Treasure Hunt Adventures in Hawke's Bay Wine Country
There is a lot of history in the Gimblett Gravels and Bridge Pa Triangle Wine Districts and their 9 cellar doors. But not all of it is meant to be found, and there is always a trail of clues. The question is whether your group is clever enough to follow it.
Treasure hunts you can solve
Someone left something behind in Hawke's Bay wine country. A trail of clues points to where it's hidden, scattered across the wineries, buried in puzzles, waiting for the right group to piece it together.
On Yer Bike Winery Tours' Treasure Hunt Adventures put you and your group on the trail. Ride between cellar doors, crack ciphers, follow the breadcrumbs, and close in on the hiding place before the day runs out.
Pick your hunt, grab your bikes, and start riding. The trail won't follow itself.
Our Games
The Winemaker's Lost Journal
Ash Ridge Winery - Oak Estate - Unison Vineyard
Legendary winemaker Elias Thorne left something behind in the vineyards. His journal is out there — scattered in clues across the cellar doors. Four wineries, four to five hours, and a trail only your group can follow. Can you find it?
The Academic's Concealed Canvas
Ash Ridge Winery - Oak Estate - Unison Vineyard
In the 1940s, Walter Drummond was a renowned academic who discovered something they were never supposed to find — and they believed only the truly worthy should ever find it. You are the chosen ones — selected by the hider themselves, though nobody knows why. What Walter hid is waiting. The trail begins here.
How it works
Choose your hunt Pick a story from the list below. Each one features a different hider, a different treasure, and an entirely different trail.
No app needed, the game runs directly in your browser. Each team plays on one or two devices. One device starts the session; a second can join via a shared link. Got a bigger group? Split into teams of two to six players, each on their own session, and race each other to the finish. The leaderboard keeps score.
Ride and follow the trail Each winery stop unlocks a new chapter. Decode the clue, solve the puzzle, earn the next piece of the trail. Then ride on.
Find the treasure At the final stop, everything comes together. Crack the last cipher and you'll know exactly where, and what, you've been hunting.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people can play the treasure hunt?
The hunt is best played with 2–6 players. Got a larger group? Split into two competing teams of up to 4–6 players per team and race each other to the finish. Each team plays on their own device.
How long does the treasure hunt take?
Allow approximately 4–5 hours for the full ride and hunt, including time at each cellar door.
Do we need to be experienced cyclists?
The routes are designed for casual riders on flat to gently rolling terrain. If you can ride a bike, you can play.
Do we need to know anything about wine?
Not at all. The hunts are set in wine country but the trail is about puzzles, history, and lateral thinking. Wine knowledge won't crack a cipher.
What if someone in our group doesn't drink?
No problem at all. The hunt works just as well with a coffee in hand. Most cellar doors on the route offer non-alcoholic options too.
Can children play the treasure hunt?
The treasure hunts are written for adults and older teenagers. There are elements of hunting for items. We'd suggest 16+ for the best experience — some of the ciphers and puzzles require a bit of lateral thinking.
Are the treasure hunt games difficult?
The experience requires any prior knowledge or special skills even though the questions are based around wine and winemaking. It involves answering multiple choice questions, QR code hunts, a bit of general knowledge, and solving anagrams — they're designed to be fun, not frustrating.
Overall Leaderboard
Rank
Team
Points
🥇 1
Andrew
1,810
🥈 2
Da boys
1,660
🥉 3
Anahera on the run
1,640
4
ARC
1,475
5
Sassy C’s
1,450
6
FOXY LADIES
1,330
7
Bovver
1,320
8
Auahi finds gold
1,150
9
MAMC
475