There are several places you can stop on the way to Harihari. The emptiness of the bush clad road and glimpses of sea gives way to thirty kilometer stretches between established townships and old settlements. If you want a brief day's cycle, stop at Franz Josef, another established tourist town with all facilities (23 kilometers out from Fox Glacier) or Whataroa (55 kilometers out with backpackers, store and camping behind the pub).

The road is generally rolling downhill but interrupted by Mt. Hercules (200 metres), not an onerous climb. Many people stop at Okarito, a sleepy, picturesque settlement around 46 kilometers from Fox Glacier. This is a few kilometers down a side road just before Whataroa. It is a lovely spot and offers basic facilities including backpackers and a DOC campground. Harihari has pub, store, camping and backpackers.

This is a relatively easy day's ride passing through bush and sea scapes and the towns of Pukekura (24 kilometers from Harihari) and Ross (22 kilometers). Both have camping/backpackers facilities and a store. The road winds and rolls easily enough until just past Ross where it flattens out for the last twenty kilometers to Hokitika. Hokitika sits on the coast and is a well established town with all the facilities you could want. Cafés, internet, camping, supermarket etc. You might be tempted to cycle on to Greymouth, a further 40 kilometers but Hokitika has a charm all of its own and is not to be overlooked. The sandy beachfront is covered with driftwood and, being on the West Coast, makes it ideal for sunset walks.

This relatively flat road bordering the sea completes the greater part of your West Coast trip. Greymouth is the largest of the West Coast towns and has most of what you will need including bike shops, camping grounds, backpackers, internet and supermarkets.

Once you arrive in Greymouth, you have three choices of where to go next. Either Head over to Christchurch through the alpine route of Arthur's Pass (253 k) Head inland through Reefton (or Westport), to Murchison through the Buller Gorge. (98 k) Head up to Karamea at the top of the coast through Westport, bearing in mind you have to turn round and come back as there is no through road. (394 k's return).

This route is alpine country and climbs to 900 metres before dropping down to the long, flat plains toward Christchurch. It is dazzlingly beautiful and covers a diverse terrain of mountains, valleys and lakes. Those of you familiar with the alpine passes from Switzerland to Italy might note similarities. The turnoff is at Kumara Junction almost midway between Greymouth(18k) and Hokitika(22k).

The day starts easily enough through Kumara (10ks from turnoff) and then climbs steadily, but not too steeply through to Jacksons (46k from turnoff, cabins and a pub). Otira (65k from turnoff, backpackers, pub, DOC campground at Kelly's Creek, see Useful Links). From Otira the road rises steeply as you hit the pass proper. Arthur's Pass (80k from turnoff) is only a further 15 kilometers, but you will climb around 600 metres in that distance.

Arthur's Pass is a township in the middle of a national park. If you are camping you can use the DOC camp or try the local YHA which has a limited number of sites. It is a pretty spot and sports a number of short walks, day hikes and longer tramps. Arthur's Pass is one of the great tramping areas of New Zealand. When you decide to leave, you might like to think it is all downhill to Christchurch. Alas no, the road dips beautifully for nearly 300 metres and nearly 40 kilometers and then rises steadily for 24 kilometers to Porter's Pass.

The four or five kilometers before the last pass are particularly steep and the road rises a further 400 metres. From here (after you have taken in the magnificent view of the Canterbury Plains and the distant Pacific), it is all downhill or flat for the next ninety odd kilometers to Christchurch. Most cyclists use either Springfield, (83k from Arthur's Pass, backpackers, camping in the Domain, store, pub) or Darfield (106k from Arthurs Pass, backpackers, store, pub) as a base before the last stretch to Christchurch.

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See also »

• Wanaka to Fox Glacier
• Heading Up From Greymouth
• Kaikoura to Christchurch via Cheviot
• Murchison to Christchurch via the Lewis Pass
• Christchurch and Inland to the Mackenzie Country