Hi from Warwick, England

[revvinkevin]

Just joined. Saying hello and gonna pester you all with loadsa dumb questions about NZ cos Wifey and me are just about to start the immigration process and come and live over there.

I'll do my best to stick my posts in the right place but if I cock it up..........sorry:crybaby:

So to start off with.

Where on the islands can you do all year round riding?
I ride year round here, the only weather I won't ride in is snow because the arsehole drivers over here don't have a clue about skid control. This winter has been very mild, only one or two snow days in Warwick so my season hasn't been curtailed.
Last summer was unbelievably wet, floods everywhere.

Oh, I'll do my best to convert distances into Km but if I get it wrong it's because I don't work in metric. I work on vintage cars and they were all imperial.

Hopefully some of you will shout back to me.

Look forward to chatting with you.

Kev

[TimeOut]

Hi and welcome

The North Island has a milder winter the South Island roads can be a bit icy at times although the main routes are usually gritted.

The South Island has a drier less humid summer, this last one was a beauty.
All of NZ has some great biking roads, did a trip around the east of the North Island up to the Coro last month my brother picked some great roads we had an absolute blast.

[James Deuce]

Four points to remember.

1. We don't live in huts with dirt floors.
2. The climate ranges from temperate to sub-temperate. NZ is NOT a South Seas Tropical Paradise. If you're after tropical and an equivalent lifestyle with all-year riding weather, go to the big, brown, dirty, island continent 2000 miles to the left.
3. The distance between Wellington and Brisbane is about the same as the distance between Southampton and Kiev. You can't swim to Australia in your lunch time.
4. The Total Land Mass of NZ is slightly more than the UK and we have no motorways connecting cities. We also have a longer coastline. It takes a lot more time to get from A to B in NZ than it does in the UK. Despite this we are LESS parochial than most of the UK and our accent is broadly similar across the whole country. None of this driving 200 kilometers and hearing three wildly different and yet equally comically incomprehensible accents.

[YellowDog]

Hiya Kev, and welcome.

I'm a Pom too who went through the PR thingy. If you need any help with that, use http://www.move2nz.com. It's run my 2 ex-poms Tammy & Mike in CHCH and the forums will answer all of your questions plus help you decide where to live.

Being a Londoner, Auckland is the only place I could live, but there are lots of excellent places. You need to be careful that the wonderful place you choose to settle is not too remote and isolated. Journeying between towns can be tougher than it should be.

The climate in the North of the North Island is mild all year around. It rains a lot, though generally at night. When bad weather hits, it is on a far larger scale than in the UK. You can however ride all year around without any problems. I would recommend bringing your UK bike out with you as they cost loads more here.

No mud huts however some of the differences will take a bit of getting used to. NZ sufferes with what the UK suffered with in the 1970s in that it was disconnected from mainland Europe and the things that should have come to the UK were stopped by the water. That was all resolved with cheap air travel and a tunnel. In saying that, no one is stopping you living live a European lifestyle (perhaps avoid the male handbag thingy).

Housing is cheap compared with the UK, though the Auckland Kiwis don't understand an Englishman's need for Privacy. You donn't however want to get a Kiwi mortgage, as they are out of kilter with the rest of the world (>10%). You will also need to pick and choose carefully, you will also need to take care over the construction of the house you buy, as some of the PAST local authority approved building regulations were sadly not as good as having a mud hut. It's one of thoses only in NZ things.

BTW Coro = The Coromandel peninsula. Very nice indeed and a great place to holiday and have your second home. NZ is a wonderful country and I would say that of the entire English speaking world, in general the Kiwis are by far the most honest and honourable people I have experienced.

We have no regrets at all. You will love it.

[revvinkevin]

We will probably start out around Aukland cos mrs Kev is a financial type bod and that seems to be the place to start.
I don't want to bring my Pan over, especially if roads ain't that clever. I reckon something along the lines of a V-Strom 650 sounds a fair bet.

[James Deuce]

The Pan is fine. Better than you would imagine. Going from an ST1300 to a V-Strom 650 would be a move you would regret.

As already mentioned, second hand, an ST1300 is a significant amount of money.

There are a large number of ST1300, FJR1300, and Concours 1400 owners on KB.

