Two months ago I invited my 83-year-old parents to join our 12-day bike tour to New Zealand. Even though John and Anne don’t really cycle, I knew they would have a blast on one of our bike vacations – not only would they get to “see their son in action,” but I thought they would also enjoy the camaraderie, the lovely lodgings and meals, and the many non-cycling activities along the way. I asked my mother Anne to list the highlights of her trip, and this is what she said:
“After a life not without its interesting and fun travels – this trip with Great Bike Tours tops the bill for adventure and new experiences. At age 83 we had the trip of a lifetime.”
“It all began with a ride on the back of my son Simon’s tandem bicycle through unbelievable scenery, across bridges and through tunnels, along the car-free Otago Central Rail Trail. This was my only day of cycling, and I loved every minute of it.”
“But then what about the thrills of a ride in a jet boat along with nine other tour members in Wanaka, spinning around and speeding down a river in a far from straight course.”
“Or finding myself in one of the Wilderness Lodge’s two-person kayaks on beautiful, serene Lake Moeraki learning how to paddle (with help from my daughter Sue, who also joined us on this trip).”
“Also at the Wilderness Lodge, we signed up for a four-hour guided walk by Dr. Gerry McSweeney, Director of N.Z. Forest and Bird Society, which included wading knee-high through a fast running creek (with a lot of responsible oversight from one of Great Bike Tour’s leaders), exploring the beach and cliffs and caves of the Tasman Sea while learning to recognize NZ greenstone among the pebbles beneath our feet.”
“Two days later I joined my daughter in a never-to-be-forgotten helicopter flight up to the Franz Josef Glacier through a low cloud formation which added excitement and prevented any more flights that day.”
“Then just as the tour was almost over – bicycles stowed, goodbyes said – we all got out of the vans to walk through the limestone formations of the Castle Hill/Kura Tawhiti Conservation Area. Parts of the Lord of The Rings Trilogy were filmed here. I heard the Dalai Lama was so taken by this landscape (when he visited in 2002) that he named it a “Spiritual Center of the Universe.” Now I can see why… it was a breath-taking experience.”
So to all the mothers out there… you’re never too old to have an enjoyable active vacation. Get out there and do it. You’ll be so glad you did.
Simon Burrows
Tour Guide and Co-Owner
Great Bike Tours
