Tour Aotearoa 2018 - Bikepacking New Zealand

Tour Aotearoa  is one of the world’s great bikepacking trips: stretching 3,000km from Cape Reinga to Bluff it follows a combination of cycle trails, tracks, paths and lanes connected by the most enjoyable country roads available.

I first heard about it from Anka Martin at TransProvence 2015. It was her intent to participate in the very first event planned for February of 2016. The event is the brainchild of Jonathon Kennet who has patched together a collection of roads and trails that trace the entire length of New Zealand.

The event is a Brevet. There are a few rules. They can essentially be broken down to

1.       It is self-supported – no outside help

2.       You must complete the exact route in more than 10 days and less than 30.

3.       You must have 6 hours rest in the 24 hour period from 9am to 9am, and

4.       There are 30 photo control points where you must take a picture to prove you were there.

And that is essentially it.

I have had a fair amount of time to think about the event and the logistics involved. I have used the information I learned from bikepacking the Stagecoach 400 as well as reading many Tour Aotearoa 2016 blogs.   

I will provide more on my logistical choices in another blog.

We are required to carry a SPOT or similar tracker for the entire event. Follow us at Map Progress under Tour Aotearoa 2018. There are 6 waves of 100 riders each. The first wave starts February 10, 2018. I will be there. The last wave starts February 28. I will be posting as I travel along.

On Instagram as @jramsden59, and Facebook as john.ramsden.752.