Hi there - Brit, 23, coming to NZ. Few questions for you all. Thanks

**Rickie** · 6th October 2009, 06:32

Hi,

My name's Rickie. How we all doing?

Just finished college, going to travel to NZ on a working hol visa, hope to study and stay for a few years.

Few questions really...

- Is there a seperate motorcycle test (like the UK, which i have passed)? Are there any restrictions etc.

- Secondly, any of you guys manage a training school and fancy hiring a 23 year old Brit with 7 years riding experience? Hehe.

- Auckland or Christchurch. At first glance, i'm thinking Auckland because it's bigger, more urban evironment (which I like) but my Kiwi mates I met in Melbourne all swear by Christchurch.

Anyway, thanks for reading. Stay safe on the roads!

Rickie

**kwakalover** · 6th October 2009, 06:43

Hey Rickie,

there is a seperate motorcycle test here but if you have a full uk one that won't be a problem, you're supposed to get a kiwi one after a year but i've been here 5 yrs now and still riding on my uk one, been stopped heaps too, nobody seems to mind.

can't give too much of an opinion on aucks or chrch, i like both, only had a flying visit in chrch, loved it though, auckland is just so much bigger - you can get anything there!

take care

**Rickie** · 6th October 2009, 06:46

Hey kwakalover,

Thanks for the reply. How are you doing? I'd be really appreciative if you could tell me what your thoughts are about NZ in comparsion to the UK (Yorkshire boy here

)? 5 years..are you perm based in NZ now?

Excellent news on the license front. Sorry for all the questions hehe.

Thanks,

Rickie

**kwakalover** · 6th October 2009, 06:54

ooh that could take some time, i'm gonna have to do some work now but i'll post a decent reply to that one later,

i am permanatly based here now, although not entirely through choice,

don't mind the questions, and i'm doing real good thanks,

chat later

**Hawkeye** · 6th October 2009, 07:10

If you have a full UK then you will just need to do a scratchy test, stump up with the dollars and you will be sweet. The test consists of a multiple choice 35 (or 36) question scratch card. Your allowed to get 2 of the first 30 wrong but cannot get more than 2 wrong in total. (if that makes sense).
From memory, you should not have to do the practical. Even if you do have to do it, it is so easy compared to the UK test. Anyone riding for 7 years should just breeze through it.

There is an on-line test you can do which has all of the questions you can ever be asked. There are 20 different scratchy cards which you will be given one.
I will try and find the link. It will give you an idea of what it entails.

When you coming over?

(Geordie boy here - been here 14 years)

**Rickie** · 6th October 2009, 07:30

Hey Hawkeye,

I've just moved back to Yorkshire a month ago after living in Newcastle for 3.5 years! Class place!

I'm hoping to be in NZ for Jan 2010 latest. (Flight was booked and sorted for this Friday gone, but sadly had to cancel)

Excellent news on the bike front

. How did you end up in NZ? My original plan is to end up staying in either Aus or NZ, having done Aus for a year, I feel i'd like to give a NZ a try for atleast a year or two. People I know who have been love the place!

Thanks,

Rickie

**magicmonkey** · 6th October 2009, 08:49

Originally Posted by Hawkeye

If you have a full UK then you will just need to do a scratchy test, stump up with the dollars and you will be sweet. The test consists of a multiple choice 35 (or 36) question scratch card. Your allowed to get 2 of the first 30 wrong but cannot get more than 2 wrong in total. (if that makes sense).
From memory, you should not have to do the practical. Even if you do have to do it, it is so easy compared to the UK test. Anyone riding for 7 years should just breeze through it.

There is an on-line test you can do which has all of the questions you can ever be asked. There are 20 different scratchy cards which you will be given one.
I will try and find the link. It will give you an idea of what it entails.

When you coming over?

(Geordie boy here - been here 14 years)

You don't even need to do the scratchy any more, just rock up to the AA with some ID and your license, it costs about 45 bucks and you can transfer all your UK licenses to a kiwi one..

**martybabe** · 6th October 2009, 09:20

Originally Posted by magicmonkey

You don't even need to do the scratchy any more, just rock up to the AA with some ID and your license, it costs about 45 bucks and you can transfer all your UK licenses to a kiwi one..

