South Island trip

[Zapf]

Milford Sound (have to go to Te Anau first) is worth a visit if you have time. Road is full of buses and campervans but plenty of places to pass. Need a NZ eft pos card (well you did in March) to get gas there from pump. No credit cards.

have done exactly that earlier this year... except I left Te Anau around 4pm with spare fuel can on the back. Not one bus and campervan on the way there as they are all heading or have came back. then left Milford sound around 6 or 7pm and back to Te Anau for a late dinner at a pizza pasta place.

It is do able on 1 tank... around 250km round trip (Te Anau) from memory.

[oldrider]

have done exactly that earlier this year... except I left Te Anau around 4pm with spare fuel can on the back. Not one bus and campervan on the way there as they are all heading or have came back. then left Milford sound around 6 or 7pm and back to Te Anau for a late dinner at a pizza pasta place.

It is do able on 1 tank... around 250km round trip (Te Anau) from memory.

It's 118km each way Te Anau to Milford. There are emergency petrol signs about but I would expect it will cost an arm and a leg with big delays in getting it.
We had a perfect run both ways last time very little traffic but we counted over 50 buses at the boat terminal waiting for the boats to come back in!!!
The Homer Tunnel now has traffic lights that change every 15mins on the hour etc. If you are on your own or with a small group just ride on up to the front of the queue and tell the first driver that you are supposed to go in front because of the fumes, they wont know the difference. Be careful not to hold them up though. When you first go in, your lights just get soaked up by the black and you can't see the road but don't slow down, just fat her away and stay in the middle the road the surface is quite good there. There are a lot more reflectors and things in there now to get your bearings from but the road drops away soon after the top entry quite steeply, really weird feeling first time up but there's only one way traffic now that's an improvement. Actually I don't know if there is a speed limit in there! I just blat it and keep forgetting to check that. Its a prick getting stuck behind a slow driver, cough cough, wobble wobble cant see etc. Buses will just run over the top of you if they get a chance. Watch them on the road too, they stop in the middle of one way bridges for their passengers to take photos. Bastards! You can't move them till they are ready. It is a really great ride,"every time" . Cheers John.

[Zapf]

It's 118km each way Te Anau to Milford. There are emergency petrol signs about but I would expect it will cost an arm and a leg with big delays in getting it.
We had a perfect run both ways last time very little traffic but we counted over 50 buses at the boat terminal waiting for the boats to come back in!!!
The Homer Tunnel now has traffic lights that change every 15mins on the hour etc. If you are on your own or with a small group just ride on up to the front of the queue and tell the first driver that you are supposed to go in front because of the fumes, they wont know the difference. Be careful not to hold them up though. When you first go in, your lights just get soaked up by the black and you can't see the road but don't slow down, just fat her away and stay in the middle the road the surface is quite good there. There are a lot more reflectors and things in there now to get your bearings from but the road drops away soon after the top entry quite steeply, really weird feeling first time up but there's only one way traffic now that's an improvement. Actually I don't know if there is a speed limit in there! I just blat it and keep forgetting to check that. Its a prick getting stuck behind a slow driver, cough cough, wobble wobble cant see etc. Buses will just run over the top of you if they get a chance. Watch them on the road too, they stop in the middle of one way bridges for their passengers to take photos. Bastards! You can't move them till they are ready. It is a really great ride,"every time" . Cheers John.

Oh yes... those 1 way bridges... on the way down I remember hooning down the nice corners and seeing a 1 way bridge sign so thought there should be a stright to slow down before the bridge right...... then 1 second later... a narrow bridge is upon me just at the exit of the corner.... was luckly I wasn't going faster

[flyingscotsman]

Thanks to everyone for your replies. Plans look like we leave Wgtn on Thur before Waitangi weekend and head to Chch. Then across to Haast via Waimate & Wanaka. Then up to Wesport & bacl to Picton via Wairau Valley.
I guess it's about 1500kms - hope the weather is OK and my butt survives ! Trip is two old guys re-living their youth

[Unit:Me]

I would imagine that Queen Charlote Drive (Picton-Nelson 1st half) would be pretty awesome.

I spent five years learning to ride in the great SI. Stick to the West coast for the best twisties and scenery BUT as the coasters say "it only bloody rained for 40 days and 40 nights for Noah Arch". It can get rather wet, thats why March is such a good idea, weather is far more settled and believe me, the summer months can melt your tyres. Came across some German tourists one day in the middle of Arthurs Pass on a bicycle tour (I just dont get that at all), withOUT water. They were delusional and dehydrated and I stopped and helped them out. Queen Charlotte Drive is a great way to start the SI. Getting to the bottom of the NI is a bit of a mission from up here. Ive done Whg to CHCH in one stint, sore arse for a week! Buller Gorge is fantastic, but the ride from Westport up to Kamara is a must do.

