Experience majestic Southern Alps on New Zealand's cycling route

New Zealand's breathtaking Alps to Ocean (A2O) trail invites adventurers on a remarkable 315km journey through the heart of Zealandia, Earth's "lost" continent.  

As a young and dynamic player in the planet's geological narrative, New Zealand sits along a highly active fault line, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

In the 83 million years since it separated from the Gondwana supercontinent, the land has experienced significant tectonic upheaval. 

After Zealandia separated from Gondwana and drifted into the Pacific, it first sank and then erupted, forming the Southern Alps that stretch across much of the South Island and contribute to some of New Zealand's most stunning landscapes. Its fossil-rich seabed emerged, revealing skeletons ranging from microscopic organisms to large megafauna, which provide insights into a vanished sea and the extreme weather patterns that shaped the nation we know today.

Interestingly, 94 per cent of Zealandia remains "lost" beneath the water, hidden in plain sight, until advancements in satellite technology enabled researchers to officially map it in 2017.

"What you see is just the very top of New Zealand," explains geoscientist Sasha Morriss. The impressive 315km A2O trail, one of New Zealand's 23 Ngā Haerenga Great Rides, begins at the foothills of the nation’s tallest peak, Aoraki/Mount Cook (3,724m). 

It winds its way through the expansive, glacier-carved valleys of the Southern Alps, leading into the Waitaki Whitestone Geopark, which was established in 2023. Morriss refers to this area as a "vanished world," where dolphins with shark-like teeth once inhabited a warm, shallow sea. The journey concludes in Ōamaru, a town literally built upon the ancient seabed we traverse.  

In some sections, the A2O is so secluded that the night sky reveals the Milky Way in some of the clearest conditions on Earth. However, the remoteness shouldn't deter adventurers; several companies offer guided tours that include luggage transfers to pre-booked accommodations such as farm stays, lake lodges, and boutique B&Bs, with a support vehicle accompanying the group. Fortunately, with the increasing availability of e-bikes, most riders are unlikely to require that support.

By Naila Huseynova