Ayres Adventures - New Zealand Grand Tour

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Marlborough Sound, New Zealand

Our 21-day Grand Tour is an incredible Adventure that offers riders the extraordinary opportunity to delve into the best that New Zealand has to offer – on both islands. You'll see the country’s most popular attractions, and enjoy aspects of this fascinating country that most visitors never have the opportunity to experience. A partial list of the highlights of The Grand Tour includes Mount Cook, a cruise of Milford Sound, The Franz Joseph and Fox Glaciers, the volcanoes of Tongariro National Park, and the thermal activity of Rotorua.

In addition to great riding and stunning landscapes, the quality of meals and lodging are in keeping with the high standards that have become an integral part of all Ayres Adventures. Accommodations range from comfortable, middle class hotels to luxury accommodations and “boutique” establishments that are off-the-usual-tourist-path.

Arrival Day: Christchurch. After collecting you from the Christchurch International Airport, we’ll take you to your hotel in Christchurch, New Zealand’s “Garden City”. You can relax and unwind from your flight, take a short streetcar tour of the city, or take a walking tour to one of the city’s many local attractions, including a stroll along the peaceful Avon River which meanders through the city.

You’ll get introduced to your fellow Adventurers and tour leaders – and to your motorcycle, attend a kick off meeting, and celebrate the beginning of the trip with a kick-off dinner at a local restaurant. [Photo by Peter Ball]

Day 2: Aoraki/Mt. Cook. Soon after departing Christchurch, you’ll find yourself on the Scenic Southern Route to the Mackenzie Basin – the largest inter-montane (between mountains) basin in New Zealand. After passing through the charming village of Geraldine, the landscape becomes especially scenic, as the road twists and turns through the Four Peaks Range on the way to Fairlie and the beautiful glacial blue waters of Lake Tekapo. From Lake Tekapo the ride offers stunning landscapes and innumerable photo opportunities. At Mt. Cook, you’ll stay at The Hermitage – reputed to be one of the most famous hotels in New Zealand.

You’ll have a great view of Mt. Cook (or Aoraki, in the native Maori language), at 12,300 ft. altitude, New Zealand’s highest mountain. You can capture a photo of yourself with a life-sized statue of Sir Edmund Hillary, or catch a photo of you and your motorcycle with magnificent Mt. Cook in the background.

Day 3: Dunedin. Dunedin has several nicknames, and they all pertain to the city’s distinctive 19th and early 20th century architecture: "Edinburgh of the South", the "Victorian City of New Zealand", "City of Spires and Towers", the "Athens of the South". The city is home to New Zealand's only castle - Larnach Castle – one of our preferred accommodations for our visits to Dunedin.

Dunedin was settled in 1848, largely by Scottish immigrants. Some of the city’s Presbyterian church buildings, styled in the Gothic tradition, are as impressive as any cathedral.

Just a short drive from Dunedin is the world’s only mainland breeding colony of albatross at The Royal Albatross Colony at Taiaroa Head. The Royal Albatross Centre offers excellent interpretative displays of the history and wildlife of the area and guided eco-tours of the albatross colony and surrounding areas.

Day 4: Bluff. “Pearl of the South” and “Home of the Bluff Oyster”, Bluff is the oldest European settled town in New Zealand and is located at the bottom of the South Island. Our cozy little boutique hotel, Land's End, is reminiscent of an English country inn, with an open and friendly atmosphere, situated on the wild, rugged coast. Land's End has uninterrupted views of Stewart Island, Foveaux Strait and the Catlins coastline. A stay at Land’s End is a special treat, removed from traditional tourist paths.

Day 5: Te Anau. Te Anau is lovely enough, situated on the beautiful lake with the same name, but an even greater reason for the two-night stay is to use the town as a base for a trip to Milford for a cruise on the stunning Milford Sound.

Day 6: Te Anau. The 120 km ride along the shores of Lake Te Anau, along the Eglington River and the “Avenue of the Disappearing Mountains” and across the Earl Mountains with a dramatic descent into Milford will be one of your most memorable rides of the trip. At Milford Sound you’ll take a cruise past several of the areas famous landmarks – Mitre Peak and Mt. Pembroke – to the point where the Sound opens to the Tasman Sea.

Day 7: Queenstown. The easy ride to Queenstown provides sufficient time to stop along the way to see the Kingston Flyer – a heritage steam train that makes several 14-kilometer runs per day between Fairlight and Kingston. If you time your ride properly, you may have time to ride the train from Fairlight to Kingston, have lunch at the quaint little café in Kingston, and return to Fairlight to continue your ride to Queenstown.

Day 8: Queenstown. You’ll have a free day to spend in Queenstown – New Zealand’s outdoor adventure capital located on Lake Wakatipu and surrounded by the breathtaking Remarkables and Eyre Mountains. Take the Skyline Gondola – a cable car ride to the summit of a nearby hill – where there is a restaurant and some incredible views of Queenstown. Or take a thrilling jet boat ride through the nearby Shotover River Canyons. There is plenty to do from your base in Queenstown.

