Thinking about a NZ trip - some questions

[wyorider]

howdy- I am a dual sport rider from jackson hole wyoming, usa. My girlfriend of seven years just broke up with me, so I have been thinking about a solo motorcycle camping trip in NZ for at least a month this winter. Is January a good time to come? Or is it really crowded with too many obnoxious tourists such as myself? Much rain? As for a bike- I figured I would buy a dual sport bike that I could tour with, but still ride some mellow trails with. Will it be easy for me to buy and sell a bike there in NZ, or is that a bad idea? I thought I might buy a used bike from a shop or local and probably sell it back to a shop when I am done. Do I have to worry much about people stealing my shit? Any thoughts or suggestions that might help will be greatly appreciated- sincerely wyorider

[Ender EnZed]

January is the busy season but there are still quiet spots to be found. You'll get rained on at some point but shouldn't need to get too miserable here in summer. Buying a bike from a shop should be easy enough, selling it will be trickier but not impossible. New Zealand's safer than plenty of places but your shit will still walk off if you leave it exposed in a bad place for long enough.

Other people will say helpful things now.

[Hitcher]

Crime is probably the same in New Zealand as it is in Wyoming. You would be strongly advised not to leave your gear untended or unsecured at any time -- particularly in areas that attract tourists (as these also unfortunately attract light-fingered opportunist criminals).

Any of New Zealand's bigger bike stores would probably do you a sell-buy back deal. They'll also give you advice on the different types of insurance you may need. If Auckland is your port of arrival, www.amps.co.nz or www.mtedenmotorcycles.co.nz could be useful places to start a conversation.

January here is summer, but New Zealand has a maritime climate where the weather can change quite quickly. Wet weather gear would be a good idea!

[NDORFN]

Did you learn about our existence on Letterman by any chance?

[scumdog]

Leave your pistol behind - they frown on you walking around with one here.

Antlers on the wild elk here ain't as big as the Jackson Hole ones.

Weather is normally getting to it's best in that month.


Oh, and NEVER forget which side of the road you should be riding on!

[ynot slow]

February is better than January,all school kids are at school,so means less accomodation worries as well,and weather seems better too.

[FJRider]

Leave your pistol behind


Oh, and NEVER forget which side of the road you should be riding on!

You can buy what you think you may need here ... if you ask the (right/wrong ??) people. :innocent:

There are some that were born here that forget ... often .. :shifty:

[wbks]

Did anyone else spit their drink on the PC mistakingly reading "I am a dual sport rider from Jack hole wyoming"?

[cs363]

February is better than January,all school kids are at school,so means less accomodation worries as well,and weather seems better too.

I'd agree with that, February through March/April has generally more settled weather and as ynotslow says, less accomodation hassles and less traffic in the areas you'll probably want to visit

[Pedrostt500]

There tends to be less loonies in cages in febuary march as well, as most have gone back to work, school etc.
The mid week after work rides will be in full swing so you can meet up with some of the 2 wheeled loonies as well.

[Mrs Busa Pete]

howdy- I am a dual sport rider from jackson hole wyoming, usa. My girlfriend of seven years just broke up with me, so I have been thinking about a solo motorcycle camping trip in NZ for at least a month this winter. Is January a good time to come? Or is it really crowded with too many obnoxious tourists such as myself? Much rain? As for a bike- I figured I would buy a dual sport bike that I could tour with, but still ride some mellow trails with. Will it be easy for me to buy and sell a bike there in NZ, or is that a bad idea? I thought I might buy a used bike from a shop or local and probably sell it back to a shop when I am done. Do I have to worry much about people stealing my shit? Any thoughts or suggestions that might help will be greatly appreciated- sincerely wyorider

I would suggest you look up (the vet) that is his site name he is over hear on a 1 year tour of our lovely country and have a look at the photos he has taken of some of the places he has been. Really amazing they are. Good luck and if you need a bed in Auckland give us a hollor.

[popelli]

howdy- I am a dual sport rider from jackson hole wyoming, usa. My girlfriend of seven years just broke up with me, so I have been thinking about a solo motorcycle camping trip in NZ for at least a month this winter. Is January a good time to come? Or is it really crowded with too many obnoxious tourists such as myself? Much rain? As for a bike- I figured I would buy a dual sport bike that I could tour with, but still ride some mellow trails with. Will it be easy for me to buy and sell a bike there in NZ, or is that a bad idea? I thought I might buy a used bike from a shop or local and probably sell it back to a shop when I am done. Do I have to worry much about people stealing my shit? Any thoughts or suggestions that might help will be greatly appreciated- sincerely wyorider

February is a better month weather is better and less people on holiday

Bike theft is a problem in NZ more so than in either the states or europe

[YellowDog]

Hi wyorider and welcome.

