Most people leave the Northern Hemisphere on a Friday evening, arriving in Auckland early Sunday morning. You’ll lose a day crossing the dateline – but you get it back on the way home! It’s a short flight from Auckland to Christchurch on the South Island where we’ll meet you. Christchurch, New Zealand’s second-largest city, is framed by the Canterbury Plains and the Southern Alps to the West and the Pacific Ocean and Banks Peninsula to the East.
After fitting our bikes we’ll take a warm-up ride at McLeans Island. Depending on where you’re coming from, you’ll probably find jetlag is no big deal – for instance, it’s a 12 to 13-hour direct overnight flight from Los Angeles to Auckland, and there’s only a 3-hour time difference between New Zealand and US Pacific time. If you’re coming from further afield, you’ll appreciate the gentle start to your New Zealand adventure.
Accommodation: Merivale Manor or Scenic Hotel Cotswold, Christchurch
Meals: Lunch, Dinner
Biking: 15 miles (24 kilometers)
Elevation Gain/Loss: 537 feet (163 meters) ascent, 536 feet (163 meters) descent
Notes: Predominantly even terrain with occasional gentle slopes. No van support.






























