Catlins Coastal Weekend

A 257 km loop

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Why this ride

Scenery first, traffic last, with checkpoints that make sense on a bike. 257 km round from Queenstown - plan on about 5 h 21 of riding. It goes by way of Scenic stretch near Queenstown, Cromwell and near Cromwell. The climb of the day is near Queenstown. It tops out at about 1,250 m. Long stretches are under trees.

Roadbook

1. Fuel stop near Queenstown fuel

   South of Queenstown, the road to Kingston follows the eastern shore of Lake Wakatipu, squeezed between deep, cold water and the jagged wall of the Remarkables. In winter they are white to their bases; in summer the bare rock glows gold and grey in the evening light.

   Lake Wakatipu is a long, narrow glacial trough shaped like a lightning bolt, and it has a curious habit: its surface rises and falls by several centimetres every few minutes, a slow breathing caused by a standing wave. Māori legend explains it as the heartbeat of the giant Matau, who lies sleeping at the bottom of the lake, his body forming its zigzag shape. The water is clear, startlingly blue and very cold even in summer.

   The road south is a good one. It runs along the lake with long sweepers, a few tighter bends and a stretch known as the Devil's Staircase, where it climbs and twists above the water before dropping toward Kingston at the lake's southern tip. Traffic can be heavy with campervans and tourist coaches, many driven by visitors still adjusting to the left side of the road, so give them room. Strong winds can funnel down the lake, and black ice is a real danger on shaded bends in winter.

   The rides from here go in two directions. The Milford Road continues south through Kingston and across the plains to Te Anau, then up through the Eglinton Valley and the Homer Tunnel to Milford Sound, one of the world's great mountain roads. The vineyard ride heads the other way, through Frankton and the Kawarau Gorge to Gibbston, Cromwell and Bannockburn, where pinot noir grows on terraces of gravel left by gold miners. The first commercial bungy jump was set up on the Kawarau Bridge, and you can still watch people leap from it.

   Fill the tank in Queenstown or Frankton, which have everything. On the way to Milford, Te Anau is the last reliable fuel stop, and there is a long stretch beyond with almost nothing. Bring warm, waterproof layers whatever the season, because weather in Fiordland and around the lakes changes fast.

2. High point near Queenstown pass

   You top out here; the road stops climbing.

3. Near Queenstown finish

   The route ends here after 257 km.

4. Scenic stretch near Queenstown scenic

   Scenic stretch near Queenstown, about halfway.

5. Photo stop near Queenstown photo

   Photo stop near Queenstown sits at 147 km, about halfway.

6. Near Cromwell, on the way back swim

   Cromwell sits in the heart of Central Otago, on the shores of Lake Dunstan, in a dry, sunny basin of tawny hills, schist rocks and orchards. It is a town of around five thousand people, known for its fruit, its wine and its huge sculpture of fruit at the entrance, and it is a good place to stop on a hot day in summer.

   The lake is the swimming spot. Lake Dunstan was created in the early 1990s when the Clyde Dam was built on the Clutha River, and its rising waters drowned part of the old town of Cromwell. Some historic buildings were saved and moved to form the Old Cromwell Town precinct, on the lakeshore, with stone shops, a hotel, cafés and galleries. The lake is clear and blue-green, and on hot days locals swim from the beaches and jetties around town. The water is fed by the mountains and stays cool, but in summer it is refreshing.

   Central Otago has a gold rush history. In the 1860s, prospectors flocked here after gold was found in the Clutha and its tributaries, and the hills are still scarred by old workings, tailings and stone huts. Bannockburn, just south of Cromwell, has a historic sluicing site where you can walk among the ruins. Today the area is better known for its wine, especially pinot noir, grown on the slopes around Bannockburn and Lowburn, and for its cherries and apricots, sold at roadside stands in summer.

   The riding here is wonderful. The Kawarau Gorge, between Cromwell and Queenstown, is a narrow, winding road through a deep rocky canyon, with the river roaring below. The road north to Wanaka follows the lake with gentle curves and views, and the roads east towards Alexandra and the Maniototo cross dry, open country with big skies. In summer the heat can be intense, and in winter frost and ice are common.

   Cromwell has fuel, supermarkets, cafés and accommodation, and it is also home to a motorsport park, Highlands, which hosts track days and events. Buy some cherries from a roadside stand, find a spot by the lake and cool off in the water.

7. Food stop near Cromwell food

   Cromwell sits where two of Central Otago's big rivers used to meet, and these days the meeting happens under water. When the Clyde Dam was finished in the early 1990s, the rising Lake Dunstan swallowed the old town centre and much of the gorge, and what survived of the gold-era main street was rebuilt as a heritage precinct on the new lakeshore. It is worth the short detour: schist cottages, a bakery or two, and the eerie knowledge that the original riverbank is somewhere below the boats.

   The riding around here is a matter of light and space. State Highway 6 runs west through the Kawarau Gorge towards Queenstown, a tight, rocky slot with the milky river far below and bungy jumpers dropping off the old bridge at the far end. North, State Highway 8 heads up past Tarras towards the Lindis Pass, all long tawny hills and wide bends that let you see oncoming traffic a kilometre away. South towards Clyde and Alexandra the road follows the lake through bare schist country that looks almost lunar in the late afternoon.

   This is the driest corner of New Zealand, and the summer heat is real; in winter, frost can glaze the shady bends well into the morning, so do not trust the gorge before the sun has been on it. Wind funnels down the lake too, which you will feel on an exposed motorcycle crossing the bridges.

   The gold rush of the 1860s first brought people here, but the money now is in stone fruit and wine. Bannockburn, just across the water, grows some of the most southerly Pinot Noir in the world, and roadside stalls sell cherries and apricots in midsummer. Cromwell itself is a proper service town with several fuel stations, supermarkets and cafés, so it is the natural place to fill the tank and eat before the longer, emptier stretches toward Haast, Te Anau or the Lindis, where the next pump can be a long way off.

8. Back to Catlins Coastal finish

   It is the best piece of lakeside riding in the district, a ribbon of tarmac cut into steep hillside above the water, with bends that tighten and release, and views down to the lake that make you want to stop at every turnout.

   The name comes from the days before the road, when the track was so rough that it was said to be passable only by the devil himself. Today the surface is good and the road is well engineered, but it still has sheer drops on the lake side and the occasional rockfall after heavy rain. The lake is cold, deep and a rich blue, with the high peaks of the Mid Wakatipu on the far side, and in the evening the light on the mountains is superb. Traffic can be heavy in summer, with tourists in campervans, so patience is useful.

   At the end of the road sits Kingston, a quiet township at the southern tip of the lake, where the Kingston Flyer once ran. Beyond it the road continues south through farmland towards Lumsden and then to Southland. The Catlins, which the ride is named for, lie on the far south-eastern coast, a long day away. The landscape in between is flat, open and green, in contrast to the mountains behind.

   Riding here is a pleasure, with the lake on one side and cliffs on the other. Watch for gravel on the corners and for slow vehicles that stop suddenly for photographs. Weather can change quickly, with wind rising from the south and rain moving up the lake, so keep your waterproofs handy. Snow is possible in winter, and ice can form on shaded bends in the morning.

   Fuel is available in Queenstown, about nineteen kilometres away, and in a limited form in Kingston, so fill up before you leave town. Cafes in Queenstown are plentiful, and the road itself offers many places to stop and picnic. If you are heading for the Catlins, pack food, since services are sparse.

   Start early, when the lake is still and the traffic is light. The Staircase is at its best before the day-trippers arrive.

Where this sits

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