The trail extends more than 300 km (190 mi) from Aoraki / Mount Cook to Oamaru on the Pacific Ocean.

Towards Twizel, the cycle trail leads across the Pukaki Flats, an area of tussock grasslands that are typical for the Mackenzie basin.

[5] An off-road 16 km (9.9 mi) cycling section was opened on 17 December 2020, from Sailors Cutting to the top of the Benmore Dam in the Waitaki Lakes region.

It finishes after 55 km (34 mi) at Friendly Bay, adjacent to Oamaru's Victorian Historic Precinct.

Sites on the trail include: • Aoraki/Mt Cook • Snow-capped Mountains • Golden Tussock Landscapes • Glacier Lake Tours • High Country Stations • Hydro Canals • Native Forests • Elephant Rocks • Limestone and Clay Cliffs • Maori Rock Art • Vanished World Fossil Sites • Boutique Shops • Museums • Lakes: Ōhau, Pukaki, Benmore, Aviemore • Historic Limestone Tunnels • Hydro Dams: Benmore, Aviemore, Waitaki • Waitaki Valley wine region • Oamaru's Victorian Precinct • Galleries & Gifts • Steampunk HQ, Oamaru • Blue Penguin Colony • Pacific Ocean[9]