Why this ride
A 522 km one-way ride from near Kingston, about 10 h 43 of riding. The climbs: near Kingston, Scenic stretch near Te Anau and Lindis Pass and Tekapo. It tops out at about 1,050 m. The line favours views over speed.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Lindis Pass and Tekapo · short arc
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 522 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 10 h 43
- Journey
- One way; return travel is separate
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: planning record, not independently verified geometry.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distances and riding times are planning figures. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Scenic road chapters
Milford Road (SH94)
Expect company on a summer weekend. Early is better than fast. For about 91 km this is Milford Road (SH94), a road with a name of its own and a reason for it.
Rider note
Check the pass is open before you commit to it.
Chapter facts
- Length
- 90 km
- Named road
- Milford Road (SH94)
- Pass
- Homer Tunnel
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Fuel stop near Kingston
Planning note
Lindis Pass and Tekapo is where the day begins. Next is High point near Kingston.
2. High point near Kingston
Planning note
You top out here; the road stops climbing. Next is Scenic stretch near Te Anau.
3. Scenic stretch near Te Anau
Planning note
This is where the road stops climbing. Next is Lindis Pass and Tekapo photo pull-off.
4. Lindis Pass and Tekapo photo pull-off
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.
Read the complete Lindis Pass and Tekapo photo pull-off write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
The high point of this section. Next is Queenstown / South Island return.
5. Queenstown / South Island return
Omarama sits in the Waitaki basin, a wide, high, dry valley in the lee of the Southern Alps, and the land around it has the stripped look of the South Island's high country, with tawny tussock slopes, braided rivers and a huge sky. Omarama is best known to pilots, since the wind that comes over the mountains makes it one of the best gliding sites in the world.
Read the complete Queenstown / South Island return write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Queenstown / South Island return sits at 418 km, late in the day. Next is Food stop near Wanaka.
6. Food stop near Wanaka
Planning note
The route ends here after 522 km.
Leg by leg
Fuel stop near Kingston to High point near Kingston
Fuel stop near Kingston → High point near Kingston is 65 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
High point near Kingston to Scenic stretch near Te Anau
High point near Kingston → Scenic stretch near Te Anau is 110 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
Scenic stretch near Te Anau to Lindis Pass and Tekapo photo pull-off
Scenic stretch near Te Anau → Lindis Pass and Tekapo photo pull-off is 91 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
Lindis Pass and Tekapo photo pull-off to Queenstown / South Island return
Lindis Pass and Tekapo photo pull-off → Queenstown / South Island return is 239 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
Queenstown / South Island return to Food stop near Wanaka
Queenstown / South Island return → Food stop near Wanaka is 17 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
More motorcycle rides nearby
- Milford Road Expedition · part 3 · 313 km
- Mount Cook High Country · part 2 · 233 km
- Mount Cook High Country · short arc · 292 km
- Lindis Pass and Tekapo · 958 km