Cape to Cape Cycle Tour NZ – What’s the big deal?
A challenging route traversing East to West across New Zealand’s North Island. This won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but those who venture out will be rewarded with an unforgettable journey. Cycling remote and beautiful roads, the route is rich with Māori culture and historically significant sites. Travelling by bicycle allows you to be fully immersed, connecting with the landscape and the communities you pass through.
Leaving East Cape the sea breeze takes you all the way to meet the Motu trails. Turning inland, winding your way past Rere falls and onwards around Lake Waikaremoana. Rest up in Rotorua before joining the Timber Trail and then the Forgotten Highway all the way into the shadow of Mt Taranaki. From there, Cape Egmont is almost in sight and its a downhill blast to celebrate your 1100km achievement at the coast!
Our tour leaders will support your adventure in true Escape style; providing fuel for your days on the bike, carrying gear and arranging all accommodation. Daily digital route maps and briefings are supplied, so you can relax and enjoy the ride at your own pace!
Kenya & Tanzania bike tour 2022, cycle guide insight.
Alice is currently in the UK catching up with family after leading this years Kenya & Tanzania Cycle Tour, she shares this insight from our KT 2022 cycle tour.
“Kenya & Tanzania are incredible places to ride your bike. Exploring, interacting and learning is all part of the trip and this year’s group really embraced every aspect of the tour. A highlight for me was arriving at a regroup spot to see Steve (centre image below) getting stuck in to help locals haul charcoal from motorbikes into a lorry, the surprise of the Africans having a ‘Mzungu’ jump in to help, then fist bumps all round and the celebratory nip of conyagi when the job was done. A great reminder that you don’t need a common language to have meaningful interactions, and a classic example of when exploring by bike is the best way to be immersed in the place you are visiting.”
Namibia Cycle Tour 2022 – Recap from our guide John
John is back home in Nelson after leading Escapes FIRST cycle tour in Namibia. After a long time in planning, it was an exciting moment to ‘hit go’ on this tour. Here is John’s recap on Namibia 2022.
“Its always special to lead a new tour that I have developed for the first time. There is a huge amount of research, planning, communication, thinking and of course travel that goes into developing any new tour and seeing it all come together when we lead it with the first group is one of the things I have loved most about my work.
Namibia was no exception, and it certainly had its own special challenges to overcome in the planning stages and on the ground, but the outcome was that Namibia certainly delivered the goods!
Staying with the locals, getting up early to ride into the desert sunrise, spotting wildlife from the saddle and every shade of desert that you can imagine, are just a few of the lasting memories and things that I will look forward to again next season.”
Meet the Crew – Alice Baker
Which tours have you worked on for Escape Adventures? “Kenya & Tanzania, Namibia, Tour Aotearoa, Cape to Cape and, new for the coming season, the Marlborough Molesworth Epic!”
Favourite Adventure Snack? “Soreen – (look it up)“
What are your hobbies, and how did you get into them? “Mainly mountain biking, thanks to Ben’s patience, plus skiing, travel, hiking, bouldering, pottery.“
Baked Beans or Spaghetti? “Spaghetti“
Are you a coffee or tea drinker in the morning? “Coffee“
Current bikes in the garage? “Santa Cruz Chameleon for cycle touring and a Bronson for mountain biking“
Where are you based? “Nelson, NZ“
Favourite country traveled too? “Hard to choose… I would love to go back to Nepal and explore for longer“
Summer or Winter? “Summer“
When did you join Escape Adventures? “2019“
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be? “I’ve already moved from the UK to NZ… Canada would probably be my next choice”
How many hours do you get to the airport before a flight? “Many, all the more time for coffee drinking and people watching”
Most important piece of gear to take when traveling? “Leatherman multi-tool“
If you could do anything, besides what you’re doing now, what would you do? “Environmental management or conservation role“
Three dream dinner guests dead or alive? “David Attenborough… would you really need two more guests?“
Where’s the next place on your travel bucket list and why? “South America or Central Asia – I haven’t been yet?!“
Last supper meal? “Fondue”
What was the last concert you went to? “Hybrid Minds & Netsky at Bay Dreams“
Favourite movie? “I’m terrible with movies but one I loved recently is ‘The Velvet Queen’ – go watch it!”
If you had a time machine would you go back in time or into the future? “Back in time“
What is your biggest pet peeve? “Single-use plastic“
Whats Up Next??
New Zealand Cycle Tours 2022/23
Cape to Cape – Feb 13 – 28 2023
Tour Aotearoa – Nov 2 – Dec 12, 2022 | Jan 11 – Feb 20, 2023 | Feb 27 – Apr 8, 2023
Marlborough Molesworth Epic – March 11- 21, 2023 | March 23 – April 02, 2023