Sorry to hear about you and the girlfriend. Seven years is a good run and I hope you got good value out of her :third:
(no answer required)

It is hard to compare New Zealand with the USA, but all I would say is that January is the busiest month and it will be quieter than the quietest month where you are from. So I wouldn't worry so much aout that and focus more upon the climate.

In the North of NZ, great touring starts from the end of October and continue right through to April. The South does not have such a long season, but can get a little too hot during Jan/Feb. It does rain a lot, but the last two years have been very good indeed.

So far as crime goes, it is as close to zero as I have seen anywhere in the world. Yes, if you are stupid and leave things out then they will dissapear.

My advice would be to work out what suits your life best and then visit : http://www.motowhere.com/ to plan your routes (and see what others have done).

Good luck and remember to thank your ex for the inspiration.

[klingon]

Wow! Jackson Hole looks like a wonderful place! Right on the edge of Grand Teton National Park and very close to Yellowstone! (Say hello to Yogi Bear for us...)

New Zealand has nowhere near the extremes of climate that you will be used to, but yes it can rain any time so make sure you are prepared with wet weather covers for you and your gear.

Friends of mine recently bought a VStrom for a month-long South Island tour, then sold it on TradeMe (the main NZ online auction site www.trademe.co.nz) for pretty much the same price as they bought it for. Obviously you won't have the luxury of time so you would probably be better to go through a dealer, but it's definitely something you can do when you're here.

Bike gear, on the other hand, can be very expensive here so you would probably be best to bring everything you can with you (without having to pay excess luggage!)

As for theives, you will definitely need to think about security for both your bike and your gear. We have as many bad people here as anywhere else! :spanking: And they often steal from tourists who tend to have quite valuable stuff with them (cameras etc). Try not to ever leave your bike and gear unattended, but if you must, make sure you have some kind of lockable cover like one of those steel mesh nets to cover your gear and make it hard for people to steal.

The good news is, people are the only dangerous animals we have! No snakes, bears, or other wild critters so camping out and exploring the wilderness is as safe here as you can get.

I passed through Wyoming on my month-long solo tour of the USA a few years ago (lived in the back of an RCMP vehicle and drove from Calgary to Texas and back). I stuck to the flatlands in the East of the state but if I had the chance I would go back immediately and explore the whole state. It is absolutely stunning!

In New Zealand we tend to have the same variety of landscapes, just everything jammed into amuch smaller space. And of course you are never far from the ocean.

Be sure to let us know when you are on your way so we can get together a welcoming committee and start corrupting you into the Kiwi way of life as soon as you arrive.

[wyorider]

thanks for all the responses- its true what they say about kiwis being the nicest people. Yes- wyoming is a beautiful place- be sure to check it out if you are in the states.

[SARGE]

howdy- I am a dual sport rider from jackson hole wyoming, usa. My girlfriend of seven years just broke up with me, so I have been thinking about a solo motorcycle camping trip in NZ for at least a month this winter. Is January a good time to come? Or is it really crowded with too many obnoxious tourists such as myself? Much rain? As for a bike- I figured I would buy a dual sport bike that I could tour with, but still ride some mellow trails with. Will it be easy for me to buy and sell a bike there in NZ, or is that a bad idea? I thought I might buy a used bike from a shop or local and probably sell it back to a shop when I am done. Do I have to worry much about people stealing my shit? Any thoughts or suggestions that might help will be greatly appreciated- sincerely wyorider

cmon down bro ..

the beaches are packed until February but inland is nice .. alot of shops have buyback schemes.. easy as...lock your shit for sure and FOR GODS SAKE PLEASE BRING ME SOME REAL CIGGIES!!!

(Ohio boy)

[klingon]

thanks for all the responses- its true what they say about kiwis being the nicest people. Yes- wyoming is a beautiful place- be sure to check it out if you are in the states.

Oh you've got me all misty-eyed reminiscing about my time in Wyoming now.

Even leaving Wyoming wasn't easy! My truck broke down just after I crossed the border into Montana on my way back to Canada. I was stranded on Highway 90 and the nicest state troopers stopped to help me. We spent a long time trying to overcome language and cultural differences so they could contact the AAA for me. I think they thought my AA card meant I belonged to Alcoholics Anonymous instead of the Automobile Association (of course we don't have the third A). My date of birth made no sense because it was the "wrong" way around, and even the phone number for the NZ AA looked bogus because it didn't have enough numbers.

