On our way - Easter '07

**Macktheknife** · 2nd March 2007, 22:42

Hey Tony how many of you are coming? You can have a night at our place too in Auckland if you need it, can take you up for a spot of snorkelling too if you like, Goat Island not far.
I remember Leeds quite well, I spent 2 days in the Royal Armoury museum there a couple of years ago, loved it. And I remember a pub called the 'Green Dragon' too! lol (well mostly remember!)
Give us a yell anyway.

**Fat Tony** · 2nd March 2007, 22:52

Originally Posted by Macktheknife

Hey Tony how many of you are coming? You can have a night at our place too in Auckland if you need it, can take you up for a spot of snorkelling too if you like, Goat Island not far.
I remember Leeds quite well, I spent 2 days in the Royal Armoury museum there a couple of years ago, loved it. And I remember a pub called the 'Green Dragon' too! lol (well mostly remember!)
Give us a yell anyway.

Cheers mate, very nice of you. You lot really are top draw

2 x adults (though their maturity is in doubt)
1 x 11yr old
1 x tent
2 x sleeping bags so fighting is guaranteed
And probably enough luggage to fill the rental that Sniper has sorted out for us three times over knowing the girls

We've only sorted out a loose schedule for our first few days on South Island, and are then playing the rest of the trip by ear... threw our original schedule out of the window once we realised that it wasn't going to be anything like do-able

I'm not exactly sure when we're going to hit Auckland, or if we'll have time to get further north but would love to take you up on the offer if we get a chance. Could you PM me some contact details I'll give you a call when we know the score if that's OK?

Thanks again,
Tony

(By the way, anybody that's expecting a big fat mafia don to turn up... urmmm... expect to have your hopes dashed

)

**Macktheknife** · 2nd March 2007, 22:58

Originally Posted by Fat Tony

Could you PM me some contact details I'll give you a call when we know the score if that's OK?

Thanks again,
Tony

(By the way, anybody that's expecting a big fat mafia don to turn up... urmmm... expect to have your hopes dashed

)

Done mate.

**Sniper** · 4th March 2007, 13:26

Like I said before, I'll say it again. I have a bed and things for you for however long you need it when you get here mate. I know jet lag can be a pain

**Hawkeye** · 4th March 2007, 13:55

When planning the route, make sure you give yourself plenty of time between points. You can almost double the time in NZ for the same distance in the UK. eg. Newcastle/London 4ish hours. Wellington/Auckland 8-9ish.

100k (65mph) max unless you want to collect some momentos of the trip from the

. Most roads are sealed but tend to be single carriage with passing lanes unless your near the main centres. Very few by-passes so you keep arriving at another village with a 50k (30mph) zone. That is why it takes so long to get anywhere (in a cage). (Don't you just love riding a bike!).

Unfortunately I've already got visitors staying at that time otherwise there would have been a bed for you in the Wellington region.
Enjoy your trip and I hope you do get to see some of this beautiful country sitting on 2 wheels. And if you are up for a beer when you reach Wellington and don't mind socialising with a geordie!

**Fat Tony** · 7th March 2007, 08:30

Originally Posted by Sniper

Like I said before, I'll say it again. I have a bed and things for you for however long you need it when you get here mate. I know jet lag can be a pain

Stu, thanks mate - will definitely take you up on the offer for the first couple of nights - the beer's on us

Hawkeye, cheers for the tips fella... 100kmh is going to take some getting used to

Socialise with a Geordie? Ooooo, I dunno...

(OK, so a couple of my best mates are Geordies) No worries on the bed front, Wellington's the only place that we actually know anybody in NZ so we're sorted cheers.

Thanks again folks

**scumdog** · 8th March 2007, 22:49

So when you get to the lower South Island make sure you PM me and I'll have room for you and family at Chez Scumdog, 'kay?

**Fat Tony** · 8th March 2007, 23:04

Originally Posted by scumdog

So when you get to the lower South Island make sure you PM me and I'll have room for you and family at Chez Scumdog, 'kay?

Cheers Scumdog. Unfortunately, due to the short amount of time that we're in NZ, we're only currently looking at doing the top half of South Island before heading over to North Island (Chch and north of). Bloody shame as I'd love to see SI in its entirity but with just over 2 weeks there I think we're going to struggle a bit as it is. How far in to 'lower South Island' are you?

**scumdog** · 8th March 2007, 23:10

Originally Posted by Fat Tony

Cheers Scumdog. Unfortunately, due to the short amount of time that we're in NZ, we're only currently looking at doing the top half of South Island before heading over to North Island (Chch and north of). Bloody shame as I'd love to see SI in its entirity but with just over 2 weeks there I think we're going to struggle a bit as it is. How far in to 'lower South Island' are you?

5 to 6 hours south of Christchurch on the most direct route. (SH1)

Bet ya never thought the South Island was THAT big eh?

**Fat Tony** · 8th March 2007, 23:40

Originally Posted by scumdog

5 to 6 hours south of Christchurch on the most direct route. (SH1)

Bet ya never thought the South Island was THAT big eh?

Not until I started to look in to mileages and estimated times to get from one place to another, hence our original schedule getting ripped up and thrown in the bin.

I forgot that while NZs land mass is similar to that of the UK, it's thinner and longer... oh and you have lower speed limits

Hope to see the south of the South some time though, so if the offer still stands when we do, I'll look forward to meeting up then. Thanks again for the offer.

**Beemer** · 10th March 2007, 08:04

It's not long now, eh Tony? The weather has been superb for the past few weeks so hopefully it will be pretty good when you get here. The spare bed will be ready and I'm sure we can make up a more comfortable bed than a sleeping bag on the floor for your daughter!

I'm pretty sure the balloon festival is on here Easter weekend so you may even be lucky enough to see some of them floating over the house during your stay.

See you soon!

**Blairos** · 10th March 2007, 15:46

Tony

Check out a thread of the SI Trip a few of us just completed here - if you are able to take in the whole island, its sure worth it - we completed our misson in about 11 days, but there were some big miles done some days

And, I can vouch for Scumdog's hospitality, second to none...

**woodybee** · 12th March 2007, 00:04

Hey dude,

I am a UK bird living over here, and a mate of scumdogs, I live in Queenstown, so if you hit the west coast taint far from that, have a sleepout to offer you and flat levels to camp out on, in the back garden if you want.

QT is beautiful as is the wholeof the south island, so try to get to see as much as you can, shame you are spending that long int he North Island.

mate are you going to the Isle of Man, I sure as hell am

Anyway have a wonderful trip

Woodybee, aka Jan, from Worcester before NZ