A little delayed, but I did the North Island MTB tour in May and it was an absolute hoot!

Jase and Grant were our guides and provided a super relaxed environment from the get go. They turned it from being a tour to riding with a group of mates for 7 days instead. Safety was always paramount but never restricting us from shredding some awesome trails and features. They offered a locals insight into the trails and the areas we covered as well with a few secret hot springs thrown in.

Both Grant and Jase offered much more to the trip culturally than I was expecting which was a huge bonus. That combined with our Hangi meal/experience in Rotorua really added another level to the trip.

Accomodation was better than I was expecting for dorm share. Breakfast each day was a treat and the local recommendations for dinner were top notch!

The bus was surprisingly comfortable and included reclining seats. Storage at the back of the van took all the bags and bike boxes/bags. They also had a tool kit to take care of most issues you may have with your bike. The bike trailer is easy to load on and off but I would recommend you add another layer to the upright it's tied to. While it's wrapped in rubber and nice and cushy, we had a pretty wet trip so the rub of the dirt against the upright left an impressionable mark. They do supply pieces of padding for this purpose so use it.

A few of us had some issues with our bikes so Jase and Grant were rad at finding us the best bike stores for spares etc. One dude kept blowing his rear wheel out and Grant took us to Wheelworks in Wellington. This was a highlight of the trip to see the dark art of wheel building at next level precision.

Huge thanks to Jase, Grant and Haka Tours for such a rad week. Absolute legends!

Reviewed about 7 years ago and experienced in May 2017