Am I allowed to be a learner in your country?

[mcewenaj]

Hi everyone, have some questions which i have been researching, and struggling to find answers for, so decided to ask you guys!

I will be coming to NZ (from the UK) on my gap year for 6-9 months, leaving in exactly 3 weeks :-D - cant wait! I always planned on learning to ride a motorbikee before i went to uni, and this seems like the perfect opportunity.
What i want to know is, as an 18yr old UK resident, if i am allowed to be a learner motorbiker in New Zealand? I have never ridden a motorbike before, so i would be starting completely from scratch.
I would be looking to maybe get a 125, or a 250cc bike, and just sticking with the learner license until i leave, if possible.
I have a learner car license from the UK, and will hopefully be passed my test by the time i get to NZ. would i need a seperate a separate license, or is something updated on my current one?

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated, even if it is just to say dont bother...!
Thanks :-)

[rapid van cleef]

hey matey

where in uk are u from?

u can ride/ drive on a full uk license for upto 12 months before u have to change ur license. im not sure how it works if ur a learner arriving here in nz on a short term visa. the learner test here is, well, lets just say its not as stringent as the UK CBT.

where do u plan on going in NZ?

[mcewenaj]

Hello,
I am from the north-east of england - northumberland.

Considering I have never ridden a motorbike before, what would i need to learn, and what tests do i need to do, to be allowed to ride on the road with L plates?

My plan for the year, at the moment is this: When I arrive I will be staying with my aunt and uncle (who live in christchurch) for about 2 weeks. I will then be moving on to one of the bigger cities - possibly queenstown and will stay there for 3-6 months and get a job somewhere - ( I have the working holiday visa). This is when i will look at hopefully getting a motorbike.. after this, i will be travelling around NZ with any of the money i have saved up :-)

[YellowDog]

Hi mcewenaj and welcome to KB.

Do get your full UK driving licence before coming to NZ. It will save you a lot of difficulties and expense. As has already been stated, you can use it for 12 months without any problem.

A providional licence is worthless out here. BUT motorcycling is a serious subject and starting from no experience on a 250cc bike on NZ roads with NZ drivers is like having a Death Wish and best avoided.

In NZ it is very easy to get mobile on a 250cc motorcycle. All you need to is show up with ID and take a Basic Handling test. FRom what I have heard, no one has ever failed! Yes it's that tough and then you are free to go out on the open road with no skills and experience and take your chances.

Best advice from me is to book or even pre-book yourself on a beginners motorcycle training course asap. LOOK here's some here:

http://yellow.co.nz/search.ds?what=m...newSearch=true

This will not be terribly expensive and may well turn out to be a very wise investment to enhance the longivety of your life and also make your motorcycling experience a pleasurable one.

Good luck.

BTW: AS nice as it is: Queenstown is not one of NZ's larger Cities. If you go there first you may be able to get a bit of skiing in before the season ends.

[AxN]

Hi mcewenaj,

Welcome to Christchurch! (soon) It looks like you will be needing to apply for a Class 6 license when you get to NZ. There are a few websites you should check out:

www.ltsa.govt.nz (should have details about licensing)

www.driveschool.co.nz (Mainland driving school based in Christchurch that does Basic Handling Skills lesson as well as test)

Hope you find those link helpful and if you get stuck let me know. I am happy to help.


Scott

p.s. Christchurch is NZ's second largest city. You will have to go to Auckland to find a bigger city than here.

[rapid van cleef]

well, i'm from Newcastle, been here in NZ for 4 years. My 19 yr old son is a biker on his learners in christchurch. PM if you want and I ll give you his email etc. I recommend you do your CBT in uk and when u get here you will have to do the Kiwi version..which to be honest, is a joke by comparison. Also, get ur full drivers license in UK if you can, that will help a lot as so many places are many miles apart. public transport in NZ is pretty much non existant by compariosn to many european countries. unless you have transport , you will be relying on your friends to get around. there is a minimal bus service in most towns and the cities will probably have a reasonable bus service, but nothing like what you are used to.

[smallgear]

Hi mcewenaj and welcome to KB.

Do get your full UK driving licence before coming to NZ. It will save you a lot of difficulties and expense. As has already been stated, you can use it for 12 months without any problem.

A providional licence is worthless out here. BUT motorcycling is a serious subject and starting from no experience on a 250cc bike on NZ roads with NZ drivers is like having a Death Wish and best avoided.

In NZ it is very easy to get mobile on a 250cc motorcycle. All you need to is show up with ID and take a Basic Handling test. FRom what I have heard, no one has ever failed! Yes it's that tough and then you are free to go out on the open road with no skills and experience and take your chances.

Best advice from me is to book or even pre-book yourself on a beginners motorcycle training course asap. LOOK here's some here:

http://yellow.co.nz/search.ds?what=m...newSearch=true

This will not be terribly expensive and may well turn out to be a very wise investment to enhance the longivety of your life and also make your motorcycling experience a pleasurable one.

