Why this ride
259 km from Dunedin to Invercargill, about 4 h 07 of riding. A steady touring day rather than a sprint.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Southern Scenic Route · part 1
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 259 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 4 h 07
- 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: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Dunedin
Dunedin is a Scottish city that happened to be built at the bottom of the world. Settlers of the Free Church of Scotland arrived in 1848 and named it after the old Gaelic name for Edinburgh, Dùn Èideann; they planted churches, a university and a great many stone buildings on the steep green hills around Otago Harbour. The gold rush of the 1860s brought money and made it for a time the richest town in the colony, which explains the Victorian railway station and the grand Octagon at the centre.
Read the complete Dunedin write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Dunedin is where the day begins. Next is The Catlins.
2. The Catlins
The Catlins is a region of southeast New Zealand, a patchwork of rainforest, rocky coast and rolling farmland that most people drive straight past on the way to Invercargill or Dunedin. It sits on the southeastern corner of the South Island, between Balclutha and Fortrose, and it is wilder and quieter than the more famous parts of the south. There are very few towns, a lot of sheep and long unsealed stretches that make the area feel properly remote.
Read the complete The Catlins write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
The Catlins comes up about 120 km into the recorded legs. Next is Invercargill.
3. Invercargill
Invercargill is the southernmost city of any size in New Zealand, a place of wide, flat streets laid out in a grid, low wooden houses, and a sky that is bigger and windier than you expect. Beyond it there is Bluff, the harbour town on the coast, and then a long stretch of sea before you reach Antarctica. About forty-seven thousand people live here, and the city likes to say it is the end of the line, which is a good reason to take a bike.
Read the complete Invercargill write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
The route ends here after 259 km.
Leg by leg
Dunedin to The Catlins
Dunedin → The Catlins is 120 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
The Catlins to Invercargill
The Catlins → Invercargill is 139 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
More motorcycle rides nearby
- Southern Scenic Route: Dunedin to Invercargill · 260 km
- Southern Scenic Route starting at Dunedin · 1176 km
- Southern Scenic Route · 588 km