South Island Holiday Tour

[mylodon]

Hello, i'm taking off on the 22nd or so and looping the south island, with a stop at new years in queenstown.

I'm going to prepare for this as little as possible, but the goal is to try and catch a few sights and stay upright.

anyone gonna be around queenstown around new years? any good places to ride round there? i haven't gone through my off road book yet (which is half-full of places now off limits) but I have been misled by the book before. Riding to French Pass and back was a boring pain in the ass. Anyways, basically stuff like akatarawa, but since i've got to make the bike last two weeks, more often stuff like whatever that fun little trail is between picton and nelson up through the hills. The goal is more fun stuff then challenging stuff, but more dirt then gravel.

also, these may be old questions, but any decent biker haunts to hit for good basic food, and is it best to ride clockwise or counter clockwise. yes i am american.

thanks!

[sunhuntin]

mate its the south island... EVERYWHERE is good to ride down there! i really liked the start of the crown range, above franklin.

[warewolf]

is it best to ride clockwise or counter clockwise. yes i am american.Face the front, keep left! :clap:

Clockwise or anti-clockwise, best way is the one that avoids the worst of the storm fronts, which mostly move from the Tasman Sea easterly across the country.

Best places to ride are listed in the many threads here, have a ferret through the Dusty Butt threads for starters, they cover the top of the south pretty well.

But if you didn't like French Pass you're probably going to be disappointed with 99% of what you ride. What's not to like? :crazy:

[mylodon]

ok, this may be heresy, but i don't enjoy doing 120k of tight switchbacks on gravel roads, half of that retracing my steps.

gravel roads are the worst of all possible roads. if the road isn't interesting then i want to go fast as possible, not having to poke around corners because i keep sliding.

the road between nelson and picton was cool because it was a shortcut, and it had patches of interesting terrain, and there was an odd bit of history in between.

also i could return by a different route.

[edit]

I think it may have been less then 120k, maybe 80k, because there was some pavement leading up to it, but still...

[Transalper]

.... more often stuff like whatever that fun little trail is between picton and nelson up through the hills....
are you talking of the Mangatapu, runs between Pelorus and Nelson?

[Usarka]

I'm going to prepare for this as little as possible, but the goal is to try and catch a few sights and stay upright.


my kind of travelling. have a blast dude.

[mylodon]

yeah i think that was it.

you cross a couple crystal clear streams then past 'murderers rock'.

[usarka] i'm looking forward to it, but i guess i'll have to prepare enough to bring something waterproof. i took a 2 week trip around california and the it only occurred to me recently that not only did i not bring anything waterproof, i didn't even consider bad weather would happen. it's a little different around these parts... every time i've done a trip i get wet...

[Frodo]

I travelled around many of the South Island's back roads last summer. See: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=201699

Cheers

[Transalper]

That's a bloody good report there Frodo.

[mylodon]

hey! thanks for that link, that's perfect. I guess I'll be experiencing the New Zealand summer just like you did. I'm leaving from Wellington at the same time as well.

It looks like I'll just watch the weather patterns and then pick the nicest coast.

You scored with the dolphin picture. I've had pretty bad luck seeing any of those things so far. Whales and orcas have been swimming around wellington and I'm always someplace else at the time.

Did you worry about booking campgrounds or did you just wing it?

also... is it that difficult to have a campfire? i hear its illegal.

thanks.

[Jantar]

ok, this may be heresy, but i don't enjoy doing 120k of tight switchbacks on gravel roads, half of that retracing my steps.

gravel roads are the worst of all possible roads. if the road isn't interesting then i want to go fast as possible, not having to poke around corners because i keep sliding.

the road between nelson and picton was cool because it was a shortcut, and it had patches of interesting terrain, and there was an odd bit of history in between.

also i could return by a different route.

[edit]

I think it may have been less then 120k, maybe 80k, because there was some pavement leading up to it, but still...

Mmm, I was about to suggest Skippers and Nevis, but now I don't think you'd enjoy them at all. SH1 south of Christchurch is pretty straight, but then you miss the scenery. There are many ways I can think of that will get you to Queenstown without a number of tight bends, and as it is mountain riding, all of the Queenstown area is the type of riding you wouldn't enjoy at all.

Now, I just love the bends, the scenery etc. :woohoo:

[greerADV]

Hello, i'm taking off on the 22nd or so and looping the south island, with a stop at new years in queenstown.

anyone gonna be around queenstown around new years?

yes i am american.

thanks!

A fellow yank! I haven't given up my nationality yet, but I guess I just did. I'm living in Wanaka and plan to be here through new years and into Jan. I'd definitely be interested in some riding around the area as you pass through.

I've recently done Thompson's Gorge, Nevis Crossing, and plan to do Macetown tomorrow. Except for Thompson's Gorge (way too many gates!), I'd be happy to do anything twice around here. Let me know when you're in the area and maybe we can catch up for a ride and a pint.

Cheers,
Andrew

[warewolf]

ok, this may be heresy, but i don't enjoy doing 120k of tight switchbacks on gravel roads, half of that retracing my steps.It's more like 50km from the highway, and only about the last 20km is unsealed these days. I think you are being a bit harsh, the road is not nearly as tight, long or as boring as you make it sound. And I can't remember any switchbacks either, so they can't have made much of an impression. Some days you are in the groove having fun, some days you aren't. Try it in a fully loaded car with a couple of kayaks on the roof... that's a bit of a chore, knowing how much fun it is on a bike, particularly when you catch slow-moving boat trailers that don't let you pass.

