Your thoughts, best place in NZ for a motorcyclist to live?

[Metastable]

So I expect there to be a wide variety of answers here, but I'm just curious to hear people's thoughts about what they think the best place for a rider to live in New Zealand.... and why.

Of course there are various factors such as:
- weather, less rain warmer temps
- nice roads with less traffic
- close proximity to multiple race tracks
- good off roading/mx
- others.....

Because everyone is different and has different interests, I am interested to see what replies come up. If you had to pick 1 city (or town or village), where would it be and why? :)

[Oakie]

MacKenzie Basin

[wickle]

Just about anywhere in this country is great if you what big city life Auckland( small by overseas standards) more important would be where you can get a job!

[Metastable]

I'm not planning a move to NZ.... well at least not yet. I'm just curious to see what people say and why. I thoroughly enjoyed visiting last winter.... and salivated over various roads, but when traveling you miss a lot of stuff, and you don't know things about good enduro places or how you might have a few race tracks near by or how the weather is crap here or there because it rains too much.... that kind of thing. So ya, more curiosity than anything else.

[98tls]

South isle,no matter where you are the West coast isnt far away which is pretty much motorcycle heaven.North isle,well ahh ummmm :facepalm:cant think of any reason to live there.:innocent:

[spookytooth]

The si has some great roads alrite but too many bloody straights inbetween em
Top of the north would be my pick

[Headbanger]

Worst place I have lived for riding was Wellington, Auckland would be similarly affected.

Makes Wanganui look like paradise for motorcyclists, 30 seconds from my gate and I'm on some stunning back roads, Plenty of awesome places to ride no matter how much time you have to fill and The ferry is just over 2 hours away for South Island excursions.

Granted its a bit of a shithole otherwise.

[cave weta]

The Waikato is cool (except for Hamilhole) loads of roads in and out and round about.
Gravel and sealed, 3 handy racetracks- Pukekohe Taupo and Hampton Downs , loads of MX tracks and adventure trails.
Bike shops aplenty in all towns. handy to the big smoke if you need to be there.
more awsome beaches and coastal rides than you can shake a stick at on the Coromandel Peninsula. no earthquakes yet, glorious weather and Dangerous Bastard and Crazy Steve dont Ride here much.:facepalm:

[Metastable]

The Waikato is cool (except for Hamilhole) loads of roads in and out and round about.
Gravel and sealed, 3 handy racetracks- Pukekohe Taupo and Hampton Downs , loads of MX tracks and adventure trails.
Bike shops aplenty in all towns. handy to the big smoke if you need to be there.
more awsome beaches and coastal rides than you can shake a stick at on the Coromandel Peninsula. no earthquakes yet, glorious weather and Dangerous Bastard and Crazy Steve dont Ride here much.:facepalm:

LOL btw, Which one is the big smoke? Is that Hamilton or Auckland?

BTW as far as Wanganui..... I had a great lunch there on our 1 day trip for Wellington to Auckland. :)

[Bonez]

If you don't like rain stay well clear of the Manawatu, especially Ashhurst. Absolutely shocking.

[sinned]

Not Wellington as it takes too many ks to get to the good roads.

Hawkes Bay has plenty of good roads and some nice all day loops to ride. I am planning on moving there to live some day.

[Daffyd]

Southern Scenic Route in The Catlins. I just happen to have a house for sale right in the middle - 30km of glorious riding either way. Special deal for KBr's.

[AllanB]

Christchurch.

Seriously we have some pretty great rides around here.

And the Summer weather is nice.

NorWesters are a pain.

You may however experience some periodic cracking and wobbling in the roads .....

[trailblazer]

I havn't ridden round the country much yet but i reckon the bay of plenty is pretty good. Awesome coastal and lake rides with plenty of options for gravel or tarseal. Plenty of good trail rides and motorcross and the weather is pretty good around here. theres a few full day loops not far away from whatever town you are in.

