Even before The Lord of the Rings cinematically revealed the beauty of its high country to the world, New Zealand was quietly becoming known as one of the planet’s premier mountain biking destinations. This reputation is due primarily to what the movie didn’t show—a magnificent network of single track and Jeep roads that webs across the country’s mountains and coast. Both the North and South Islands have stellar riding, but the South Isle has less people, bigger mountains, and more wilderness. Throw in huge mountain lakes, dramatic waterfalls, and a Pacific Ocean that’s never more than 75 miles away, and you start to see why this is a knobby-wheeled wonderland. A six-day tour of the South Island’s best rides takes you from the east-coast metropolis of Christchurch through the high and mighty Southern Alps to the historic mining country of the west coast. Nights are spent in motels and lodges. The riding season, their summer, lasts from October to April.
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Fat Tyre Mountain Biking
New Zealand’s singletrack specialists. Cost includes lodging, breakfast, and lunch daily. Specialise in wicked heli-biking, epic natural single track day trips and the dirty weekend mountain bike tours that will leave you salivating for more. Perfect for a bunch of biking buddies wanting a big, fun mountain biking weekend adventure.
Fat Tyre Adventures
P O Box 1068
Queenstown
New Zealand
Free-Phone 0800 328 897 (NZ only)
Mobile: +64 27 226 2822
Bookings/ e-Mail: fattyre@xnet.co.nz
Web: http://www.fat-tyre.co.nz