Road trip, Auckland to Blenheim

[saraj]

Hi all
Im saraj just joined to this website today seems like great. :)

Im going to study in blenheim at the beginning of next year, so I decided to take my Hyosung GT250R with me and ride all the way down to blenheim from Auckalnd. instead of shipping it. My question is has anyone done it before or has anyone took a long trip on a sport bike? If so , what do I need to prepare for the bike? any advice you guys can give me ?
Thanks in advance

[PirateJafa]

Put some gas in the tank, check your tyres have sufficient tread and get on the road.

Don't bother with energy drinks, but it is very important to stay hydrated as we enter the summer months. Avoid carrying any/too much weight on your back - it is better to strap it onto your pillion seat instead.

[caspernz]

Book your ferry ticket in advance. The bike can handle the trip no worries. Done much distance yourself?

[FJRider]

Hi all
Im saraj just joined to this website today seems like great. :)

Im going to study in blenheim at the beginning of next year, so I decided to take my Hyosung GT250R with me and ride all the way down to blenheim from Auckalnd. instead of shipping it. My question is has anyone done it before or has anyone took a long trip on a sport bike? If so , what do I need to prepare for the bike? any advice you guys can give me ?
Thanks in advance

Things you need to acquire for such a ride on your 250 ....

1. Patience.
2. A sense of humor.
3. Money for food/fuel.
4. A map or good sense of direction. (or ability to read road signs)
5. A good understanding of how far your bike can go on one tank full of petrol.
6. A good understanding WHERE those fuel stops are on the route you have chosen.
7. A good sense of adventure.


Then ... GO DO IT ...

[nodrog]

.... My question is has anyone done it before or has anyone took a long trip on a sport bike? ....


http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i238/hefdaddy42/funny/balki.jpg

[MaxB]

It should take about 8 hours to Wellington if you take it easy. Blenheim is only 30mins from the ferry on the mainland side.

It is a long day if you throw in queueing for the ferry and the trip across Cook Straight. One way of taking out the stress of racing to the ferry is to stay in Wellywood overnight and roll down to the ferry next morning.

I'm assuming you have your full licence. If not my timings are a bit out.

If you search this site you will find plenty of riders who go all over NZ on their 250s. Good luck.

[saraj]

Thanks alot guys.
caspernz , I went to hamilton a few days ago and came back. thats the furthest destination I went to on a bike

[saraj]

Still on my learners unfortunately :(

[sleemanj]

I would personally suggest splitting it in 2, stay the night somewhere in the middle of the north.

Just becase unless you're used to it riding such distances, more than 4 hours in a day is a bit of a mission in my opinion, if nothing else you'll probably be a bit sore in the morning! And why not make a weekend of it anyway.

Arrive in Wellington with plenty of time to get yourself sorted to the ferry.

PS: I recommend you wear ear plugs, hours of near non-stop wind noise = even more tiring.

[saraj]

I would personally suggest splitting it in 2, stay the night somewhere in the middle of the north.

Just becase unless you're used to it riding such distances, more than 4 hours in a day is a bit of a mission in my opinion, if nothing else you'll probably be a bit sore in the morning! And why not make a weekend of it anyway.

Arrive in Wellington with plenty of time to get yourself sorted to the ferry.

PS: I recommend you wear ear plugs, hours of near non-stop wind noise = even more tiring.

I'll probably split it. I might use earphones instead of earplug , Will that work ?

[Rhys]

Don't forget to keep the chain lubed especially if it rains, chuck a thermal under the seat for if it gets cold, don't rush there are some great spots to stop have a look around, helps the legs and back from getting stiff :laugh:

[sleemanj]

I might use earphones instead of earplug , Will that work ?

The in-ear type (sometimes called canalphones) usually work ok, try them under your helmet though to see if they are comfortable.

[Gremlin]

I'll probably split it. I might use earphones instead of earplug , Will that work ?
Often there is the temptation to turn them up high to block out the sound. Set the volume when you're stopped, to make sure you don't turn it up too high and damage your hearing.

If Auckland-Hamilton is your longest trip then definitely split it up. You would likely have been tired after the Auckland-Hamilton run. Motorcycling is more physical than driving a car and you don't want to be tired and riding. Auckland-Blenheim is at least 4 times the distance. Don't put yourself under any time pressures and stop when you feel you need it. Avoid energy drinks and caffeine (tea/coffee) as they're not healthy and dehydrate you. Keep your energy levels up by eating, even if you don't feel like it.

