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North Island Back Roads: Wellington to Auckland
Ride NZ’s spectacular coastal and rural roads from Wellington to Auckland over 9 days on a guided group tour. Cycle a selection of New Zealand’s quiet back roads from the capital all the way to the City of Sails on this 9 day fully supported road biking tour. The guides will be there to show you the best of NZ, share their stories and will always be nearby with the support vehicle if anyone gets tired legs, or needs a snack! You’ll also enjoy a variety of carefully picked local accommodation and kiwi hospitality.
- CategoryRoad Cycling
- TypeFully Guided
- Duration9 days
- Culture LevelFamiliar
- Skill Level3 - Intermediate
- Activity Level3 - Active
- Elevation3 - Intermediate
- TerrainMixed
- Distance356 miles
- Avg. Daily Distance44.1 miles
From Wellington, you'll follow winding roads through the Hutt Valley towards the Rimutaka Ranges. The ride then descends through vineyards to the east where you will follow rolling coastal and rural roads to the town of Napier.
Two nights in Napier allows plenty of time to explore the world-renowned art deco architecture, enjoy more scenic riding and the equally impressive wines of nearby Hawke’s Bay. Your journey then takes you to the volcanic landscapes of the Central Plateau via the infamous ‘Gentle Annie’ climb.
There’s time to explore Rotorua’s thermal paradise before heading further north to the Coromandel Peninsula. Here, you'll ride along another stunning coastline to your final destination, Auckland.
The tour is graded moderate to challenging. You will need to be a competent road rider with stamina and a good level of fitness, you should be able to cycle comfortably for up to 6-8 hours or around 100km/60miles per day, day after day, with some extended uphill ascents. There are some long days and some steep sections. You should be confident riding on main roads alongside traffic which can be travelling at speed. This tour is not for beginners. The tour is fully supported and if at any stage you feel like having a rest from cycling you will be able to ride in the support vehicle.