Day one
Ōtautahi Christchurch to Cheviot and Gore Bay
Number Eight Cafe
Start in Cheviot with coffee or an early lunch before getting on the bike. Keeping the first stop in town means you can begin the ride properly fed without carrying the whole day's food from Christchurch.
Cheviot Coastal Classic
Ride the 30-kilometre Coastal Classic from Cheviot toward Gore Bay and back through the surrounding coast. The route is entirely on sealed roads, but it is still a moderate ride with a couple of hill climbs and open-road sections. The reward is the landscape: farmland, the Pacific coast and the dramatic cliffs above Gore Bay.
Gore Bay and Buxton Campgrounds
Once the riding is done, stay by the sea rather than driving back to town. The main Gore Bay camp is open year-round with powered and non-powered sites, direct beach access, hot showers and a basic kitchen. Settle in, swim if conditions suit or simply spend the evening beside the water.
Coastal Classic
30 km · Moderate
Terrain
Sealed public roads
Camp
Powered from $30 single · non-powered from $25 single
Day 2 walk
Manuka Bay Track · 6 km return
The Coastal Classic uses public roads rather than a separated cycleway. Stay visible, ride to the traffic and weather conditions and leave enough daylight to reach Gore Bay comfortably.
Day two
Manuka Bay and the Hurunui River mouth
Manuka Bay Track
After breakfast at camp, drive south to Manuka Bay and follow the track through coastal vegetation toward the Hurunui River mouth. The six-kilometre return walk is long enough to feel like a proper second-day activity without needing another full day on the bike.
Manuka Bay Track closes for lambing from 15 August to 15 October each year. Outside that closure, still check local access and weather conditions before setting out.
Cheviot Tearooms
Return to Cheviot for something easy before the drive home. Coffee, pies, sandwiches or a simple lunch are enough — after a 30-kilometre ride and a coastal walk, the final stop does not need to become another attraction.
Return to Ōtautahi Christchurch
Head south with two different views of the same coast behind you: one from the bike and one on foot. This itinerary gives Cheviot and Gore Bay an active, affordable option without repeating the jet-boat-and-cabin trip.
