Today starts with a visit to Pukekura Park, and an optional morning yoga session. Often described as the jewel  in New Zealand's crown , Pukekura Park covers 52ha (128 acres)right in the heart of the city and is one of New Zealand's premier botanical gardens.

After lunch at your leisure, we'll regroup for an an afternoon ride. We'll head inland and steadily climb the lower flanks of Mt. Taranaki, the dormant volcano which reigns supreme over the region. A feature of the mountain is its circle of encompassing dark green forest and as we head further up the slopes we come into the native bush and the trees and ferns are a delight to ride through.

Our destination is Pukeiti, Taranaki's most famous Garden of International significance.  The Garden's rhododendrons and other exotics create an explosion of colour amidst lush native rainforest and after enjoying an afternoon tea, there's the option to enjoy a garden walk.  Otherwise you can choose to return to New Plymouth on your bike via a fast, easy descent off the ranges.

Dinner at your leisure tonight with plenty of options to choose from.

Cycle New Plymouth to  Pukeiti Gardens; 23k (14.2 miles)

Option to return on bike or shuttle.

Accommodation: Nice Hotel

Meals: B

Today we have a short transfer around one side of the mountain to one of Taranaki's foremost farms, grown from a 60-hectare block bought in 1919 into today's 430ha Sheep and Beef Farm.  This is a really unique opportunity to experience life on a New Zealand farm with farm demonstrations.

Onto the bikes, we will then head further inland, following a unique road called the Forgotten World Highway.  Built on colonial bridle paths formed in the late 19th century, the road is remote and mysterious to the extreme.  "A bit upsy downsy" is how one local resident puts it - a classic New Zealand understatement to describe a road that hugs the rugged contours of the land to provide a natural roller coaster experience.

We'll ride to the tiny Republic of Whangamomona;. (population 40 humans plus numerous other inhabitants) where a goat was once the President and which sells its own passports! After a cup of tea in the historic Hotel, we have a rather lengthy, but scenic 3 hour drive to Taupo.

Dinner together tonight.

Cycle: Toko to Whangamomana; up to 52km (32.3 miles)

Accommodation; Anchorage Motel

Meals; B,L,D

Yoga this morning overlooking Lake Taupo, a large crater lake located in the caldera of the colossal Taupo Volcano which erupted nearly 27,000 years ago.  The lake is a natural wonder rich with history and beauty.

Today's cycle ride is one of Taupo's purpose built cycle trails around the north-western corner of the lake with a short drive to start.  From the car park, the trail winds virtually downhill all the way to the lake on flowing, easy singletrack, passing through wetlands and regenerating forest and over boardwalks and ravines.

Beautiful Kawakawa Bay marks the halfway point and is a great place to stop for a snack and maybe even dip in the lake's clear waters.  Less confident riders can return the same way while others keep for a bit more adventure can continue on.  It's a 3km climb via switchbacks to get out of the bay followed by a long flowing descent towards Kinloch with plenty of eye-popping view across the lake to the western bays.

We'll all regroup at Kinloch where The Kinloch Store is a good place to refuel with ice cream, snacks and wood-fired pizza in summer.

We head back to Taupo in the van where you'll have time to wander along the water front before dining at your leisure.

Cycle Options:

Orakau to Kawakawa Bay Return; 19km (11.8 miles)

Orakau to Kinloch; 18km (11.2 miles0

Accommodation: Anchorage Motel

Meals: B

Another opportunity to start the day with a calming yoga practice overlooking the lake before a very short transfer to Huka Falls.  A short walk will take you to a viewpoint where you can witness the phenomenon of natural hydro power with more than 220,000 litres of water per second barreling over an 11 meter high waterfall.  This is New Zealand's most visited attraction for good reason.

Meanwhile your guides will have unloaded your bikes, ready for a short but delightful loop ride alongside both sides of the mighty Waikato River, New Zealand's longest river which starts at the top of Mount Ruapehu in Tongariro National Park and ends at Port Waikato on the Tasman Sea.

Finishing back at the Fallls, we load up and drive 2.5 hours to Napier and our hotel overlooking the Pacific Ocean, where we'll stay for the next 3 nights.

