Ride The Australian Out Back

Imagine cycling 2000 km through the heart of Australia, from the lush valleys of the Southern coast to the Red Centre of Ayers Rock and Alice Springs. Imagine watching the sunset over Uluru ( Ayers Rock) after a day cycling through the desert. Imagine rolling into the historic town of Alice Springs in the dead centre of Australia after two weeks of unforgettable experience and incredible scenery with new life long friends.

All Trails have been running long distance rides all over Australia for the last ten years. In May ‘08 they ran the first Rock Ride from Adelaide in South Australia to Alice Springs in the Northern territory through some of the most unbelievable landscapes in the world. Below is a brief account of what is a unique cycling experience.

The Rock Ride

Crossing Australia has been the dream of many explorers and what better way than by bike.

Clare Valley is a dream, especially in Autumn with rows of golden grapevines stretching forever, interspersed by stone cottages and farm house wine tasting rooms.

It gets even better as we skirt Mt Remarkable, a cyclists paradise, alive with kangaroos and rugged red gum tree trunks.

Further north the vegetation thins, with saltbush, red earth and treeless plains. Salt lakes extend forever, like this timeless land, bringing you the real feeling of The Outback.

Explore underground at Coober Pedy, the opal capital of the world, littered with luckless mines and surrounded by white mounds of mullock. Stay underground in our 4 star accommodation with a sauna and swimming pool. We really spoil you with 5 star accommodation at Ayers Rock, where you can explore the rock and Olgas and marvel at nature’s masterpiece. Enjoy the luxury of the truly Australian “Sounds of Silence” evening.

The array of roadhouses, people, wildlife and landscapes is vast and so are the stars at night. Cycling this country is the best way to appreciate arriving at Alice Springs, The Centre of Australia.

Crossing Australia has been the dream of many explorers and what better way than by bike.

Cycling New Zealand

We feature an article from Independant Cycle Tours - New Zealand. However many times we return to New Zealand, it never ceases to astound. When your planning to see it there’s no better way than from the back of a bike with these guys as support.

Every year more and more people discover the amazing experience of cycling as a means of exploring New Zealand. It is an exceptional way to see the country, with its many quiet roads and varied, magnificent scenery. New Zealand, and the South Island in particular, has been described by Lonely Planet as “…a cyclists’ paradise: it’s clean, green, uncrowded and unspoiled…” With its wide diversity of magnificent scenery, low population and temperate climate the South Island offers an unparalleled opportunity for cyclists to enjoy a variety of different landscapes, often in the same day. Our popular nine day West Coast cycling tour starts from Christchurch with a train journey on the breathtaking Tranz-Alpine (regarded as one of the best train rides of its kind in the world) through the Southern Alps to Moana ,a small settlement nestled on the shore of Lake Brunner. From here it is a gentle cycle to the West Coast town of Greymouth.

Cycling north from Greymouth along the rugged West Coast, you take in the spectacular rainforest, Punakaiki’s pancake rocks and towering limestone cliffs along the route. Then it’s a gentle ride along the stunning Buller River, through to the historic goldfields of Reefton, and on to the relaxing thermal areas of Maruia and Hanmer Springs.

After a rest and sightseeing day in Hanmer, it’s on to the wine and olive growing regions of Waipara and Amberley, before a gentle ride back to Christchurch.

With self-guided cycling tours, you independently carry your own equipment and your support vehicle, if required, is public transport. This means that self-guided cycle tours are the most eco-friendly possible way to travel. Your day is yours to do at your own pace. All you need to do is follow a comprehensive daily itinerary; which suggests sites to visit, local landmarks and amenities along the way to your next stop. Put together by cyclists with excellent local touring knowledge the itinerary lets you spend your holiday seeing the scenery rather than worrying about where you’re going to stay the night.
The geography and lack of population in New Zealand mean that while New Zealand is a great place for cycling, unfortunately, you can not expect to find accommodation every few kilometres. Towns are often 50-100 km apart, making pre-booking essential for those without the back-up of a tent. Having talked to many cyclists, the worst thing is cycling all day only to have to try to find a place to stay at the end of the day. For our tours we have selected quality, clean accommodation with local hosts, who are happy to share their enthusiasm for New Zealand with you. Breakfast is also included, with lunch and evening meals taken at your own discretion along your route - just use our suggested recommendations or ask your hosts.

Included in the cost of your cycling tour is the use of a quality bicycle and equipment, suited to the demands of bike touring in New Zealand. Having the bike, panniers and equipment in New Zealand means that you can avoid the hassles and costs associated with bringing your bike with you; Additionally, you aren’t left looking for safe storage for your bike when cycling is done.
Lastly, but for most of us, significantly, the cost of a self-guided bike tour is a third to half of the cost of fully guided group tours. Given that you are seeing the same countryside, on the same roads, staying in equivalent (but more user-friendly) accommodation, it’s easy to see why self-guided cycling tours are becoming the increasingly popular way to cycle around New Zealand.
Why choose Independent Cycle Tours NZ?

