the mouth of the Nevis River. Cross two impressive suspension bridges as you navigate the gorge and immerse yourself in the rich history of the area along the way with incredible stories of early gold mining days, ingenious power generation projects, tales of rabbit hunting, and the ancient routes traversed by early Maori. The trail ends in the small historic gold mining town of Bannockburn where you’ll load up and transfer past Lake Dunstan to the lakeside town of Wanaka, where you'll spend your first night and enjoy your first group dinner.
   
   
   
   
   

   • 26.7 miles
   • Edgewater Hotel or Oakridge Resort
   • Dinner
2. Day 2Wanaka to Cromwell via Outlet, Hawea River & Lake Dunstan Trails

   After a hearty café breakfast, you’ll head out of Wanaka on the Outlet Trail, following the crystal-clear waters of the Clutha River/Mata-Au from the Lake Wanaka outlet to Albert Town. This stretch of the river is world-renowned for trout fishing, and the track offers easy riding with many spots to stop and enjoy the spectacular scenery along the way.

   Next, you’ll take the delightful Hawea River Track, easily accessed from the end of the Outlet Trail. This 10km bike trail follows the Hawea River from Albert Town to Lake Hawea, offering an easy and beautifully scenic ride. After lunch, you’ll transfer a short distance to Smith's Way on the shore of Lake Dunstan. From here, you’ll ride the first section of the Lake Dunstan Trail along the lake to the Cromwell Heritage Precinct.

   Here, you’ll park your bikes and explore the boutique galleries, stores, restaurants, and cafes before checking into your accommodation. Dinner is at your leisure tonight.

   
   

   
   
   

   • 25.5 miles
   • Carrick Lodge Motel, Cromwell
   • Breakfast and Lunch
3. Day 3Cromwell to Clyde via Lake Dunstan & Alexandra River Trails

   Today, you’ll rejoin the Lake Dunstan Trail, which loops back around the Bannockburn Inlet and continues toward Cornish Point, passing vineyards and olive groves. The trail enters the stunning Cromwell Gorge, where you’ll cycle around sheer rock faces and over lake inlets on impressively engineered platforms and bridges rising above Lake Dunstan. This lake was created by the damming of the mighty Clutha Mata-au River, New Zealand’s second longest river. The trail passes the historically controversial hydroelectric Clyde Dam before finishing at the Red Bridge at Clyde.

   Your final ride today is on the Clyde to Alexandra River Trail, a delightful and mainly flat 10km ride along the bank of the Clutha River. You’ll then drive back to Clyde, with time to explore this small historic town and enjoy a wine tasting at a boutique winery.

   
   
   

   • 32.9 miles
   • Dunstan House, Clyde
   • Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
4. Day 4Clyde to Roxburgh via the Clutha Gold Trail

   Your Central Otago cycling adventure continues on the Clutha Gold Cycle Trail. The day begins with the drive to Beaumont, home of a wrought iron single-lane bridge constructed in 1887 to cross the swirling, turquoise waters of the mighty Clutha and the only bridge of this kind in the country. Twenty scenic kilometres on through the scenic Beaumont Gorge, you’ll reach the small farming settlement of Millers Flat, named after the first European settler, Walter Miller, who arrived in Otago in 1849. From here you'll follow the trail through to Pinders Pond, the site of an old hydraulic elevation pond before meandering along the riverside, keeping an eye out for stunning hillside rock formations and large stands of regenerating native Ka-nuka (tea tree). Finishing deep into the orchard-lands of the Teviot Valley, the Clutha Gold Trail ends below the impressive Roxburgh Dam and it's then just a short, but steepish (!), climb to cross the Dam over to your lodge accommodation for the night.
   

   • 34.2 miles
   • Roxburgh Lodge
   • Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
5. Day 5Roxburgh to Queenstown via Roxburgh Gorge Trail

   Just as the impressive Roxburgh hydro dam marks the end of the Clutha Gold Trail, it also marks the start of the Roxburgh Gorge Trail. With amazing northerly vistas across the Lake Roxburgh the trail drops into the Gorge and then heads away from the water passing through a small secluded valley with regenerating Ka-nuka (tea tree) scrubland and into sweeping hill country farmland.

   At Elbow Creek, it’s a gradual descent to Shingle Creek, the halfway mark where you'll take a scenic jet boat ride for the next 10km to Doctor’s Point. The second half of the trail is equally remote and awe-inspiring with stone-walled water races and other remnants of gold mining activity. You'll continue tracing the gorge to finally emerge in Alexandra marking the end of your riding adventure before the drive back to Queenstown.
   

   • 14.3 miles
   • Breakfast and Lunch

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     Jet Boating in New Zealand

     Take an exhilarating break on the last day as you and the bikes enjoy a jet boat ride on the Clutha River