Dinner together tonight on the Napier quayside.

Cycle: , Huka Falls Loop;  16km (9.9 miles)

Accommodation; Scenic Hotel Te Pania

Meals: B, D

On a February morning in 1931, Napier was all but destroyed in New Zealand's deadliest earthquake. When the city was rebuilt, Art Deco was all the fashion and today Napier boasts one of the finest concentrations of Art Deco style anywhere in the world.

With today being a rest day, and a day off for the guides, you might like to enjoy a guided walk around this remarkable city.

Gannets and vineyards are 2 of Hawke's Bays other unique attractions, perfect rest day activities.  Cape Kidnappers/Te Kauwae-a-Maui is an extraordinary sandstone headland in Hawke's Bay. It was named by Captain Cook after an attempt by local Maori to abduct one of his crew. The cape is home to the largest and most accessible gannet colony in the world and a local tour operator can take you overland on a 4WD safari through spectacular coastlines, working farms, native bush to come face to face with over 20,000 gannets in their natural habitat.

Hawke's Bay is New Zealand's oldest wine growing region, and on the the global stage was recognized as the 12th 'Great Wine Capital of the World' in 2023.  Enjoy a tour of some of the region's vineyards to find out what makes this humble corner of Aotearoa a bucket list destination for wine connoisseurs.  

There's also the option to just meander along the seafront and enjoy exploring the town's boutique art galleries and many cafe's.

All meals at your leisure today.

Accommodation; Scenic Hotel Te Pania

Today, we join the Hawke's Bay cycle trail network, part of Nga Haerenga's 23 Great Rides of New Zealand.  The trails wind across the Heretaunga Plains and New Zealand cycling guru Jonathan Kennett describes them as "the closest you can get to a European cycling holiday without traveling to Europe."  The limesand surface is wide, smooth, and mostly flat, perfect for enjoying the region's mini Mediterranean climate.

Our ride today has a rich history - rare migrating birds, historic maritime beacons, Maori history and the lasting effects of 1931's brutal earthquake.  We'll cycle through stunning wetlands so feel free to stop at the bird hides to spot many native species.  Another highlight is the Whakamaharatanga Cycle Walkway, which travels around the base of a hill which was an island prior to the 1931 earthquake.  Rorookuri Island was in the original Te Whanganui a Orotu Lagoon and has two old pa sites and is rich in Maori history.

We'll enjoy lunch along the way before looping back to our hotel enjoying the last short section looking out to the Pacific Ocean on Marine Parade.

Cycle: Hawke's Bay Cycle Trail, easy unpaved; 41 km (25.5 miles)

Accommodation; Scenic Hotel Te Pania

Meals: B,L

Enjoy a yoga practice overlooking the Pacific Ocean this morning, before rejoining the Hawke's Bay Trails for another delightful ride.

After a short van transfer, today's route follows the Tukaekuri River to the coast, entering the Waitangi Regional Park, a sanctuary for birds and home to the Impressive Star Compass. This was a training tool used by the ancestors of the Maori, who sailed traditionally throughout the Pacific using the sun, moon and stars to navigate.

Following the coast, we then pick up the Tukituki River and ride through idyllic rural and riverside scenery, including plenty of vineyards and orchards, to the base of the majestic Te Mata Peak. Steeped in Maori legend, the Peak is both a visual feast and an integral part of Hawke's Bay history, Maori and European. 

You can choose to get to the top by pedal power or motor but either way the 360 degree views from the top are stunning.  Heading back down it's just a short distance to our accommodation in Havelock North.

You'll have time to wander this pretty town, with dinner at your leisure at one of the several restaurants on offer. 

Hawke's Bay Cycle Trails, easy unpaved; 

Standard, 38km; (23.6 miles)

Avid, Including climb to the summit; 53km (32.9 miles)

Accommodation: Haveloch North Motor Lodge

Meals: B,L

Southern Hawke's Bay is blessed with a great network of quiet, back-country roads. There are many options heading south, and our route is through quintessential rural New Zealand, heading back to the Tukituki River and then riding across rolling limestone hills that are synonymous with Hawke's Bay.

