FIORDLAND NATIONAL PARK
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Helping Kids Ride Bikes...Featuring the Ride Holidays Fiordland Classic12–16 March 2027 (5 Days / 4 Nights)5 fantastic days in arguably New Zealand's most beautiful region - Fiordland National Park. This mini break is 100% a charity venture. For the past decade we have been buying bikes for low decile schools. This weekend will allow us to buy bicycles for 1, possibly 2 new schools. Bikes stay at the school and are used for PE and at lunchtime. During Covid times, we fell in love with what was the Milford Mountain Classic. In our humble opinion - it’s the best sportive (fun ride) in the world! The official event is no longer. Every 2 years we organise our own event and call it the Ride Holidays Fiordland Classic. The major difference to the previous MMC is that the Ride Holidays Fiordland Classic will start at 7.30am (rather than 1pm) which means that the road will be very quiet all the way to Te Anau. That requires us to spend the previous night on Milford Sound – Ahhh.... Ok, let’s do that. We’ve booked a boat!! This is a unique opportunity for you to join a supported ride from Milford Sound to Te Anau. A once in a lifetime opportunity to ride this very special (but hilly) road as it journeys through the UNESCO Fiordland National Park. Ride Holidays will take the hassle out of this short holiday. We've included pretty much everything … transfers, guides, mechanics, meals and, of course, safety. Let’s get these kids riding!! To do that, we need you to ride one of the greatest roads on the planet. Thank you for your support. See you in Queenstown. |
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Tour Details
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Tour Inclusions & Highlights
The Tour Price Excludes
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The Tour Cost
DEPOSITTerms and Conditions Deposit & balance terms and conditions. The initial deposit is NZD$250.00 per person. A 2nd deposit of NZD$750.00 is due 6 months prior to departure. The balance is due 90 days prior. We recommend you have comprehensive travel insurance. |
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Tour Itinerary |
Day 1 – Friday 12 March 2027Arriving Queenstown....Welcome to Queenstown - New Zealand's premier year-round holiday destination. Thank you for supporting the Ride Holidays Charity Fiordland trip. Kids will ride bikes because of you. Today is purely an arrival day. It’s our job to make your life easy so we’ll meet you at the airport. Travelling with a bike can be painful so we’ll have plenty of luggage room. Our hotel is conveniently located in Frankton. There’s no need to put your bike together. We’ll do that in Te Anau. This evening - we’ve booked a local restaurant. 90% of our clients are repeat so no doubt it will be like a family reunion. (A massive welcome to those joining us for the first time.) Look forward to seeing you at dinner. Thank you for supporting this project. Kids riding bikes is our priority. We’re glad you feel the same way. Cheers to you!! / Accommodation – Quest Queenstown
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Day 2 – Saturday 13 March 2027Queenstown to Te AnauIt’s a 2-hour drive to Te Anau. We’d like to depart early as we have a decent ride planned this afternoon. Let’s look to leave by 9am. Yes, we’ll stop for coffee and a wee. The plan is to arrive in TA by midday. Pies and cake (because we’re athletes) will be waiting for you on arrival. After lunch, we’ll quickly put the bikes together and head out for a 60-70km spin down towards Manapouri. Our Te Anau hotel is centrally located. This picturesque town is the main visitor base for the glacier-carved wilderness that is the UNESCO Fiordland National Park and the finish line for Monday’s RH Fiordland Classic. Tonight, we've picked one of Te Anau's restaurants. In fact, it recently won the country’s # 1 gastro pub. They know us well and always look after us. We introduce the team and run through the plan for tomorrow. Fiordland National Park awaits. / Accommodation – Village Inn Te Anau
PS, Team Mac? Non-riders are very welcome. We will work with you to make sure you have a great little wee holiday. Geoff will be your guide and while the cyclists are riding bikes, you’ll be experiencing Fiordland via foot. |
