We originally booked our New Zealand tour when it was scheduled only a few days after the our Australia tour last year. But COVID struck again, and the cruise ship that Santana Adventures chartered was sold by the cruise line for cash flow! No worries, Santana arranged a charter on a different cruise line, only a year later. It was actually the same ship we cruised Australia on! While we ended up making the long flights twice, we think we enjoyed the New Zealand adventure more being fully rested!
Pretour
Arriving in Queenstown
As an accommodation for the one year delay, the 3 night Pretour was included in the original cruise price. We normally would arrive a day or two early to allow for jet lag possible flight or luggage delays, but for this trip we decided to arrive the day the pre-tour started. We took United flights to LAX and Auckland, then a short hop on Air New Zealand to Queenstown. We were lucky that all our flights were on time, but our luck seemed to be running out with a long customs line in Auckland. After gauging the progress (very little) of the line, we looked around and found an express line. Debby convinced the agents to allow us to use that line and got through. There was still a long way to walk/run to the domestic terminal and even with two hours to make our connection we arrived at the gate as the flight was boarding!
In Queenstown, our plan was to take a cab to the hotel, but many other flights were delayed and the Santana people were still taking guests on the shuttle to the hotel so we hopped and on and got to our hotel! Our luck held out and we got a room right away!
Debby and Kris on the steamboat
The first event of the Pretour was a steamship ride to dinner and a sheep farming demonstration. We had barely settled into our room when we needed to leave and head to the wharf and catch our steamship. Santana guests filled the whole boat and we met up with Kris and Larry for the ride across and dinner.
Mountains surround Lake Wakatipu
Weather was great and the views from the ship were fantastic as we made the 45 minute trip across the lake.
End of a 24 hour travel day, and it shows!
Sheep shearing
Sheep Dog demonstration
The TSS Earnslaw steamship’s destination is the Walter Peak Farm. Among the many exhibits at this working farm, was a sheep shearing demonstration followed by a sheep dog demonstration. The dog waited patiently through the shearing, and after a few questions, the guide released the dog that made short work of gathering a small herd of sheep from the ridge above back to the barn.
We then enjoyed a great meal at the Farm restaurant before making our way back to the hotel. Only one task left, and that was to assemble the bikes for tomorrow’s ride! They went together without any issues and finished a very long day. Actually, two days, as we ‘lost’ a day crossing the International Date Line! We both agreed, that we had pushed our travel luck and the next time we would plan to arrive a day or two early!
Pretour Day 2
Bill gives the Route Talk outside
The Pretour group was well attended and we were split into two groups. One group would ride to the Bungee Jump destination while the other rode to a Jet Boat excursion on the Dart river. The next day the destinations were reversed. We were in the group that rode to the Bungee Jump first.
Bill provided the usual route talk, in an unusual setting, outside on the beach! He encouraged us to take the longer route to lunch and consider the Bungee Jump. We were not interested in doing the jump, but a number of other riders, and Bill, were going to, so we elected the longer route to check it out.
Riding the wrong side of the road
Like Australia, the cars drive on the left side of the road. It takes a bit to get used to but soon we were in the groove and headed toward Arrowtown. We stopped there for a coffee and a snack before continuing on.
Santa’s reindeer ‘wintering’ in Queenstown
We passed this herd of reindeer following the farmer on the ATV. He was shoveling out feed and had quite the following. We figured this is where Santa’s Reindeer holiday after their big night each year!
Bungee jump over the Kawarau River
Bungee jumping was invented here in New Zealand at the Old Bridge over the Kawarau River. It’s now a commercial operation, and for about $265NZ you can take the plunge. We had enough excitement riding on the left side of a busy highway and passed on the opportunity.
Shotover River on the way back to Queenstown
We grabbed our provided lunch (the poor food truck operator was overwhelmed by the number of Santana riders) and decided to head back early and find dinner in Queenstown.
Queenstown Bike Path
We were headed back along the same busy highway and met at local rider that told us about a bike path he uses to commute to Queenstown. We exited the highway and took that all the way into town!
We grabbed dinner at a lakeside pub and called it a day! In New Zealand, it was Debby's birthday, but at home...
