Planning to visit for our honeymoon.

[mcsake]

My finance is letting me plan our honeymoon and I have decided to do a motorcycle tour through New Zealand. I have always wanted to ride through New Zealand ever since I meet someone from this forum last year. He was passing through Columbus OH during a tour across the US. He told me how great the riding is here and that there is lot of friendly bikers and that I should checkout out this forum when I am ready to plan my trip so here I am. This needs to be a great trip otherwise she will never let me plan another vacation

About us. I currently ride a bmw gs650. We like hiking and camping. We don't mind roughing it but it would also be nice to stay somewhere with a nice bed for a few days since this is our honeymoon. We like to take the road less traveled and enjoy good food. We will be riding 2up so which means we probably have to stay on the roads but I wouldn't mind getting off the pavement and going on some dirt paths. We are planning on coming this Sept and will have about 10 days.

Where should we go north island, south island, or both?

Any suggested routes?

Suggestions on companies we should rent the motorcycle from? Should we do a guided tour? I do prefer to be on our own so we don't have a time commitment. But I would like to meet fellow bikers along the way.

Is September even a good month to come?

I am sure there will be more questions to come.

[red mermaid]

10 days will be a hurried trip for both islands so I would recommend you just do 1 island, South Island.

[Maha]

If you need a bed for a few days, we have all the comfort you will need.
We are 45 mins North of Auckland. A great 'go from' point to explore the wonders that is Northland.
September here is ending of Winter and the beginging of Spring, still a bit chilly one might say.

Still, NZ is wonderful place to come at anytime of the year.

We had a couple of Germans stay here a while ago, they had the same bikes as you guys will have.
Their two bikes, our two bikes and a car and still room to move in the downstairs Garage, heaps of room.

[scumdog]

I am in that frozen antartic wasteland known as 'the south of the South Island' - you are welcome to drop in, PM me....

[Mom]

I am in that frozen antartic wasteland known as 'the south of the South Island' - you are welcome to drop in, PM me....

Geeze, you make it sound soo attractive

[FJRider]

I am in that frozen antartic wasteland known as 'the south of the South Island' - you are welcome to drop in, PM me....

I saw on a map of your area "There be Dragons HERE"

[Ratti]

September I would stick to the north island. Its going to be windy, cold and wet no matter where you go,but not as snowy in the north island. The central Plateau gets snow at that time of year, but you can get through it in just a couple of hours so its not a biggie. There are hot pools around that area to warm up in. And you get to see my favourite part of the island.
If you decide to do a whirlwind tour, I live in Wellington. You will have to pass through here at least once to swap islands. I have a spare bed if you need it.Leave a note on visitor messages or pm me if you can.

[mcsake]

I really wanted to do south island but you guys are right it will probably be too cold. So for the north island I read that the east side is the better side for riding. Should we go down and back up the east side or do a full circle and go down the east side and the west side?

Suggestions on the best place to fly into and where to rent from?

[Ratti]

Ilove the west coast, its a lot more wild than the east. really different set of terrain and climates. But if you do that you will miss the central Plateau.. Still you're only here for 10 days, so do what you can really. Suggest the Whangamomona ride, Forgotten Highway its called. Google it and see how you go, You ok on rough road?

[Pixie]

"My finance is letting me plan our honeymoon"
Freudian slip there? heh heh
Enjoy your trip

[Slyer]

One thing you will notice is that there are lot more hills here

[cromagnon]

Check out www.advroutes.org.nz for some less traveled roads.

[sinfull]

You can cover a fair bit of ground in ten days !

Your buck goes a fair way over here too, as you prob already know and being how would you say, not the warmest time of year, i'd say flag camping and google top ten holiday resorts to check out renting units (treat the lady right, from the beginning). Take Maha up on his offer for a couple of nights (talk nicely enough he might even pick you up in his limo) base yourself there (Auckland) to do the upper north island, being riders themselves and knowing shitloads more, you wont be short of offers of daily rides to all points !

More offers will come i'm sure, where you could cut costs buy staying with Kbers (wheres boob when ya need him) Or Google Dawson falls lodge and see if that is still operating (was talk of the new owner closing it) it has the most fabulous honeymoon suite half way up Mt Taranaki !
The west coast (taranaki) offers some beautifull scenic roads where you can ride for 6 to 8 hours and do a loop back to base !

As Ratti said ya can't visit NZ and not pull off the road on the central plateau, strip down and jump into a naturally heated stream while the snow falls around you (god that sounds so surreal i must try it one day), so Taupo/Rotorua is another area to look at basing yourself for a night or two !

East coast yep ! fantastic roads and awesome coastline and beaches (did i hear a banjo) so that is a must see !

Remember you can ride all the way round the north island in (aprox) 20-30 hours, but of course see nothing but highways, which i'm picking your not about !

The south island roads (scenery) are fantastic but it all depends how much time in the saddle ya want !
You will be back (as most do)

Wellington Hmmm unless your into diverse out there nightlife, as a local i'd say good for catching the ferry is about it !

[Blackbird]

Hi and welcome in advance! I thought you might like to see this blog by one of your countrymen: http://kiwibound.livejournal.com/2009/03/27/. It's very well written and details his riding experiences in the south island. It might be helpful from an overseas perspective.

Also, this is the NZ riding bible:http://www.amazon.com/Zealand-Motorc...7652835&sr=8-1. It gives all the great routes.

I see you're from Columbus. You don't happen to work for the Timken Bearing Company, do you?

[MSTRS:Me]

Agreed that the South Is is probably still too cold, so do what you can in the North Is.
You'll get shitloads of ride routes offered...here's mine
Auckland - Coromandel - Bay of Plenty - East Cape - Hawkes Bay - Taihape - Turangi - Taumaranui - Whangamomona - Cape Egmont - Otorohanga - 39/16 back to Auckland - Northland if you have time.
That route covers the best coastal roads, central plateau, some gravel, all interesting...