Is that a recent change cause I want to transfer my truck license but didn't because I would have had to take two more scratchies on top of the 3 I'd already taken plus a medical. If I can just pay to transfer now I'd be interested

Oh. Hi Brit23. Brummy here mate, two years in NZ and loving it. Apart from a little bit of bureaucracy (see above) and 1 million and one little differences, which all add to the flavour, you will have a ball. It's a bit like Yorkshire but measurably better in most aspects. Come on down Mate

**ynot slow** · 6th October 2009, 09:40

Originally Posted by martybabe

Is that a recent change cause I want to transfer my truck license but didn't because I would have had to take two more scratchies on top of the 3 I'd already taken plus a medical. If I can just pay to transfer now I'd be interested

Oh. Hi Brit23. Brummy here mate, two years in NZ and loving it. Apart from a little bit of bureaucracy (see above) and 1 million and one little differences, which all add to the flavour, you will have a ball. It's a bit like Yorkshire but measurably better in most aspects. Come on down Mate

Marty,with our class2-5(heavy trade)you have to have a medical if the last one was more than 5 years ago,great scheme dreamt up by boffins colluding with doctors.As we have 10 year licenses,if you want to keep your heavy trade class you have to undergo the medical at a cost and then pay for license.Am about to do my class 4 asap,but my license was renewed only 2 years ago so don't need medical.

**magicmonkey** · 6th October 2009, 09:40

Originally Posted by martybabe

Is that a recent change cause I want to transfer my truck license but didn't because I would have had to take two more scratchies on top of the 3 I'd already taken plus a medical. If I can just pay to transfer now I'd be interested

I haven't checked out the HGV stuff as I haven't got one myself but the form does have a check box for it.

Having said that, just checked the site, looks like you'll have to do a scratchy but no practical:

http://www.ltsa.govt.nz/factsheets/56.html

there's loads of sites with the practice scrathy's on though and if you could pass one in the UK you'll piss all over the test here!

**martybabe** · 6th October 2009, 10:53

Originally Posted by ynot slow

Marty,with our class2-5(heavy trade)you have to have a medical if the last one was more than 5 years ago,great scheme dreamt up by boffins colluding with doctors.As we have 10 year licenses,if you want to keep your heavy trade class you have to undergo the medical at a cost and then pay for license.Am about to do my class 4 asap,but my license was renewed only 2 years ago so don't need medical.

Originally Posted by magicmonkey

I haven't checked out the HGV stuff as I haven't got one myself but the form does have a check box for it.

Having said that, just checked the site, looks like you'll have to do a scratchy but no practical:

http://www.ltsa.govt.nz/factsheets/56.html

there's loads of sites with the practice scrathy's on though and if you could pass one in the UK you'll piss all over the test here!

Cheers guys, I shall have to study for the scratchy cause at first glance a lot of your rules are different to the uk, I'm on it, thanks again

**Rickie** · 6th October 2009, 10:53

Thanks for the replies guys!

So how does the expense of biking compare?

When I was in Aus I noticed bikes seemed significantly more expensive than the UK, though I guess this is understandable given the geography and population, is it similar?

Hmmm can't wait.

The roads good? I imagine so.

Hope there aint too many doddery cage drivers around to ruin the fun.

**GOONR** · 6th October 2009, 11:09

Hey!

I've been over here 5 years and love it, I'm in Auckland "more urban", urban in NZ is very different to urban in the Uk.

If you have a full Uk license you will be ok for 1 year then you will need a kiwi license but should just be able to hand over the dollars. Info here

Come on over, you will be in time for the sunshine

**Slyer** · 6th October 2009, 11:17

Originally Posted by Rickie

When I was in Aus I noticed bikes seemed significantly more expensive than the UK, though I guess this is understandable given the geography and population, is it similar?

The cost is probably a bit more than Australia... but we have a much more diverse terrain to explore.

**martybabe** · 6th October 2009, 13:40

Originally Posted by Rickie

Thanks for the replies guys!

So how does the expense of biking compare?

When I was in Aus I noticed bikes seemed significantly more expensive than the UK, though I guess this is understandable given the geography and population, is it similar?

Hmmm can't wait.

The roads good? I imagine so.

Hope there aint too many doddery cage drivers around to ruin the fun.

I think new bikes work out a bit cheaper than the UK and second hand seem on a par or slightly more expensive, not such a throw away society here though so there are plenty of serviceable oldy but goldys still whizzing round and insurance seems cheaper too. You may be surprised to find some bikes, long extinct in the UK, still being sold as new models here. Over all I think biking is a bit cheaper here than the UK but I'm sure there will be exceptions to the rule for sure.

The roads, oh the roads. They take you to some of the most beautiful places on earth and there are sweepers to die for but...by and large, outside the big cities, the road surfaces are cheap and awful. Tar and chip everywhere, which means loose gravel aplenty and molten tar in all the wrong places come summer. That said, it's one of the best places I've ever ridden, prepare to adapt a little and you'll have a mighty fine time.