Your motorcycle, if properly maintained, should handle the trip no problem. Know your fuel range and plan your stops accordingly.

[Jantar]

You should also plan to stop every 2 1/2 to 3 hours to give your self a break and have a drink. While stopped its a good idea to check over your bike and give it a drink as well. Just don't drink the same stuff your bikes does :innocent:.

As Hamilton is the furtherest you've ridden so far, I'm another one who would advise you to split the journey. Turangi or Taihape would probably be good intermediate points to consider for a overnight break. Taihape is prefarable if the weather looks cold so that you traverse the Desert Road in the warmer part of the day.

[Maha]

Are you going to study Linguistics?

[Berg]

Get somebody to show you how to secure your bike on the ferry before you go and carry two strops of your own for that purpose. I use the Kaitaki as I find it has very good bike parks (and the best premium lounge but I'm a snob apparently:bleh:). There are strops on the Kaitaki but I prefur the security of my own.
Other than that most things have been covered above. I've done big kms on a Hyosung 250 and never really had any issues other than a broken clutch cable. If yours has about 20,000kms have the clutch cable checked and replaced if needed (that seems to be the common kms for cable failure on Hyosung 250). Charge and carry your cellphone and I also carry a tyre repair kit these days.

[saraj]

[QUOTE=Maha;1130412626]
Aircrafet enginering

[Hitcher]

The Bluebridge is more biker-friendly across Cook Strait than is the other lot.

You'll need tie-downs. Unfortunately they take up precious luggage space and are heavyish. But them's are the breaks.

[saraj]

Get somebody to show you how to secure your bike on the ferry before you go and carry two strops of your own for that purpose. I use the Kaitaki as I find it has very good bike parks (and the best premium lounge but I'm a snob apparently:bleh:). There are strops on the Kaitaki but I prefur the security of my own.
Other than that most things have been covered above. I've done big kms on a Hyosung 250 and never really had any issues other than a broken clutch cable. If yours has about 20,000kms have the clutch cable checked and replaced if needed (that seems to be the common kms for cable failure on Hyosung 250). Charge and carry your cellphone and I also carry a tyre repair kit these days.

thanx alot , yeah i might lube the cable the bike done only 13000kms
and luckly when i bought the bike it came with tire repair kit , so thats a tick from the list :niceone:

[Banditbandit]

All good advice ..

Two things ...

1) You don't need to do it fast - you just need to keep going without taking long stops.

2) Have coffee (or tea or some drink) each time you fuel up - I use BP Connect because they have great coffee. As Jantar said you need to drink to stay hydrated - and drinking at every fuel stop does this. But don't drink anything bigger than the smallest sized coffee - otherwise your bladder will need emptying before the bike needs fuel again.

[Old Steve]

Re the chain, think of getting a ScottOiler fitted. That takes the problem away and you only have to top the bottle up every 3-4 weeks. Do get whoever fits it for you to give you the bottle of oil, I know some shops fitted the oilers and kept the lube.

Otherwise, what they said. Overnight stop best, take regular breaks - what do you get out of a tank? I used to get over 300 km on my GV250. So that'd be fuelling every 3 hours - so maybe take a break in Taupo, Waiouru and then overnight in Taihape.

You've got a couple of months to get ready so plan some longer rides. Taupo and back, Tauranga or Whakatane and back, Kawhia and back, Whangarei and back. Build up so you know you can do 400 + km per day.

[jrandom]

Fer fuxache, just harden up, put your stuff in a backpack, hop on and ride down. It's really not that big a deal.

[jrandom]

Build up so you know you can do 400 + km per day.

That advice might be necessary if the OP was an overweight sixty-year-old woman. With gout. And blind in one eye.

Jesus, people, listen to yourselves blithering on. It's just a ride down the goddamn motorway. Leave after breakfast and you'll be in Wellington for afternoon tea. Get on the ferry the next morning and you'll be at your destination by lunchtime.

[Gremlin]

More time around learners needed Mr jrandom... You'd be surprised at what feels like a long day for them. They are also concentrating proportionately more when riding, as it's not all instinct.

[jrandom]

More time around learners needed Mr jrandom...

Nah, bollocks, I remember getting up one day several years ago with nothing to do, mooching around a while and deciding at 4pm to ride my Zeal 250 from Auckland to Wellington because there was a KB dinner on somewhere. So I did. Nothing to it, if you just sit on SH1. And I was about as n00by a n00b as a n00b can be.

