The alps are part of the trail.
Historic town along the trail.

The Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail is a cycle trail. This trail is one of the projects of the New Zealand Cycle Trail. The trail extends more than 300 kilometres (190 mi) from Aoraki / Mount Cook to Oamaru on the Pacific Ocean. From west to east, it descends from an altitude of 780 metres (2,560 ft) down to sea level. The trail has both on and off-road sections.[1]

Funding for the trail from the New Zealand Community Trust budget was approved in July 2010,[2] after the trail had been shortlisted as one of 13 from 54 nationwide proposals.[3]

Sections

The trail is composed of eight sections:

Aoraki/Mt Cook to Braemar Station

The first section, which is 32 kilometres (20 mi), starts out on a dedicated cycle trail, and continues on a gravel road. The first section is the most remote section of the trail and includes some unbridged stream crossings.

Braemar Station to Twizel

Continuing on a gravel road over hilly terrain, this 43 kilometres (27 mi) section takes in the southern shore of Lake Pukaki and the hydro-electric system of the area around Twizel once on sealed roads. Towards Twizel, the cycle trail leads across the Pukaki Flats, an area of tussock grasslands that are typical for the Mackenzie basin. Twizel is the largest town along the cycle path until the conclusion at Oamaru.

Twizel to Lake Ōhau

The third section is 38 kilometres (24 mi) long and is the only one with a slight gain in elevation. It partly follows canals that are part of the hydro-electric system connecting the glacial lakes. A cycle trail goes around the southern shore of Lake Ōhau, finishing on a sealed road to Lake Ohau Alpine Village and the Lake Ōhau Lodge.

Lake Ōhau to Omarama

The next section leads through an old beech forest and includes the biggest elevation changes. It climbs about 400 metres (1,300 ft) along the Ōhau Range to the highest point of the trail at over 900 metres (3,000 ft) above sea level, before descending to about 100 metres (330 ft) lower after a total length of 40 kilometres (25 mi).

Omarama to Otematata

The first half of this 24 kilometres (15 mi) section over the Omarama Saddle is on a dedicated cycle trail next to SH83, from Sailors Cutting the trail follows the edge of Lake Benmore to Benmore Dam. From here it is [4]a 6km detour off the main route to Otematata.

Otematata to Kurow

Continuing into the Waitaki Valley is the sixth section. It is 44 kilometres (27 mi) long and follows sealed public roads and takes in Benmore Dam, the largest dam within the Waitaki hydro-electric power scheme, as well as Aviemore Dam and Waitaki Dam.[5] An off-road 16-kilometre bicycling section was opened on 17 December 2020, from Sailors Cutting to the top of the Benmore Dam in the Waitaki Lakes region.[6] $1.2 million was spent creating the section.[7]

Kurow to Duntroon

From Kurow, the cycle trail continues 23 kilometres (14 mi) off-road to Duntroon.[8] The area contains limestone formations, Maori rock drawings and dinosaur fossils.

Duntroon to Oamaru

The last section partly follows the Vanished World trail and past the Elephant Rocks on a mix of sealed public back roads and dedicated cycle trails. From Weston, the cycle trail follows an old railway line and enters Oamaru via the Oamaru Gardens. It finishes after 55 kilometres (34 mi) at Friendly Bay, adjacent to Oamaru's Victorian Historic Precinct.

Sites

Sites on the trail include: • Aoraki/Mt Cook • Snow-capped Mountains • Golden Tussock Landscapes • Glacier Lake Tours • High Country Stations • Hydro Canals • Native Forests • Elephant Rocks • Limestone and Clay Cliffs • Maori Rock Art • Vanished World Fossil Sites • Boutique Shops • Museums • Lakes: Ōhau, Pukaki, Benmore, Aviemore • Historic Limestone Tunnels • Hydro Dams: Benmore, Aviemore, Waitaki • Vineyards • Oamaru's Victorian Precinct • Galleries & Gifts • Steampunk HQ, Oamaru • Blue Penguin Colony • Pacific Ocean[9]

References

  1. ↑ Council, Waitaki District Council & Mackenzie District. "Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail Maps - Official Website". Waitaki District Council & Mackenzie District Council. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  2. ↑ "Editorial: Pedalling to a windfall". The Timaru Herald. 7 July 2010. Retrieved 13 July 2010.
  3. ↑ "National Cycleway Success For Mackenzie Region" (Press release). Scoop.co.nz. 12 February 2010. Retrieved 13 July 2010.
  4. ↑ https://www.alps2ocean.com/trail-map/section-5-omarama-to-otematata
  5. ↑ "Benmore dam hydro station". Meridian Energy. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  6. ↑ Ryan, Rebecca (21 December 2020). "Exciting off-road section of trail opened". Otago Daily Times Online News. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  7. ↑ Hodge, Kayla (22 May 2021). "Bike trail a beacon in bleak times". Otago Daily Times Online News. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  8. ↑ "New A2O section opened", Hamish MacLean, 14 January 2016, ODT
  9. ↑ "Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail". Alpine Motel. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
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