Tour Aotearoa – The South Island Stage & The Treasures We Found Along the Way

WORDS: EMMA BAWTREE
PHOTOS: FIONA HOSIE

People like to say the Tour Aotearoa is a bike ride from one end of the country to the other – but that’s only half the story. It’s just as much about everything you stumble across in between.

In March this year Fiona and I headed back to finish it off – the South Island, the remaining quite long stretch. (We rode the North Island stage of the TA in 2024). We figured we may as well work with the wind instead of fighting it so we flew into Invercargill and rode south to north. Two weeks, roughly 100km a day. In our heads it felt like we were just riding home.

What made this stage memorable was not only the riding itself but the unexpected collection of treasures we gathered along the way. By day three one of us had come down with a decent head cold – energy was lagging… until we found a jar of local honey at a roadside stall. That stuff became gold. Spoonfuls every day. Whether it actually did anything or not didn’t really matter – it felt like it did and that made all the difference.

The scenery rolled past in a constantly changing panorama of farmland, forests, rivers, lakes and coastline – each day revealing a different face of Aotearoa. You never really got that “here we go again feeling”. We started in Bluff and from there it was an easy 70kms to Winton to kick things off. Quiet roads, tractors, cows… classic Southland. Before long we were in that touring rhythm: ride; eat; navigate; eat again; and find somewhere to swim.

Heading through Mavora Lakes and the Von Valley was a highlight: quiet; remote; and absolutely stunning. Then you hit Queenstown and Wānaka and it’s like landing in another country: traffic; people everywhere; and everyone in a hurry. It felt busy in a way we weren’t used to after the farmlands of ‘Classic Southland’.

Leaving civilisation behind we crossed the Southern Alps / Kā Tiritiri o te Moana through the Haast Pass, which is especially dramatic by bike. Dropping temperatures on the pass made us dig deep into our gear for layers of warmth. Realising I had forgotten my buff-beanie, I adapted another woollen item – and was stoked how well merino boxers work on your head for warmth.

The West Coast was everything you'd hope for. Wild coastline, wind-bent trees and flocks of kererū everywhere. But more than anything it was the people. We were so well looked after: whitebait inspired meals; local wine; good chats; and stories from the road. We were also super lucky with the weather: rain overnight chased by then blue skies all day – just like clockwork.

Next on the wish list of collectable treasures was a roadside rag. To anyone else it would just look like a piece of litter, but on a bike tour roadside rags are genuinely useful. Cleaning chains, wiping off mud, drying seats – handy little finds. Every decent one got picked up. Part practicality, part a laugh and part that ‘tidy Kiwi’ instinct.

Energy lows happen and refuelling the body is imperative so food is always a focus. Four Squares, On the Spots and pie carts become real treasures. Not to mention the stunning swimming holes to recharge the batteries – the South Island has no shortage of these.

As we got closer to Māpua (home), it started to feel real. Family and friends were waiting at the finish, and the legs were feeling it: thighs like rugby players; tan lines locked in; and bikes hanging in there after everything we’d thrown at them.

Crossing the finish line was pretty special, but also a bit strange. It wasn’t just about ticking the TA it off. The best parts were never really the start or the finish anyway – it was chats with strangers, stops in places you didn’t plan for, a jar of honey or a swim or pie at exactly the right time. And the satisfaction of finding a half-decent roadside rag! That’s the stuff you actually remember. In the end, the Tour Aotearoa is about everything in between getting from A to B: the good; the uncomfortable; the unexpected; and that’s the part that creates the memories that stick.