The OM Tour Aotearoa

DO NOT FOLLOW THIS ROUTE Date: 8 Dec 2023 Grade: 2 Firstly, getting the bikes to Kaitaia did not go ...

A short day to catch up with the Plan Date: 9 Dec 2023 A leisurely start after yesterday's effort riding ...

With the wind Date: 10 Dec 2023 The wind did a 180 and it was so nice to cruise and ...

Road day Date: 11 Dec 2023 I had been worried about this leg because it has become the main route ...

Twin Coast Trail Date: 12 Dec 23 A short ferry ride in the late morning to Mangungu put us the ...

Back roads over the saddle Date: 13 Dec 2023 We biked around to Ohakura via the Whakapura pass, a steep ...

Originally to Whananaki but ... Date: 14 Dec 2023 Originally I had a plan that took a shortcut between Helena ...

Just missed Whangarei Date: 15 Dec 23 Grade: 2 We packed up early had a big breakfast across the road ...

More off-road than we expected Date: 16 Dec 2023 There is a water taxi service across the Whangarei heads run ...

Valleys and danger Date: 17 Dec 23 This is an unremarkable section except for the fact that it is a ...

and home ... Date: 18 Dec 23 The old state Highway 1 route from Warkworth is great now that the ...

The Hunua Traverse Date: 30 Jan 2024 Grade: 2, 3 After a 6 week rest to avoid the school holidays ...

River or plains Date: 31 Jan 2024 From Miranda the traditional TA Route goes East to the Hauraki Rail Trail ...

Cruising by the river Date: 1 Feb 2024 We took the old main highway from Huntly, stopping at Taupiri for ...

Waikato River Part 2 Date: 2 Feb 2024 From Tamahere (thanks Mark and Alison for your house, pool, beers and ...

Maeraetai to Maraetai Date: 3 Feb 2024 We passed Maraetai on Tuesday and now we're at Lake Maraetai 5 days ...

Lunch with an old tree Date: 4 Feb Grade: 2 Rather than take the official TA route (65 km with ...

Timber Trail Day 1 Date: 5 Feb 2024 Grade: 2, 3 We woke to a clagged-in and slightly chilly day, ...

Luck, luck, and more luck Date: 6 Feb Grade: 2, 3 We woke to sun shining on the forest all ...

A day off, heavy strategizing and bit of cheating Date: 8 Feb 2024 I won't trouble you with another post ...

The Bridge to Nowhere Date: 9 Feb 2024 Grade: 2, 3 With only 40 km in total, including a gentle ...

Down the river Date: 10 Feb 2024 This is a nice ride. Tarsealed road, hardly any traffic, history, scenery, and ...

A regular rural ramble Date: 13 Feb 2024 An uplifting start today thanks to the Durie Hill Elevator, then a ...

We rode SH1! Date: 14 Feb 2024 Grade: 2 From Hunterville you have to sneak up the dreaded SH 1 ...

The Tararua Traverse Date: 15 Feb 2024 Grade: 2 There are three possible routes across the Tararuas: The Saddle road ...

Side roads, deviations and byways Date: 16 Feb 2024 Grade: 2 Have you ever heard of the Norwegian church at ...

To the coast Date: 17 Feb 2024 There's a gentle cycleway between Greytown and Featherston, partly cycles only, and mostly ...

Spectacular with a side order of Day 1 Date: 18 Feb 2024 Grade: 2,3 Our original plan to bike all ...

In praise of roadworks Date: 21 Feb 2024 Grade: 2 From Eastbourne we set off along the cyclepath beside the ...

The Marlborough wineless tour Date: 22 Feb 2024 The local tourist website says that the mostly-flat valley road between Havelock ...

The Blenheim whine tour Date: 23 Feb 2024 Grade: 2 Well, it was a 67 km gentle but relentless climb ...

A downhill day Date: 24 Feb 24 For the ebikers out there, there's some interesting battery-use stats at the end ...

Another day, another pass Date: 25 Feb 2024 Comments by Jill today Well the weather gods are still on our ...

And still one more pass Date: 26 Feb 2024 This time, the Rahu Saddle between Springs Junction and Reefton. Every ...

It's all downhill from here Date: 27 Feb 2024 We had a grey day for the long Grey valley. It ...

West Coast Wilderness Trail Date: 28/2/24 An easy 20 km of flat riding through the dunes along the beach and ...

On the trail again Date: 3 March 2024 Three days catching up with cuzzies -Grant, Sue, Ian, Drew & Liz ...

A wee stroll before morning tea Date: 5 March 2024 Logistics and meteorology made a short day necessary, with an ...

A good, well-roadworked highway Date: 6 March 2024 Hotel Harihari was - interesting. Good food, very friendly owners, clean rooms, ...

In praise of tourists Date: 7 March 2024 During daylight hours, Franz Josef is beset with a constant whap whap ...

Another 10/10 ride Date: 8 March 2024 Post by Jill today, although I must add that these last 5 days ...

The seventh day of awesome. Date: 9 March 2024 Just when you think the West Coast has shown you everything, ...

Hello Otago Date: 10 March 2024 An easy day today - only 50 km to Hawea, and, to paraphrase the ...

Otago light Date: 11 March 2024 Grade: 3/4 From Hawea we broke away from the Tour Aotearoa route to follow ...

The Dunstan Trail Date: 12 March 2024 Grade 2,3 After a brief pilgrimage to Cromwell's industrial area to pick up ...

Roxburgh Gorge & Clutha Gold Trails Date: 15 March 2024 Grade: 2, 3 These trails are among my favourite great ...

You call that flat?? Date: 16 March 2024 From Miller's Flat we crossed the Clutha to backtrack to Ettrick, where ...

Mataura has a waterfall, and precious little else Date: 17 March 2024 if you find yourself travelling south by car, ...

Cold, wet milestones Date: 19 March 2024 There was nothing much to see on what, on a fine day, would ...

We're not Bluffing Date: 19 March 2024 Our last day dawned chilly with clear blue skies and we set off ...

The plan In 2023 we decided to bike the length of the country, guided by the Tour Aotearoa , but ...