I have thought quite hard about whether it is worth writing an article about CyclingGravel’s experience on Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail (A2O). After all, there is quite a lot of information available that is reasonably easy to find.
On reflection, however, there are some things that get little attention – including that this route will be a lot more enjoyable with the right kind of bike. In fact, I would say that despite some of the advice online I’d put the trail in the definitely not-so-easy category and it is worth knowing this both when planning how many days to take and also choosing your bike.
Further, if you want to do it unsupported, there is not a lot of information about how to cycle to the start from Christchurch, and what it is like to cycle to Dunedin at the end. So, with this in mind, this is my attempt to answer three key questions:
- What is the A2O trail really like, and what sort of cycling is involved?
- What is it like to cycle from Christchurch to Lake Tekapo – i.e. cycling to the alternate start of A2O?
- Having completed A2O, is it doable to cycle to Dunedin?
What is Alps 2 Ocean really like?
I think that the most important thing to understand about A2O is that unless you are keen and happy cycling under-biked, a traditional gravel or touring bike is not a good choice – you will have a much better time on a bike with tyres that are at least 2 inches wide (i.e. a mountain bike or adventure bike). This is not entirely true for the whole route, but is particularly the case between Twizel and Kurow.
CyclingGravel did the trip over four days, which unless you are super keen is the minimum I would recommend if you have any desire to spend some time in the locations you stop for the evening. The official A2O suggests allowing 5-7 days….
Lake Tekapo – Twizel (58km). Because we were cycling from Christchurch, we chose the alternative A2O start at Lake Tekapo instead of from Aoraki-Mt Cook. Really exposed if the day is windy, the views on offer as you cycle along canals are fantastic and it is interesting to see the salmon farming as well as folk seeking to catch a stray. After the descent to Lake Pukaki the track around the lake is also great, and for us it was possible to clearly see Aoraki-Mount Cook across the lake. Stunning. The gravel trail continues all the way through to Twizel and was in good condition: suitable for gravel bikes. I recommend Mount Pukaki Salmon as a place to have lunch (potentially bring your own supplies to go with the salmon), albeit the location is afflicted by instagram obsessed tourists.
Twizel – Omarama (82km). From Twizel A2O continues to Lake Ohau on similar trails to those of the previous section – canalside and also lakeside. At times this becomes single track that was muddy in parts, but this is nothing like what is to come with the Tarnbrae Track. This track between Lake Ohau and Quailburn campsite is almost entirely single track, has parts that are steep and rocky, and on a wet day can also prove a bit slippery. The views can be stunning (the picture at the top of this article is an example), but you will need to be quite attentive to the trail while cycling. A mountain bike is definitely highly recommended here.
After the Qualiburn campsite (in which there are a few picnic tables), Quailburn Road takes you most of the way to Omarama. It was beautiful with the Lupins in flower. This road does have some sketchier sections if you are travelling at pace (sufficiently so that there are roadside warning signs) – so beware!
Through this day there were a couple of options to stop. Before tackling the Tarnbrae Track coffee was available at Lake Oahu Lodge. Then, about 8km from Oamarama the cute roadside Quailburn Farm Store offered drink and snack vending machines for a pick-me-up to help with the last 25 minutes or so.
Omarama – Kurow (68km). Leaving Omarama, the single track cycling continues around Lake Benmore. Not as technical as the preceding day, the route is steep in places – if you are packing your own things you will appreciate a really low gear range or may be in for some short hike-a-bike sections. Thankfully on the day we cycled the views were fantastic. Close to Otematata the descent down to the hydro station and dam also requires some caution. Again, you will have more fun on this section on a mountain bike.
After the dam, the route along Waitaki River is a quiet sealed backroad, before the final few kilometres into Kurow which revert to good quality trail. These sections are, in contrast, much more fun on a touring/gravel bike!
Kurow – Oamaru (86km). Straight out of Kurow is one of the more challenging parts of A2O – five ‘free range’ stream crossings near the Waitaki River. These were cycleable, but again are really best tackled with wider tyres given the loose surface both approaching and in the water. I expect that after recent rain these could be quite difficult and an on-road detour may be preferable.
Beyond this part, however, the A2O trail is really nice – wide, not technical and almost all gravel well suited to touring or gravel bike cycling. A morning coffee can be had in Duntroon at the Flying Pig Cafe, and the friendly (with great views) Fort Enfield Tavern is great for lunch. Just make sure you bring appropriate lighting for the not-too-short Rakis Rail Tunnel. Having successfully completed the trail at Oamaru, have a fresh pint at Scotts Brewing to celebrate!