Stop making it into such a big deal. Motorcycling's all about doing that sort of thing. Or it should be, anyway, if cunts weren't all about making learners nervous by implying that they should treat their bike like a scary monster that's going to bite them.

Personally I think that ego a lot to do with it. And not the poor learners' egos either.

What I see is, people riding motorbikes for a few years themselves, not doing anything special, but then seeking status by pretending to be some sort of seasoned veteran and dishing out advice that makes n00bs shit their pants and get all timid.

Newsflash: that's bullshit. And it's a real shame to see a young guy buy a motorbike and then get scared off of having adventures on it.

[Brett]

As mentioned, if you're not conditioned to riding long rides, probably best to break the trip up. Riding a bike is more physically demanding than driving a car and therefore is harder on the body. The bike will handle the ride with ease...you're the limiting factor.

[CRM]

Take a camera and stop every time you see something cool :cool:, spare gloves is good because if you get wet gloves it gets pretty miserable :cold:, pack some thermal undergarments - great insurance if the weather changes (which it tends to do riding down country):cry:, make sure your chain is adjusted and lubed and tyres are at the right pressures, some sort of neck warmer thing is always nice when you are going for a long time, charged cell-phone, well tied-on gear, eftpos card for gas and some spare cash is always good:niceone:, a couple of muesli bars, bottle of water, a small towel is handy, something to clean your visor with, spare socks are nice - and something dry to keep all the stuff you don't want to get wet in :msn-wink:. And have fun on your adventure :headbang:

[jrandom]

spare gloves is good because if you get wet gloves it gets pretty miserable

But, oh noes, what happens when spare gloves get wet?

saraj - just get yourself a pair of these: http://www.rain-off.com/

[jrandom]

As mentioned, if you're not conditioned to riding long rides...

Seriously, what the fuck is this 'conditioned' nonsense? He's not proposing to bicycle there. Motorcycling = sit on bike, twist throttle. Fat cunts with asthma ride motorbikes quite successfully. You do not need to be Lance Armstrong.

[Banditbandit]

You do not need to be Lance Armstrong.

:rofl: ... what? Full of drugs???

[tbs]

Speaking of drugs... I like to pop a couple of Voltaren before a long stint as my right wrist and knee joints get sore.

[jrandom]

:rofl: ... what? Full of drugs???

Poor Lance. He still had to do the actual work of turning the pedals, and it's not like it wasn't a level playing field regardless.

[saraj]

thanks , I think i'll stick with my gloves ay , I've ridden i few times with it while it was raining, and it wasn't that bad. but thanks alot guys. i'll enjoy the trip as much as i could :msn-wink:

[jrandom]

Speaking of drugs... I like to pop a couple of Voltaren before a long stint as my right wrist and knee joints get sore.

Have you considered switching to a motorbike that doesn't require you to become human origami when you mount it?

S'why I don't ride a sprotbike. Knees and hip flexors can't handle the jandal for more than about half an hour at a time.

Although cruisers aren't actually the best, as most of us know (I just have a Nightster for fashion reasons) - typically, trailie-type riding positions offer the best ergonomics, followed by touring style bikes.

[tbs]

Have you considered switching to a motorbike that doesn't require you to become human origami when you mount it?

S'why I don't ride a sprotbike. Knees and hip flexors can't handle the jandal for more than about half an hour at a time.

Although cruisers aren't actually the best, as most of us know (I just have a Nightster for fashion reasons) - typically, trailie-type riding positions offer the best ergonomics, followed by touring style bikes.


Drat.... I had a snazzy comeback pre-prepared involving suggestions about relative right wrist conditioning in the event of you calling me a pussy for popping the pills. You've let me down.

Nope, never considered changing even for a second. For the most part the riding position isn't a problem at all. My right hand does cramp pretty quickly when I sit at one speed a la motorway, but a cruiser or trail bike wouldn't fix that. A couple of years ago I did a 12 hour mountain bike race, clocking up about 160km. You'd think that my legs would be pretty cooked after that, but it was the aching from my knees and wrists that kept me awake for hours after the race. Should'a thought of the Voltaren for that one.

[jrandom]

My right hand does cramp pretty quickly when I sit at one speed a la motorway, but a cruiser or trail bike wouldn't fix that...

Are you sure you're not death-gripping the throttle?

You're just lightly caressing it with your thumb and forefinger, just enough pressure to hold it in place, and letting the hand and wrist hang relaxed off it?