After lunch at the Goat Horn Cafe in the small town of Waipawa, it's a 45 minute drive to our accommodation at Wallingford Homestead, first built in 1858 and at the heart of a 34,000 acre sheep and cattle station in the 1900's. Now a boutique, fully catered stay, it offers peace and quiet in beautiful surroundings.

Cycle: Havelock North to Waipawa; up to 64km (39.7 miles)

Accommodation: Wallingford Homestead

Meals: B,L,D

This place is too nice to only stay for one night! Spend the day enjoying the peace and quiet of the Homestead with yoga amongst the beautiful gardens followed by a dip in the heated pool and then relax with a good book on the verandah. Or the best old school NZ beach ever just happens to be down the road! Vast and golden, sheltered by large headlands at both ends and offering walks down to the rocks or up to the river mouth. Te Paerahi Beach is a great spot to explore. We can ride or drive there and back.

OPTIONAL CYCLE: Wallingford to Te Paerahi Beach; 22km (13.6 miles)

Accommodation: Wallingford Homestead

Meals: B,L,D

The infamous Route 52 awaits us today, originally designated State Highway status but downgraded in 1960 when prosperity deserted New Zealand's farming industry and farming districts became depopulated. This route through quintessential rural New Zealand offers quiet roads, country pubs and friendly locals.

But first we'll enjoy a yoga session on the Wallingford lawn and another delicious breakfast. We then start our journey on Route 52 with a 2.5 hour drive but with several stops along the way, including a visit to a place with a name reputed to be the longest in the world. It may be a rather unassuming hill on appearance, but its rich in Maori folklore and a great photo-op!

We'll start todays ride from the farming community of Pongaroa and enjoy cycling across a farming landscape of rolling hills with minimal traffic. We'll enjoy a picnic lunch along the way before finishing our ride outside of Alfredton school, a small rural country school first established in 1887.

It's a 45 minute drive to our accommodation in Masterton.

Cycle: Pongarao to Alfredton; 44km (27.3 miles)

Accommodation: Copthorne Solway Hotel

Meals: B,L

Our morning's ride on the Wairarapa Cycleway is a pleasant touring route with stunning Wairarapa views and plenty of rural charm. We'll take a mid-morning breather by the delightful Gladstone Church before finishing this delightful ride in the small town of Martinborough.

Martinborough is the heart of Wairarapa wine-country with plenty of opportunities for tastings and cellar-door dining. It offers a heart-warming blend of down-to-earth rural charm and sophisticated indulgence.  The village centre itself is leafy and attractive.

With a rest day tomorrow to explore Martinborough itself, this afternoon we'll head across to explore another Wairarapa town, Greytown.

Dinner at your leisure.

Cycle: up to 61km (37.9 miles)

Accommodation: Martinborough Hotel

Meals: B

Packed with colonial charm, Martinborough features over 20 wineries, most within cycling and walking distance of the quaint village square.  Some of New Zealand's best pinot noir comes from the town's  predominately family owned vineyards, so it's not surprising it is a key stop on the Classic New Zealand Wine Trail.  Guided wine tours are available as are self-guided cycling tours.

If gin is more to your liking, Aurora Distillery produces small batches of craft gin and liqueurs and runs a Gin Experience taking you through the process and helping you make your own bottle of delicious gin from botanicals you've foraged in the Distiller's Garden. (Guides day off, but local taxi service available)

Closer to home, the picturesque village square is home to several heritage buildings, as well as boutique shops and great cafe's and there's a pretty 18  hole golf course just up the road.

We'll regroup at the end of the day to swap stories and enjoy our final Group dinner together to celebrate our wonderful New Zealand adventure!

Accommodation: Martinborough Hotel

Meals: D

After a relaxed start and breakfast in our hotel we head across the Remutaka Ranges to Wellington, New Zealand's capital city where you will be dropped at a central Wellington location. Wellington is a vibrant city with plenty to see and do. Highlights include a visit to Zealandia, the world's first fully-fenced ecosanctuary and and incredible slice of wilderness discovering our stories at our National Museum, Te Papa, riding the historic Cable Car, a vist to the Weta Workshop, the home of movie making magic, or a wander along the waterfront.

No Cycling today.

Meals: B