[Unit]

Hey Kev and welcome to the KB nut house. Dont mind the bollix on here, there are a lot of great people and in person some quite different to how they appear on line. Fantastic motorcycling community in this country.
I am from Whangarei, Northland and lived there off and on most my life. Awesome roads but can be a bit tricky some of them have hidden surprises. I lived in Christchurch for five years and thats where I learned to ride. Hardly any traffic as it is a big Island with a low poplulation, you will get here and wonder where all the people are! Auckland will seem a sleepy little town compared to London.
We now live in Tauranga and love the area, the weather here is outstanding. Northland is very wet. Dunedin is 45° south and becomes sub-antartic so gets quite cold down there and low lying land gets snow.
We have Taupo Track in the middle of the North Island. There are loads of track days to go to which costs $100 in general to register for the day. These are non competitive days and doesnt matter what you ride everyone has fun.
Meremere just south of Auckland but north of Hamilton is our drag strip and winter drag wars are great, again anyone can enter.
They are building Hampton Downs (sounds English doesnt it) beside the Meremere track and are hoping to attract the GP championship bikes in a few years, it should be completed by 2010 and we are looking forward to getting on that track.
The Coromandel (coro) loop is a famous bikers heaven.
The legal speed limit here is lower than in the UK and can be very frustrating at times.
Wellington is famous for being very windy.
Nelson is gorgeous and one of the sunniest places in the country.
Local wines are world renowned.
Overall, a pretty good place to live.
All the best with your immigration

[McJim]

Four points to remember.

1. We don't live in huts with dirt floors.
2. The climate ranges from temperate to sub-temperate. NZ is NOT a South Seas Tropical Paradise. If you're after tropical and an equivalent lifestyle with all-year riding weather, go to the big, brown, dirty, island continent 2000 miles to the left.
3. The distance between Wellington and Brisbane is about the same as the distance between Southampton and Kiev. You can't swim to Australia in your lunch time.
4. The Total Land Mass of NZ is slightly more than the UK and we have no motorways connecting cities. We also have a longer coastline. It takes a lot more time to get from A to B in NZ than it does in the UK. Despite this we are LESS parochial than most of the UK and our accent is broadly similar across the whole country. None of this driving 200 kilometers and hearing three wildly different and yet equally comically incomprehensible accents.

Point 1. So you've never passed through Mangere then?
Point 2. Compared to my homeland this place is fucken hot.
Point 3. Despite their whingeing pommies aren't in the habit of swimming the channel despite the fact that it's only 26miles
Point 4. You've not been to Gore then?

:rofl:

Easy way to describe the weather to a Brit. the seasons are as follows:

Spring
Summer
Autumn
Spring
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Spring

Unless you're in Central Otago or the mountains it hardly ever drops to minus 5.

Rains a bit though.

[YellowDog]

Hi Kev,

You will quite soon realise that the fact the UK doesn't use the metric system is a mojor worldwide embarrasment (worse than living in mud huts).

The stated condition of Kiwi roads has not given you the right impression.
Kiwi roads are pretty good by any country's standards. Yes there are some motorways, but most Roads between towns tend to be single lane (in both directions) with (IMO) well placed passing lanes every several kms. Yes there are some dirt tracks and loose stone roads, however these tend to be way out in the sticks.

If all goes to plan, my next bike will be a Triumph Tiger. This is not a reflection on the NZ roads :-) Your Pan European jobby will (NOT) need to be rebadged as a Pan Australasian jobby, but otherwise (apart from the physical size), it will be a great bike to ride in NZ.

Good luck.

[fergie]

Kev good luck with the move, whats your time frame? I was imported many years ago to improve the bloodlines of the kiwis ha ha !

[goodguy8]

Kev good luck with the move, whats your time frame? I was imported many years ago to improve the bloodlines of the kiwis ha ha !

:clap:but didnt even work..:argue::wari:

[revvinkevin]

Kev good luck with the move, whats your time frame? I was imported many years ago to improve the bloodlines of the kiwis ha ha !

We are going to a jobs expo in London at the start of April, sound out the jobs (my job is on the long term shortage list), Claudine (wife) is a top financial bod but her qualifications don't count for squat.

Once we've got a lot more info, EoI goes in so it could be as quick as 9 months or as long as a couple of years. Got a house to sell but I reckon it will go quite quickly.

Just gotta keep our fingers crossed.

Cheers

[Pussy]

Welcome to KB, Kev. Cheers

[martybabe]

Hey Kev. Born and bred brummy here mate, came over Nov 07.

