Waitaki Valley SH83 — Oamaru toOmarama.
Distance
120 km
Duration
1 day
Climb
500 m
Waitaki Valley SH83 — Oamaru to Omarama.
A relaxed valley run from the Pacific coast to the edge of the Mackenzie. State Highway 83 traces the Waitaki River past limestone fossil country and three great hydro lakes — Waitaki, Aviemore and Benmore — climbing gently through emerging wine country to Omarama. Easy, open riding with a strong sense of New Zealand's pioneering and hydro-engineering history.
Quick facts
SurfacePaved
Distance120 km
Days1
Total climb500 m
DifficultyEasy
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The route.
OamaruStart · Start in Oamaru's Victorian whitestone precinct — steampunk capital of NZ, with a little blue penguin colony at the harbour. Head inland on SH83.
DuntroonScenic Point · Vanished World fossil centre and trail. The Elephant Rocks — huge weathered limestone boulders used as a Narnia film location — are a short signposted detour.
KurowRestaurant · Riverside town where the valley narrows; birthplace of NZ's welfare state and an emerging pinot noir and riesling district. Good lunch stop.
OmaramaEnd · Finish at Omarama after skirting the turquoise Aviemore and Benmore hydro lakes. Gateway to the Mackenzie Basin and the Lindis Pass.
More routes in NZ OTA
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