A group of friends they met up with days later suggested they join Donald and Sandy (pictured below) on the original Ngā Haerenga Great Ride. That was in 2019.

Little did the couple know that it was the beginning of what has become an annual adventure on the Great Rides network and beyond.

The six couples, including Donald’s sister and cousin, are now known as The Point Peddlers. 

Made up of mostly semi-retired farmers, they even have their own Facebook group and specially made tee-shirts to prove their accomplishments, with new trails added each year.

So far, they’ve ridden Around the Mountains Cycle Trail, Tasman’s Great Taste Trail, Lake Dunstan Trail, Roxburgh Gorge Tral, Clutha Gold Trail, Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail, West Coast Wilderness Trail twice and Otago Central Rail Trail for a second time. 

Add to that a self-guided cycling trip around the Samoan island of Upolu with tour operator Cycle Journeys earlier this year.

Plans are well under way for their autumn 2026 adventure, to ride the Queenstown Trail, in particular the new Shotover Gorge Trail. 

The pair say they love being on their e-bikes, among nature, with their friends on what they describe as relaxed rather than hard out adventures. 

“We’ll stop at a coffee shop, we’ll stop to have lunch, we read the information boards on local history, if we go over bridge or river a few of us will stop to see if there’s any trout,” quips Donald. 

“When we first started, we decided to get off our bikes and stop and wiggle our backsides every 10km, now we’ve stretched that out,” laughs Sandy. 

With no big pressures to return home, The Point Peddlers have extended their annual get-together over the years. 

They’ll generally stay two nights in one place before moving on, they’ll visit local pubs and wineries and try out nearby activities to “make a real holiday of it”, says Donald.

Highlights to date include the Buller Gorge walk and caving in Charleston on the South Island’s west coast, kayaking in a double kayak to Split Apple Rock from Kaiteriteri Beach near Nelson, enjoying pizza from Ōmakau’s Muddy Creek cafe and staying at the old post office there, and the jetboat ride on the Roxburgh Gorge Trail. 

“The Ross pub [on the west coast] is a highlight – the first time we went there it was raffle night and we won all the raffles, which was mostly baking. We ended up sitting in the treetop walk carpark eating all the home baking because it wouldn’t fit in our panniers,” laughs Sandy. 

The Point Peddlers recently met to debrief their Samoan trip, which came about from a post that popped up on Sandy’s phone. 

“We posted on our Facebook group and by the next day everyone had said yes to going. That really was an incredible ride, with absolutely amazing accommodation, people and scenery,” says Sandy.

Donald and Sandy organise each trip, as they have done from the beginning. Often it means a recce to the area to suss out accommodation, eateries and activities near the trails. 

Debriefs usually follow each trip. Destinations of future trips are agreed on, then Donald and Sandy begin the process of booking everything well in advance. 

“We always do a bit of homework and make all the decisions, and everyone else follows,” says Sandy. 

“We just email the group to tell them when, where, whether they’re in and to pay up. We get it right most of the time. It sounds a bit bossy doesn’t it!”  

“But we all like riding together, we enjoy going to local pubs. We’re not big drinkers, we just like meeting locals and embracing local culture,” says Donald. 

“We do have a routine when we go away. We get to wherever we’re staying, we have a few drinks, a few nibbles and dinner.  

“We don’t party all night. After dinner we go to our separate rooms – the rule is that we have our own rooms, with our own bathrooms, we don’t share any facilities.” 

After hiring e-bikes initially, the six couples all now own their own. 

“On the very first Otago Central Rail Trail ride, none of us had been on e-bikes before. We all hired them.

“Before we even left the depot in Clyde two had fallen off, and then 10-15 minutes down the road we came to the first coffee shop and we all stopped there. 

“That day one of the guys wanted to drive the van, by the time we headed back after having so much fun he chose to join us on future rides and now he’s one of the keenest bikers of the whole group.” 

Donald has always been a keen cyclist, mostly mountain biking to keep fit. 

In between annual trips, he and the group often head out on trails near Pleasant Point, ending up in the local pub or cafe.

They’ve even joined forces to help plant natives of their local trail. There’s even a “Point Peddlers” sign to mark the spot.

“Cycling is definitely keeping us mobile and active. We’re grateful for our health, for our e-bikes that allow us to go on these adventures, and for the group of friends that come with us,” say the couple. 

“Most of all, we’re thankful for the present our daughters gave to Donald all those years ago. It has resulted in so many great times and great memories.” 

Check out our 23 Great Rides and plan your next adventure