[jrandom]

A couple of years ago I did a 12 hour mountain bike race, clocking up about 160km... aching from my knees and wrists

What bike were you riding? Hardtail or full sus? Had it been professionally fitted to you? Sounds like something was wrong with your setup.

My ex-wife raced XC for a while. Dropped 5 grand on a full sus bike for her and we could never quite get the setup of it right. Can't even remember what it was, now. She fucked one of her knees by pushing through the discomfort for too long in an event one time and it never really recovered. Still troubles her now a decade later.

I recently bit the bullet and let a nice second-hand Trek Madone that I'd picked up and put a bit of love into go for a song on tardme, simply because I'd made the mistake of thinking I could make a 56cm frame work for me when I normally ride a 54. I couldn't.

If I were you I wouldn't start taking painkillers and give up on getting it right. You might just need to suck it up, flog your MTB and get something different. Life's too short to ride a bike that's not working right for you.

[Flip]

The back road through the National Park is a lot nicer ride on a bike than SH1.

Leave enough time for FUBARs, travel light and have fun.

Take a few tools and a cell phone. Also a basic puncer repair kit. Get out on the road and have fun.

Stop when you are tired, eat when you are hungry, take your time and have fun.

I am heading to Auckland in Feb from Oamaru, I am really looking forward to the trip.

[jrandom]

The back road through the National Park...

You call that a 'back road'? What you been smoking son? It's just another main road and an extra 50km on the trip.

If you want a nice ride south and don't mind some extra miles, you go via Waipapa Rd from Te Awamutu to Mangakino, carry on along SH30 to Benneydale, cut along Poro-O-Tarao Rd down to SH4 and ride through the Paraparas. Then you just have to put up with sitting on the motorway from Wanganui to Wellington.

[Gremlin]

Newsflash: that's bullshit. And it's a real shame to see a young guy buy a motorbike and then get scared off of having adventures on it.
Plenty of time to have endless adventures once they have some skills and time under their belt. Until such time, it's about gaining skills before your luck runs out.

I'm regularly coming across learners on various rides (often play TEC), so give them advice, tips etc. Learners do get tired more quickly, not only due to conditioning, but also nerves. Often not knowing what to do in some situations can also lead to poor choices (not choosing right gear makes you colder, which leads to being tired sooner).

Not a dig at saraj in any way, more generally for all learners. As I say to them, you don't know what you don't know. jrandom, you are one person, and yes, I know others that have done distance as learners as fine. However, with the number of learners I've come across, the ones that are fine with long distance are vastly outnumbered.

[tbs]

Are you sure you're not death-gripping the throttle?

You're just lightly caressing it with your thumb and forefinger, just enough pressure to hold it in place, and letting the hand and wrist hang relaxed off it?


Doesn't seem to matter how much pressure I've got on it. It's just curling it around the grip that does it. It's much worse in thicker winter weight gloves too. Never happens on the left hand as I ride with my fingers stretched out on the clutch lever.



What bike were you riding? Hardtail or full sus? Had it been professionally fitted to you? Sounds like something was wrong with your setup.

Santa Cruz BLT2. I rotated my bars backward a bit after that, but it was actually the tendons up my arms that were stretched out from trying to take the weight off my hands. I don't need a professional to set my bike up. I've spent considerable time setting it up the way I want it, and my bar is quite low to keep weight over the front wheel for cornering balance, which inevitably loads up my hands. I've also moved changed my cleat position further back on my shoes which has made life a bit easier on my knees and calves.

I think the main problem was that I usually go out a couple of hours max. 12 was a bit of a stretch.

[jrandom]

I'm a pompous twat who likes to stroke his ego by playing mentor instead of just riding his goddamn motorbike.

Yeah, I noticed.

:sunny:

[Gremlin]

Yeah, I noticed.

:sunny:
:facepalm:

I'm doing 45,000km a year ish across two bikes. It's expensive enough at that mileage, with all the maintenance etc. Hey, whatever floats your boat.

[jrandom]

I'm one of those guys who likes to quote his annual motorcycling mileage.

Yeah, I noticed.

:sunny:

[saraj]

The back road through the National Park is a lot nicer ride on a bike than SH1.

Leave enough time for FUBARs, travel light and have fun.

Take a few tools and a cell phone. Also a basic puncer repair kit. Get out on the road and have fun.

Stop when you are tired, eat when you are hungry, take your time and have fun.