Good luck.

BTW: AS nice as it is: Queenstown is not one of NZ's larger Cities. If you go there first you may be able to get a bit of skiing in before the season ends.

People do fail the basic handling test. Whilst i was getting dizzy going round the cones waiting for the other guy doing his a the same time i noticed he kinda forgot what does what on a bike. he ended up half way up a grass embankment. he was then briskly sent home.

[Jonno.]

In NZ it is very easy to get mobile on a 250cc motorcycle. All you need to is show up with ID and take a Basic Handling test. FRom what I have heard, no one has ever failed! Yes it's that tough and then you are free to go out on the open road with no skills and experience and take your chances.

You'd be surprised how often people fail.

[Berries]

Book your CBT in the UK if you have time. You may not be able to get a full before you come over but you'll have a bit more confidence and at least know what all the controls do so you will piss the basic handling skills over here.

I will then be moving on to one of the bigger cities - possibly queenstown

Second bit of advice is to read your Lonely Planet a bit more. There are no big cities over here, apart from Auckland, and Queenstown is like Whitley Bay without the seaside. (Definitely worth a visit while you are over here mind).

[Mrs Shrek]

Something that everyone has overlooked is the fact that after you pass your basic handling skills (which not everyone passes first time) you then have to sit your theory learners licence before you are allowed to ride, so it will pay to study that as well which you can see online at www.nzta.govt.nz you WILL need to know the car road code and the motorcycle one as well
Hope you enjoy your stay in nz. I love it over here, i have been here for 30yrs.

[rapid van cleef]

Book your CBT in the UK if you have time. You may not be able to get a full before you come over but you'll have a bit more confidence and at least know what all the controls do so you will piss the basic handling skills over here.

Second bit of advice is to read your Lonely Planet a bit more. There are no big cities over here, apart from Auckland, and Queenstown is like Whitley Bay without the seaside. (Definitely worth a visit while you are over here mind).

are you a geordie too?

[mcewenaj]

Thanks everyone, great response :-)

So, just to clarify, if i get my full car licence in UK i should be allowed to ride once ive done my basic handling test, and theory test? This would make life easy..
Will definately look at doing a beginners course, thanks for the link.

Also, for people saying do your cbt, i really dont think ill have enough time - I am on holiday at the moment, and when i get back i will have exactly a week to get everything sorted before i leave.. i will be doing my car practical test then, so should hopefully have a full licence before i come out. But will definatley haver a look, and try to squeeze it in.

Also, didnt realise that queenstown wasnt that big... If i am looking for a job is it worth going up to auckland, or would i be able to find bar/ restaurant work etc in places like queenstown? sorry for invading a biker forum for this kind of info by the way..

thanks again!

[Berries]

Also, didnt realise that queenstown wasnt that big... If i am looking for a job is it worth going up to auckland, or would i be able to find bar/ restaurant work etc in places like queenstown? sorry for invading a biker forum for this kind of info by the way.

Plenty of short term work in Queenstown, full of foreigners doing a working holiday, plenty of bar and touristy work around. Not always easy to find bar tender priced accommodation though. If you are flexible you'll find work anywhere. Even Auckland, but why come all the way to NZ to spend time in a 'big' city ? Especially one that is the butt of jokes from the whole rest of the country.

are you a geordie too?

Mums side is from Alnwick but I'm from Nottingham. Does that make me a half ?

[rapid van cleef]

almost a half geordie!

[YellowDog]

Thanks everyone, great response :-)

So, just to clarify, if i get my full car licence in UK i should be allowed to ride once ive done my basic handling test, and theory test? This would make life easy..
Will definately look at doing a beginners course, thanks for the link.

Also, for people saying do your cbt, i really dont think ill have enough time - I am on holiday at the moment, and when i get back i will have exactly a week to get everything sorted before i leave.. i will be doing my car practical test then, so should hopefully have a full licence before i come out. But will definatley haver a look, and try to squeeze it in.

Also, didnt realise that queenstown wasnt that big... If i am looking for a job is it worth going up to auckland, or would i be able to find bar/ restaurant work etc in places like queenstown? sorry for invading a biker forum for this kind of info by the way..

thanks again!

Queenstown has loads of work during the tourist season, but not much when it's out. Prices seem overinflated for ther tourists and accomodation is not at all cheap.

Auckland is the only big smoke place in NZ. Presumably you are looking for a cash in hand type job as work visas etc would otherwise be an issue.

Good luck with your UK driving test. The road code is very similar out here so as you will already be in that zone, a Basic handling followed by theory test will be a breeze for you. A UK licence is only convertable to an NZ one ONLY if you have held it for two or more years (at least that's what it used to be). As you are only visiting, you get 12 months on your UK licence for free .