Day 3 – Sunday 14 March 2027Milford SoundIt's about a 2-hour drive (122km to be precise) to Milford Sound. Let’s not get on the bus. We see this as an ideal opportunity to ride your bike rather than drive. So, after breakfast we ride towards Fiordland National Park. There are 2 ride distances. Given that tomorrow is a big day, the smart money is on a relaxed, gentle 70km ride to Knobs Flat where a coffee cart and lunch will be waiting (and possibly the odd sandfly). We’ll then drive the last 50km. Le option # 2.... There’s nothing stopping you riding the whole way. It’s not for the fainthearted as it involves a 10km climb. This won’t scare some of you. Why not maximise your holiday.... Located within 1.2 million hectares of UNESCO World Heritage - listed national park and at the end of the spectacular Milford Road, Milford Sound Piopiotahi is Fiordland’s jewel in the crown. This will be our start line for tomorrow’s RH Fiordland Classic. This afternoon (4pm) we board our very own boat. There’s room for 60 RH whanau. There is no better way to soak up the majesty of Milford Sound than to have your own set of wheels. Flexibility is the key. We’ll cruise, park up and cruise some more. Feel free to jump on the kayaks or go for a swim. The Eighth Wonder of the World will be all ours this evening. Let’s crack open some champagne. We sleep under the watchful eye of Rahotu / Mitre Peak. We were on this boat a couple of years ago and had to put up with pesky dolphins circling our vessel all night. We were also kept awake by the painfully bright stars that make this part of the world famous. I guess we’ll just have to deal with it. / Accommodation – Piopiotahi
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Day 4 – Monday 15 March 2027Ride Holidays Fiordland ClassicWell, today is the day. Very exciting. It is without doubt one of the most scenic bike rides in the world. Can't wait to get back there. We encourage as many of you as possible to ride all the way from Milford Sound to Te Anau - 122km and 1760VM. However, if you prefer not to ride the Milford Mountain then we will run you up to the Homer tunnel and that will leave you 100km and about 900VM. Plan C is for you to ride from Knobs Flat to Te Anau (65km and relatively flat). It is a holiday and there is no pressure.... Pick the distance and we’ll make it happen. But remember You only live once. Give it a go!! Let's talk you through the day. We will be moored reasonably close to where we start riding. It’s literally a case of rolling out of bed, having breakfast, jump on your bike and start riding (uphill). In previous years, the Milford Mountain Classic didn’t start until 1pm. To avoid traffic, we want to get rolling by 7.30am which will mean that we don’t see any of the Te Anau day-trippers. Our goal is for everyone to be through the tunnel by 10am. Here's a pretty good description of what you can expect. The 122km ride starts at sea level and for the first 5km it is not much more than a false flat (climbing about 100m) before the road rises sharply. Over the next 14km you climb constantly to about 900m above sea level followed by a 12km decent to the foot of the Divide. The Divide is about a 200VM climb over 2km. The remaining 85-90km is mainly flat or a gentle decent. Ride Holidays will be at the halfway point with a full selection of fuel, epo and anything else you require. This evening, we've booked a local restaurant. Actually, it’s the mighty Moose Tavern and fully part of your Kiwi experience. Abe will jump on the guitar after we’ve had a short prizegiving. / Accommodation – Village Inn Te Anau
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Day 5 – Tuesday 16 March 2027OPTIONS, OPTIONS….We are expecting a few of our Australian whanau to join us for this trip. Some of you may like to stay in Te Anau for an extra couple of days. Here are some options.... (We’ll book these for you.) DOUBTFUL SOUNDCruise across beautiful Lake Manapouri and over Wilmot Pass to Deep Cove where you will board our catamaran for a three-hour cruise taking in the dramatic scenery of Doubtful Sound. An exceptional day trip and thoroughly recommended. ** You will need to spend an extra night in Te Anau if you visit Doubtful. KEPLER WALK AND JET BOATAt 9am we'll be guiding a 5-hour jet boat, 6km walk on the Kepler. It's the perfect opportunity to relax, have a coffee and then tick off something constructive. ** This involves a late transfer back to Queenstown. BACK TO QUEENSTOWNAfter breakfast, we help pack up the bikes and head back to Queenstown. For those booking flights, please make the departure time no earlier than 2pm. We have also booked a few rooms back at the Quest for those want an extra night or 2.... Lastly – thank you. Remember that this whole project is to get kids riding bikes. We’ll keep you posted with photos once the bikes are delivered. Kids laughing, doing skids, pulling wheelies. Because of you. Safe travels home.
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