[Unit:Me]

Oh yes... those 1 way bridges... on the way down I remember hooning down the nice corners and seeing a 1 way bridge sign so thought there should be a stright to slow down before the bridge right...... then 1 second later... a narrow bridge is upon me just at the exit of the corner.... was luckly I wasn't going faster

Getting the hang of the ones with the railway track running down the centre is a bit of a trick. Oh yea, and the cattle stops in the middle of the road on a nice big lefthander sweeping corner, WITH ICE (yea, black ice so you cant see it). Ahhh, those were the days

[pritch]

Trip is two old guys re-living their youth

Well they probably wouldn't be the only two around here doing that :-)

[Pickle]

If you only have 5 days then I would stick to the top of the South Island
Picton to Nelson. watch the tourists on Queen Charlotte drive
Nelson to Takaka and return to Motueka
Motueka to Murchison via Woodstock
Buller Gorge
Westport to Karamea and return
Westport to Greymouth
Greymouth (take detour to Blackball)to Reefton, Springs Junction, Lewis Pass to Hamner
Hanmer to Kaikoura via Conway
Kaikoura to Picton
Lots of good roads plenty of scenery and good cheap accomadation along the way. Bit of advice make sure you have good tyres as the South Island roads chew your tyres out real quick.
To get down to Queenstown and do some of the rides suggested is a bloody long way, The Catlins are a bloody good ride along with the Te Anau to Invercargill via Blackmount, Tuatapere, Riverton

Have Fun

[oldrider]

Southern ride accommodation sites to look at:

(www.otematatacountryinn.co.nz) Has shelter for bikes.

(www.otematatalakeshotel.co.nz) Proprietor can be a bit cranky but is OK

Otematata Holiday Park. (03-4387826) No Webb site yet.

Petrol available at local service station.

If you want to know about rides etc PM me. Cheers John.

Moderators. Am I allowed to post this information on here?

[TonyB]

Haven't read the whole thing, but I guess all the bases have been covered. If you do a loop around the SI you can go wrong. Avoid Straight Highway One from Oamaru to Chch at all costs, lest you go insane, The rest of it is bloody awesome.

I've said this soooooo many times I'm like a stuck record, BUT you really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really should make sure you go to Milford Sound. It's probably the best ride in NZ- a simply fantastic road surrounded by jaw dropping scenery. It's not so much a ride as a spiritual journey...

EDIT: just realised you have only 5 days.... take more time off, go AWOL...

[VasalineWarrior]

Bollocks to Milford bro. Check out the Takaka hill and Golden bay/Collingwood area. Theres a great pub at Onekaka on the way (The Mussell Inn), and the Takaka hill makes the Rimmas look like a glorified go cart track

[transformerboy]

yep tak mate perfect surface 2!!!! go the musel inn i wana monkey puzzle beer right now! mmm beer.... anyone keen? fucking great beers all brewd on the prems got try it! oh and check out the glow worms down the track straight across the road at night, ofcors sweet!

[Zapf]

I spent five years learning to ride in the great SI. Stick to the West coast for the best twisties and scenery BUT as the coasters say "it only bloody rained for 40 days and 40 nights for Noah Arch". It can get rather wet, thats why March is such a good idea, weather is far more settled and believe me, the summer months can melt your tyres. Came across some German tourists one day in the middle of Arthurs Pass on a bicycle tour (I just dont get that at all), withOUT water. They were delusional and dehydrated and I stopped and helped them out. Queen Charlotte Drive is a great way to start the SI. Getting to the bottom of the NI is a bit of a mission from up here. Ive done Whg to CHCH in one stint, sore arse for a week! Buller Gorge is fantastic, but the ride from Westport up to Kamara is a must do.

would you believe I went down west coast this last April and not 1 drop of rain!

[Pickle]

Bollocks to Milford bro. Check out the Takaka hill and Golden bay/Collingwood area. Theres a great pub at Onekaka on the way (The Mussell Inn), and the Takaka hill makes the Rimmas look like a glorified go cart track

Totally agree with you, go all the way to Collingwood visit the pub for a good feed of scallops and try a gooey duck. Lots less traffic than the Rimutakas and more interesting. Visit hippy town of Takaka for a night or 2

[Jamiepo]

Hot: Going through Burkes Pass, McKenzie Country, Dansees Pass (sp), Alex etc
Not: Canterbury Plains.
Am looking forward to Raes Junc though

Ooo, we have to have a go on the Crown Range.

I work for an Irrigation managment company and I spend most of the day driving around mid and south canterbury. I would have to say that I disagree with that, being from the N I it is really interesting driving around and looking at all of the sites.
Turn off at Rakaia Up Thompsons Track to methven and then across to geraldine then Through Pleasant point to timaru, Nice drive and the further west you go the more interesting the roads are. SH 1 sucks but head a few KMs east or west of it and its a hell of a lot better with a lot of really nice scenery