I am heading to Auckland in Feb from Oamaru, I am really looking forward to the trip.

yeah its gonna be so much fun, just a qquick question, do you know a some sight seeing places on the way ? im googling some and made a small list here but just wanna know as much placecs as i can, becuz i dont do these long trips often, so dont wanna miss lots of placecs . cheers

[jrandom]

yeah its gonna be so much fun, just a qquick question, do you know a some sight seeing places on the way ? im googling some and made a small list here but just wanna know as much placecs as i can, becuz i dont do these long trips often, so dont wanna miss lots of placecs . cheers

OK. Best view you can ride to: Go through National Park, turn off at the signposted road to Whakapapa ski field, ride up the Bruce Rd onto Mt Ruapehu and gaze ye out upon the western half of the North Island. If you get up there in the morning on a clear day you'll be able to look across to Mt Taranaki.

http://goo.gl/maps/GNnF0

Then ride around to the southern side of the mountain and, from Ohakune, ride up the road to Turoa ski field and gaze out to the south.

http://goo.gl/maps/4j990

That's about as spectacular as the North Island gets. There's a lot of other good shit, of course, but you're not really going to be able to visit it easily on a one-day ride from Auckland to Wellington.

Once you're in Blenheim and have your wheels on the mainland, then the real fun will start every time you get a week off.

[jrandom]

If you really want to sight-see and generally make it a choice and leisurely trip down, PM me and I'll give you a Google Maps route link and a recommendation of where to stay on the way.

[Banditbandit]

Just forget all the advice here ... it's not a hard ride ... point the bike south and go - with as little luggage as possible .. tie this on the bike, not in a back pack ...

At Hamilton, turn left and go through Te Awamutu, Otorahanga, Te Kuiti, National Park ...

South of National Park hang a left and go to Waiouru (through Ohakune) ... then south down the main road .. south of Mangaweka turn left at Vinegar Hill and follow the road to Cheltenham, turn south and then left to Ashurst ... head towards the Manawatu Gorge, but just across the Manawatu River turn right towards Shannon and Levin .. follow this road as far south as you can, it will take you South of Levin before you have to turn right and get back on SH1.

There may be more scenic or more sprots bike fun routes .. but if this is your first time, this is probably one of the best ...

Have fun ... you wont' do that if you listen to us all .. we'll just fill your head with crap you will worry about ..

[oneofsix]

Just forget all the advice here ... it's not a hard ride ... point the bike south and go - with as little luggage as possible .. tie this on the bike, not in a back pack ...

At Hamilton, turn left and go through Te Awamutu, Otorahanga, Te Kuiti, National Park ...

South of National Park hang a left and go to Waiouru (through Ohakune) ... then south down the main road .. south of Mangaweka turn left at Vinegar Hill and follow the road to Cheltenham, turn south and then left to Ashurst ... head towards the Manawatu Gorge, but just across the Manawatu River turn right towards Shannon and Levin .. follow this road as far south as you can, it will take you South of Levin before you have to turn right and get back on SH1.

There may be more scenic or more sprots bike fun routes .. but if this is your first time, this is probably one of the best ...

Have fun ... you wont' do that if you listen to us all .. we'll just fill your head with crap you will worry about ..

Don't you mean turn right at Hamilton? I would suggest turning right at Ngaruawahia and missing Hamilton but as I don't ride those roads will leave the recommending to those that do. I know the time I headed north in the car and managed to go to the west of Hamilton coming out at Ngaruawahia i thought it was just brilliant.

[jrandom]

At Hamilton, turn left

Brilliant directions there, grasshopper.

[Banditbandit]

Don't you mean turn right at Hamilton?


Brilliant directions there, grasshopper.

Duh .. yeah of course ... I dunno ... I know where to go .. don't ask me to fucking explain it ... just follow along ... I'll turn in the coreect direction when I need to ...

[Old Steve]

Doesn't seem to matter how much pressure I've got on it. It's just curling it around the grip that does it. It's much worse in thicker winter weight gloves too. Never happens on the left hand as I ride with my fingers stretched out on the clutch lever.

Try rolling your right hand further over the throttle so your hand turns down at the wrist (kinda like the hand flick of a Honda rider - if you know what I mean). This eases the carpal tunnel, and I've found it stops pain developing in the right hand

[G4L4XY]

As someone who has done it (or at least Aux to Palmy) on the hyosung, take plenty breaks, keep a clear head. Aux to Hams is nothing, continuing to Wellington is a long long way if Hams is the farthest you've gone.
Go the right way otherwise that extends your already super long ride :P
Goodluck though it's a fun ride!

