TRIPS: Kickin' with Kiwis in Queenstown, New Zealand
It was the holiday season and it was my first REAL family vacation. After 14 years of always spending Christmas traveling to see our wonderful extended families on the other side of the country for Christmas, my wife and I decided
to do something different – especially since it would cost us an arm and a leg to fly ANYWHERE from our little home in Okinawa. My wife’s dream was to see Australia, and my daughter’s was to be anyplace Orlando Bloom had touched – that meant New Zealand, where he starred in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. With the obvious balance of family vacation and biking fever, I decided that one day of biking of the six on New Zealand's southern island wasn’t too much to ask – especially since they picked the destinations. The good news was the discovery that Queenstown was the "Outdoor Adventure Capitol of the World" -- and that's exactly where we were headed. This isn't the place to discuss the entire awesomeness of the trip, but I would recommend renting a Mini Cooper for a self-tour in New Zealand that includes a stop at one of A.J. Hackett's Bungee Jump spots and a stop at Mount Cook for hiking (stay in the lodge there, too -- the view of the glacier is teremendous)!
The Guide
On this one, it's tough to talk about the ride without talking about the guide. With the overwhelming choices for a one-day adventure, I quickly realized that I'd need someone who knows the area and could get their hands o
n a decent bike for me too. There are many MTB maps online, but it's difficult to pinpoint a nearby spot to ride when you don't know the area well. One day doesn't give much room for stuff not to go perfectly. Luckily, I stumbled upon Greg McIntyre at Fat Tyre Adventures Ltd. to take care of everything for a very reasonable price that included a nice FS Trek, helmet, munchies, roundtrip transport and the best history lesson on NZ that I could hope for. You can read more about him on his site, but the guy knows what he's doing and knows every nook and cranny to put two wheels on in the area. He offers everything from sheep path cross country trips to heli-biking and 3500M double descents.
The Ride
An unusual December snow and low clouds (it's summer there in December) the morning of our ride dictated a lower altitude XC journey was what we'd get. Fortunately, I found out later that this still included some great descents to get the adrenaline going again after my legs were good and noodley from the climbs! Greg picked me up at my hotel at about 6 a.m. in the Fat Tyre wagon (a Range Rover equipped to hold at least half a dozen off-road machines) with a huge grin and what appeared to be a freshly shaved head.
We drove through magnificent countryside and mountains for about 50 km, which ended with a
4x4 trip to the start of the Dunstan Traverse Trail in the Dunstan Mountains overlooking the town of Cromwell. From the drop-off point, you've got a 1700m descent and, on days not as overcast as ours, views north as far as Mount Cook (New Zealand’s highest mountain) and south as far as Stewart Island. Greg calls it "gravity assisted Cross country," and he leaves the grade of descent up to you -- but only after you've worked for it by climbing through the range's narrow, steep and rocky singletrack made by hundreds of sheep grazing around the mountains for years. You can also ride an old water channel that was hand-cut by gold miners more than 120 years ago. Fat Tyre Adventures has exclusive consent from the land-owners to ride this area, so we were the only folks on the trails all day.
I'll admit that there was a little weezing on my part, but the views were enough for my mind to lull my body into submission for several hours (there was also the hope that I might just catch a flock of sheep off guard and make them all go running for cover! ).
When it came time to go DOWN, I was more than ready. The trail traversed its way down the mountain, but Greg and I just decided to take it straight down through the baby heads and brush. The close calls with fleeing jack rabbits and 100-foot drops to the river was enough to get the blood pumping again, and the toughest part was taking in the scenary and the fast-approaching Lake Dunstan over the horizon while our bones jarred at 30 mph. But it would have been a crime not to look!
My quads were shot by the time we hit the lake shore at the bottom where Greg's associate had left the Fat Tyre wagon for us. Five minutes later, we were on the road to Cromwell and a stop at the co-located "Juice Café" and Freeway Fruit Outlet before heading home.
Food
Cromwell's valley is prime land for growing fruit and a definite spot to refuel after the ride is the "Juice Café" and Freeway Fruit Outlet, which are located right next two each other. The cafe specializes in fresh cider, but you can also get some terrific coffee and freshly-made sandwiches. The Fruit Outlet's got every fruit imaginable from the region, both fresh and dried, and it makes a great pre-ride stop as well to stock up on ride snacks.
Local MTB Associations
I was unable to find a club right in Queenstown, but Cyclingnz.com has a pretty extensive list of clubs on both the north and south islands at http://www.cyclingnz.com/clubs.phtml, including one near our ride in Dunstan (Otago area).
Bikes/gear/wrenches
If you pack your own wheels and need some help, I suggest you ask Greg at Fat Tyre for recommendations. He's a straight-shooter and should point you in the right direction.
Lodging
My family and I were more than comfortable on the banks of Lake Wakatipu at the Millennium Hotel Queenstown. Rates were reasonable (as part of our tour package) and it's centrally-located a five-minute walk away from the plethora of restaurants, bars and shops in downtown Queenstown. Staying in Queenstown proper also puts you in close proximity to the area's many other attractions, like bungee jumping, hang gliding, jet boating and skiing (in the winter). If you're looking to rough it a bit, there are plenty of camp sites in the Lake Wakatipu area, and tons of hotels to fit any budget.
On a final note...
Once I have perfected the art of getting my special lady on two wheels (see a great article related to this on Blue Collar Mountain Biking), I’m hoping to return to get my fill of Queenstown off-roading!
