New Zealand: Twin Island Adventure

Twenty-one nights around both islands of New Zealand, the longest trip in the operator’s range and a full circuit of the country. Bikes are rented.

Christchurch opens it with a welcome meal, then the ride north to Picton through vineyards and farmland, with the Aviation Heritage Centre on the way. The three weeks that follow take in both islands properly rather than sampling one of them.

Milford Sound is the headline, where cliffs rise more than a kilometre straight out of the water and the waterfalls run almost constantly because it rains there most days of the year. The Franz Josef glacier follows, with an optional helicopter flight over it, then the Ngarua Caves and their limestone chambers.

Rotorua and Hanmer Springs supply the geothermal half of the trip, with hot pools and the smell of sulphur that goes with them, and Kaikoura offers whale watching, where the continental shelf drops away close to shore and sperm whales feed all year, though no sighting can be promised. For anyone so inclined there is a bungee jump into the Nevis canyon and a 1.6 kilometre skywire. The final day crosses Arthur’s Pass and the Lewis Pass, two of the best mountain roads in the country, back to Christchurch. The price is quoted per rider, with separate rates for a rider and passenger and for two riders with two bikes. Three weeks and two islands is a serious commitment of time, and it is the only way to see New Zealand without leaving out half of it.