Besides, as far as the Sounds roads go, it's pretty open! :laugh:


gravel roads are the worst of all possible roads. if the road isn't interesting then i want to go fast as possible, not having to poke around corners because i keep sliding.You sound like a squiddie! Most of us in the Adventure/Dual Purpose forum live for gravel roads of any kind. Although things like the Haldon Road are a blast, generally the tighter the better.

[warewolf]

Did you worry about booking campgrounds or did you just wing it?Mostly with camping there is plent of room. Xmas is the main exception, if you go anywhere near a popular holiday destination it would pay to book ahead, particularly if there is one place you'd like to stay at, or if there is only one place. Perhaps call the i-SITE (http://www.newzealand.com/travel/i-sites/i-sites_home.cfm) (tourist info) office a day ahead, they will know what the booking levels are like and can also book you in if advisable.


is it that difficult to have a campfire? i hear its illegal.Yes. Nelson/Tasman region hasn't had decent rain for 6 weeks? 8 weeks? and is now on water and fire restrictions. Summer is not the time for campfires. There are also restrictions on camp stove use, the local DOC office/i-SITE can tell you the rules.

[mylodon]

wait, let me set things straight, i don't dislike turns, i just don't see the thrill in gravel roads beyond less traffic. i certainly don't consider them to be off-road in the least (and the trip i complained about was in my off-road book -- i expected more).

i also think blanket campfire bans are stupid, especially considering the number of burned out cars i've seen along the side of the road. do the feral children set forest fires? no. it's not that flammable out there. nothing wrong with a nice fire ring in a clearing.

It doesn't rain much in california and you don't see many fires there, do you?

:)

anyhow, i'm looking forward to the trip, gravel roads and all... being on a bike and seeing new things, especially if i get a chance to run into keas and dophins... that's the thing.

[mylodon]

Thanks warewolf... I got new years sorted out, i guess i should get christmas as well! thanks for the link. also i may have exaggerated a bit about the french pass unsealed length but on the way back i was rushing to catch a picton ferry so it seemed extra long.

greerADV -- i'm going to be down around those parts probably from the 28th-30th or so... if you're free then i'd love to go on a ride with someone who knows the area...

[Jantar]

It doesn't rain much in california and you don't see many fires there, do you?
:)
Ha, ha; Good one. :lol:


i also think blanket campfire bans are stupid, especially considering the number of burned out cars i've seen along the side of the road. do the feral children set forest fires? no. it's not that flammable out there. nothing wrong with a nice fire ring in a clearing.

Wait till you see the area down here before making that statement. We only get 350mm of rain per annum compared to San Francisco's 500mm per annum. Right now it is so dry that any grass that isn't irrigated has dried off and crunches as you walk across it. In february 1999 in conditions not as dry as at the moment there were massive grass fires in this area. A civil defence emergency was
"Declared at 1800, lifted 1200 next day. Declaration by Mayor for whole district. Purpose: to assist Emergency Services in evacuating properties. 40 properties & in excess of 200 people evacuated; 2 houses destroyed by fire; 1 person died from heart attack - shock of event; many farm buildings, fences & numbers of livestock were destroyed by fire. No actual costs." The fire went right through the property we now own, and our neighbour's house was one of the ones destroyed. It is so dry that most property owners even have a smoking ban, let alone camp fires.


anyhow, i'm looking forward to the trip, gravel roads and all... being on a bike and seeing new things, especially if i get a chance to run into keas and dophins... that's the thing. In that case there are many roads that you will enjoy. Come down via the Hakataramea and Danseys Passes, and go home via the west coast.

[warewolf]

i also think blanket campfire bans are stupid, especially considering the number of burned out cars i've seen along the side of the road. do the feral children set forest fires? no. it's not that flammable out there. nothing wrong with a nice fire ring in a clearing.Actually, it IS that flammable out there. The problem is not so much the fire itself, but the way the sparks are carried on the wind.

Cross-post from the DB thread, but worth adding here: South Island fire danger soars (http://www.stuff.co.nz/4320424a10.html).

[RedKLR650]

i also think blanket campfire bans are stupid, especially considering it's not that flammable out there. nothing wrong with a nice fire ring in a clearing.

It doesn't rain much in california and you don't see many fires there, do you?


Oh, the huge fires on telly a few months ago that killed people, burned lots of houses and were generally out of control for weeks must have been somewhere else. Oh that's right, it was Malibu...... :niceone:

On a more serious note, they have just banned all fires in the McKenzie Basin due to high fire risk :nono:

Stu :scooter:

[mylodon]

well i wouldn't say the south island is dry. but it was a good trip, especially when it wasn't raining. And I did get to light a fire in the fijordlands. bought me some dirty looks though.

also many of the offroad trails seem to have turned gravel, and most of the gravel roads seem to be paved. i want my money back.

just kidding.

[Jantar]

Glad you enjoyed your trip. And that is a great photo of the upper Hollyford (Road into Milford for the North Islanders).

Next time, get in touch with us southerners while you're down this way and we'll send on the best roads. :beer: