Around the Mountains Cycle Trail

Lake Wakatipu’s TSS Earnslaw steamship cruise is a fabulous way to start this journey. From the foot of Walter Peak, the trail briefly traces the lakefront before heading into the wilds of the beautiful Von Valley and past the stunning Mavora Lakes. Tracking around the Eyre Mountains, the trail then passes through the historic Southland towns of Mossburn, Lumsden, Athol and Garston, finishing at Kingston from where Lake Wakatipu comes back into view.

Offering easy riding on wide, well-graded paths, the trail is best enjoyed as a 4–5 day journey making the most of local hospitality and the endless mountain views. Adventure tour companies in Queenstown and Southland can provide all necessary services including shuttle transport for a choice of magical day ride options.

Highlights

• majestic mountain scenery
• picture-perfect Walter Peak Station
• the Eyre Mountains – Taka Ra Haka, ‘where the sun dances on the mountain tops’
• TSS Earnslaw steamship cruise across Lake Wakatipu
• glacier-carved Mavora Lakes
• Von Valley’s golden tussock
• remote wilderness atmosphere
• characterful country towns offering genuine Southland hospitality
• sparkling rivers

Completing the whole trail will take 4–5 days by reasonably fit cyclists, taking advantage of local hospitality in the Southland towns of Mossburn, Lumsden, Garston, Athol and Kingston. Cycle tour companies and shuttles can handle all the logistics and help arrange day rides.

The trail can be cycled in either direction but starting at Walter Peak, at the northern end of Lake Wakatipu, makes the most of the prevailing winds and topography.

The southern section between Mavora Lakes and Centre Hill follows a gravel road that can get dusty in summer. And as there’s only basic (but beautiful) DOC camping at Mavora Lakes, many riders choose to catch a shuttle along this section, or further down the trail to Mossburn.

Riding in this anti-clockwise direction, the ride ends at Kingston on the shores of Lake Wakatipu, from where you can meet your shuttle or other transport pick-ups. (Cyclists riding clockwise start with a Kingston drop-off and finish with the boat cruise back to Queenstown.)
 

Walter Peak Station—Mavora Lakes

• 50 km
• Grade 3 / intermediate
• 5 – 6 hours

The scenery on this initial leg will possibly knock your socks off. It begins with the scenic cruise across Lake Wakatipu with stunning views of the mountaintops as you approach Walter Peak. Here you can explore the historic homestead, enjoy the cafe, and even watch a live shearing demonstration.

As it traces the lakeshore towards Mt Nicholas Station, the trail reveals postcard views across to the Richardson Mountains and beyond towards Mt Aspiring National Park.

Riding on a gravel road surrounded by golden grasslands and tussocky mountain tops, it’s a short but fairly grunty climb up Von Hill. It’s then pretty much downhill all the way to the magical Mavora Lakes.
 

Mavora Lakes—Mossburn

• 50 km
• Grade 3 / intermediate
• 4 – 6 hours

The Mavora Lakes are a sight to behold, surrounded by forest and nestled between the Livingstone and Thomson Mountains. Bike-packers can immerse themselves for longer in this magical environment made famous by The Lord of The Rings trilogy by pitching up overnight at the DOC campsite – as long as they don’t mind friendly sandflies for company.

From Mavora, the trail continues along the gravel road to Centre Hill (29km), from where the trail joins the purpose-built off-road trail. Note that the gravel section can get dusty in the summer months; some riders may prefer to organise a shuttle through to Mossburn.

Self-proclaimed deer capital of New Zealand but surrounded by cows, Mossburn enjoys a splendid setting in mountain surrounds and is a good place to stop overnight.
 

Mossburn—Lumsden

• 20 km
• Grade 2 / easy
• 1.5 – 2.5 hours

The ride through northern Southland to the town of Lumsden is quite the contrast to the previous day, rolling farmland taking the place of the tussock-clad high country. Spring is a particularly nice time to visit when the fields are full of frolicking lambs.

This section traverses a mix of an old railway line and well-graded track, threaded between the highway and farmland. Watch out for the power poles inexplicably installed in the middle of the track at the Mossburn end, a good opportunity to hone your slalom skills.
 

Lumsden—Athol

• 33 km
• Grade 2 / easy
• 3 – 4 hours

This section serves up the more charming rural countryside. Continuing along the old railway line, it also traces the edge of the Oreti River, well known for fly fishing. Five Rivers is a good place to rest and rehydrate. Riders will continue on the well-manicured track to Athol where you can enjoy some time with southern folk.
 

Athol—Kingston

• 30 km 
• Grade 2 / easy
• 2.5 – 3 hours

Athol, a tiny rural town situated on a small plain surrounded by mountains including Mid Dome (1478m) to the south and Flagstaff (1037m) to the east.

As you leave Athol lookout for the wooden suspension bridges that locals have nicknamed the Golden Gate Bridges. Enjoy a break at one of the towns dotted along the trail.

Garston, known as New Zealand’s most inland town, is a good place to stop for refreshments. From there, the final leg of the ride takes you past historic Fairlight Station, once home to the Kingston Flyer train.

From here the trail follows the glacial moraine heading gradually downhill, finishing in Kingston on the shores of Lake Wakatipu where you can watch the sun hit the mountain tops and reflect on the amazing journey through a special slice of New Zealand.

Source: The New Zealand Cycle Trail