From Te Ikaroa to Te Waipounamu

Tour Aotearoa

Kia ora dotwatchers!

Riders are spread all the way across the two islands. Te Ikaroa is the Māori for the North Island, meaning the fish of Māui, and Te Waipounamu is the South Island's native name, meaning the waters of greenstone. Two indigenous names nodding to the beauty and richness of the land the riders are passing through.

The Te Aotearoa really does have it all, with an 80km beach start and multiple ferries and jetboat trips, including the 3.5 hour main one from Te Ikaroa to Te Waipounamu.

Here's a shot from Kami Dibden on one of the North Island crossings in a packed out boat!

![Kami Dibden ferry crossing](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/ViodoHpbaNSqX8m7KIBPl/0b6a2dd3a617c6fd82656a29f0670f01/Kami_Dibden_ferry_crossing.jpg)

__Conditions__

The recent Cyclone Gabrielle in New Zealand has roughened some of the already rough sections; with trees down and more water on the route than normal, tracks such as the Kaiwhakauka and Mangapurua tracks (~950km) are still passable but the bike needs to be carried a little more than usual, with warning of washouts and crevices.

Another effect of the cyclone is the power outage for the racers in the earlier departs. At the well-known rendezvous point for night one, Ahipara, was without power when the first wave of riders arrived.

__Rules or no rules__

The TA is a brevet with a 30 day cutoff for the 3,000km route, and unusually they even have a minimum time taken of 10 days which discourages any racing, although 300km on this terrain is still hard-earned. A hot topic in the world of long-distance racing is the inclusion of mandatory rest periods with a handful of European races introducing them for the first time this season. The TA mandates 6 consecutive hours of stopping per 24 hour period, and as it’s not a race, we suspect many riders would be achieving that anyway.

The Tour Aotearoa has no entry fee per se, but evidence of a mandatory donation of a minimum of NZ$100 to a charity of the rider's choice is required. As is the proof of carbon offsetting for the travel to the start which ranges from NZ$45 for the 1 tonne of CO2 for New Zealand residents, to NZ$450 for the 10 tonnes of CO2 for those travelling from Europe or Africa.


The Tour Aotearoa is a low-key off-road race from the tip of Aotearoa (New Zealand) to the bottom, covering both the North and South islands.

A reasonably tame ultra in terms of its elevation, with 37000m over 3,000km, keep your eyes peeled for the Mt Scott climb in the last half of the race. Often overlooked, this significant climb will be a test for the riders.

Normally for our race commentary we cover the conditions, recently a devastating cyclone hit NZ and has caused massive damage. We send our good wishes to anyone out there affected by the flooding. Despite this, the positive news is the race continued on with the organising team deeming it safe to proceed. Hopefully, with a kinder weather forecast this shouldn't affect the ride.

With a staggered start it may be a little confusing as to what is happening. Riders head off on the 15th of February and will continue to do each day so all the way up to the 18th with some other riders already having set off.

For the more competitive end of the race, make sure to watch those riders setting off on the 18th February.

Beccy Waters

Kitty Dennis

Tracking and commentary for the 2023 Tour Aotearoa, New Zealand's 3000km off-road bikepacking odyssey.

Tour Aotearoa 2023 Tracking

Tour Aotearoa, New Zealand's 3000km bikepacking odyssey. A long race, but a scenic one following a combination of tracks, trails, paths and lanes on many of NZ's Great and Heartland Rides.

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Tour Aotearoa 2023

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