It's a great place ,at once familiar but soo very different under the skin. As far as biking goes, Think welsh and scotish scenery almost everywhere out of town. Roads are kinda average but tar and chip is the only method they use to upgrade surfaces which means piles of gravel where you don't want em and big patches of melted/melting tar. I cede to the Kiwis on weather advice, just had a cracking summer but some killjoys tell me it's been an exceptional one which is unfortunate. Drivings ok as a rule but tailgaiting is very common.

The people are far less anal,far more philosophical and generally laid back which is cool. Very friendly types. They seem to love thier country which is refreshing.


A few differences .................................................. .................................................. ......... 1. Beer is cold? :Oi:
2. Some peeps don't wear shoes
3. The language
4. Soccer?
5. Rugby?
6. The language


It's agreat country full of great people and great biking. come on down. :niceone:

[Rob Taylor]

Hey Warrick,Good choice bro,you wont find a better country. Roads are great to ride,that bike of yours is perfect so bring it along. We ride all winter and do alot of trips from Auckland to Fielding (sometimes Taupo)for racing.Look on a map,we go west of Hamilton through National park and it takes about 5-6 hours by car with 1 fuel stop traveling at about 120kph(70mph).Takes us longer on the bike but we do make a day of it.A lot of cops on the road who ticket you over 110kph so you need a good radar detector. Come on down,You wont regret it...:woohoo:

[revvinkevin]

Hey Kev. Born and bred brummy here mate, came over Nov 07.

Well we all have our crosses to bear:msn-wink:


It's a great country full of great people (and Brummies:laugh:) and great biking. come on down. :niceone:

So you would probably have come down to the Waterman on a Wednesday night once or twice?
I live just down the road from it.

Where in little delhi (sorry Birmingham) you from then mate?

[revvinkevin]

Hey Warrick,Good choice bro,you wont find a better country. Roads are great to ride,that bike of yours is perfect so bring it along. We ride all winter and do alot of trips from Auckland to Fielding (sometimes Taupo)for racing.Look on a map,we go west of Hamilton through National park and it takes about 5-6 hours by car with 1 fuel stop traveling at about 120kph(70mph).Takes us longer on the bike but we do make a day of it.A lot of cops on the road who ticket you over 110kph so you need a good radar detector. Come on down,You wont regret it...:woohoo:


Unfortunately i've got a gimpy hip:doctor:. Having loadsa trouble holding the bloody thing up. I've only had it 6 months or so but I'm gonna have to downsize quite soon.
I'm having trouble swinging my leg over a bike and I might be forced to look at .........................................scooters. :sick:

Still if it's got two wheels, it'll make me smile.:lol:

[enigma51]

I'm having trouble swinging my leg over a bike and I might be forced to look at .........................................scooters. :sick:



Ponsonby for you then! :Pokey:

[YellowDog]

If your job is on the shortage list, you will sail through in a couple of months. Just make sure you are the main applicant. Your wife will have no problem finding work. Kiwi employers want to know what experience you have and what you can do. The qualifications are less important.

Most importantly, you can get 'real ale' in Aucklandn (not easy to find). The stuff the natives drink is OK for the summer I suppose, but it was the one thing that was making me homesick.

Forget the dining suite. Make sure you leave enough room in your crate for the Pan European. You can sell it here for a mint and then get an entire fleet of scooters. Welcome in Ponsonby and K'Road :-)

[enigma51]

If your job is on the shortage list, you will sail through in a couple of months. Just make sure you are the main applicant. Your wife will have no problem finding work. Kiwi employers want to know what experience you have and what you can do. The qualifications are less important.

Most importantly, you can get 'real ale' in Aucklandn (not easy to find). The stuff the natives drink is OK for the summer I suppose, but it was the one thing that was making me homesick.

Forget the dining suite. Make sure you leave enough room in your crate for the Pan European. You can sell it here for a mint and then get an entire fleet of scooters. Welcome in Ponsonby and K'Road :-)


And you can join kb for a whing!

[YellowDog]

Not whinging mate. Very happy indeed and accept that Poms drinking flat beer that's not cold must seem quite odd to the rest of the world.

[martybabe]

So you would probably have come down to the Waterman on a Wednesday night once or twice?
I live just down the road from it.

Where in little Delhi (sorry Birmingham) you from then mate?