[Banditbandit]

Doesn't seem to matter how much pressure I've got on it. It's just curling it around the grip that does it. It's much worse in thicker winter weight gloves too. Never happens on the left hand as I ride with my fingers stretched out on the clutch lever.



Try doing the same thing with your right hand .. I often ride long distance with my fingers over the brake lever ... using the a slight pressure of my palm to hold the throttle on ... a small change in the angle of my arm changes the throttle ...

[tbs]

Try doing the same thing with your right hand .. I often ride long distance with my fingers over the brake lever ... using the a slight pressure of my palm to hold the throttle on ... a small change in the angle of my arm changes the throttle ...

I'll give it a crack again. I tried it once and it felt a bit weird... like I wasn't in full control. It's quite strange changing from my mountain bike to my motorbike and back. I use only my index finger on my mountain bike brake, and always ride with index fingers stretched out on either brake lever. On the motorbike I can't set it up right to do that. I use my middle two fingers on the front brake and the index finger stays wrapped around the throttle. It was a lot worse on my old 250 as I had to turn the throttle (to the stop) a lot more on the open road. also I couldn't rotate my levers down far enough to be easy to reach and comfortable. I had to bend my wrists backwards to get my fingers up onto the levers.

Anyone watch Billy Connelly's trip along Route 66? He was using one of those little cruise control clamps on his throttle and crashed his trike because of it getting in the way in an emergency. He swore never to use one again.

[Brett]

Seriously, what the fuck is this 'conditioned' nonsense? He's not proposing to bicycle there. Motorcycling = sit on bike, twist throttle. Fat cunts with asthma ride motorbikes quite successfully. You do not need to be Lance Armstrong.

Maybe it's the type of riding we were doing when I was younger...but I remember getting pretty tired forearms and hands after 500/600kms...both on the ZXR250 and in the earlier years on my GSXR600. But then we were riding pretty quickly with lots of hard-ish braking etc. Riding at cruising (and legal) pace would probably be a lot easier.

And to clarify...I was meaning break the trip up by staying the night in Wellington before going over the straight...not breaking up the auckland/welly leg.

[jrandom]

... earlier years on my GSXR600. But then we were riding pretty quickly...

Yes, I believe I remember following you down SH22.

My comfort limit per day is about 700km. After that it tends to become 'meh, gotta get there' instead of enjoying the ride. And different bikes give you aches in different locations. I've never had forearm / wrist issues, probably because my knees and hips force me off sportbikes before any other problems surface.

Comfiest bikes I've ever had: DR750 BIG with an aftermarket gel seat, and my Scorpio with flat bars (the stock bars sit you back on your tailbone too much). Rather sit on either of those for 12 hours than in an office chair.

[MD]

Saraj,
it's great you are confident to tackle an 8 hour trip and yes, the western side of Lake Taupo is a far more enjoyable ride. I've done both many times over many years. Just went Wgtn-Hammy and back 2 weekends ago up the main trunk line (Wanganui- Taumaranui). Awesome bike riding conditions.

But. There is always a but. For someone so inexperienced and travelling alone I would be concerned that the west route is sparsely populated with little traffic. That was ideal for me but if you have a breakdown or worse, come off, there is the risk of no cell ph coverage, no passers by to help and less fuel stops, sweet little of anything.

Fuel wise just fill at Taumaranui and from memory it's about 190km to Wangas, which most bikes should be able to do on a tank. Failing that there was fuel at National Park and Raetihi if in doubt.

Tip Always reset your trip meter at every fill up and you have, at a glance, how far you have gone and watch the road signs that tell you how far it is to the next town.

Either way, do it, enjoy it.

[Twosixty]

If you are coming to Blenheim make sure you brush up on racial jokes and get some sun on your neck, so it's nice and red. Leave your culture at Wellington and come on down! If you've got webbed fingers or a big forehead you'll fit right in. The wine's pretty sharp though.

[saraj]

Awesome. great tips guys :) . im counting the days cannot wait for it

[Brett]

Yes, I believe I remember following you down SH22.



Yeah...that day with Boomer I think...or might have been with Texmo...can't remember now!

[NZPETE]

I live just out of Blenheim and whip up the North island quite often.
Hardest thing is timing your arrival with the ferry sailings. I often stop in Taupo after leaving Auckland for a night and then have a good blast to the ferry the next morning and try and get the afternoon sailing to Picton. That way you can have a short run the first day and a longer ride the second.
No matter what, enjoy the ride.
Cheers!