We run premium e-bike and shuttle experiences on some of the most stunning trails in New Zealand. Our signature rides are the iconic 42km Lake Dunstan Trail between Cromwell and Clyde — one of NZ's Official Great Rides, the Wānaka and Hāwea Trails, the Roxburgh Gorge Trail (with jet boat transfer), the 'Best of the Queenstown Trails' including the Gibbston River and Arrow River Bridges, the New Kawarau Gorge Trail (opening 19 September) and the best 30km of the Otago Rail Trail. There's genuinely something for every rider.

We ride with the best — a brand-new fleet of Sinch e-bikes (a NZ brand recommended by Consumer NZ) and Trek Rail+ 8 Full Suspension e-bikes, with regular bikes from Specialized Rockhopper and Trek Marlin, all kitted out specifically for trail riding. We recommend e-bikes on all our rides. For younger and smaller riders (from 8 years and 130cm+), we have Specialized Levo SL Kids 24" and Sinch Mode 26 e-bikes. Every single bike in our fleet is individually named and lovingly maintained by our in-house expert mechanic, so you can trust you're on something special.

Not at all — that's the beauty of it! Our Sinch e-bikes are intuitive and easy to get the hang of, and we provide a full safety briefing before every ride. You can choose from Eco, Trail or Turbo modes depending on how much assistance you'd like. If you can ride a bike, you can ride one of ours — we'll make sure you're comfortable before you head off. If you've never ridden a bike at all, we'd recommend choosing another activity in the area, as our trails do require basic riding ability.

All three trails are graded 1–3 (easy to intermediate), which means they're accessible to most riders but do require a reasonable level of fitness and confidence on a bike. Trail surfaces are a mix of gravel, boardwalks and dirt tracks, and for the last 25km of the Lake Dunstan Trail from the Cromwell direction there's no road access — so being properly prepared matters. All riders should be at least 140cm tall, 10 years or older, and comfortable using gears. We strongly recommend e-bikes, as the motor assist makes the climbs an absolute joy and keeps your group together.

The Dunstan Explorer boat return is the jewel in the crown of our Ultimate Dunstan Trail Experience. After riding the full 42km trail, instead of returning by shuttle you board the Dunstan Explorer — a beautiful lake boat that carries up to 15 passengers — and cruise back up Lake Dunstan to Cromwell. Along the way the skipper shares the gold-rush history of the area, pointing out the miners' hut, the Hugo Suspension Bridge and the iconic pick-axe. In winter, blankets and hot water bottles are provided to keep you cosy.

Booking is easy — you can reserve your spot online through our website at nzbiketrails.co.nz, where you'll find live availability for all our experiences any time of day or night. We recommend booking direct as this guarantees our lowest pricing and gives us the flexibility to move your ride at the last minute. We're also bookable through Get Your Guide, Viator and the Wānaka i-SITE. For last-minute bookings, private group enquiries or any questions, give David and James a call or WhatsApp on +64 27 202 8686 — we're always happy to help you find the right ride.

Yes, we're out on the trails every month of the year, seven days a week — the only day we take off is Christmas Day so our team can spend it with their families. Each season brings its own magic to the Otago and Queenstown region. Summer offers long, warm days perfect for a leisurely ride, while autumn delivers stunning golden colours. All our trails sit below the snow line, so winter riding is surprisingly brilliant — and the Dunstan Explorer even has blankets and hot water bottles on board. Just bring layers and we'll keep the smiles rolling.

For the Wānaka and Hāwea Trails, shuttles depart from the loading bays outside the Wānaka i-SITE at 103 Ardmore Street. All other daily rides depart from the Wānaka lakefront bus stop (next to the public toilets on Ardmore Street) at 8:30am — please arrive 10–15 minutes early as transport cannot wait. Ultimate Experience guests meeting us in Cromwell should head to 5 McNulty Inlet at 9:00am — you'll leave your car there, right where the boat drops you off at the end of the day. All other Cromwell guests meet at the Junction Lookout at 9:30am, parking opposite the Lookout. For Queenstown Trails and the Kawarau Gorge, we meet at our favourite vineyard — Kinross Winery in the Gibbston Valley at 10am. We just love the food and drinks on offer after a day's biking.

We recommend e-bikes on all trails — on one, most reasonably active people will manage our rides comfortably, with the motor doing the heavy lifting on the climbs. That said, our rides range from 30km to 42km and all riders should be physically capable of completing the distance. The Wānaka and Hāwea Trails (30km, Grade 1–2) are the most relaxed and family-friendly starting point, followed by the Best of Queenstown Trails before progressing to the Kawarau Gorge, Lake Dunstan or Roxburgh Gorge. Unsure which trail suits you? Give David and James a call — they'll be straight with you.

On an e-bike, most of our rides average around 2.5 hours of actual riding, meaning most guests — with stops — are done within 4 to 4.5 hours. This is definitely not a race, and we encourage you to enjoy the journey while keeping moving along the trail. On the Lake Dunstan Trail, plan for a quick stop at Carrick Winery and save room for a celebratory drink or meal in the heritage town of Clyde at the end. You'll finish feeling pretty chuffed with yourself — and ready to book the next one.

Kids are very welcome on all our trails! On the Wānaka and Hāwea Trails and Queenstown Trails, riders from 8 years and 130cm can ride our e-bikes, and we also have baby seats, trailers, shotgun seats and tagalongs for little ones. On the Lake Dunstan Trail, Kawarau Gorge and Roxburgh Gorge, riders must be 10 years and older and at least 140cm tall, on e-bikes only. If your child is under 10 and keen on the intermediate trails, we'd suggest completing the Best of Queenstown Trails or Wānaka and Hāwea Trails first to build their confidence on the trail.

