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Story | Freeride NZ - Ski & Bike

Why only freeride when you can also bike?

by Lukas Zögernitz • 09/19/2016
Southern Alps, NZ
Pete Oswald
Southern Alps, NZ
Pete Oswald
Who wouldn't want to escape summer in Europe to find their beloved snow in the southern hemisphere? But somehow summer activities like biking are fun too. So why choose just one option? Word has spread to Europe in recent years that New Zealand is also a great place for biking. We used our ski trip to the other side of the world to explore New Zealand's excellent trails by bike. Here are our experiences, the advantages of a combined bike & ski trip to NZ and what you should definitely bear in mind...

With a north-south extension of the two main islands of approx. 1300 km (comparable to Hamburg - Rome), New Zealand has a wide variety of climate zones. In the warm north, white beaches often invite you to swim, while ideal freeride conditions still prevail on the glaciers in the south. At around 1500 meters above sea level, the snow line on the mountainous South Island is quite high compared to valley altitudes of around 400 meters. A promising starting point to spend some good biking days in pleasant temperatures during your freeride trip! What's more, the snow conditions in New Zealand can vary greatly. This means that you will probably not be spared a few down days during a freeride trip anyway. So of course it's a good idea to enjoy the stunning landscape on your bike. In many freeride regions, there are also a large number of good bike trails available, which can usually also be ridden well in winter or spring.

Traveling with skis and bike

In order to be able to travel with skis and bike during your NZ trip, it makes sense to bring at least one set of equipment. Within the free baggage allowance (usually one piece of baggage weighing 23kg or 30kg), many airlines allow you to take a ski or bike bag with you free of charge. If you want to bring both pieces of equipment with you from Europe, it becomes much more complicated and expensive. It is often difficult to find out details about the prices for additional baggage from the airlines in advance. However, you can expect to pay an additional €200 or more for a second piece of sports baggage. In any case, you should avoid buying additional sports baggage at the airport. The prices are then significantly higher and, in the worst case, the airline may refuse to carry the sports baggage (which is why it is always advisable to register any sports baggage with the airline in advance, even if it is part of the free baggage allowance).

Alternatively, you can also rent bikes locally (freeride equipment can of course also be rented, but it is much more difficult to find good and suitable equipment - boots! - to find). In high winter, many sports stores do not have rental bikes in their shop windows, but you should be able to rent bikes in all larger ski resorts in winter on request (we have already been successful at Torpedo 7 in Queenstown, for example).

If you want to bring your own bike, a bike bag is recommended. Transportation is convenient and usually safe thanks to various padding and protective strips. When planning, you should consider the weight of the bike bag. Even very good bags such as the Evoc Bike Travel Bag Pro weigh 8 kg. In combination with a 13 kg bike, the free baggage allowance of 23 kg is quickly exceeded! Lighter, but less comfortable and often not quite as secure, are simple cardboard boxes in which the bikes are delivered to the dealers or shipped when buying online. Your trusted bike dealer is a good source here. I have also seen bold travelers who have packed skis and bike together in a bike box. The skis were simply placed on top of the bike and the part that protruded over the box was also packed in cardboard. This variant saves you a second piece of luggage, but you run the risk that the piece of luggage will not be transported or that you will exceed the permitted weight. If you have enough free baggage allowance, both the bike bag and the cardboard box offer enough space to stow the rest of your bike equipment.

Of course, you can also use many pieces of your ski equipment for biking: The backpack, back protector and water bottle are virtually universal. A helmet without ear pads or inner gloves can also be used on a bike. And if style is not the most important thing for you, ski socks, long underpants and board shorts are good equipment for cooler days on the bike and your ski hardshell combined with a base layer is also suitable for biking.

If you don't want to spend your stay in New Zealand in one place, it is advisable to take ski and bike equipment into account when planning your local transportation (you can find tips on this in the introductory article of our Freeride NZ series). The additional equipment certainly won't make the trip any easier and we can only recommend the option of a large camper with a bike rack (campers are very cheap in NZ in winter and are recommended anyway). Even if you store your equipment in a smaller van or similar, you will regret this decision at the latest when you have to spend a night in a cold car with all your wet equipment after a day on your bike or skis.

Bike and ski bag

Bike and ski bag

Bike and ski bag

Bike etiquette in New Zealand

Biking is a widespread sport in New Zealand. Like so many things, biking is a little more relaxed than in many parts of Europe. There is no general ban on riding on forest and hiking trails as there is in Austria, for example. However, some hiking trails are (partially) closed to bikers. The "Great Walks", for example, are quite busy in summer. Even pedestrians sometimes need "permits" to be able to undertake the hikes. These trails are therefore seasonally closed during the summer, but can be used in winter (e.g. the Heaphy Track). As a general rule, the range of single trails is so large that you should not actually ride on closed trails and tracks.

Trails are usually shared by hikers and bikers. If use is exclusively for one group, this will be made known via signs. Trails in New Zealand are often used in both directions, i.e. uphill and downhill. It can therefore happen that you meet a biker going uphill on a trail that you have reached via a forest road. If there are restrictions on use in both directions, this will be indicated by signs.

Most trails in New Zealand are free to use. However, the trails are often maintained by non-profit organizations that charge a small donation for their use. If this is the case, this can often be deposited in an "Honesty Box". This method is also sometimes used in bike parks out of season (e.g. Woodhill). Protective equipment is of course always recommended and a ski helmet is better than no helmet. In some bike parks, however, the rule of no helmet = no ride (Woodhill!)