[FJRider]

Must be Auckland ... where else can you have a nice relaxing hour and a half's ride to the end of the motorway ... whichever direction you decide to go ... :whistle:

[Meathorse]

:woohoo: Tararua/Northern Wairarapa (http://maps.google.co.nz/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=pahiatua+tararua&aq=&sll=-40.33795,175.893711&sspn=0.996525,1.674042&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Pahiatua,+Manawatu-Wanganui&z=11):

Norsewood to Eketahuna:
- One of the highest KM of roading per head of population ratios in the country
- Fantastically twisty roads all around: Pahiatua Track, Saddle Road, Manawatu Gorge and tonnes more out towards the east coast (all with very little traffic!)
- Some of these coastal roads are still gravel!
- Coast-to-coast ride in December
- Huge amounts of farmland - very regular trail rides etc organised by the local groups and schools or just befriend a farmer
- Even more rides in the Manawatu/Horowhenua/Hawkes Bay/Southern Wairarapa if you want to explore
- Woodville Motocross, Wanganui Jet-sprints, Cemetery Circuit, Palmy Speedway, Manfeild, Wings over Wairarapa and Masterton Drag Racing practically on your doorstep
- Close to major centres (~2hrs to Welly & HBay, ~3hrs to Taupo & New Plymouth)
- PalmyNth close by for big city things - but Tararua doesn't get the wind or the stigma!
- Small town living = bigger, cheaper sections & more likely to have a man-sized shed for your bike(s) plus fewer neighbours to complain about 'tuning' rev-sessions on Sunday mornings
- SH2 is not SH1 so traffic volumes don't explode on Friday nights with all the lemmings leaving Wellington
- Mangatianoka (Tui HQ) nearby

Phew. That'll do pig... that'll do.

[scumdog]

Never come down here, no way, there's no good riding roads anywhere, the place is full of cops and it rains every five minutes.:shutup:

[cave weta]

Never come down here, no way, there's no good riding roads anywhere, the place is full of cops and it rains every five minutes.:shutup:

It pissed with rain that night we stayed with the local cop:drinkup:

[cave weta]

:woohoo: Tararua/Northern Wairarapa (http://maps.google.co.nz/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=pahiatua+tararua&aq=&sll=-40.33795,175.893711&sspn=0.996525,1.674042&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Pahiatua,+Manawatu-Wanganui&z=11):

Norsewood to Eketahuna:
- One of the highest KM of roading per head of population ratios in the country
- Fantastically twisty roads all around: Pahiatua Track, Saddle Road, Manawatu Gorge and tonnes more out towards the east coast (all with very little traffic!)
- Some of these coastal roads are still gravel!
- Coast-to-coast ride in December
- Huge amounts of farmland - very regular trail rides etc organised by the local groups and schools or just befriend a farmer
- Even more rides in the Manawatu/Horowhenua/Hawkes Bay/Southern Wairarapa if you want to explore
- Woodville Motocross, Wanganui Jet-sprints, Cemetery Circuit, Palmy Speedway, Manfeild, Wings over Wairarapa and Masterton Drag Racing practically on your doorstep
- Close to major centres (~2hrs to Welly & HBay, ~3hrs to Taupo & New Plymouth)
- PalmyNth close by for big city things - but Tararua doesn't get the wind or the stigma!
- Small town living = bigger, cheaper sections & more likely to have a man-sized shed for your bike(s) plus fewer neighbours to complain about 'tuning' rev-sessions on Sunday mornings
- SH2 is not SH1 so traffic volumes don't explode on Friday nights with all the lemmings leaving Wellington
- Mangatianoka (Tui HQ) nearby

Phew. That'll do pig... that'll do.

Plus 1 for southern Hawkes bay- especially SH50.

