After breakfast at our accommodation this morning, it's a short ride from the start of our trail at White Horse Hill Campground, to the helipad, where comes an experience you won't soon forget - a helicopter flight over the Tasman River to 'Rotten Tommy', the next section of the Alps to Ocean trail. Our pilot will fly us and our bikes over the thundering waters of the river, flowing out of New Zealand's longest glacier, the Tasman Glacier. Be sure to stock up your day pack with snacks from the basket on the bus before we head off! Our ride today takes us from the end of Braemar road to Tekapo B Power Station, one of the hydroelectric stations on this network. The system transfers water from Lakes Tekapo and Ohau to lakes Pukaki, Benmore, and Aviemore, and finally along the Waitaki River to the Pacific on the East Coast, and is responsible for generating a vast amount of New Zealand's annual energy requirement. From Tekapo B Power Station, we'll skirt the rest of the east side of Lake Pukaki, but before we leave this lake behind, we'll pause at the lookout point for a water break (around 13 kilometers / 8 miles into today's ride). This is your opportunity to capture one of the most famous scenes in New Zealand - looking across the cobalt blue water of the lake to Aoraki Mt. Cook, where our ride started yesterday. Today is our biggest day in the saddle, but the mixture of ups and downs, plus views unlike anywhere you've ridden before, make it a day you won't want to end, even when your bum gets sore! Tonight we’ll stay in the Mackenzie Country basin, with stunning views stretching across the Southern Alps. The area is known for the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve, with light pollution strictly controlled, so it’s the ideal spot to stargaze!
Lodgings, Mackenzie Country (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Biking: 73.5kilometers (45.6 miles)