Thinking about a NZ trip - some questions

[wyorider]

howdy- I am a dual sport rider from jackson hole wyoming, usa. My girlfriend of seven years just broke up with me, so I have been thinking about a solo motorcycle camping trip in NZ for at least a month this winter. Is January a good time to come? Or is it really crowded with too many obnoxious tourists such as myself? Much rain? As for a bike- I figured I would buy a dual sport bike that I could tour with, but still ride some mellow trails with. Will it be easy for me to buy and sell a bike there in NZ, or is that a bad idea? I thought I might buy a used bike from a shop or local and probably sell it back to a shop when I am done. Do I have to worry much about people stealing my shit? Any thoughts or suggestions that might help will be greatly appreciated- sincerely wyorider

[Ender EnZed]

January is the busy season but there are still quiet spots to be found. You'll get rained on at some point but shouldn't need to get too miserable here in summer. Buying a bike from a shop should be easy enough, selling it will be trickier but not impossible. New Zealand's safer than plenty of places but your shit will still walk off if you leave it exposed in a bad place for long enough.

Other people will say helpful things now.

[Hitcher]

Crime is probably the same in New Zealand as it is in Wyoming. You would be strongly advised not to leave your gear untended or unsecured at any time -- particularly in areas that attract tourists (as these also unfortunately attract light-fingered opportunist criminals).

Any of New Zealand's bigger bike stores would probably do you a sell-buy back deal. They'll also give you advice on the different types of insurance you may need. If Auckland is your port of arrival, www.amps.co.nz or www.mtedenmotorcycles.co.nz could be useful places to start a conversation.

January here is summer, but New Zealand has a maritime climate where the weather can change quite quickly. Wet weather gear would be a good idea!

[NDORFN]

Did you learn about our existence on Letterman by any chance?

[scumdog]

Leave your pistol behind - they frown on you walking around with one here.

Antlers on the wild elk here ain't as big as the Jackson Hole ones.

Weather is normally getting to it's best in that month.


Oh, and NEVER forget which side of the road you should be riding on!

[ynot slow]

February is better than January,all school kids are at school,so means less accomodation worries as well,and weather seems better too.

[FJRider]

Leave your pistol behind


Oh, and NEVER forget which side of the road you should be riding on!

You can buy what you think you may need here ... if you ask the (right/wrong ??) people.

There are some that were born here that forget ... often ..

[wbks]

Did anyone else spit their drink on the PC mistakingly reading "I am a dual sport rider from Jack hole wyoming"?

[cs363]

February is better than January,all school kids are at school,so means less accomodation worries as well,and weather seems better too.

I'd agree with that, February through March/April has generally more settled weather and as ynotslow says, less accomodation hassles and less traffic in the areas you'll probably want to visit

[Pedrostt500]

There tends to be less loonies in cages in febuary march as well, as most have gone back to work, school etc.
The mid week after work rides will be in full swing so you can meet up with some of the 2 wheeled loonies as well.

[Mrs Busa Pete]

howdy- I am a dual sport rider from jackson hole wyoming, usa. My girlfriend of seven years just broke up with me, so I have been thinking about a solo motorcycle camping trip in NZ for at least a month this winter. Is January a good time to come? Or is it really crowded with too many obnoxious tourists such as myself? Much rain? As for a bike- I figured I would buy a dual sport bike that I could tour with, but still ride some mellow trails with. Will it be easy for me to buy and sell a bike there in NZ, or is that a bad idea? I thought I might buy a used bike from a shop or local and probably sell it back to a shop when I am done. Do I have to worry much about people stealing my shit? Any thoughts or suggestions that might help will be greatly appreciated- sincerely wyorider

I would suggest you look up (the vet) that is his site name he is over hear on a 1 year tour of our lovely country and have a look at the photos he has taken of some of the places he has been. Really amazing they are. Good luck and if you need a bed in Auckland give us a hollor.

[popelli]

howdy- I am a dual sport rider from jackson hole wyoming, usa. My girlfriend of seven years just broke up with me, so I have been thinking about a solo motorcycle camping trip in NZ for at least a month this winter. Is January a good time to come? Or is it really crowded with too many obnoxious tourists such as myself? Much rain? As for a bike- I figured I would buy a dual sport bike that I could tour with, but still ride some mellow trails with. Will it be easy for me to buy and sell a bike there in NZ, or is that a bad idea? I thought I might buy a used bike from a shop or local and probably sell it back to a shop when I am done. Do I have to worry much about people stealing my shit? Any thoughts or suggestions that might help will be greatly appreciated- sincerely wyorider

February is a better month weather is better and less people on holiday

Bike theft is a problem in NZ more so than in either the states or europe

[YellowDog]

Hi wyorider and welcome.

Sorry to hear about you and the girlfriend. Seven years is a good run and I hope you got good value out of her
(no answer required)

It is hard to compare New Zealand with the USA, but all I would say is that January is the busiest month and it will be quieter than the quietest month where you are from. So I wouldn't worry so much aout that and focus more upon the climate.

In the North of NZ, great touring starts from the end of October and continue right through to April. The South does not have such a long season, but can get a little too hot during Jan/Feb. It does rain a lot, but the last two years have been very good indeed.

So far as crime goes, it is as close to zero as I have seen anywhere in the world. Yes, if you are stupid and leave things out then they will dissapear.

My advice would be to work out what suits your life best and then visit : http://www.motowhere.com/ to plan your routes (and see what others have done).

Good luck and remember to thank your ex for the inspiration.

[klingon]

Wow! Jackson Hole looks like a wonderful place! Right on the edge of Grand Teton National Park and very close to Yellowstone! (Say hello to Yogi Bear for us...)

New Zealand has nowhere near the extremes of climate that you will be used to, but yes it can rain any time so make sure you are prepared with wet weather covers for you and your gear.

Friends of mine recently bought a VStrom for a month-long South Island tour, then sold it on TradeMe (the main NZ online auction site www.trademe.co.nz) for pretty much the same price as they bought it for. Obviously you won't have the luxury of time so you would probably be better to go through a dealer, but it's definitely something you can do when you're here.

Bike gear, on the other hand, can be very expensive here so you would probably be best to bring everything you can with you (without having to pay excess luggage!)

As for theives, you will definitely need to think about security for both your bike and your gear. We have as many bad people here as anywhere else! And they often steal from tourists who tend to have quite valuable stuff with them (cameras etc). Try not to ever leave your bike and gear unattended, but if you must, make sure you have some kind of lockable cover like one of those steel mesh nets to cover your gear and make it hard for people to steal.

The good news is, people are the only dangerous animals we have! No snakes, bears, or other wild critters so camping out and exploring the wilderness is as safe here as you can get.

I passed through Wyoming on my month-long solo tour of the USA a few years ago (lived in the back of an RCMP vehicle and drove from Calgary to Texas and back). I stuck to the flatlands in the East of the state but if I had the chance I would go back immediately and explore the whole state. It is absolutely stunning!

In New Zealand we tend to have the same variety of landscapes, just everything jammed into amuch smaller space. And of course you are never far from the ocean.

Be sure to let us know when you are on your way so we can get together a welcoming committee and start corrupting you into the Kiwi way of life as soon as you arrive.

[wyorider]

thanks for all the responses- its true what they say about kiwis being the nicest people. Yes- wyoming is a beautiful place- be sure to check it out if you are in the states.