Keep it simple — pack a water bottle that fits a standard bike holder, sunscreen, and clothing suited to the weather (layers are always a good idea in Otago). Your bike comes with a rear rack bag, so there's no need to carry a rucksack. Don't forget a charged phone and a camera — the scenery on these trails is genuinely stunning. Helmets, repair kits, pumps and locks are all provided. On the morning of your ride you'll receive a leaflet with your Guest Experience Manager's direct mobile number — please use only this number on the day, as calling the main nzbiketrails number across multiple trails can cause confusion. If you need a pickup on trail, your GEM will get to you at their earliest opportunity.

We take care of everything so you can show up and have a brilliant day. Your booking includes e-bike or regular bike hire, a premium MIPS helmet, lock, pump and repair kit, a safety briefing from your Guest Experience Manager and all luxury shuttle transfers to complete the ride. On the Ultimate Lake Dunstan Experience and Roxburgh Gorge, boat bookings and logistics are managed and included on your behalf. Our shuttles run to a strict timetable — missing one at the end of the ride may create additional costs. The only things you need to sort are your snacks, food, water and a sense of adventure.

We operate a 24-hour cancellation policy on all one-day rides and experiences — if you need to cancel within 24 hours of your meet time, we're unable to offer a refund. That said, if weather or trail conditions ever pose a genuine safety concern, we'll offer you an alternative ride, a transfer or a full refund. Multi-day holidays are covered under our separate nzbiketrails Holidays Terms and Conditions. As always, if you're unsure about anything just give David and James a call — we'd rather sort it out early and have you out on the trail smiling.

Yes — we offer a Bring Your Own Bike (BYO) option on all of our rides. Your bike travels on our trailer, and standard handlebars will be fine, though extra-wide retro-fitted handlebars may not fit. Please note that BYO riders are waitlisted unless we have a minimum of two bike-hire riders on the trip. Please ensure your bike is well maintained and suited to the trail — around 40% of BYO e-bikes we've taken out haven't been designed for our harder trails, so hiring from us rather than borrowing a sub-optimal bike from a friend is genuinely worth considering.

The trail is beautiful in both directions, though most riders (about two-thirds) choose Cromwell to Clyde — our default direction, which follows the prevailing wind and is David's personal favourite. This direction means you ride the lakeside sections first, with steeper ascents, longer downhills and the two big climbs assisted by your e-bike. Riding Clyde to Cromwell goes against the prevailing wind with longer uphills and steeper descents. Alexine (David's wife!) prefers this direction, and we'll swap to it if there's a strong headwind. Either way, let us worry about the wind — you'll have a stunning day.

Cromwell is roughly 45 minutes from both Wānaka and Queenstown, making it an ideal day trip from either base. Our luxury shuttle runs daily from the Wānaka lakefront, departing at 8:30am and returning around 4:00–4:45pm. If you're staying in Queenstown, catch a bus from Central Queenstown to arrive in Cromwell at 9:00am — we recommend booking the 6:00pm return bus, though we'll do everything we can to get you back for the 3:30pm service if the ride allows. We can also arrange a private single-pickup shuttle for groups of four or more at $120 per person. The drive through the Kawarau Gorge is pretty special — consider it the warm-up act.

Every trail has brilliant stops worth savouring. On the Wānaka and Hāwea Trails, try Pembroke Patisserie in Albert Town or the relaxed Garden Bar at the Edgewater Hotel. On the Lake Dunstan Trail, Carrick Winery at the 8km mark is perfect for a coffee and scone, with the heritage town of Clyde celebrating your finish. On the Kawarau Gorge, you're riding vine to vine — Te Kano Winery in Bannockburn and Kinross on the return are not to be missed. On the Queenstown Trails, our favourite stop is the Millbrook Golf Café, with a possible drink at Gantley's Tavern at Arthurs Point before finishing at Kinross. For the Roxburgh Gorge, load up at Olivers in Clyde beforehand — there are no stops en route.

Our entire fleet is maintained in-house by one of our Founders and his team — so the standard of care is about as high as it gets. Every bike is individually named, regularly inspected and kept in excellent condition for the trails. We only ever hire bikes that we consider to be excellent — we genuinely care that your experience is safe and enjoyable from the moment you start to the moment you return. All helmets used are premium helmets with MIPS impact protection, available in small, medium, large and extra-large.

We love a good group adventure — our biggest group to date has been just over 50 riders! Private tours cater from 4 riders (per Ute) to 11 riders (per van) and include a dedicated Guest Experience Manager who hosts the day, handles all logistics and drives the shuttle. You choose the trail and we take care of everything else, with pickups available directly from your accommodation. Whether it's a birthday, corporate outing or a crew of mates chasing big smiles across Central Otago, give David and James a call on +64 27 202 8686 or email smiles@nzbiketrails.co.nz to start planning.

Yes — and we love planning them! Tell us the number of days you're aiming for, your ideal dates and the size of your group, and we'll come back with a proposed itinerary covering each day's ride, what's included and the accommodation. All our holidays include the upgrades other companies charge extra for — e-bikes, bag transfers and all necessary shuttles — so you always know exactly what you're getting. The only upgrade we offer is from one of our recommended Sinch Jaunt 2.0 e-bikes to a Trek Rail+ 8 Full Suspension bike — if you ride a Full Suspension at home and are desperate to ride one on holiday, we've got you covered.