In December 2004 I spent 20 days cycling around the South Island of New Zealand, a distance of about 2500 km (1600 mile). I started and finished at Picton, which is the terminal for the Cook Strait ferry from Wellington.

Look at the map to see my approximate route (blue line, anticlockwise) and places I overnighted (yellow dots). I stayed mostly at backpacker (BP) and youth hostels (YH), as follows for the successive nights: Renwick (BP, 1), St. Arnaud (YH, 2), Reefton (hotel, 3), Hokitika (YH, 4), Franz Josef (BP, 5), Haast (BP, 6), Wanaka (YH, 7 & 8), Mossburn (hotel, 9), Manapouri (BP, 10), Otautau (BP, 11), Waikawa (BP, 12), Papatowai (BP, 13), Milton (BP, 14), Palmerston (motel, 15), Timaru (YH, 16), Methven (YH, 17), Rangiora (camp cabin, 18), Cheviot (hotel, 19), and Peddlers' Rest north of Kaikoura (BP, 20). Details about most of the hostels can be found at the websites of the Youth Hostel Association and of the Budget Backpacker Hostels.

In December 2005 and January 2006 I again cycled the South Island, but more in the back country and over nine passes. See South Island Passes Bicycle Tour.

Click on the pictures to see their description.