Pretour Day 3
Morning selfie
Today Group A was split into two sub groups. One group, us included, would ride our bikes to Glenorchy, take the Jet Boat excursion up the Dart River, then return to Queenstown on a bus. It looked like a nice day, but winds were predicted to be on the nose most of the way. While the route followed the lake shore, the road was an up and down affair that included over 2,500 feet of climbing with 10- summits over 29 miles.
Great views around every corner
With the wind on the nose, actually there was a bit of wind relief on the climbs, while we took the full force on the summits and descents!
Big Wind!
At one point, the wind was so fierce, we had to dismount and walk the bikes downhill through a venturi caused by a cliff face along the road!
My Epic Ride Weather app had the wind gusts at 39 mph, and they were stronger in the venturi!
Rain in Glenorchy
The morning group rode the bus into the wind and rode bikes back to Queenstown with a great tailwind. On the downside, they had rain for nearly all of their Jet Boat ride. When we arrived, the rain was diminishing and we had only occasional light showers. Overall, I think we had the better day!
Rain and wind gear
We suited up with rain coats, life vests, and neck buffs and boarded our craft. There were 3 boats loaded with Santana guests and we raced up river.
These boats can travel in 3-4 inches of water
Middle Earth from the Hobbit movies
The boats travel at nearly 60 mph and the ride was like a roller coaster! The views were fantastic, and our driver/guide showed us places along the river that were used in the Hobbit movies!
Emerald Streams
We turned around in a very small side stream that was emerald green and headed back to a forest tour.
Rat trap
The only noteworthy part of the forest tour: This trap is designed to kill rats, which have no natural predators here. Yes, that's a CO2 cartridge that fires a small guillotine inside the trap to dispatch the rodent. DON'T put your fingers in there! A bus took us back to Genorchy and one more bus ride back to Queenstown to finish our day.
Birthday Dinner
We had an average meal on Debby's NZ birthday (Jan 10) and I was still suffering from jet lag and did not do the date justice. We recovered by finding a great ramen place in town and had a great meal. There was one more thing to do:
Birthday treats!
When we returned to the hotel, I slipped out and asked the restaurant staff make a little Birthday Treat for Debby. A day late in New Zealand, but right on time at home!
Embark
Charter flight to Christchurch
Embark was a bit unusual for this cruise. We were no where near the ocean in Queenstown, so there were three charter flights to take us to Christchurch. We opted for the mid-morning flight which gave us time to pack and an opportunity to tour an Arctic Exploration museum in Christchurch before heading to the ship.
We flew with Larry and Kris and upon arrival decided to skip the museum and head directly to the ship. An Uber dropped us off at the port, and after a bit of confusion, we were able to board the ship, register, and have lunch and unpack.
Dinner at Candles on the ship
Also, since we were there before the rush, we were able to make reservations at the steak house to start our cruise with a great meal!
Day 1 - Picton
Bill's signature route map
Routes on offer for the day ranged from 14 miles with 1,300 feet of climbing to 41 miles with 5,000 feet of climbing. Bill McCready prepares these 'maps' each morning. They provide an overview of the day's routes and indicate where the various GPS tracks start and stop. They are never to scale, and not designed to be the main source of navigation. I have grown to like them and usually have one clipped to my aero bars for reference.
Trucks transport bikes between ports
After route talk, and getting off the boat, the next order of business is to find the bikes. There are over 200 of them, and they are in no particular order. Usually I find myself walking right past ours and doubling back to find them! At the end of each day, the bikes are loaded in the trucks and the teamsters drive them to our next destination. New Zealand has very strict environmental laws, and this avoids having the bikes inspected (for dirt) at each port! In fact, we were not allowed to take any food off the ship onto shore unless it was in a sealed package and purchased elsewhere in New Zealand.
Star Breeze headed to Picton
We were dropped off at the Nakiwa Jetty (dock) using the ship's tender boats and the first segment of the ride was along the Queen Charlotte Road to the town of Picton.