Bike spots on the South Island

The majority of freeride spots can be found on New Zealand's South Island. But the Southern Alps aren't just great for powder - the range of single trails and bike parks is also impressive! In addition to the long, multi-day tours (some of New Zealand's "Great Walks" are open for biking in winter and spring), there are also a number of trails, especially around the tourist centers Queenstown and Wanaka, there are many spots with networks of single trails, as well as some long descents from the ski areas (e.g. Remarkables Skifield.e.g. Remarkables Skifield Road, Mt. Hutt and Coronet Peak).

Queenstown

The institution in Queenstown's bike scene is the Queenstown Mountain Bike Club. You can find information and maps of trails on the QTMBC website. We would like to briefly introduce you to a small selection. If you have experienced New Zealand's southern tourist stronghold in winter, it is hard to imagine that there is much more going on in summer. It is therefore a good idea to explore the many biking opportunities (Queenstown would be worth a biking vacation of its own) in the quieter late winter or spring. Almost directly in the center is the Skyline Gondola, which takes downhillers to the start of the bike park. If the gondola is not open to bikers in winter, you can easily pedal to the summit station on a forest road (to get to the way out, you have to follow a small path to the left with a view of the valley station). At the top, there are plenty of trails of all levels of difficulty. Pedaling up the mountain under your own steam can be well worthwhile, as the ban on bikes in the gondola means there are fewer bikers on the trail and you often have freshly maintained trails to yourself. From the bike park, you can also get to the freestyle park a little further west. Here you'll find jumplines like those you know from the big parks in the Alps in winter.

Seven miles outside Queenstown in the direction of Glenorchy is the "7 Mile" Bike Park. An intricate labyrinth of trails invites you to explore the small peninsula on Lake Wakatipu. The differences in altitude are not too great, but the possibilities seem endless. It's easy to lose your bearings between the natural trails, jetties and north shores. Somehow, however, you always end up back at the parking lot on the shore of the lake and can enjoy the fantastic view across the lake to the snow-covered peaks on the other side. The trails can be combined at will and if you ride your bike from Queenstown along the lakeside cycle path to 7 Mile, you can easily spend a whole day here. But it's also great for a few quick laps after freeriding.

The Golddigger track, right next to the 7 Mile Bike Park, is a longer trail over bridges and stream crossings that leads through a typical New Zealand jungle. If you don't like cycling up the trail like the Kiwis do, you can simply cycle along the paved road towards Moke Lake. The trail itself is flowing, with some short but intense pedaling sections. If you combine Goldigger with 7 Mile, you can expect a full-blown day of biking in the west of Queenstown.

Wanaka

In addition to Queenstown, Wanka is the second tourist winter sports center of the South Island. There are many opportunities for biking around Lake Wanaka: from leisurely tours along the lake to thoroughbred downhill trails. The most famous area is the Sticky Forest. The dense network of trails can be accessed directly from the town and, in addition to trails of all levels of difficulty and the almost obligatory breathtaking views, also offers water tanks at two trail starts. Those who want to enjoy the scenery of the lake can do so on the Millenium Track. The 23 km trail leads along the lake towards the Treble Cone ski area and Mt. Aspring National Park. Even on this supposedly leisurely tour along the lake, there are almost 1000 meters of elevation gain.

Away from winter tourism, there are also worthwhile bike spots on the South Island. The Port Hills are located just outside the city center, but still directly adjacent to Christchurch's urban area. In the gently rolling hills, bikers will find bike park-like trails (a lift is currently being planned in this area) and rewarding panoramic rides. Above all, the recurring views of the city and the Atlantic coast make biking in the Port Hills something special. No less special is a bike tour on the Queen Charlotte Track in the Malbourough Sounds in the very north of the island. Postcard views of the beautiful coastal landscape with its countless small bays and crystal-clear water await you along the single trail. The 70 km long track can be covered in three stages. Various providers offer you all the amenities you need, from luggage transport to catering in the huts.

Koen Arbouw
Queenstown
Conor McFarlane
Koen Arbouw
Queenstown
Conor McFarlane

Bike spots on the North Island

Rotaroua has been a household name in the bike scene, and not just since the Crankworks series stopped here. The extensive trails between ferns and geothermal springs have rightly made Rotarou one of the biking hubs in New Zealand. The possibilities seem endless. The choice is so vast that the area has been divided into sections to make it easier to find your way around. You could easily spend a few days here.

Don't underestimate the length of the individual laps. For orientation, we recommend a map from the well-stocked rental stores at the entrance to the trails. If you want to be more active downhill than uphill, you have the option of taking an old bus or getting to the "National Downhill" via gondola.

If you start or end your NZ trip in Auckland, it's worth making a detour to the Woodhill Bike Park. Forty minutes outside New Zealand's largest city, you will find a large network of bike trails and a jump track. Unlike on many other trails, the vegetation here is a little lighter, but that doesn't make it any easier to find your way around. The trails of all levels of difficulty are located along and between wide forest roads, which lead you back to one of the bike park maps and then onto the desired trail. If you still have energy after biking, you can make a detour to Muriwai Beach on the way back to Aukland and catch a few waves on one of the most famous surf beaches in the Auckland area.

Conclusion

Biking in New Zealand is great. And even in winter, the warmer climate on the North Island and the generally high snow line on the South Island usually make it possible to ride many single trails. If you manage to organize skis and bike equipment (you can rent bikes in NZ for a few days with a clear conscience), biking is a great addition to your freeride trip or a welcome activity on down days!

This article has been automatically translated by DeepL with subsequent editing. If you notice any spelling or grammatical errors or if the translation has lost its meaning, please write an e-mail to the editors.

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