Day 9: Franz Joseph. You’ll use the southernmost crossing of the Southern Alps as you ride the sinuous Haast Pass, situated alongside Mt. Aspiring National Park, in the heart of the South West New Zealand World Heritage Area, a place declared by UNESCO to stand alongside the Grand Canyon, Great Barrier Reef, Mt Everest and other significant natural treasures around the world.

The Southern Alps is New Zealand’s renowned mountain range that isolates the west coast of the South Island from the mainland. Isolated from the rest of New Zealand. This is the country’s cultural 'heartland' and is reputed to be one of the best motorcycling areas in the world with light traffic, spectacular scenery, and great roads. Rudyard Kipling described the region as “the last, loneliest, loveliest, exquisite part”.

After arriving in Franz Joseph, you may opt for a helicopter flight that will deposit you on the glacier for some great photos, or take a leisurely scenic flight in a fixed-wing aircraft that will show you a multitude of scenic attractions.

Day 10: Punakaiki. You’re in for another day of great motorcycling roads and spectacular landscapes as you leave Franz Joseph and ride the stunning coastal roads on your way to Punakaiki. The pancake rocks and blowholes at the Punakaiki National Park, located adjacent to your beachfront hotel, are one of the areas most interesting sights, and will serve as the perfect high spot to end the day’s beautiful ride.

Day 11: Nelson. You’ll enjoy some splendid riding along the coast from Punakaiki to Charleston, where you’ll head inland and follow the Buller River to Murchison. You’ll cross the Southern Alps as you continue to Nelson for a two-night stop.

Day 12: Nelson. You’ll have two nights in Nelson, so you can use your free day to relax and enjoy the town’s delightful collection of cafes and quaint old architecture, or you may opt for still another day of breathtaking scenery and hairpin turns on a ride to Collingwood on Golden Bay, near the northernmost point of the South Island.

Day 13: Greytown. Today will be a day of sensory overload. The trip from Nelson to Picton, via the Queen Charlotte Drive, is one of the most popular motorcycling roads in all of New Zealand. You’ll ride a succession of hairpin turns, many with breathtaking overlooks of the Tasman Bay and the Marlborough Sounds, as you ride from Nelson to Picton via Havelock. You’ll find yourself stopping repeatedly for the many photo opportunities along the way.

In Picton, you’ll ride your motorcycle onto a ferry and sail the Cook Strait to New Zealand’s North Island. On deck, you’ll have more than an hour to watch the coastline along the Marlborough Sounds slipping away – an experience that is almost as exhilarating as seeing the Sounds from the seat of a motorcycle.

As you ride your motorcycle from the ferry in the country’s capital city of Wellington, you’ll cross the Tararua Range and head for the charming little town of Greytown, nestled in New Zealand’s famed wine country. There are more than 30 vineyards in the immediate vicinity. The town is home to one of the most magnificent little boutique hotels that you’ll experience during the trip – The White Swan. You'll enjoy an elegant gourmet dinner in the hotel's elegant dining room.

Day 14: Wanganui. Today’s ride takes you to the historic river city of Wanganui – a picturesque colonial town that boasts one of New Zealand’s most attractive main streets: Victoria Avenue. Gaslights, wrought iron garden seats, palm and plane trees all contribute to making this a great town for shopping and for just walking around. You may want to ride the Durie Hill Elevator and enjoy the panoramic view of the town from the top of the elevator or stairs (depending on how much exercise you’d like), or take a cruise on the 100-year old paddle steamer P.S Waimarie.

You’ll stay in a restored 1849 building that is now an elegant colonial-style hotel with a great pub and restaurant on the ground floor. This small, comfortable hotel will give you the opportunity to really experience life in a small New Zealand community. You won’t see any tour buses parked here!

Day 15: Rotorua. You’ll enjoy a spectacular ride on your way to Ohakune as the scenic route twists and turns as it follows the Wanganui River, and later the Mangawhero River. From Ohakune, you’ll ride the perimeter of Tongariro National Park, with views of the park’s three spectacular and active volcanoes. Tongariro was used to depict Mordor in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

You’ll continue to Lake Taupo and Rotorua, where you’ll have time to visit the famous geysers, bubbling mud pools, and hot springs of this town – the most popular tourist destination on the North Island. In the evening, you’ll have dinner and attend a native Maori concert in the Mitai Maori Village. After the concert you’ll take a guided forest walk where you’ll see glow worms and other interesting New Zealand nocturnal life.

Day 16: Coromandel. Today’s ride will take you along the Kaimai Range to Waihi where you’ll ride the coast road along the Coromandel Mountains and through the Tairua Forest on your way to the east coast of the Coromandel Peninsula, which juts out into the Pacific Ocean. You’ll ride the sinuous mountain roads of the peninsula, with stunning ocean landscapes to your right and the Coromandel Range to your left. The daily mileage from Rotorua is modest, providing time for a side trip to Hot Water Beach, where you can rent a shovel from a local café and dig your own natural spa in the sand. The thermal waters located just a few feet below the sand provide all the hot water you’ll need.