[rocketman1]

I figure anywhere but Auckland, Christchurch
Auckland takes 1/2 an hour to get out of the city, unless you live on the outskirts,
ChCh is too flat and straight, ok out to Akaroa is fun in summer.
Wellington you can only go north, but not up the west coast through PaekoK totally boring.
North of Whangarei, northland some great roads.
Waikato has heaps of great roads in all directions, except for the plains towards Thames, Paeroa, but once beyond them its great, more back roads than anywhere in the country, a spider web of roads.
Tauranga a bit suck for good roads, they mostly come to the Waikato, Coromandel to ride.
Dunedin, excellent roads in most directions, not too far from the city, when its not cold.

[DEATH_INC.]

I'm guessing somewhere around Taupo/rotorua ish would be pretty good, can't get much more central to all the tracks and not too far to lotsa good roads... as long as ya don't need a job or anything...
Northland is sweet, but it's too bloody far from any decent tracks...

[Big Dave]

One of the great things about NZ is that nowhere is very far from good riding.
The only really boring bits are the Hauraki and Canterbury plains.

It doesn't really matter. Socio economic factors would have a greater bearing.

Overall the best riding is on the South Island where the 'epicness' of the place makes it very special.

My favourite twisty roads (for their own sake) are in the Western and Southern Waikato.

[Grant`]

Out of all the places I have lived, I think Northland is right up there.

Currently living in Whangarei and its great, 5 minutes in almost any direction and you are on great back roads to ride on with very little traffic to enjoy some nice cornering action.

Twin Bridges, Mangamukas are both great rides as well Waipoua Forest up past Tane Mahuta.

[Maha]

Hawkes Bay...end of story.

[oldrider]

The si has some great roads alrite but too many bloody straights inbetween em
Top of the north would be my pick

If you can't handle the straights how on earth are you going to handle the corners? (PT) :facepalm:

I believe I live in "motorcycle heaven" fantastic day rides in every direction and best climate in the country! :ride:

[98tls]

If you can't handle the straights how on earth are you going to handle the corners? (PT) :facepalm:

I believe I live in "motorcycle heaven" fantastic day rides in every direction and best climate in the country! :ride:

:angry:yea yea enough eh,you win.:angry:Lucky bugger.

[spookytooth]

If you can't handle the straights how on earth are you going to handle the corners? (PT) :facepalm:

I believe I live in "motorcycle heaven" fantastic day rides in every direction and best climate in the country! :ride:
Sheeze straights= fall a fucking sleep i have ridden pretty much all of NZ on and off road.Just did 5000ks round the south island and couldn't help thinking if i do it again {probly will} to take a book to read inbetween the twistys,but if its the straights that you enjoy go for it

[slofox]

I've had bikes in Canterbury, Northland and Waikato.

All have their own benefits and drawbacks. Canterbury is great if you get away from the plains - we used to go up round Ashley Gorge a lot...

Northland is pretty cool too - there are some great rides there. The route through Twin Bridges is one such and Waipoua is another. Quite a lot of unsealed stuff if you like that.

Waikato probably offers the most choice of the three, especially the Western side. There are some very boring flat bits east of The Tron but I never go there if I can help it - except to get to the Coromandel of course...The drawback with Waikato is fog in the winter. It's the pits. Oh and it rains like shit in winter as well...and it gets cold.

[dogsnbikes]

UMUTOI.....unless your been there your never understand

Wanganui is ok with the paraparas at your door step,but they do get boring after a while so while they use too be a good afternoon ride To Rahtehi and back to wanganui its now extended too kuratua and back,

[pritch]

Employment and other mundane considerations aside:

Takaka, so I could ride over the hill every day, with the Buller Gorge & West Coast just a stones throw away but without the rain.

Hanmer Springs, or maybe Kaikoura, on the door step of the Lewis Pass and handy (relatively) to the West Coast Highway, to SH70 & my favourite piece of SH1.

Raglan or Kawhia would not be without compensations and the comments about the other side of the Tararuas were interesting.

[Big Dave]

For the OP - some road pics.

http://kiwiridermagazine.blogspot.com/search/label/Roads%20to%20Ride

I've just been letting this Best Roads Poll run on:

http://kiwiridermagazine.blogspot.com/2009/12/vote-for-nzs-best-road.html

[Gezza]

I'd have to go with Haast. Just bloody magic

[Metastable]

Awesome - exactly what I was looking for.