Great fish and chips
We rolled into town and found a great Fish and Chips place for lunch. It was a bit early for lunch, and most the other Santana riders just rolled on by and we had the place to ourselves. Like most lunches we could have split one order!
Waikawa Harbor
Debby and I rode the medium route through town and into a park with a steep climb nicknamed the Snoot by local riders. It was quite steep, and for us, not the best timing after a huge lunch of Fish and Chips. We reached the turnaround Waikawa Harbor and took a break on some shaded benches. While we were there, I received an e mail from Santana announcing the addition of a Vietnam tour in 2025. That tour uses a boat that only holds about 60 passengers, and was expected to sell out fast. We had heard great things about this tour from other Santana guests. Debby gave me the nod and we signed up right there at the harbor!
We rolled back to the ship in Picton and had light snack before I set back out to ride the long route to Oyster Bay. The route backtracked some of the morning route through town, but soon I was on a quiet beautiful road climbing in a lush forest.
Road to Oyster Bay
Rahotia Saddle above Oyster Bay
There was the promise of fresh local fruit at the saddle above Oyster Bay as an incentive to get riders to take the long route. But by the time I got there the fruit was all gone! No worries, one of the mechanics was there with a support van and a cold Coke! I added that to the Pringles chips in my saddle bag and enjoyed the great views.
Chip seal work in progress
I skipped the descent into the Bay, since it would mean climbing right back to the saddle to return to the ship, so I pointed my bike downhill and very carefully descended back towards town. Extra careful, as much of the road had been ship sealed recently and the surface alternated between fresh tar and loose gravel!
Day 2 - Picton
Our ship stayed overnight in Picton, and today we have the opportunity to ride the Grape Ride route. It is a 100 kilometer ride that loops through the Marborough Valley, the heartland of New Zealand wine country. The recommended ride was to a winery at about the half-way point, where lunch and refreshments were available. Also, trucks and buses for those that had enough getting to Marborough Valley, for a cool ride back to the ship.
Anakiwa
The route backtracked a few miles to where we started yesterday's ride in Anakiwa. But soon we were on our way toward Havelock on the Pelorus Sound.
Stopping at the tavern
Queen Charlotte Tavern
Bill encouraged us to stop at the historic Queen Charlotte Tavern for two reasons; one it was quite cool, and two, he encouraged them to open early for us. We stopped and had great coffee and berry and chocolate scones that were delicious!
Beautiful farm country
Marborough Vinyards
We arrived at the vineyard for lunch and enjoyed some local favorites. There was wine and gin tasting but we passed on those options and found a nice table in the shade. Debby decided she had seen enough of New Zealand's wine country and with a building headwind for the return, she hopped on a bus to return to the ship.
Bike path bridge
Quiet highway
Headwaters of the Tuamarina River
Yours truly decided to continue the Grape Ride. It was windy, but most the riders returned via bus, and this highway was not too busy and I was able to complete the Grape Ride route!
Day 3 - Nelson
Debby was ready for a rest day, and the Santana routes for the day included a lot of city riding to hit several museums and other attractions. I hopped on Ride With GPS and found a local route that would loop through the residential areas on the hilltops, then loop out to Rabbit Island. I downloaded the routes and headed out!
Victorian Style Home
As always, when I go off-route, a Santana rider or two would follow along. I warned several not to follow, but one couple did. I noticed them rolling up, and while he was game to follow, she wanted nothing of it and they headed back!
Nelson
Good thing, there were some steep, but enjoyable climbs rolling though town.
Bike path
Most of the route was on dedicated bike paths to get out of town!
Bike bridge
Great gravel to Rabbit Island
Once out of town, the route was mixed gravel and hard pack bike paths, alternating with paved country roads leading to Rabbit Island.
What's this?
My route turned right, but I was ready for a coffee and decided to follow the signs to the Kind of Perfect Cafe, only 1 minute away!
Kind of Perfect Cafe
Coffee and pancakes!
It was an outdoor park with a food trailer! I ordered a cappuccino and apple pancakes and, while it took a while to prepare them, I enjoyed them at a lovely table. There were lots of families and kids playing in the grass with some nice jazz music in the background. It was a great stop!
