New Zealand

[Stuart42]

Hi All

am planning a trip to NZ next year and just wondered if anybody had been and if you could recommend any particularly good roads as I'm hiring a bike out there for the trip.

Any info would be gratefully received.

Cheers
Stuart

[Drucilla]

North or South island?

[Stuart42]

At the mo I'm just in the planning stages so could be swayed either way, as to what island I do.

Was hoping to take in the Cemetary Road races and also kayaking in Abel Tasman.

Cheers
Stuart

[Mr C]

Hi All

am planning a trip to NZ next year and just wondered if anybody had been and if you could recommend any particularly good roads as I'm hiring a bike out there for the trip.

Any info would be gratefully received.

Cheers
Stuart
My Sister lives there, well she's only been there for 6 months. I can put you intouch with her nearer the time.

[Gilps]

Do a search on here. Duncan went recently and there was a very good thread on the subject.

[Stuart42]

Thanks gents.

I've had a look at Duncans thread, very good, and have contacted DesmoJohnny mentioned in the thread.

thanks Mr. C I'll hopefully be in touch, any local help will come in handy.

thanks once again

cheers
Stuart

[NattyBoy]

I've only done the north island Stuart but the south is meant to be even better !

Basically you cant go wrong in the north...get out of town and its all like your personal race track !

Enjoy

Nat

[Stuart42]

I'm liking the sound of this place more and more:cool:

Cheers
Stuart

[Kiwi]

lived over there for almost 40 years have been around the south island 8 or 9 times on a bike

soulth island is a lot better than the north, what do you need to know?

[Trent]

Agreed... Sth Island is better riding and the scenery is more varied than the Nth. (although there are great things to see in both islands)

Note that there are only approx 1 million people in the Sth Island (Sth Island is larger than England) so vehicular traffic is fairly light compared to here!

[J.P]

Get yourself to Christchurch then drive to Queenstown, about 6 hours, and around there, then off to Milford Sound for some really dramatic costline.

[Kiwi]

Note that there are only approx 1 million people in the Sth Island (Sth Island is larger than England) so vehicular traffic is fairly light compared to here!


south island is the 12th largest island in the world

north island is the 14th largest island in the world

mainland uk is about the 6th largest island in the world


main problem in south island is german touirsts driving on the wrong side of the road

roads are great and virtually no traffic - one of the best places in the world to ride a bike

[Duncan]

Get in touch with New Zealand Motorcycle rentals http://www.nzbike.com/2004/default.asp and they have bases on North and South Island with a good selection of bikes. I was lucky to meet them in a bar in Auckland while working out there, found them to be good people and hired an SV650 that was good for the job.

No need for a big bike, the roads are fine but scenery is so good you wont be going fast.

Tell them how long you have, how many hours you want to be on a bike each day and they will suggest the best routes for you. I just got the bike and set off, no map nothing, kept the sea on my left and did the Pacific coast highway. Great.

Backpackers is a good place to stay theyre cheap, clean and in most towns. People are dead friendly in Backpackers places and you find you keep running into the same people over the days. In fact all Kiwis are dead friendly its really great.

[squiffything]

Went out for three weeks a few years ago but was in a car. If you fly into Auckland it's a really good place to start your trip as it's a lovely city and you may want a rest for a couple of days before setting out. (36 hours of travelling can knacker you out!) Then head down the north island We travelled over the Para-para's (something like that but spelling needs to be checked lol) A lovely mountain range with some cracking roads. For touristy things you may want to check out Rotarua (bad spelling again methinks) which is the guyser place but very commercialised further on are the mountains of the moon. Same sort of thing but not so touristy.

There are loads of caves to see rivers to run in high speed jetboats bungy things off bridges etc. Get down to christchurch and stop for a couple of days to explore and then over on the ferry to the south island to ride till your hearts content. Don't forget to call into the Marlborough region to check out the vineyards Some of the best wines in the world come out of there.

Head on down for whale watching Glacier walking/riding and all the other cool stuff. Then return you hire bike to Dunedin and fly home.

NB do not look at house prices The price of a house down there is around a quater of the price they are here and the way of life is how it used to be here 30 years ago. So tempting to pack up take your money and go and live down there

Have a great trip Stu

[Stuart42]

Hi All

many thanks for your words of encouragement.

Just a shame I've got to wait a year before I can go, but sounds it'll be worth the wait.

If you don't mind as things move I'll take those that offered, up on thier offer of advice.

Many thanks once again

Cheers
Stuart

[spm23]

This thread has made me homesick so I'm going home for Xmas!!!

[kaysee]

Stuart42, there is loads of bike hire stuff in google.

To get you in the mood read this book (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kiwis-Might-Fly-Around-Zealand/dp/0553815571/ref=sr_1_1/026-6988256-0398810?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1194887789&sr=1-1)I enjoyed it. It bought back memories of my 4 week stay in NZ even though I was in a car.

[Stuart42]

thanks for that Kaysee, on your recommendation just bought off Amazon for a penny. Better be good or I'll sue you for the cost;)

Cheers
Stuart

[Drucilla]

South Island - try Wanaka to Queenstown on the Crown Range Road and also Christchurch to Akoroa. The best bit of advice we were ever given was when it says it is a 15Km sharp bend and you should slow down then slow down, they are not joking and watch out for single lane bridges shared by trains and motor vehicles. Last photo is of the road through the crown range, just can't see it very well.

The route we take is Christchurch across to Greymouth/West coast, down through the alps, over to Queenstown then up the other side.

[Kiwi]

South Island - try Wanaka to Queenstown on the Crown Range Road and also Christchurch to Akoroa. The best bit of advice we were ever given was when it says it is a 15Km sharp bend and you should slow down then slow down, they are not joking and watch out for single lane bridges shared by trains and motor vehicles. Last photo is of the road through the crown range, just can't see it very well.

The route we take is Christchurch across to Greymouth/West coast, down through the alps, over to Queenstown then up the other side.

try the cardrona hotel on the crown range road for brilliant food

arthurs pass from christchurch to greymouth is good, but a better route from picton /blemhein (check out the vineyards whilst you are around blenheim for wine tasteing) is down down the buller gorge down to westport, back across to ch ch and back over the arthurs pass and down the west coast and over the haast pass to wanaka - check out the aircraft collection, has the original hyabusa, WW2 jap fighter plane, as its the only one left they can't get insurance to fly it, they have pictures of it taxi ing about 6 feet clear of the deck

pig route thrun the Maniatoto valley is brilliant and convienently omitted from all the tourist guide books, vulcan hotel at st bathans is good, look out for the haunted room, publican moved his car out of the garage so I could park my bike in it overnight and rented me this room

Naseby just down the road from St Bathans also good

Dansey's pass is you fancy gravel roads has some brilliant scenery

Invercargill has the largest truck collection in the southern hemisphere and is home to burt munro's indian - the film cheated and used a couple of replicas powered by ducati engines

avoid a certain bike hire shop in Nelson run by the Fitzgerald brothers, they have been interviewed on tv regarding stolen bikes they had sold

[scrumpster]

Do the Coromandel Loop just South of Auckland if you get the chance, stunning and great roads :D

[jerry]

Check your weight if you are an overweight fatty , they wont let you in.

[Kiwi]

Check your weight if you are an overweight fatty , they wont let you in.

and have you seen the size of some of the locals???

[Stuart42]

There's always a down side ;0)