The nearest way in is a walking track, the Hollyford, which runs for days through the valley to the sea at Martins Bay, and the nearest roads stop well short of it. The ride is named for the Lindis Pass and Tekapo, which lie a long way east, so take this stop as a nod to the wilderness behind the road.
Fiordland is one of the wettest places on Earth, with rainfall of several metres a year, and the forests are thick with ferns, moss and beech. Waterfalls pour from the cliffs after rain, and the fjords are among the deepest in the world. The area is protected as a national park and part of the Te Wāhipounamu World Heritage Area, and the dense bush shelters rare birds such as the kākā and, in remote valleys, the takahē. For the riders who pass on the Milford Road, the nearby Homer Tunnel, a rough-hewn passage through the rock, is the gateway.
The riding that this ride actually offers is the Lindis Pass, on State Highway 8 between Omarama and Tarras, a crossing of about nine hundred and seventy metres through golden tussock hills. The road climbs in long, easy curves and falls away to the Mackenzie Basin, with its wide plains, turquoise lakes and the white peaks of the Southern Alps. At Lake Tekapo, the little stone Church of the Good Shepherd, built in 1935, stands on the shore, and the sky above is among the darkest in the world, part of an international dark sky reserve.
Fuel is the thing to plan for. Omarama, Tarras and Tekapo all have stations, but they are far apart, so fill the tank at each opportunity. In winter, snow and ice can close the Lindis Pass, and chains may be needed. Summer is warm and dry, with the Mackenzie blue with lupins in November and December. If you can, stay for the stars at Tekapo, which are astonishing.