UK biker on tour in October 2018

[TheTourist]

Hey people, it's been ten years since I visited and participated in the meetings and ride-out events around ChCh with Transalper and Oldrider (iirc) plus a load of guys on the adventure ride turned trail where Transalper ended up sinking sideways in a strong current. But, I remember it all fondly and vividly and I often talk about it still. New Zealand transformed my life in many ways.

I have inspired a friend and his wife to go to NZ and sample the roads and the two wheeled brotherhood (and sisterhood) of your amazing country.

I recommended him to sign up here. His name is Rob. Lookout for his StoneAlive screen name.

I'm after some latest info for him on how to spend two months riding the south island please. Are there any affordable bike hire places these days?

Is Trade Me still the best way to find a private seller?

Are any of you into selling and buying back (pre agreed rates, to make you a modest profit)?

Are any of you selling a decent used machine suitable for the back roads, two-up?

I think he's going to your the north island in a camper, and then do the south on a bike.

That's it. Any info gratefully received.

I live in Ireland now, on the West Coast, Galway. If any of you are ever in the area, come and stay!

[Stonealive]

As Dan said, we will be coming to NZ in November and plan to tour the South Island after staying in the North for a few weeks. We have no fixed departure dates planned at this time.
Would be really grateful for any advice regarding hiring versus buying a bike and recommendations regarding insurance brokers as well as accommodations.
Thanks in advance. Looking forward to meeting some of you :-)

[gonzo_akl]

Hi,

Have you thought of shipping your bike out?

I have used these guys to send my bike to the UK and back successfully.

http://www.newzealandmotorcycleadventures.co.uk/

depending on how long you plan to be here, this may work out cheaper than renting. It certainly did for me - the break even was about 4 weeks renting.

cheers

[AllanB]

GN250 FTW............... yeah

[Navy Boy]

Accommodation-wise the 'Top 10' parks offer good value and a range of options to suit your budget. 3 of us (2 biking buddies from the UK and me who lives out here in NZ) used them for most of our accom going down the South Island from Blenheim to Invercargill and back for the Burt Munro earlier this year.

They range in their amenities but they offer solid and comfy accom for a decent price and they are normally fairly centrally located. You'll have to eat out or cook for yourselves but that's part of the fun for me.

:niceone:

[samgab]

They'll have an amazing time. I recently toured the South Island on a 2017 R1200GS, and it was fantastic. That electronic suspension and everything works beautifully, and it's so comfortable. Having the up- and down- the box quickshift assist pro and cruise control was great too.

Anyway, buying second hand on trademe and selling again afterwards is probably a good option. He'll spend a lot less that way than if he hires. I hired the GS, and it was eye-wateringly expensive. But that way I had no concerns about breakdowns, maintenance, or reselling.

I booked a bunch of air-BNB's along the way for places to stay, and I recommend that as a great way to do it. I had excellent experiences at all of the air BNB's, and stayed at some great locations, at places like Kingston, Fox Glacier, Cape Foulwind, etc.

I went from CHC down the east coast, to Queenstown etc, across via Haast Pass, then up the west coast to Karamea, then back across to the east coast again via Lewis Pass, and back down to CHC.
Lots of great things to see along the way that route, and some excellent biking roads. From Queenstown you can also check out Te Anau and Milford Sound, although I skipped them this time due to time constraints.

[TheTourist]

Thanks everyone for replies so far.

That shipping contact is interesting. Much appreciated.

I think a buy-back or a buy/sell will be best in the time available.

That road from Te Anau to Milford Sound rates as one of the best I've seen. Riding through the mountain and coming out the other side into the cirque is jaw dropping.

[YellowDog]

Thanks everyone for replies so far.

That shipping contact is interesting. Much appreciated.

I think a buy-back or a buy/sell will be best in the time available.

That road from Te Anau to Milford Sound rates as one of the best I've seen. Riding through the mountain and coming out the other side into the cirque is jaw dropping.