Oh hell yes. Waterman, Stratford, Bassets pole,Matlock bath.:rolleyes:.

Solihull, left in 04 and went to Jersey as a stepping stone for NZ. You take the mick outta Brum and quite rightly but Aukland is equally cosmopolitan, loads o sushi bars dude.

I don't know you or what your about but I fail to see how coming here could be a bad move for most people. Do learn the language though before you come it will help,especialy with buying property. :lol:

Some words to start you off. A section? A rumpus room? Lockwood? Kit set? sleepout?........ 'p', jandals, stubbies, sunnys,togs, arvo, tinnies, lollies. :scratch:

oh and many cars and bikes look familiar but the names can be different. Fancy a Suzuki boulevard? a Holden Astra, a fairmont, a spacio,a wizard, Legnum, estima,comadore.

Do it mate you'll be sweet as. :2thumbsup

[revvinkevin]

So where do I buy one of these English/New Zealandish dictionaries then.:banana:

And as for cars, after wifey has finished with them they all look the same...........1 cubic metre of scrap.:crybaby:

[Cave Cleaner]

Welcome to KB Kev.
Most of what you read here is true, Use the old grain of salt system. But you will enjoy riding the roads here.:banana:

[Rogue]

Hi Kev If you want to do a lot of riding in warm weather (wet or dry) go to OZ
We are havin the best summer here in 100yrs so you might have to wait a while for the next one :weep:

There can be plenty of good roads here when they are not been worked on and the stone chip has been swept up :argh:

I would suggest you do the ParaPara between Raetihi and Wanganui 52km of :eek5:

You could do a round trip coming from Auckland to Wanganui to New Plymouth through the Awakino gourge another great part :clap: through to PoiPoi then Te Kuiti and back to Auckland or vice versa. Just keep an eye out for road works and loose stone chips, tin tops, campervans, trucks, stock, cops, farmers on/in their vehicles, hawks, dogs, you get the hint.
I have done it in one day but best over two
Good luck

[martybabe]

So where do I buy one of these English/New Zealand's dictionaries then.:banana:

And as for cars, after wife has finished with them they all look the same...........1 cubic metre of scrap.:crybaby:

They do actually exist but so far I've only seen, kiwi slang for Germans. It's not really a prob, more amusing than anything. Spelling over the phone is difficult though, it seems our vowels look the same but sound totally different. :confused:

Hurry up over and start your new life, the clocks ticking. :soon:

[ceebie13]

Hi Kev!

Tell me...why did the riverside bikers' haunt at Stratford get the big bums rush from the local council??? It's never been the same since!

Me? I'm a Pom from Daventry/Weedon/Northampton area...nearly included Milton Keynes but thought better of it! ;-)

Listen mate you'll love it here...I met Lynda (a kiwi chick) in Cumbria - well we met on the net actually - but it was me who blagged a ticket into NZ with sponsorship from the aforementioned other half. We inhabit the northern rock which contrary to pommie belief is not a building society here in NZ.

I shipped my ZX9 out here because it begged me to. I have since flogged it mainly because the UK Inland Revenue suddenly wanted seven grand out of me, but I've since adopted the CB1300 and can only re-iterate the above sentiments about riding in NZ. It's simply motorcycling nirvana or utopia!
Oh, except for the 15 year old boy (and girl) racers with sawn off exhausts, dropped suspension and stupidly loud stereos who insist on terrorising the law abiding public by spreading neat diesel on the roads and performing circus tricks at night on the main streets of the main towns -of which there are only four at the last count!

One last thing...I hope you like Rugby. After all it is in Warwickshire!
In actual fact you are better off not liking it because the roads are empty when there's a match on!

Cheers.

[owner]

Not another one The polish's are coming
everyone hide













just pulling you leg, Welcome

[revvinkevin]

I don't really do any sport............................I know, some of you are wondering which side I bat for:Oi:

But the upside is that whenever there is a big sporting event, I ride. And the roads are virtually empty.

I never ride after a moto GP or BSB event though cos all the power rangers are out trying to get their arthritic knees down. I'm safely out af harm's way then:apint:

[James Deuce]

I never ride after a moto GP or BSB event though cos all the power rangers are out trying to get their arthritic knees down. I'm safely out af harm's way then:apint:

Not here mate. We're all a bit tired at 2 in the morning when it finishes, and tend to just go to bed. I'd don't like trying to get my knee down in the dark because of the hedgehogs. Meat accouterments for knee sliders aren't really a
winning fashion statement.