It was the holiday season and it was my first REAL family vacation. After 14 years of always spending Christmas traveling to see our wonderful extended families on the other side of the country for Christmas, my wife and I decided
to do something different – especially since it would cost us an arm and a leg to fly ANYWHERE from our little home in Okinawa. My wife’s dream was to see Australia, and my daughter’s was to be anyplace Orlando Bloom had touched – that meant New Zealand, where he starred in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. With the obvious balance of family vacation and biking fever, I decided that one day of biking of the six on New Zealand's southern island wasn’t too much to ask – especially since they picked the destinations. The good news was the discovery that Queenstown was the "Outdoor Adventure Capitol of the World" -- and that's exactly where we were headed. This isn't the place to discuss the entire awesomeness of the trip, but I would recommend renting a Mini Cooper for a self-tour in New Zealand that includes a stop at one of A.J. Hackett's Bungee Jump spots and a stop at Mount Cook for hiking (stay in the lodge there, too -- the view of the glacier is teremendous)!The Guide
On this one, it's tough to talk about the ride without talking about the guide. With the overwhelming choices for a one-day adventure, I quickly realized that I'd need someone who knows the area and could get their hands o
n a decent bike for me too. There are many MTB maps online, but it's difficult to pinpoint a nearby spot to ride when you don't know the area well. One day doesn't give much room for stuff not to go perfectly. Luckily, I stumbled upon Greg McIntyre at Fat Tyre Adventures Ltd. to take care of everything for a very reasonable price that included a nice FS Trek, helmet, munchies, roundtrip transport and the best history lesson on NZ that I could hope for. You can read more about him on his site, but the guy knows what he's doing and knows every nook and cranny to put two wheels on in the area. He offers everything from sheep path cross country trips to heli-biking and 3500M double descents.The Ride
An unusual December snow and low clouds (it's summer there in December) the morning of our ride dictated a lower altitude XC journey was what we'd get. Fortunately, I found out later that this still included some great descents to get the adrenaline going again after my legs were good and noodley from the climbs! Greg picked me up at my hotel at about 6 a.m. in the Fat Tyre wagon (a Range Rover equipped to hold at least half a dozen off-road machines) with a huge grin and what appeared to be a freshly shaved head.
We drove through magnificent countryside and mountains for about 50 km, which ended with a
4x4 trip to the start of the Dunstan Traverse Trail in the Dunstan Mountains overlooking the town of Cromwell. From the drop-off point, you've got a 1700m descent and, on days not as overcast as ours, views north as far as Mount Cook (New Zealand’s highest mountain) and south as far as Stewart Island. Greg calls it "gravity assisted Cross country," and he leaves the grade of descent up to you -- but only after you've worked for it by climbing through the range's narrow, steep and rocky singletrack made by hundreds of sheep grazing around the mountains for years. You can also ride an old water channel that was hand-cut by gold miners more than 120 years ago. Fat Tyre Adventures has exclusive consent from the land-owners to ride this area, so we were the only folks on the trails all day.I'll admit that there was a little weezing on my part, but the views were enough for my mind to lull my body into submission for several hours (there was also the hope that I might just catch a flock of sheep off guard and make them all go running for cover! ).
When it came time to go DOWN, I was more than ready. The trail traversed its way down the mountain, but Greg and I just decided to take it straight down through the baby heads and brush. The close calls with fleeing jack rabbits and 100-foot drops to the river was enough to get the blood pumping again, and the toughest part was taking in the scenary and the fast-approaching Lake Dunstan over the horizon while our bones jarred at 30 mph. But it would have been a crime not to look!
My quads were shot by the time we hit the lake shore at the bottom where Greg's associate had left the Fat Tyre wagon for us. Five minutes later, we were on the road to Cromwell and a stop at the co-located "Juice Café" and Freeway Fruit Outlet before heading home.
FoodCromwell's valley is prime land for growing fruit and a definite spot to refuel after the ride is the "Juice Café" and Freeway Fruit Outlet, which are located right next two each other. The cafe specializes in fresh cider, but you can also get some terrific coffee and freshly-made sandwiches. The Fruit Outlet's got every fruit imaginable from the region, both fresh and dried, and it makes a great pre-ride stop as well to stock up on ride snacks.
Local MTB Associations
I was unable to find a club right in Queenstown, but Cyclingnz.com has a pretty extensive list of clubs on both the north and south islands at http://www.cyclingnz.com/clubs.phtml, including one near our ride in Dunstan (Otago area).
Bikes/gear/wrenches
If you pack your own wheels and need some help, I suggest you ask Greg at Fat Tyre for recommendations. He's a straight-shooter and should point you in the right direction.
Lodging
My family and I were more than comfortable on the banks of Lake Wakatipu at the Millennium Hotel Queenstown. Rates were reasonable (as part of our tour package) and it's centrally-located a five-minute walk away from the plethora of restaurants, bars and shops in downtown Queenstown. Staying in Queenstown proper also puts you in close proximity to the area's many other attractions, like bungee jumping, hang gliding, jet boating and skiing (in the winter). If you're looking to rough it a bit, there are plenty of camp sites in the Lake Wakatipu area, and tons of hotels to fit any budget.
On a final note...Once I have perfected the art of getting my special lady on two wheels (see a great article related to this on Blue Collar Mountain Biking), I’m hoping to return to get my fill of Queenstown off-roading!
posted by Spider Rider at 12:50 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home