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| Start From Queenstown | 28 km Ride | Hilly and Challenging Terrain | Return Shuttle Only |
Are you looking for a ride on a new bike trail along the spectacular Shotover Gorge? One that crosses a suspension bridge and passes through a historic tunnel? And one that finishes at a brewery? Then this could be the ride for you!
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Ride Description
This ride begins by checking-in to Around The Basin’s shop in the heart of Queenstown at 9:20 am. The team will get you set up with everything you will need for the ride, including a navigation/safety briefing, a helmet and a map, and get you fitted to your bikes or E-bikes.
The route starts by looping around the Queenstown Gardens on a purpose-built gravel trail before going east out to Frankton. This first section follows the shoreline of Lake Whakatipu without any significant elevation change, so will feel fast and smooth. After 8 km (5 miles) of riding the trail passes the Boat Shed Cafe at the Frankton Marina, a great option to stop for a coffee or late-morning brunch.
Continuing beyond the Marina, the route now follows the Kawarau river to its confluence with the Shotover, before it skirts around the edge of Frankton and bends around to the north. After a short while it passes by the Old Shotover Bridge. The route then merges on to the scenic Tucker Beach Trail which before long joins on to the spectacular Shotover Gorge Trail.
This new trail crosses a suspension bridge, the Kimi-ākau, whose 90 metre span now takes riders over to the river’s true left, deep into the Shotover Gorge. The trail winds and weaves its way along the gorge heading ever upstream (and uphill) as it goes. If you’re lucky with your timing, here you may see a jet boat zipping through the narrow canyon below! A left hand turn near the end of the gorge will take you down passed Buck’s Balcony, before plunging further down to the 108-metre-long Hugo Tunnel. This historic tunnel – which now forms part of the bike trail – gives a glimpse into the river’s rich gold-mining history.
The far side of the tunnel takes you out onto Big Beach. From there the final climb of the ride will take you up to Arthur’s Point. You will have time for lunch and a well-earned beer from either Gantley’s Tavern or Canyon Brewing before the shuttle back to Queenstown.
Important Note: the second half of this route is a challenging bike ride. You can expect sharp switchbacks, steep drop-offs, and obstacles on the trail. This ride is only suitable for riders with previous experience of Grade 4 (Advanced) trails.
Please read the ‘Trail Difficulty’ section below for more detail.
Trail Difficulty
While we’d love all bikers to come and enjoy this new ride, the reality is this trail is not suitable for less experienced riders. Most of this route is on Grade 2 (Easy) or Grade 3 (Intermediate) trail, but some sections are on Grade 4 (Advanced).
What do the NZ Cycle Trail Grades look like?
On this ride you will encounter sharp switchbacks, steep drop-offs, obstacles, and sections of ‘Hike-A-Bike’, all of which are not to be underestimated.
Before booking this ride, ask yourself:
- Do you have experience riding on narrow bike trails with many switchbacks?
- Are you confident riding on an exposed trail with steep drop-offs?
- Are you comfortable riding over obstacles such as large rocks and tree-roots?
If you answered ‘No’ to any of these questions, this is not the ride for you. It’s worth checking out one of the easier rides, such as Arrowtown To Gibbston. However, if you ride regularly, are fit, and can be reasonably self-sufficient, this ride might be a great option.
Our goal is for riders to enjoy this experience and to be safe doing so. Choosing a ride within your capability is a key part of making your experience with us a success.
Some of our other winter rides can be found by following this link.
Ride Prices
* Please note, due to the difficulty of the trail this ride is not available for children 14 years or younger.
Ride Schedule
FAQs
Is the new Hugo Tunnel on this ride?
Yes!
How difficult is this ride?
The second half of this 28 km bike ride is challenging. There are sharp switchbacks, steep drop-offs, up-hill climbs, and obstacles such as tree roots. This ride is only suitable for riders with previous experience of Grade 4 (Advanced) mountain bike trails.
Most customers have a better experience riding with an E-bike for this ride.
What happens if there is bad weather?
We usually make a weather call on-the-day as it often turns out not as bad as the forecast suggests. If you are uncertain in the morning of your ride, give us a call 45 mins – 1 hr before the shuttle departs and we will discuss options. If we deem the weather is unsuitable for riding, we first try to re-schedule to another time or another day but if that isn’t possible we would refund your ride (less a 3% merchant fee).
More FAQs can be found by following this link.
A paper copy of this map will be provided before your ride.
