Calder & Lawson Tours

03/07/2025

Our journey through Central Asia has sadly come to an end, but we are still savouring great memories of our varied adventures.

This 'News from the road' article covers some of our experiences.

News from the road - Central Asia - May 2025 It was quite the epic adventure. Five countries in Central Asia, with everyone in our group taking in the tour ...

29/06/2025

The cycle ride into Auer was superb.The trail went through Vineyards,apple and plum orchards and then dropped steeply down to a lake just before our destination

29/06/2025

Of the 5 bike trails I have done in Europe this is top of my list.
Mountains rising on both sides of the valley. Ruins of castles,churches and Monasteries appear on cliff tops.The valley floor and slopes are manicured with vineyards,apple and plum orchards and strawberries.
We have the privilege of passing working farms and cycling through small villages where the inhabitants are pursuing their daily life Not to mention partaking of goodies from the patisseries and coffee when we need a rest

27/06/2025

The scenery today has been spectacular.The cycling path on the Adige trail is sealed and mostly traffic free.The 600 metres descent over 54kms took us to the beautiful town of Brixen in Sth Tyrol.Historians have dated civilizations in this area to the Mesolthic age

27/06/2025

A stunning day cycling from the summit of the Brenner Pass in Austria to Brixen in Italy

26/06/2025

Bruges was a delightful city to visit.We had cycled into Bruges the day before over the cobbled streets and weaving between horse drawn carriages .
Bruges is a very walkable city.The Flemmish architecture,canals and the large squares with out door dining adds to the ambience.
Belgium chocolate and chocolatiers are on every corner.

24/06/2025

The Crazy Bike museum provided the group with a lot of amusement

24/06/2025

We have arrived in Bruges feeling very proud of the 509 kms cycled in beautiful weather.Yesterday we visited the Crazy bike museum.Such fun

22/06/2025

We finished our tour of Central Asia on a high. Literally. Lake Issyk Kul at 1,600 metres above sea level is said to be the second-largest mountain lake in the world after Titicaca. It’s quite a resort for local and international visitors. But we weren’t here for a beach holiday.

Up, up, up we went into the Kyrgyzstan mountains, which reminded me of Slovenia and Switzerland. Farmers tended their animals in alpine pastures. A local family hosted us for lunch in their yurts, with the freshest and finest grilled salmon imaginable. A demonstration of eagle hunting was a real highlight. What a way to end an unforgettable adventure.

20/06/2025

Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan was the final capital city on our Central Asian tour. Once again, it was a striking contrast to the other cities of our journey.

Yes, stately buildings and monuments abound, but it was the people we met who we’ll remember the most.

18/06/2025

The summer weather has added to our Paris to Bruges tour.
Cycling through quiet French villages and stopping to eat our prepacked lunch at a village green.
The Elodie,our Barge, needed to enter 13 locks and navigate a 5km tunnel. We waited for her to collect us at a canal side pub.A great way to end the day.

18/06/2025

Visiting the Arras Tunnels was a particularly poignant start of our tour of the Somme Valley. NZ soldiers played a major role in their formation.The tunnels housed 24,000 soldiers. The rudimentary wooden beds,kitchen area, and various artifacts were displayed.
One member of our group is the granddaughter of Dave Gallaher,captain of the 1905 All Blacks.He was killed at Passchendale and buried at Poperinge
The ex Mayor of Ypres gave up his time to take her and family members to his grave,while we visited other notable NZ focused monuments and cemeteries.
In the evening the Last Post was played at the Menin Gate.The Chairman of the Last Post assoc' had reserved space for our group.A very emotional day.