Eight very good reasons…

Eco-friendly tourism
Independent Cycle Tours New Zealand self-guided cycle tours are the most eco-friendly way to travel. You use pedal power to see this beautiful country, thus minimising your carbon footprint. We strongly believe that ecotourism is an important part of New Zealand’s future and are proud to be part of the growth in sustainable green tourism.
Flexibility
to do what you want without being tied to tight schedules and crowded groups that a fully guided bike tour would entail. You needn’t worry about minimum numbers and dates that may not suit.
Accommodation
One of the key differences between ICTNZ and other tour companies is the quality of the accommodation and friendliness of the hosts. We carefully check all accommodation to ensure the best possible experience for all our customers. We believe that many memorable holiday experiences are made by the friendly local people you meet. The friendliness of the hosts and the high standard of accommodation have frequently been commented on by our customers. Get to know the real New Zealand and real New Zealanders, while experiencing the beauty and majesty of our unique country.
Affordability
Costing around half that of fully-guided bicycle tour; self-guided bicycle tours allow you to spend longer biking and doing the things you want to do; making your New Zealand adventure holiday more affordable
Knowledge
ICTNZ has been set up by cycle tourers, for cycle tourers. We have extensive knowledge of bike touring in the South Island of New Zealand, gained through tens-of-thousands of kilometers cycling all the routes we recommend. We have used the knowledge we have gained to put together these self-guided tour routes because we think they offer the best experience of the spectacular scenery and unique culture that the South Island has to offer.
Equipment
that will get the job done, not leave you sitting on the side of the road. The bikes are replaced every year, and are thoroughly checked after every hire, so you can be assured of a well serviced, quality bike for your journey. To undertake a bike tour in New Zealand, you need a bike capable of standing up to the rigours of this diverse countryside. We provide cheap tours, not cheap gear. We offer well-serviced bikes with Shimano deore 27 speed componentry as minimum. We believe that anything less is not capable of dealing with the demands of bike touring in New Zealand
Safety
New Zealand is a safe place to travel in. Due to our relatively low population, particularly in the South Island, our roads are in good order with low traffic flows. You may find it uncannily eerie at times when there are so few vehicles travelling on the routes you will cycle on.
Support
Another factor that separates us from other tour operators is that we will deliver the bike and gear to your accommodation in Christchurch (or a number of other cities around New Zealand). We come to you, saving you time and hassle in an unfamiliar city. If you get stuck or need a day off, all our tours are developed so the routes are covered by a major (New Zealand-wide) shuttle service, which is able to take you and your bike to the next location. On many of our tours we provide a luggage cartage service so that your gear can be waiting for you at the end of each day instead of being carried by you on the bike.

We aim to meet the needs of anyone considering New Zealand as a cycling destination. As experienced cyclists, these are the bikes and equipment we would want to use if we were visiting New Zealand, and as New Zealanders we can assure you that these are the best cycling tour routes you will find.

Independent Bicycle Tours New Zealand9 Main Road, Governors Bay, RD1,Lyttelton, Christchurch.New ZealandPh +643 3299 496Mobile (+64) 027 524 4234Fax: +643 3299 497
http://www.cyclehire.co.nz
info@cyclehire.co.nz

Africa By Bike

In the first of our Great Rides series we feature Ross Hopkins story of one day in their epic 10,500km ride from Ethiopia to South Africa.

Having completed bicycle tours in Scandinavia, South America, South East Asia and New Zealand, Africa loomed as the next big adventure. After months of planning and preparation, on December 29 2006 we landed in Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia. This was to be our starting point for our African bike trip. Travelling by bike to us is the ultimate in freedom and adventure. We both share a love of experiencing different cultures from the saddle of our bike, and although we knew Africa would be the most challenging yet, nothing could prepare us for what we endured throughout our 7 months cycling through Africa. It pushed us to the limit of our physical and emotional boundaries and nearly broke us.But it was living a dream. It was an opportunity to escape our cultural cocoon in which we live.

It was an adventure and it was real.So nothing can really compare to the wave of relief and sense of independence we felt when we cycled out of Addis Ababa. The daunting prospect of having ¾ of the African continent ahead of us was a distant second to the feeling of pure freedom.The excitement of being in an unknown land with everything we needed on our bikes made us feel alive. The adventure had begun. To describe our trip in a short space is merely impossible. Every single day provided us with memorable adventures, intriguing encounters, unique scenery and a new glimpse into the remarkable life of Africa. So rather than try and describe our 7 months and 10,500km through 11 African countries, I have instead included one of my journal entries written on the day we crossed from Rwanda into Tanzania.

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