Useful Links
New Zealand has become adept at marketing itself as a tourism destination, and a quick search of the internet will reveal a plethora of information for intending visitors.A great place to start looking is the Tourism New Zealand web site, while the cycle tourist will find much useful information on the CycleTour New Zealand website.
An excellent guide book is Nigel Rushton's "Pedallers' Paradise", and the NZ Camping guide has a comprehensive listing of camp grounds and accommodation. I ordered the electronic version by email and installed it on my netbook. A handy Dunedin Cycling map is also available.
If you prefer a transfer from the airport to your accommodation the Super Shuttle service uses mini-buses with baggage trailers and is very economical.
Bookings for the scenic railway can be made on the Taieri Gorge Railway web site. Information about the Otago Rail Trail is available here.
If you are interested in fishing, you probably know that New Zealand has some of the best trout fishing anywhere in the world. Get a fishing licence online from Fish and Game. Find information about where to fish from NZ Fishing. And look to Bish & Fish for a wealth of tips about fishing techniques and gear. These are just a few pages amongst a plethora of sites about NZ fishing.
The Route
Starting in Dunedin I'll make my way to Middlemarch, at the start of the Otago Rail Trail, which I'll follow as far as Naseby. Here I'll head across Dansey's Pass to Kurow, then on over the Hakataramea Pass to Lake Tekapo. I visited here on my last tour, but it's a lovely spot and well worth another look.Leaving Lake Tekapo I'll turn south, and follow the Tepako canal. It's here that I expect to find my first fishing opportunity - the Mt Cook Salmon farm near the penstock pond attracts the wild trout with it's abundant feed, and it's reputed that the trout here are big...
From the canal I'll skirt round the bottom of Lake Pukaki and take the side road to Mt Cook. I'm going to spend a day here to visit the Tasman Glacier.
Then I'll continue south to Omarama, where I'll take to the back roads through the Oteake Conservation area over Little Omarama Pass to Falls Dam, where I hope to have a second fishing opportunity. Then I'll rejoin the Otago Rail Trail as far as Omakau, where I'll head off into the back blocks again along Thomsons Gorge Road to Cromwell and on to Wanaka.
Wanaka is one of my favourite destinations, and I'll have a lay day there to soak up the beautifully scenic landscape. Then comes one of the highlights of the tour - the ride up the Crown Range Road through Cardrona. It's the highest main road in New Zealand, and at the top of the road the panoramic views from Coronet peak over Arrowtown and Queenstown to The Remarkables are breathtaking.
I'll spent a day in Queenstown, then take the steamer TSS Earnslaw across Lake Wakitipu to Walter Peak, and then follow the Von River road to Mavora Lakes, where I have another chance to catch a trout, before continuing to Te Anau.
Since I've cruised Milford Sound on a previous visit, this time I'm going to take an excursion to Doubtful Sound, then I'll continue through Manapouri and Tuatapere to Invercargill. The World's Fastest Indian of Hollywood fame is on display in E Hayes and Sons hardware store and is a must see. I'll make a side trip to Bluff and sample some of their famous oysters, then I'll follow the coast to Curio Bay and on through The Catlins back to Dunedin, where I'll round off the tour with trip on the Taieri Gorge scenic railway.
View Larger Map
Note that Google maps is unable to show the back country route between Omarama (O) and Omakau (P). It's roughly in a direct line between the two. I'm starting from Dunedin (I) and travelling in an anti-clockwise direction.
Itinerary
This is the plan, but as always I'm prepared to be flexible if necessary. There are a couple of days buffer at the end in case of any delays -if they are not used I'll spend them sightseeing around the Dunedin area, and perhaps take a trip around the Otago Peninsula.The detailed itinerary is here: Gone Fishin' tour of NZ
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