New Zealand

Looking for some exercise and adventure this summer? Never had to dodge cows and sheep while zipping downhill on two wheels? Then maybe this summer will be the best time to see New Zealand by bike.

New Zealand is a country marked by luscious rolling hillsides and temperate climates. Its mountainous regions are some of the most scenic and idyllic in Oceania, and are best experienced from their peaks. For decades, New Zealand has been a favorite destination for nature lovers and thrill seekers. In fact, the world’s first commercial bungee jumping site was established in Queenstown, New Zealand, in 1988. Today, the adventure tourism industry is still booming in Kiwi Land and a dizzying array of heart pounding, terrain traversing tours are available to visitors.

RealTravelers, Tony and Carrie, have been on a worldwide tour since last June, jet setting from Portland to Beijing through Thailand and eventually setting down in New Zealand just last month. Avid cyclists, the winding mountain trails outside of Queenstown provided a perfect opportunity for Tony to satisfy one of his lifelong dreams:

“On my list of things that I wanted to try before I die was Heli-Biking. This is what I would consider the luxury version of being dropped at the top of the hill and not having to pedal bike to get back to the valley. The bicycle term for this is “shuttling”. Normally I am of the mindset that you should ride up what you want to ride down and shuttling is considered cheating. I am also of the mindset that you should try anything once before you pass judgment.”

“The view from the helicopter was magnificent, but the flight took less than 10 minutes. We touched down on the top of Pisa conservation area, unloaded the bikes and the copter left us to our fun. You could see for miles in every direction and I could see the trail running downwards from where I stood into the valley below. Of course there was some up hill, but it was very minimal and only opened up to more downhill.”

“We were riding through farmland, so we weren’t riding alone. Occasionally, you’d come across a sheep (there are way too many) or a cow or both or a bunch of them hanging out on the trail. The English guy [another biker on the tour] was leading with me close behind. I came around a corner and the English guy had come to complete stop because there was a whole herd of cows standing in the trail and he had never ridden with livestock before. I shot past him and said ‘Ride at them, they’ll move.’ and luckily, I was right. The panicked stricken cows ran off the trail we continued on our way. As we rode lower and lower, the livestock was more frequent and I had sheep and cows running every which way in front of me.” (more…)

For truly unique outdoor experiences, New Zealand is a travel destination with plenty to offer. Tours are available at nearly every park and trail. Check out the links below for other travel tips, and hotel ideas.

New Zealand Blogs
New Zealand Hotels

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This summer, many people are flocking to the pools, beaches and lakes to enjoy the sun and heat that summer brings. But for some, the summer’s heat is not desired. This is why many people flock to the other half of the world to have winter again in the Northern Hemisphere’s summer. New Zealand offers winter wonderland activities in the summer months of June, July and August. In these winter months, the tourists go away, leaving many of the off-the-mountain sights to see virtually tourist-free.

Last summer, RealTravelers V&Rob took advantage of this low season, trekking through the New Zealand countryside making several stops, the first of which in Arrowtown, just twenty kilometers outside of Queenstown:

“Coronet Peak: The skifield nearest to Queenstown, this area has a fairly unscary access road for NZ and the 2 chairs and t-bar offer a reasonably good variety of terrain access. A good terrain park (including some girl sized jumps) meant a few days fun was had here. Great view of Queenstown from the top of the mountain.

Cadrona: Although billed as a “beginners resort” we found plenty to amuse us for a day - a huge park (with v scary jumps) but a good beginners box area. V and Nic surprised themselves by riding entire runs switch! Quite easy access road too.

Treble Cone: Slightly further away from Arrowtown, this resort has the most expensive lift passes ($99 per day!) but in our opinion is worth it. Nic wasn’t mad about the mogul count, but V&Rob loved the steep terrain and softish moguls as well as the awesome natural half pipes and “backcountry” feel. We will be returning…” (more…)

After conquering the slopes, these RealTravelers discovered an unexpected tourist attraction that New Zealand has to offer. V&Rob describe the experience climbing Fox Glacier:

“With the familiarization over, we got stuck into some climbing - Axes and all!! We started with some relatively easy angles and but progressed to climbing cracks and overhangs (or trying to at least) These more challenging faces meant a more technical type of climb - trying to place your axe and feet carefully to take advantage of natural cracks rather than just hammering it in with brute force.

We finished the day with almost a reverse climb, being lowered into a huge crevasse in the glacier and climbing out. This was a pretty amazing experience and provided you with spectacular views whichever way you looked - straight down was a sea of jagged ice which looked like it could tear you to pieces with one false move, to your right was a wall of deep blue ice which seemed to extend for ever (it was about 10km thick I suppose) and then to your left was an amazing view down the glacier valley.” (more…)

For glacier climbing, slalom skiing fun and more, New Zealand is a great and unique summer getaway for any adventurous traveler.

Discover more about New Zealand:

New Zealand Hotels
New Zealand Blogs
New Zealand Attractions

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