Wide open beach on Rabbit Island
I pressed on to Rabbit Island. A large park and national forest. The entrance road gave way to gravel single and double track through beautiful forest.
Mapua Ferry
I thought about riding the Mapua Ferry accross and heading back from there, but the wait for the ferry was about 45 minutes. I decided instead to complete the loop of the Island and head back.
Solar Bench
Just leaving the ferry waiting area, this bench appeared. Embedded with a solar panel, it had a built-in phone charger! I placed my phone on it, and it worked!
Forest trails
More great bike trails confirmed that continuing the loop through the Island was better than city riding in Mapua!
Bike path to Nelson
Last few kilometers to the ship
I took the coastal bike path back to Nelson and did not have to deal with traffic until I was practically in the port! Back on board we found lunch and relaxed around the pool for the rest of the day!
Day 4 - Wellington
Sunrise in Wellington
Wellington was our first stop on North Island of New Zealand. We decided to take the short route so we could do some shopping and get lunch in Wellington. Also, we were both ready for a nice flat costal ride.
Mostly protected city bike paths today
Leading a train out of the city
Once out of the port area, we looped along the coast toward the airport. A number of Santana rides tagged along.
Beautiful costal riding
Great coffee and date scones!
It was too early for most, but we decided to stop for coffee. This place had great tables right on the water and wonderful date scones!
They only come out at night!
Little Blue Penguins (Fairy Penguins) inhabit this area. But they are nocturnal and we did not have time to wait for nightfall!
They tiny one is the Star Breeze!
We looped back into town and could compare the Star Breeze to another cruise behemoth moored nearby. Size does matter, and we prefer the small ships!
Cheers!
We headed into town and parked our bikes with the Santana crew members. We did some shopping and found this great Irish pub and ordered some Fish and Chips. There were no empty tables, but this gentlemen allowed us to join him at his! He was British and visiting his daughter in Wellington. He said it was getting too loud around the house with the grand kids, so he hopped a bus into town for a pint (or two)! We had a great visit!
Wellington Historic Harbor
Another grueling day in the books
After lunch we retrieved our bikes and headed back to the harbor to finish this day around the pool!
Day 5 - Napier
Beach bike path
We arrived in Napier about 9 am and we were excited to ride with Larry and Kris. We set out together on the beach bike path out of town.
Junior Bike Track
I had to stop here, to check out this cool kid's bike track. It was laid out with working traffic signals and bike lanes to teach kids how to ride on the road and safe riding. There were a bunch of kids on glider bikes learning the rules of the road!
Farm house
We soon left the beach and headed inland through many apple orchards and sheep farms. This Victorian style farmhouse was beautiful.
111 is 911 in New Zealand
We loved this sign, warning to nefarious sheep rustlers and others who might wander into this compound!
Odd seeing this in a New Zealand Tavern!
We reached a tavern where the medium route started. They had snacks and cold drinks; Debby had her Coke Zero and I tried a local cider. Both were paired nicely with a bag of sea salt chips. The relief painting was in the men’s room at the Tavern. Got me to thinking about a PacTour Route 66 tour! Editors note: I signed up for the Eastern Route 66 (Amarillo to Chicago) tour that starts May 31 this year!
Sweet single track through a marsh
Active sheep pasture
We continued on the short route and soon we hit this sweet gravel packed bike trail. We had to stop several times to open and close gates to active pastures. At first, these guys did not want to get off the trail and let us through! Deb and I rolled into town and completed the short route. Keith and Jeff were having lunch on the patio of a cafe and Debby joined them while I headed back out to ride the day’s medium loop.
Pat had the same idea. He simply re-rode the short route from the start, and I rode it backwards to the start of the medium route. We rode it together and both got in a metric century for the day!
Entering Napier from the long route
We rolled into town together and I took the first shuttle back to the ship and Debby and I decided to head back into town to do some shopping and grab dinner.
Art Deco architecture
It is an interesting town, in 1931 it was devastated by an earthquake. When it was rebuilt, it was built in the Art Deco style.
