Hi I'm new, coming to ride in NZ next year

[lv929]

Hi I just posted in the Newbies bit but I'd like to pick your brains as I was told you were really really friendly and helpful.

Hubby, I and another couple are coming to your beautiful country next Feb/Mar for a very special trip. My initial thoughts are to hire bikes for about 8 days to ride around the South island, and also I am really into scuba and want at least to do the whale/dolphin thing. The holiday is 3 weeks long but some of it will be in Aus. We are experienced tourers round Europe and the USA but this is our most exciting idea yet.

We have found various bike hire shops in Christchurch but I have no way of knowing who's "best" or whatever. They will do a fully guided tour - too expensive for us perhaps, and maybe not enough freedom? or they will just hire us the bikes. We need 3 bikes. I was thinking of vfr800s, I can handle one no worries, I've been riding all sorts of bikes for about 25 years, hubby rides a Pan, and the other couple with us will be 2 up. But I will have no idea about where to stay, suggested mileage per day etc...

I hope it's OK if I can ask you for your advice, this is a bit of a trip of a lifetime for me. I'm an experienced tourer and racer and I want to plan this trip for us all so that we get the most out of it.

Looking forward to hearing form you

Cheers

lv929

[Grumpy]

Can't help much with the rental info but have done a couple of trips down there and both times we stayed at Top Ten camping grounds in cabins. At worst you'll need a sleeping bag. Excellent accomadation and reasonably priced. We averaged about 400km's a day. The west coast is where you will probably spend most of your time. There's a little more to see. I'm sure some of the KB'ers from down south will have some good tips for you.

[Shaun]

Hi, you can take a look at this site (www.nzbike.com) A really good company with a lot to offer.


There is a really good motorcyclist road tour map of New Zealand as well, not sure of the name, but a google search should fix that!

I am sure a lot more people will reply to you once they all get out of bed or there boss stops looking over there shoulder at what they are doing on there lap tops.

Enjoy your trip, and ride safe.

[Mooch]

As Shaun has stated , A book worth getting is Great Escapes http://www.mcycle.co.nz/books.htm, wife and I have done a number of the rides in it would consider it to be an essentail read before hand. The riding estimate times are realistic as well , money well spent.
People from KB should be about to sort you out with local knowledge as well.
Here's another worth will NZ site as well.

http://www.tourism.net.nz/

[limbimtimwim]

I'm an experienced tourer and racer and I want to plan this trip for us all so that we get the most out of it.

Hi there,

If I were you, I'd weight my time in NZ to the South island. And I'm a born and bred North islander. The South has great (almost deserted at times) roads, scenery that'll make you cry, lots of things to do, interesting bits of history just on the edge of your vision and the people are just a little bit more affable.

Did I mention the scenery?

Not that the North is rubbish, but the South is where you'll enjoy yourself most.

[avrflr]

Since you are a keen scuba diver, it would be a shame to come all this way and not visit the Poor Knights Islands. One of the worlds great dives, definitely worth considering.

[babyB]

hay there. im not much help
but hay i hope you enjoy your trip here

[Shadows]

Since you are a keen scuba diver, it would be a shame to come all this way and not visit the Poor Knights Islands. One of the worlds great dives, definitely worth considering.

I hear that's quite a difficult ride. Never tried it myself.

But seriously, if you're touring the South Island you've have to dive Fiordland. 10 feet of fresh water floating on top of the salt water, heaps of tannin from the surrounding forests, makes it one of the few places in the world you can see some real deep water sealife without a submarine.

[laRIKin]

Hi and welcome lv929

Well here are a few thing that you may find helpful.

The roads down here (South Island), apart from the ones on the Canterbury Plains.
Are narrow and are twisty as they are going though hills and mountain passes.
So it will probably take you longer to get from place to place than you will think it will.
So plan your trip around that and you should be all right.
Even speeding you will only average about 100 ks in a hour.
And because you will be stopping to have a look and take photos this will eat in to your time even more.
Because there are only so many way to get to places the cops know where to lay in wait, so becareful or you will be donating money to their end of year party.

The weather down here can change in half an hour and we can get four seasons in a day and sometimes in half aday.
And because your are travelling around, the weather can change from valley to valley.
So bring your wet and warm clothes and shorts, you will need both.
Last week it was hot and to day it’s like winter and the heaters are on.
And some trees have been blown down and there’s been flooding, its been real rough weather the last two days.

Cell phone coverage is not that good down the west coast and down the middle of the South Island because of the hills.
And in this area it is sparsly populated and service stations can keep funny hours and can be far apart. Because a lot of the farms have there own fuel tanks.
So keep your tank topped up because it could be awhile to your next fuel stop and it will save you a long walk for fuel or help.

Can not help you with bike hire as I have never done it.
But have never heard that one company is better or worse than another.

Hope this of some help and see you next year maybe

[Troll]

spend all of your time in the south island

have been around the si 9 times on a bike, one of the best biking experiences in the world great roads

as for the north island coromandel is great and there are some great roads in the central north island but it does not compare to the south island

east coast of the north island is not ro be recommended on a harley, a lot of gang / racial problems there and both myself and friends of mine have had less than pleasurable experiences in that region

[lv929]

thankyou so much this is exactly the kind of stuff I wanted to hear! We do a lot of riding in the Swiss/French Alps and we are very used to extreme twisties - which are very challenging on a K5 let me tell you, my bmw-riding friends were waiting for me at the bottom of every pass this year!!!

I will get the book someone recommended, and being Brits we all have LOTS of warm bike gear so we'll pack that!

I will need to plan accomodation as well. Will an ordinary tourist book do?

Thanks again, you're very helpful

[oldrider]

east coast of the north island is not ro be recommended on a harley, a lot of gang / racial problems there and both myself and friends of mine have had less than pleasurable experiences in that region

Not wanting to play down your own experience but that's a bit of a harsh generalisation isn't it.

I think the East Cape is as good as almost any of the SI West coast road for scenery and I'm SI biased.

To visitors; I think the whole country is worth seeing, even Auckland!

Auckland used to be fantastic too before they put the people in it. :eyepoke:

Have a good look around everywhere and have a good trip. Cheers John.

[Troll]

Not wanting to play down your own experience but that's a bit of a harsh generalisation isn't it.

depends upon your individual experience

myself it was almost 20 years from the first time I went there until I returned, had no problems but found that service reception in cafes etc if you were not local was not as good as other parts of the country and compared to the SI the experience did not measure up

I also have friends whose experience is such that none of them will ever return there again

apart from that the East coast has fantastic scenery and great roads

[sels1]

http://www.motorcycle-hire.co.nz/

These guys are good too - small friendly company.

[Lazy7]

http://www.google.co.nz/search?hl=en...cle+tour&meta=

wow - look at them all

new zealand (scenery wise) really is a lovely place. i haven't spent much time traveling around the south island but i know the north island very well.

the best part about new zealand (i think) is that you can ride from one place to another in about 30mins and its like you've gone to a completely different country!

from snow capped mountains to sandy beaches, dry deserts to lush green forests. they are all only an hour or so apart.

i would recommend to stay away from the major cities, espeically auckland. get out into the country side, the beaches etc. New Zealand is a country of holiday lovers and the place is littered with cheap accomodation. You could stop at any number of camp sites and rent fully furnished cabins, a stones throw away from a beautiful beach from $25 a night.

heres some of the pics i took last time i was out and about in the land of the long white cloud ;-)