Your destination is the quaint little Coromandel Town, on the northwestern side of the peninsula, on the Hauraki Gulf. You may opt for a ride on New Zealand’s only narrow-gauge railway. The ride on this innovatively designed train takes you through a replanted native kauri forest and includes 2 spirals, 3 short tunnels, 5 reversing points and several large viaducts as it climbs up to the top of the mountain and the Eyefull Tower, a building offering imposing panoramic views of the Hauraki Gulf and surrounding forests.

Day 17: Warkworth. Today’s ride will take you through the Auckland metropolitan area and on to the beautiful village of Warkworth. Restaurants and cafés nestled near the river offer fine dining. You can enjoy dishes created with local produce and fresh fish caught daily, and compliment your meal with award winning wines from the local wine industry.

Days 18 and 19: Russell.We think that “Romantic Russell”, located in the famous Bay of Islands, is the ideal place to spend our last two nights on the road before heading for the finale of The Grand Tour in Auckland. The region is comprised of 144 islands and numerous secluded coves and bays. It’s a great place to explore the upper portion of the north island, and makes an excellent base for a ride to Cape Reinga, at the far north end of the North Island. After having visited Bluff, a ride to Cape Reinga will entitle you to a claim to have truly ridden from one end of New Zealand to the other.

Day 20: Auckland. You’ll end your journey on Auckland's waterfront, where you’ll commemorate the end of the Adventure with your fellow riders at a at a celebration dinner.

Day 21: Departure. We’ll arrange to escort you to the airport for your flight home.

Our New Zealand Adventures afford an ideal opportunity for riders to include non-riding companions in their vacation plans. All of our tours include the use of a large, comfortable support vehicle to accommodate non-riding companions. Just register your guest as a passenger and let us know that you’d like us to reserve a seat in the support vehicle. Passengers will enjoy all the attractions of the Adventure

Note: The daily program described for this Adventure illustrates the intended itinerary. In some instances, it may be necessary to modify the itinerary based on availability of accommodations and other factors.

"Grand Tour" Log Book (New Zealand)
Date	From	To	Km	Overnight
Arrival		Arrive Christchurch		Christchurch
Day 2	Christchurch	Mt. Cook	330	Mt. Cook
Day 3	Mt. Cook	Dunedin	330	Dunedin
Day 4	Dunedin	Bluff	280	Bluff
Day 5	Bluff	Te Anau	215	Te Anau
Day 6	Te Anau	Te Anau (Includes Milford Sound)	0	Te Anau
Day 7	Te Anau	Queenstown	180	Queenstown
Day 8	Queenstown	Queenstown	0	Queenstown
Day 9	Queenstown	Franz Joseph	405	Franz Joseph
Day 10	Franz Joseph	Punakaiki	230	Punakaiki
Day 11	Punakaiki	Nelson	270	Nelson
Day 12	Nelson	Nelson	0	Nelson
Day 13	Nelson	Greytown	195	Greytown
Day 14	Greytown	Wanganui	235	Wanganui
Day 15	Wanganui	Rotorua	310	Rotorua
Day 16	Rotorua	Coromandel	205	Coromandel
Day 17	Coromandel	Warkworth	235	Warkworth
Day 18	Warkworth	Russell	320	Russell
Day 19	Russell	Russell	0	Russell
Day 20	Russell	Auckland	240	Auckland
Day 21	Depart Auckland

Dates and Prices:
(Arrive at departure city on start date, depart final destination on end date)

Start Date	End Date	Duration	Price (USD)	Co-Rider	Note
Oct 26 2008	Nov 15 2008	21 Days	$11,500	$8,500
Jan 3 2009	Jan 23 2009	21 Days	$11,500	$8,500
Oct 25 2009	Nov 14 2009	21 Days	$11,500	$8,500

Includes any motorcycle smaller than 900cc.

Additional charge of $1,950 for motorcycles with a displacement greater than 900cc.
Additional charge of $2,975 for Honda Gold Wing, K1200LT or Harley Davidson

Damage deposit requirrement: $2,500
Damage deposit requirement for Gold Wing or Harley Davidson: $3,800

For complete list of available motorcycles, see “Our Bikes” at New Zealand Motorcycle Rentals - http://www.nzbike.com

Single room supplement - $1,650.

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Meals:
Price includes all breakfasts and 16 dinners.

Attractions included in tour price:
Cruise of Milford Sound, Maori cultural experience in Rotorua

Motorcycles Available:

Motorcycle
BMW F650 GS
BMW R1200 GS
BMW F650 GS Dakar
BMW R1200 RT

To See an Article About This Trip (BMW/ON Magazine) - CLICK HERE!

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