Cycling from Christchurch to Lake Tekapo
If planning to cycle A2O unsupported it makes sense to consider starting cycling from Christchurch. This is a great city to explore, but also an easy place to fly to (including directly from some quite convenient overseas locations). I had cycled there as part of a longer NZ trip (see Kahurangi 500 and Molesworth Muster), but Mrs CyclingGravel flew in directly from Oz.
Mrs CyclingGravel and I took five cycling days to travel from Christchurch to Lake Tekapo to start the A2O ride. As a headline, this mostly on-road route felt pretty safe to cycle and was a pretty good way to get to the starting point (if you start at Lake Tekapo). What is going to influence your experience of the trip, however, is wind. Why? Despite the first three days being pretty flat, there were parts of the days that were brutal pushes into headwinds.
I broke this trip into five days – depending on your fitness and weather it could definitely be compressed a bit more but you would spend a lot more time cycling and less relaxing.
Christchurch – Rolleston – Darfield (65km). The least interesting of the days, the first half of the day is on cycleways followed by good backroad options (including a little gravel after Kirwee). Thirsty Acres was a nice lunch spot.
Darfield – Hororata – Rakaia Gorge – Methven (62km). The highlight of the day was Rakaia Gorge: it has a short sharp climb that is a little challenging, but the views are really worth it. After a tailwind assisted blast into Methven, I can recommend a soak in the Opuke Thermal Pools.
Methven – Staveley – Mayfield – Geraldine (84km). This day is not terribly exciting, and can be done at a decent pace subject to whether the winds are kind. We took shelter from a rain storm in the excellent Staveley Store and while on a rest day we visited the fun House of Hop just outside Geraldine.
Geraldine – Fairlie (43km). The last two days involve more climbing, and also some busier traffic. Overall we found the passing vehicles quite considerate, but this was the busiest road cycling of the journey to the start of A2O. Queues were out the door for the pies at the Fairlie Bakehouse.
Fairlie – Lake Tekapo (45km). This was my favourite day of the five – the views as you head towards Lake Tekapo after Burkes Pass are stunning – really beautiful. Burkes Pass is also quite nice (make sure you stop and check out the store at the top of the pass). It is necessary to cycle on the main road between Kimbell and Dog Kennel Corner (which does get quite a bit of traffic) but the rest of the route has a cycle path – slow going into a headwind on gravel, but preferable to being on-road.
Cycling from Oamaru to Dunedin
Compared to cycling from Christchurch to the start of A2O, cycling from Oamaru to Dunedin was not as pleasant. Regrettably, there were parts of the trip that were essential to do on SH1 – New Zealand’s main north-south highway. Having said that, there are some parts away from SH1 that, whilst hilly, offer some great cycling.
Oamaru – Karitane (82km). South of Oamaru it is possible to leave on Waianakarua Road (some of which is blocked to traffic). This offers fantastic beach views. Then after about 14km on SH1, it is worth the hilly detour to Horse Range Road through to Palmerston. Regrettably highway cycling is then necessary until the turnoff to Karitane, which makes for a great stop over (and beach swim!). Overall this day was the worst for on-road cycling – big trucks, fast cars and whilst some verge was on offer it is never fun cycling on a busy highway.
Karitane – Portobello (38km). Thankfully, less than 4km of cycling on SH1 is required after reaching Karitane – provided you are up for some hill cycling. This includes the very steep cycle up from Waitati on Blueskin Road, but this was one of my favourite parts of the trip. The views over and down to Port Chalmers are totally worth it, and a great lunch can be had at the Careys Bay Hotel.
From here you have a choice – continue on around the harbour to Dunedin on the cycleway that supports a complete journey to town, or extend your stay with a trip over to Portobello by ferry. We chose the latter (provided by Port to Port) as a way to spend a bit more time exploring and checking out the Albatross colony down the bay.
Portobello – Dunedin (23km). The final day was very cruisy – you could certainly just head into Dunedin directly after the ferry crossing rather than stay in Portobello. There is a cycleway the entire trip to Dunedin. If you have the time, a relax, swim and time to check out the scenery on the harbour is well worth it.
Overall, would I ride this route again? Yes, but just be aware that there are parts on the unavoidable SH1 that are not ideal for cycling. It did mean we were able to get to Dunediun on our own, check out the cool street art, grab bike boxes from the super helpful folk at Bike House, and catch a convenient flight home.
CyclingGravel 