Your thoughts, best place in NZ for a motorcyclist to live?

[Meathorse]

Tararua/Northern Wairarapa:

Norsewood to Eketahuna:
- One of the highest KM of roading per head of population ratios in the country
- Fantastically twisty roads all around: Pahiatua Track, Saddle Road, Manawatu Gorge and tonnes more out towards the east coast (all with very little traffic!)
- Some of these coastal roads are still gravel!
- Coast-to-coast ride in December
- Huge amounts of farmland - very regular trail rides etc organised by the local groups and schools or just befriend a farmer
- Even more rides in the Manawatu/Horowhenua/Hawkes Bay/Southern Wairarapa if you want to explore
- Woodville Motocross, Wanganui Jet-sprints, Cemetery Circuit, Palmy Speedway, Manfeild, Wings over Wairarapa and Masterton Drag Racing practically on your doorstep
- Close to major centres (~2hrs to Welly & HBay, ~3hrs to Taupo & New Plymouth)
- PalmyNth close by for big city things - but Tararua doesn't get the wind or the stigma!
- Small town living = bigger, cheaper sections & more likely to have a man-sized shed for your bike(s) plus fewer neighbours to complain about 'tuning' rev-sessions on Sunday mornings
- SH2 is not SH1 so traffic volumes don't explode on Friday nights with all the lemmings leaving Wellington
- Mangatianoka (Tui HQ) nearby

Phew. That'll do pig... that'll do.

[scumdog]

Never come down here, no way, there's no good riding roads anywhere, the place is full of cops and it rains every five minutes.

[cave weta]

Never come down here, no way, there's no good riding roads anywhere, the place is full of cops and it rains every five minutes.

It pissed with rain that night we stayed with the local cop

[cave weta]

Tararua/Northern Wairarapa:

Norsewood to Eketahuna:
- One of the highest KM of roading per head of population ratios in the country
- Fantastically twisty roads all around: Pahiatua Track, Saddle Road, Manawatu Gorge and tonnes more out towards the east coast (all with very little traffic!)
- Some of these coastal roads are still gravel!
- Coast-to-coast ride in December
- Huge amounts of farmland - very regular trail rides etc organised by the local groups and schools or just befriend a farmer
- Even more rides in the Manawatu/Horowhenua/Hawkes Bay/Southern Wairarapa if you want to explore
- Woodville Motocross, Wanganui Jet-sprints, Cemetery Circuit, Palmy Speedway, Manfeild, Wings over Wairarapa and Masterton Drag Racing practically on your doorstep
- Close to major centres (~2hrs to Welly & HBay, ~3hrs to Taupo & New Plymouth)
- PalmyNth close by for big city things - but Tararua doesn't get the wind or the stigma!
- Small town living = bigger, cheaper sections & more likely to have a man-sized shed for your bike(s) plus fewer neighbours to complain about 'tuning' rev-sessions on Sunday mornings
- SH2 is not SH1 so traffic volumes don't explode on Friday nights with all the lemmings leaving Wellington
- Mangatianoka (Tui HQ) nearby

Phew. That'll do pig... that'll do.

Plus 1 for southern Hawkes bay- especially SH50.

[rocketman1]

I figure anywhere but Auckland, Christchurch
Auckland takes 1/2 an hour to get out of the city, unless you live on the outskirts,
ChCh is too flat and straight, ok out to Akaroa is fun in summer.
Wellington you can only go north, but not up the west coast through PaekoK totally boring.
North of Whangarei, northland some great roads.
Waikato has heaps of great roads in all directions, except for the plains towards Thames, Paeroa, but once beyond them its great, more back roads than anywhere in the country, a spider web of roads.
Tauranga a bit suck for good roads, they mostly come to the Waikato, Coromandel to ride.
Dunedin, excellent roads in most directions, not too far from the city, when its not cold.

[DEATH_INC.]

I'm guessing somewhere around Taupo/rotorua ish would be pretty good, can't get much more central to all the tracks and not too far to lotsa good roads... as long as ya don't need a job or anything...
Northland is sweet, but it's too bloody far from any decent tracks...

[Big Dave]

One of the great things about NZ is that nowhere is very far from good riding.
The only really boring bits are the Hauraki and Canterbury plains.

It doesn't really matter. Socio economic factors would have a greater bearing.

Overall the best riding is on the South Island where the 'epicness' of the place makes it very special.

My favourite twisty roads (for their own sake) are in the Western and Southern Waikato.

[Grant`]

Out of all the places I have lived, I think Northland is right up there.

Currently living in Whangarei and its great, 5 minutes in almost any direction and you are on great back roads to ride on with very little traffic to enjoy some nice cornering action.

Twin Bridges, Mangamukas are both great rides as well Waipoua Forest up past Tane Mahuta.

[Maha]

Hawkes Bay...end of story.

[oldrider]

The si has some great roads alrite but too many bloody straights inbetween em
Top of the north would be my pick

If you can't handle the straights how on earth are you going to handle the corners? (PT)

I believe I live in "motorcycle heaven" fantastic day rides in every direction and best climate in the country!

[98tls]

If you can't handle the straights how on earth are you going to handle the corners? (PT)

I believe I live in "motorcycle heaven" fantastic day rides in every direction and best climate in the country!

yea yea enough eh,you win.Lucky bugger.

[spookytooth]

If you can't handle the straights how on earth are you going to handle the corners? (PT)

I believe I live in "motorcycle heaven" fantastic day rides in every direction and best climate in the country!

Sheeze straights= fall a fucking sleep i have ridden pretty much all of NZ on and off road.Just did 5000ks round the south island and couldn't help thinking if i do it again {probly will} to take a book to read inbetween the twistys,but if its the straights that you enjoy go for it

[slofox]

I've had bikes in Canterbury, Northland and Waikato.

All have their own benefits and drawbacks. Canterbury is great if you get away from the plains - we used to go up round Ashley Gorge a lot...

Northland is pretty cool too - there are some great rides there. The route through Twin Bridges is one such and Waipoua is another. Quite a lot of unsealed stuff if you like that.

Waikato probably offers the most choice of the three, especially the Western side. There are some very boring flat bits east of The Tron but I never go there if I can help it - except to get to the Coromandel of course...The drawback with Waikato is fog in the winter. It's the pits. Oh and it rains like shit in winter as well...and it gets cold.

[dogsnbikes]

UMUTOI.....unless your been there your never understand

Wanganui is ok with the paraparas at your door step,but they do get boring after a while so while they use too be a good afternoon ride To Rahtehi and back to wanganui its now extended too kuratua and back,

[pritch]

Employment and other mundane considerations aside:

Takaka, so I could ride over the hill every day, with the Buller Gorge & West Coast just a stones throw away but without the rain.

Hanmer Springs, or maybe Kaikoura, on the door step of the Lewis Pass and handy (relatively) to the West Coast Highway, to SH70 & my favourite piece of SH1.

Raglan or Kawhia would not be without compensations and the comments about the other side of the Tararuas were interesting.