Bikepacking Aotearoa is a guide to twenty cycling adventures around New Zealand. The trips range in length from two days to two weeks and explore the less travelled parts of this beautiful little country.
New equipment and a change of mindset have opened up a whole new world of possibilities. Bike packing bags, strap directly on to the bike and allow you to travel fast and light, on off-road capable bikes. Get away from busy main roads. Take to the gravel backroads, cycle trails, and back-country tracks to really get away from it all and find the hidden gems that Aotearoa has to offer.
For riders who are looking for adventures close to home and for bikepacking routes that can be completed in 2-3 days Bikepacking Aotearoa offers a choice of 20 exciting routes that explore some of the most scenic parts of the country. These routes are perfect as weekend getaways or as preparation for a bikepacking event.
• Introductory chapters cover equipment choice, bike setup, training and preparation.
• Includes detailed route descriptions, maps, elevation charts, essential service listings
• Routes are graded by difficulty
• Includes a list of Bikepacking events on offer around Aotearoa NZ
Contents
Introduction
Choosing and fitting your bike
Packing your bags
Preparation
On the road
North Island
1. The Heart of the Octopus
2. Great Barrier Island
3. Coromandel Peninsula
4. Raglan to Te Awa Loop
5. Caves to Coast Loop
6. Geyserland Classic
7. Whanganui – Whangaehu Valley Loop
8. Mangatutu Mission
9. The Five Beaches
10. Remutaka Plus
South Island
11. Marlborough Sounds Loop
12. Kahurangi 500
13. Tasman’s Great Taste Trail Plus
14. Rainbow – Molesworth
15. Wilderness No.8
16. Le Banks Peninsula
17. Alps 2 Hakataramea Loop
18. Te Kouka Traverse
19. Nevis and the Old Man
20. The Ram Rock
Other Rides
Plus summaries of an extra 20 nearby trips – recommended by leading bikepackers.
Bonus rides:
* Tour Aotearoa: 3000 km the length of New Zealand
* Kopiko Aotearoa: 1060 km cape to cape across the North Island
