Day 1 - Thursday 17 February

Day 2 - Friday 18 February

Milford Sound on the MV RH Navigator

Sleep in. There is no rush. The best place for coffee is the Sandfly Café.

It's about a 2-hour drive to Milford Sound. However, we see this as an ideal opportunity to ride your bike rather than hop in a van. So, mid-morning we ride towards Fiordland National Park. Given that, tomorrow is a big day we won't make you ride the whole way. How about a gentle 70km ride from our hotel to Knobs Flat. We'll drive from there. We don’t board our accommodation for this evening until 4pm so we have plenty of time.

Please note – to make things easy and comfortable for you. You can keep your Te Anau room while you are staying tonight on Milford Sound. All you need to do is pack a day bag (and cycling gear of course) and leave everything else in your Te Anau hotel room. This will make things a lot easier for you after you finish tomorrows Milford Mountain Classic.   

Waiting for us in Milford Sound is our very own boat. That would be the MV RH Navigator. Our chartered vessel for this evening and home to about 60 RH whanau. What a night it will be. There is no better way to soak up the majesty of Milford Sound than aboard the Navigator. Which features spacious viewing decks, a dining room and an observation lounge. There are plenty of kayaks for use, and two tender craft for exploring the waterways of what is widely regarded as the Eighth Wonder of the World.

Our plan this evening is to slowly cruise the length of Milford Sound (16km) out to the open sea. Depending upon the swell and the weather we see this as the ideal spot for popping open the odd bottle of champagne. We’ll then find somewhere sheltered to moor up for dinner. We’ve asked the chef for a high carb menu. Our final resting place for this evening will be back deep in the Sound which means there’s zero risk for those who aren’t 100% seaworthy. It's extremely calm.   

Spending the night in this very special part of the world means truly taking in its splendour. We are incredibly fortunate to have this part of the world all to ourselves. Let’s make the most of it.

/ Accommodation - MV RH Navigator
/ Meals - Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 3 - Saturday 19 February

Milford Mountain Classic

Well - today is that day. Very exciting. It is without doubt one of the most scenic sportive's in the world. Can't wait to get back there.

By now you would have trained and mentally prepared for either the Meridian Milford Mountain Classic which involves 122km and 1760 VM. Or the Ricoh Homer Hundred - 100km starting at the Homer tunnel. There's also the Fiordland Lobster Eglinton Challenge which offers 65km of picture paradise cycling. (we will run the 65km and 100km riders to the start at about 11am)

Let's talk you through the day. After breakfast you can relax. We'll spend the morning cruising Milford Sound. Yoga? Fishing? There's nothing to be done right up until the 12noon start time. That gives all the domestic traffic the chance to get off the road.

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 2kms. 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. We've also employed a professional to put together a short video on today's festival of cycling. We'll play it on the big screen while the RH gang of 100 has a few beers or a glass of wine together.

/ Accommodation - Te Anau Distinction (superior room)
/ Meals included - Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 4 - Sunday 20 February

"AROUND THE MOUNTAINS" CYCLE BBQ TRAIL

After breakfast we'll say goodbye to our luggage. Please make sure bags are clearly named with your RH luggage labels - that way they'll find their way to your Queenstown room by the time we arrive.

Just looking at my timesheet and I see no reason to depart really early, so please head off to Sandfly (where the locals go) for a coffee. Let's jump in the vehicles at 10am. Today we are accompanied by Wild Rides Fiordland. They're providing Mountain (or electric) bikes, support for today's adventure.

Set in the remote wilderness of southern New Zealand, the Around the Mountains Cycle Trail offers a truly unique experience for those seeking to venture off the beaten track. Total trail distance is 186km however we plan to ride 80 of the best. Starting near the pristine waters of the Mavora Lakes - one of the awe-inspiring locations featured in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. We then cycle alongside the Oreti and Mataura rivers and through the native tussock lands of Walter Peak and Mt Nicholas stations - both authentic high-country farms. Our 1% experience for today - when you arrive at Walter Peak there's a late afternoon high station BBQ waiting. I suspect the guest of honour for this afternoon's proceedings will be locally sourced. Can't wait.

Our uber back to Queenstown is none other than the reasonably well known Earnslaw. (8pm expected back at the hotel)

/ Accommodation - Novotel Queenstown Lakeside
/ Meals included - Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 5 - Monday 21 February