FYI: I do ship bikes and cars internationally. The UK post is via Felixstowe, and NZ$1500, including insurances is the cost.

[Transalper]

Couple of links to inspire you...

New zealand Adventure Riders www.nzar.nz (https://www.nzar.nz/)
and a rental company you can work with to get Remote Moto access... www.adventurebikehire.nz (http://www.adventurebikehire.nz/)

[TheTourist]

Thanks mate. Useful links. Glad to see the Transalp is still going strong.

[Elleon2Wheels]

Hiring a camper is fairly expensive too, so my recommendation is that you / your friends hire a car for the North Island putting the saved pennies towards hiring a motorcycle for the South Island.

Allow a day or two to relax before dashing off around the country & don't plan too many miles in 1 day, there will be plenty to see and do along the way & jet lag can be fatal.

Friends arrived in Auckland from the UK with a military-style itinerary. Sadly, their luggage didn't arrive with them so they had to spend a small wad on emergency clothing and missed touring Northland losing deposits on accommodation. It pays to be flexible :rolleyes:

Lots of holiday parks have cabins which range from basic (beds and not much else) to en-suite with your own kitchen. In general, they're cheaper than a motel room or a hotel. There plenty of reasonably priced AirB&B's around if you look beyond the main resorts or towns.

[JMemonic]

If you can pick up a copy of this book it would be worth a look.

http://www.twistingthrottle.com/twisting-throttle-new-zealand.html

[Navy Boy]

Hiring a camper is fairly expensive too, so my recommendation is that you / your friends hire a car for the North Island putting the saved pennies towards hiring a motorcycle for the South Island.

Allow a day or two to relax before dashing off around the country & don't plan too many miles in 1 day, there will be plenty to see and do along the way & jet lag can be fatal.

Friends arrived in Auckland from the UK with a military-style itinerary. Sadly, their luggage didn't arrive with them so they had to spend a small wad on emergency clothing and missed touring Northland losing deposits on accommodation. It pays to be flexible :rolleyes:

Lots of holiday parks have cabins which range from basic (beds and not much else) to en-suite with your own kitchen. In general, they're cheaper than a motel room or a hotel. There plenty of reasonably priced AirB&B's around if you look beyond the main resorts or towns.

Some very good points there. Don't try to do too many miles on the first day. I managed to do the Molesworth road down to Hanmer on our first day from Blenheim. It was less than 250Kms for the whole day but we took our time and really enjoyed it. Indeed most of the days involved a good number of leg stretch/photo stops which simply added to the whole trip.

If you need somewhere to stay close to Blenheim when you're here let me know. We have a spare room or two and space for the bike/s for a night or two. ;)

[TheTourist]

Thanks for the tips everyone.
And Navy boy, I'm sure StoneAlive will be in touch. He's currently touring Ireland on his VFR. I met them yesterday in Tipperary and we did the Killarney National Park in county Kerry, Ireland's biker hotspot for twisties and tea stops.

Molesworth is the Rainbow road, isn't it? Done it twice. On a bike and in a Land Rover Defender. One of my favorite routes.

This thread has made me start saving up for a return visit.

[Navy Boy]

Thanks for the tips everyone.
And Navy boy, I'm sure StoneAlive will be in touch. He's currently touring Ireland on his VFR. I met them yesterday in Tipperary and we did the Killarney National Park in county Kerry, Ireland's biker hotspot for twisties and tea stops.

Molesworth is the Rainbow road, isn't it? Done it twice. On a bike and in a Land Rover Defender. One of my favorite routes.

This thread has made me start saving up for a return visit.

The Molesworth road and Rainbow road are two different routes. Albeit they start/end at Hanmer. The Rainbow goes North towards St Arnauld whereas the Molesworth heads towards the East Coast, joining SH1 just above Seddon. I've yet to do the Rainbow road myself.

;)