When you come over here keep an open mind. We will surprise you with the ways we are so similar to you - and you will be surprised again by the ways in which we are different! Sometimes you will even wonder if we are really speaking the same language.

So pack your jumper and jandals (the weather changes quickly) remember to bring a torch, and if you ask for cheerios for breakfast, I hope you like sausages. :confused:

[Pixie]

It is hard to compare New Zealand with the USA, but all I would say is that January is the busiest month and it will be quieter than the quietest month where you are from.

He said he's from Wyoming - which is the size of NZ,with one third the population of Auckland.

[CookMySock]

I have been thinking about a solo motorcycle camping trip in NZ for at least a month this winter. Is January a good time to come?Do it. You will be fine. The place is a little less crowded in February, but if you are tenting it you have plenty of options. Basically, all of the commercial camping spots will be heavily booked around then. If you camp well off the road and don't make a mess, people don't really care too much.

The weather is usually pretty good around then.


As for a bike- I figured I would buy a dual sport bike that I could tour with, but still ride some mellow trails with. Will it be easy for me to buy and sell a bike there in NZ, or is that a bad idea? I thought I might buy a used bike from a shop or local and probably sell it back to a shop when I am done.You might strike a buy-back deal with a shop here, but I wouldn't rely too heavily on that. Maybe you could google some bike shops here and email them and ask. Better perhaps to pick up some late-model bike from trademe.co.nz and simply $1 reserve auction it when you are done with it. Don't buy an old beaten clunker though.

Have fun!

Steve

[foilrat]

howdy- I am a dual sport rider from jackson hole wyoming, usa. My girlfriend of seven years just broke up with me, so I have been thinking about a solo motorcycle camping trip in NZ for at least a month this winter. Is January a good time to come? Or is it really crowded with too many obnoxious tourists such as myself? Much rain? As for a bike- I figured I would buy a dual sport bike that I could tour with, but still ride some mellow trails with. Will it be easy for me to buy and sell a bike there in NZ, or is that a bad idea? I thought I might buy a used bike from a shop or local and probably sell it back to a shop when I am done. Do I have to worry much about people stealing my shit? Any thoughts or suggestions that might help will be greatly appreciated- sincerely wyorider

The holiday parks are freakin' brilliant! Like a KOA only better. There was ALWAYS room for me on a bike with a tent. The people are friendly and I never had an issue. The scenery was brilliant, the beer good and the fish-n-chips, well, I still dream about them.

I did something very, very similar to you a couple of years ago. I came out in late Feb, early March and had an amazing time.

I ended up renting a bike for about 24 days. I was really, really near the break even point between buying and renting. Do the math and see for yourself.

I brought all my own gear and was glad I did. It was nice to have my own kit that I was used to.

I PM'ed you as well, so I'll be glad to give you more info.

[popelli]

I brought all my own gear and was glad I did. It was nice to have my own kit that I was used to.



you can not bring used camping gear into nz they have strict regulations about trying to keep various diseases out of nz

[cs363]

you can not bring used camping gear into nz they have strict regulations about trying to keep various diseases out of nz

Yes you can.

But, a good point to raise, as they (MAF - Ministry of Agriculture & Forestry) are very strict on anything that's been in contact with farm animals, forestry, soil and so on for the reasons popelli states. You will need to ensure that your camping gear is cleaned (and preferably disinfected) thoroughly inside and out and you will still need to declare it at the border so they can inspect the gear and ensure it is up to their standards. Nothing to worry about as long as you make sure it is clean and absolutely no sign of dirt on the tent, pegs and even the bag etc.
If by some chance it fails the inspection they will just impound it and have it cleaned and then returned to you (for a charge of course), so it pays to be thorough with the cleaning! :)
For more info go here: http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/enter/declare
You'll find our Customs, Immigration and MAF are very pleasant and helpful as long as you declare anything you are unsure about and don't try to put one over on them - then they'll get pissed off! They are in general much more pleasant to deal with than many other countries if you follow the rules.
By the same token, you will want to make sure you clean your gear before heading back to the US so as not to run afoul of the US authorities.

[clint640]

Hi Mate, as above, nothing wrong with January, Feb/Mar even better if possible. There is an advrider rally on 20 Feb near Te Anau too! Lots of camping options around, especially if you have a bike that can get off the beaten track.

If you want to do a buyback deal I would try & line something up beforehand - NZ is small & at any one time there may only be a handful of suitable machines for sale at dealers. I would look for a used Suzuki DR650 or similar, most of the dealers list all their used stock on trademe.

Keep an eye on the adv - dual purpose forum on here & you may be able to join in on some local rides.

Cheers
Clint