I thought some of the roads I was on around the Coromandel and others nearish to Taupo were awesome.... there were some cool ones in the South Island too. Not sure if we hit Buller Gorge or not on the way from Kaiteriteri to Chch. I also wanted to get an idea of things like dirt tracking and tracks, and I think you all answered many questions. I never realized Waikaito actually included the Coromandel and Taupo areas.

Thanks again!

[shrub]

Christchurch.

Seriously we have some pretty great rides around here.

And the Summer weather is nice.

NorWesters are a pain.

You may however experience some periodic cracking and wobbling in the roads .....

Normally I'd agree 100%. We have the Banks Peninsula on our doorstep which has the road to Akaroa - truly magnificent if you ride it early in the morning or during the week - weekends it's full of campervans, slow cars and idiots on bikes showing how big their penises are. North we have the road to Kaikoura with your choice of the Hunderlees, the leader rd or the inland road. South is a bit fucked up for a couple of hundred kms unless you like loooooooooong straights, but west you have the choice of Arthur's Pass or the Lewis Pass. Given I can never decide which to ride, the best option is to ride over on one, up or down the West Coast and back over the other.

On the negative, several of the bike shops are fucked up, the CBD doesn't exist any more and roads around town are best suited to adventure bikes or dirt bikes. Still plenty of pubs and the gas is cheaper here than anywhere else in NZ.

[george formby]

I consider my region to be bike heaven. We have everything except for the racetrack.
Great weather, every road apart from SH1 is a hoot & almost deserted 8 months of the year, endless trails & beaches, low population ( high unemployment:angry:).
It's all on the doorstep too.

[mister.koz]

I reckon hamilton is a pretty good base, close enough to coromandel and the bay, close enough to the central nth island.

couple of routes here (http://www.motowhere.com/listpaths/by/mister.koz)

The only real downside to hamilton is that you have to endure 50km of swamp roads (read long, straight and boring) to get to coromandel/the bay.

Hamilton get a lot of stick but so long as you have wheels, the distances are minor.

[Metastable]

I reckon hamilton is a pretty good base, close enough to coromandel and the bay, close enough to the central nth island.

couple of routes here (http://www.motowhere.com/listpaths/by/mister.koz)

The only real downside to hamilton is that you have to endure 50km of swamp roads (read long, straight and boring) to get to coromandel/the bay.

Hamilton get a lot of stick but so long as you have wheels, the distances are minor.


That's a great link!

Just wondering - is there anywhere else in NZ that has rainfall as low as Christchurch? Chch seems to get very little rain from all the weather data I have seen.

[mister.koz]

That's a great link!

Just wondering - is there anywhere else in NZ that has rainfall as low as Christchurch? Chch seems to get very little rain from all the weather data I have seen.

I'm glad you liked it :) i used to be quite fastidious with mapping out the routes that i've taken :)

Yeah rainfall in NZ is relatively high, i am surprised that christchurch has low rainfal to be honest, its a beautiful area but the weather down there is intense in winter :)

[slofox]

That's a great link!

Just wondering - is there anywhere else in NZ that has rainfall as low as Christchurch? Chch seems to get very little rain from all the weather data I have seen.

Whilst it is true that rainFALL in Christchurch is low, the number of rain DAYS is not that much lower than other places - it just doesn't seem to rain as heavily as other places. In the nine years I lived there, I came to think that there was as much manky weather there as in the Waikato.

[Azi Dahaka]

What’s wrong with Wellington I suppose if you are a rec rider it sucks but if you are an everyday commuter my personal experience compared to the rest of the north island during my riding is it is a safe place for motorcyclists.

You always get the odd lunatic in a cage but in comparison to the smaller cities people actually see you and not only that they actually get out of your way.

I suppose the biggest downside in Wellington if you are a commuter on a hairdryer those light weight sports bikes cannot stand up to the wind.

Get a cruiser