[martybabe]

I was parked up on a hill on a country lane about as far from civilisation as you can get, having a depressing thought or two,when i heard a whistling coming my way.This old fella turned the corner ,saw me and made a bee line for me. We got chattin and before long I realised his accent was familiar. looked down at the writing on his tee shirt and it said" Birmingham fun run".

12,000 miles from home in one of the remotest parts of NZ two Brummies chewed the fat about the brilliant place we now lived in. About 15 mins later a camper van turned up and a young couple got out.Matey goes over and strikes up a conversation. "where you folks from" "Birmingham England Moyt,Wut yow doing in the middle of now where. :lol: I'm thinking what are the odds, then I'm thinkin,what ARE the odds. On a road from nowhere to nowhere the only people I meet are three guys from my home town, 19,200 k away.

This country seems to be awash with poms at the mo. They recon its the biggest exodus since the first somewhat unpopular wave of Brits 150 years or so ago. Why? Dunno but don't get crushed in the stampede for a better life.

Hurry up before they shut the doors. :rolleyes:

[Mort]

Reet Kev - another pom ere from Manchester...

you gotta like this place.... looking at the snow and shite falling on Blighty over Easter .... whilst we had sunshine, beaches...bit of a swim....

You'll work harder, get less pay and perks and but there's no doubt its a better part of the world.

[James Deuce]

This country seems to be awash with poms at the mo. They recon its the biggest exodus since the first somewhat unpopular wave of Brits 150 years or so ago. Why? Dunno but don't get crushed in the stampede for a better life.

Hurry up before they shut the doors. :rolleyes:

The current influx of Poms is just the gentle waves lapping at the shore of a perfectly still lake on a night lit by a full moon.

The first 60ft wave of Chinese will probably trip over you guys in the rush to get settled before the 100ft wave arrives. I would be very surprised if I didn't have at least 1 half-Asian grandchild in 25 years time.

[Unit]

The current influx of Poms is just the gentle waves lapping at the shore of a perfectly still lake on a night lit by a full moon.

The first 60ft wave of Chinese will probably trip over you guys in the rush to get settled before the 100ft wave arrives. I would be very surprised if I didn't have at least 1 half-Asian grandchild in 25 years time.
Shhuussssshh, stop telling everyone about Godzone alright?

[martybabe]

The current influx of Poms is just the gentle waves lapping at the shore of a perfectly still lake on a night lit by a full moon.

The first 60ft wave of Chinese will probably trip over you guys in the rush to get settled before the 100ft wave arrives. I would be very surprised if I didn't have at least 1 half-Asian grandchild in 25 years time.

Nail on head J2, glad you mentioned it, I'm hard wired to implode if I dare mention immigration in the UK and the perils thereof .It's a apparently a crime and not a prediction, to point out your island is sinking due to an unmoderated open door policy at border control .

:lol: That's a bit rich coming from an immigrant init. oops, imploded. :chase:

[James Deuce]

The replode team is on the way.

[Morcs]

Just joined. Saying hello and gonna pester you all with loadsa dumb questions about NZ cos Wifey and me are just about to start the immigration process and come and live over there.

I'll do my best to stick my posts in the right place but if I cock it up..........sorry:crybaby:

So to start off with.

Where on the islands can you do all year round riding?
I ride year round here, the only weather I won't ride in is snow because the arsehole drivers over here don't have a clue about skid control. This winter has been very mild, only one or two snow days in Warwick so my season hasn't been curtailed.
Last summer was unbelievably wet, floods everywhere.

Oh, I'll do my best to convert distances into Km but if I get it wrong it's because I don't work in metric. I work on vintage cars and they were all imperial.

Hopefully some of you will shout back to me.

Look forward to chatting with you.

Kev

Welcome Kev,

I had a mate come out last year. He was here 2 weeks, organised a hire bike and did some good riding.

That was enough to bring him over. Hes due here in may.

Its worth coming for the riding alone.

[martybabe]

The replode team is on the way.

:laugh: :laugh: Thanx for calling them.........See Kev,Do ya see what there like,they'll even help a stranger with there plodeing problems and some of em can make me laugh with only six words. It can take me half a page to get a titter.

:Offtopic: Sorry Kev. BOOK YOUR TICKETS.