Enjoying dinner in town
Nearly all the shops were closed, but the bars and restaurants were open. We found a great outdoor spot with cold drinks, pulled pork and poutine fries, and Green Lipped Mussels. Never heard of that variety of mussles, but they were delicious.
Art Deco newspaper building
We headed back to the shuttle busses and were the last passengers back aboard the Star Breeze! We knew that because the shuttle bus driver wanted to know if he could go home!
Day 6 - Gisborn
Morning tender operations begin
Gisborn is not large enough for our small ship to enter, so today we would be using the tenders to go ashore.
Captain Cook looks over the harbor
We found our bikes and set out on the medium route. Today would be a short day with the last tender back to the ship at 2:30!
Great Day for a bike ride
It was a lovely day and Debby again was in the sleeveless jersey as tempertures were nearing 80 in the afternoons.
Right at home on Atkins Street!
Chicken and chips for breakfast #2
The first stop was a tavern/store about 12 miles into the ride. They had Cokes and chicken and chips. No one else seemed interested in another breakfast, but the 2 piece box was huge and delicious!
Flat quiet farm roads, mostly!
Lush vineyards
The cows always seemed to be up to something!
It was a good thing that today's route was relatively flat, with all that chicken on board, we were thankful for the lack of elevation and a cool tailwind that pushed us back to the ship!
We rolled into the harbor area just as a tender was arriving and decided to head back to the ship and enjoy the rest of the afternoon around the pool!
Day 7 - Whitianga
Approaching Whitianga at dawn
We finally caught up with the rain and Debby decided to let me ride the long route and enjoy a shopping day! Another small harbor meant a tender operation to get on shore, then another short bike/pedestrian ferry to get to the start of the route. The line for the ferry was long so I decided to take Highway 25 out of town and join the Santana route. It added about 10 miles of riding and joined the I joined the Santana route about 17 miles out of town.
Highway 25, off route
Fantastic road
The turn-around was the town of Tairua and the traffic on Highway 25 was very light. The rain began just a few miles out of town, but the road was in great shape and the views were specatular. Plus there was no other bike traffic for the first 17 miles!
Flowers at a farmhouse near Tairua
Route map and snacks
The town of Tairua is on the water at the bottom of Pumpkin hill. One route option was to turn around there, but the rain had let up, and I was hungry, so off I went down the hill to town. The route ended at a nondescript football pitch! I loaded the return route back in the Garmin and headed out. There was a gas station/store with tables so I stopped to reload the bottles and have a snack before continuing on.
Pasture at the top of Pumpkin Hill
Road to Sailors Grave
There were several route options on the return to the ship, add them all up and you could get 75 miles in! This option was a steep descent to Sailors Grave, and return the same way. I was game and headed down the 10-14% down grade to check it out. There were a few other riders there and it was worth the ride down.
Ocean view at Sailors Grave
Of course, the return was the way you came so it was an effort to climb back up Pumpkin Hill one more time. Arriving at the top, the light rain had increased to driving rain coming down horizontally in a strong wind. At least it was warm, but that pretty much sealed the deal on taking any more side trips. I pointed my steed into the wind/rain and headed back direct to the the Whitianga bike ferry.
Time to pack them up...
I missed the side trip to Hot Water Beach and Hahei, but still got in 48 miles and 4,500 feet of climbing. That was enough for me and I was also not looking forward to packing the bikes up in the rain!
...and load on the airport shuttle truck
Luckily the rain mostly abated and I was able to get the bikes back into the boxes and on the airport shuttle truck in about an hour and a half.
A tender was loading as I put the bikes on the truck and headed back to the ship to call it a day and a tour!
Day 8 - Auckland
Normally we spend a few days after a tour in our final location, but this trip we decided to try heading home directly from disembark. We left the ship and headed to the airport on a shuttle bus, collected our bags and checked in for the long journey home.
Crossing the date line east bound we gained a day and somehow arrived home in Tempe before we even left New Zealand! That was a lot to pack into 13 days, but we loved New Zealand and had a wonderful time.
Next up is France and Corsica this summer, so better keep getting in those training miles!
1 comment:
Thank’s for sharing the fabulous details of an incredible trip. Pictures are breathtaking! What an adventure!!
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