Most guests to the Cardrona Valley see it via a automobile window. Our friends see it from the highest, engine rumbling beneath them, tussock and rock stretching out in each route. This Cardrona quad bike tour takes you all the way in which up the mountain, stopping alongside the way in which because the working farmland offers approach to uncooked alpine terrain — and the views continue to grow.
You don’t want expertise on a quad bike. What you want is a willingness to observe directions, costume for the situations, and let the mountain do the remaining. Kel, who based The Cardrona Horse Treks & ATV Adventures 13 years in the past and nonetheless leads the operation right now, has constructed a tour that works for first-timers and seasoned riders alike.
Expertise the Cardrona on a Quad Bike
A two-hour guided quad bike journey into the excessive nation above Wanaka’s Cardrona Valley, with departures at 10am and 1pm. Guides run via the bikes and controls earlier than the group units off, then lead the journey at a tempo suited to whoever’s alongside that day — no prior quad expertise wanted to participate.
The route climbs out of the valley ground into open mountain terrain, gaining sufficient peak that Lake Wanaka and the encircling ranges come into sight. Guides cease at factors alongside the way in which for pictures and to speak via the panorama, then lead the group again down to complete across the two-hour mark.
Length: 2 hours (approx.)
Location: Wanaka, Otago
Value: From NZ$349.00
Product code: QUADS10
What to Count on When You Arrive
Pull as much as the bottom and also you’ll be greeted by the guides, plus two barn cats who’ve turn out to be one thing of a neighborhood legend amongst friends. The reception space is a comfortable, rustic house with a fire, which units the tone earlier than you even get on a motorcycle.
When you’ve signed in, guides fit your needs with a helmet and any weatherproof gear you want. Then comes a radical driving instruction and security briefing. Kel’s group spends actual time on this half, as a result of the path calls for respect and assured riders have extra enjoyable.
The Experience Up
Throughout the Flat: Getting Snug
The tour begins on flat paddocks and gravel highway. This stretch is intentional. It offers everybody time to get snug with the bikes earlier than the mountain begins. The group rides in single file with the lead information on the entrance, and guides make common stops to verify in with each rider and share commentary on the valley.
The Yamaha Kodiak 450cc 4WD quad bikes are succesful machines, with heated deal with grips that come in useful as soon as the path climbs into colder air. On flat floor they really feel stable and simple. By the point the path begins to climb, most riders have settled into the rhythm.
By the Working Farm
The ascent runs via 15,000 acres of personal farmland the operation has unique entry to, and it reveals. That is energetic, working land. You’ll possible spot sheep and cattle alongside this stretch, and rabbits typically dart via the grass. Relying on the day, shepherds and farm canine is perhaps at work too. Company persistently point out how a lot that provides to the expertise.
Because the path climbs, the guides weave in commentary on the Cardrona Valley’s historical past, together with the 1860s Gold Rush that formed the area, together with notes on native natural world. It’s the type of element that makes the panorama click on.
Into the Alpine Zone
Greater up, the path adjustments character. Gravel and grass give approach to rock and tussock. The air will get noticeably colder, and quieter. On a transparent day the stillness up right here is its personal reward. In winter, and even some summer time mornings, there’s snow, underfoot some days and simply dusting the distant peaks on others. It’s by no means assured, however when it occurs, it adjustments the whole lot.
That is the place the stops really feel earned. The guides pause right here so riders can take pictures and catch their breath within the chilly mountain air earlier than the ultimate push to the highest.
Coming Again Down
The descent follows a gravel highway, which is a neater journey than the ascent. After about two hours on the mountain, the group returns to the bottom constructing, the place the journey will get a correct send-off: a recap with projected pictures on an enormous display. Pictures from the journey can be found to buy for NZ$25 money, possibility given how laborious it’s to {photograph} your self whereas navigating a steep path.
Not Everybody Has to Drive
That is one thing most journey articles miss completely. If somebody in your group isn’t snug driving a quad bike, they don’t have to take a seat out. Guides can carry passengers safely and comfortably in Yamaha Viking off-road buggies, with a information behind the wheel. Self-drive choices for the buggies can be found as properly.
Blended teams work properly right here. Some individuals journey quad bikes, others journey as passengers in buggies, and if the group desires to mix it with horse trekking, that’s a dialog value having with Kel’s group instantly. The operation is ready as much as accommodate completely different mixtures, and it’s value asking.
Sensible Data
Timing and Circumstances
The tour runs year-round, in all climate. Circumstances within the alpine zone change rapidly, and the temperature on the prime can method 0°C even in summer time, particularly with wind chill. Chilly and moist climate comes with the territory, and the tour nonetheless runs.
Value
This Cardrona quad bike tour, formally referred to as the Mountain Expertise, runs round two hours and begins from NZ$349 per grownup rider. Riders have to be 16 or older to drive a quad bike solo; youthful friends can be a part of as passengers in a buggy as a substitute.
What to Put on and Deliver
The bottom offers helmets, additional layers, gumboots, and gloves. You don’t must arrive absolutely kitted out. That stated, in case you’re visiting on a sunny day, the journey again down a gravel highway can get dusty, and a balaclava or face masking will make a noticeable distinction. Muddy situations are frequent and, as most friends uncover, completely value it.
Getting There
The Cardrona is positioned within the Cardrona Valley, Central Otago, South Island, about 20 minutes from Wānaka and 45 minutes from Queenstown. Test present highway situations earlier than heading out, notably in winter when mountain passes might be affected by snow.
Steadily Requested Questions
Can full rookies journey the quad bikes?
Sure. The security and driving instruction initially of the tour is detailed sufficient that no prior expertise is required, and the primary part of the path is intentionally flat to construct confidence earlier than the climb begins. Riders have to be 16 or older to drive solo; youthful friends can be a part of as passengers in a buggy as a substitute.
What if somebody in my group doesn’t wish to drive?
Non-drivers can journey as passengers within the Yamaha Viking off-road buggies, with a information behind the wheel. It’s a full expertise of the mountain, with the identical stops and the identical views, minus the self-drive factor.
Are you able to mix quad biking with horse trekking for a blended group?
Sure. The operation runs each quad bike and horse trekking experiences, and mixed-group preparations are potential. It’s value elevating this whenever you e-book so the group can plan accordingly.
What ought to I do in regards to the chilly on the prime?
Gown in layers no matter how heat it feels on the base. The operation offers weatherproof gear, however carrying thermal underlayers and a heat mid-layer of your individual offers you extra flexibility. Wind chill at altitude might be important even on a transparent day.
Is there any probability of seeing snow?
Snow on the prime is feasible however by no means assured. It depends upon the season and the situations that day, and it has appeared in summer time in addition to winter. If it does present up, the guides benefit from it.
How lengthy does the Cardrona quad bike tour take?
The tour runs for about two hours on the mountain, with the post-ride photograph recap including a bit of time on the finish. Think about time to reach and get kitted out earlier than the journey begins.
