New Zealand Touring

[TCFA]

Hi good people

Heading to Australia for Christmas and planning to do a 2 week tour of NZ afterwards (probable starting 27/28 Dec ish)

Would love to hear recommendations for bike hire organisations (decided to do it that way instead of shipping my own - although let me know if you think taking mine might be cheaper?), best place to start, things to see, and just to hear your stories and see your photos to whet my appetite!

Ta
____________________
Then: Kawasaki ZZR250 > Suzuki Across 250 > Suzuki SV650 > Honda CB750
Now: Honda CBR600F and Triumph Tiger 800 XRT

[Freddyfruitba...]

[TCFA]

Thanks! Yep they were one of the companies I saw and the rental prices seem about in line with the others. I thought about self guided but there will be a few of us possibly with different agendas at different times, and we might camp occasionally, so I think we'll go with rental only. Big birthday here too .......!
____________________
Then: Kawasaki ZZR250 > Suzuki Across 250 > Suzuki SV650 > Honda CB750
Now: Honda CBR600F and Triumph Tiger 800 XRT

[Groovin]

Great riding country. Mind their "road works" are not like it is here.

They like to take the whole layer of tarmac off and lay down a foot or so of gravel then tarmac back over it. They have a lot of twisties (great twisties, the river gorges in the central North Island are great). But I came across some road works on a downslope with a left hand turn at the bottom. The road workmen are much friendlier, too, if you were a bit uncertain they'd come and give you a hand, but you have to be able to take the ribbing they give you.

But its worth spending a week or three
Highly recommend the top of the Northern Island. We had a brilliant time in Russell .
Avoid Auckland, awful place. Drivers are mental.

[TCFA]

Great tips, thank you. Right now I've held off booking anything. The friends we were going to Aus for have postponed their wedding for a yr and who knows when Aus and NZ will start lifting restrictions. The office is badgering me about taking my unpaid leave so I have to make a decision soon. I don't want 6 weeks off over Christmas with nowhere to go!!

Watch this space ...
____________________
Then: Kawasaki ZZR250 > Suzuki Across 250 > Suzuki SV650 > Honda CB750
Now: Honda CBR600F and Triumph Tiger 800 XRT

[hellkat]

The thing with going over those 6 weeks is that everybody is away on holiday.
Its not that the shops are shut, but its that everybody is "at the beach" from sort of the week before Xmas untl the end of Jan.

Lot of smaller coastal towns will be busy and lots of laid back people, but the cities still run (just) - things close down (govt departments) for the duration, and it gets very laid back. Probably men still wear shorts and long socks with sandals, hahaha.

But the weather certainly is glorious.
Hoping to be back there myself round about then, but depends on travel restrictions.

I was there in November last year, for a family shindig ... I got proper sunburnt in Sydney on day 2. It took me a week of staying out of the sun in the Auckland weather to get over it, so WEAR SUNSCREEN, AND A HAT, AND A SHIRT.

If you end up not going over Xmas because of travel restrictions, the cheapest time to go there is between February and June, and although its becoming winter by about May, the weather is still not freezing (unless you're in the mountainy bits, in which case much snowfulness) I've been known to wear just shorts and flip flops at my Mum's house in Auckland in June/July which is the height of their winter.
____________________
Not nearly as interesting in real life.

[ThunderGuts]

I toured NZ in a campervan with the Mrs a few years ago; did both Islands (recommended; they're very different). It's a great country, but my summarised thoughts;

- Roads are mainly empty and in good condition
- Roadworks, as mentioned, are pretty extreme sometimes - they were repairing the main coast road on the northern end of the South Island when we went and it was about 10 miles of gravel ruts and potholes on what is the equivalent of their main North-South trunk road on the South Island; I was glad it wasn't my own vehicle
- Some bits are pretty remote (thinking South Island here) so plan your fuel stops depending on your bike's range
- Watch out for foreign tourists; most people who holiday here hire a car/campervan as it's difficult to get about otherwise, but are unaccustomed to driving on the left. It's not unusual to find hire vehicles on the wrong side of the road as there's so little traffic to remind them where they should be
- They love card (and contactless) payment; I can barely think of anywhere we had to pay cash
- The coffee is great
- Good craft beer but you'll pay for it (typically £5 a pint minimum in bars/breweries) and bizarrely it's not really any cheaper in the supermarkets
- Fjordland in the South Island is stunning (but remote); Milford Sound is a worthwhile detour, but the ride there is better than the end destination in my opinion
- If you're camping, watch out for sandflies (generally found in the sort of places you'd get midges in the UK, so think forests, lakesides etc.) - persistent and with a seemingly insatiable appetite for humans
- The cities/large towns are nothing to get excited about (in my opinion); Auckland just felt like any other large city whereas Queenstown felt like an enlarged Keswick
- If camping, the DOC (government ran) campsites can be good value and in fabulous locations
- The weather can be very changeable including strong winds (we thought similar to the UK overall during our visit)
- If you get chance, visit the Urban Winery in Napier on the North Island; it sells one of the best Chardonnays I've ever had (Fat & Sassy, they now do some really fancy ones too). Really friendly owners with a great selection of Vinyl to play while you drink and good bar food
- NZ Marmite (red label, the UK stuff is branded "Our Mate" over there) is an acquired taste but I can't get enough of the stuff now. Bring some back if you like it as it's expensive and difficult to buy in the UK!

Enjoy it - it's a great country. We stopped at Singapore on the way over as it's worth a few days to explore too.
____________________
TG.

[Irezumi]

Place called Raglan on the east coast of North Island, has dolphins and whales in the bay!

Napier/Hastings for the art deco on its own.

South Island go to Fergburger in Queenstown, best burgers anywhere ever potentially!

If youre in NZ over Christmas then on Boxing day there is normally (no idea about this year for obvious reasons) the cemetery circuit races at Wanganui. Short street racing circuit with the riders really close, normally have a few TT riders turn up, very quick guys all round though. Wanganui is east coast north island

[KiwiBob]

[hellkat]

I'm pleased to see you spell Wanganui without the H
My gears get ground when I see it spelt with an H, which I have noticed quite a bit in recent years. At first I put it down to bad spellers, but it seems that maybe in my absence its deemed to be the culturally correct way to spell it ( ) but when I grew up, it was never spelled with one
____________________
Not nearly as interesting in real life.

[Lance Beinstrong]

Hello,
I have a question about this topic. How do you get your own bike to New Zealand? With plain or a boot?

Greetings

[Ste]

With a plain boot.

Obviously.

[hellkat]

In a container marked "Biohazard"
____________________
Not nearly as interesting in real life.

[steve the grease]

Go for it - we are only here once.

Sandflies- red marks on my feet 3 years later!

The back road to Queenstown.
____________________
All the above is my personal opinion, you can see my lips move, but I'm talking out of my arse.
I've been riding, and fixing , bikes for 50 years, in that time the more I learn, the less I am absolutely sure of.....

[Freddyfruitba...]

[Kawasaki Jimbo]

I was on that road in a Mazda 2 in 2011, having been let down by the bike hire company. I was on the South Island for a family wedding, then planned 8 days solo-touring. On the Saturday morning after the wedding I pitched up at the industrial unit as arranged to collect a Suzuki V-Storm 650. I had brought all my own gear. No answer, and I couldn't contact anyone there either. Long story short, I got an apology of sorts later and a refund (in two payments). I won't name the company except to say they haven't been mentioned in this thread. They had good reviews and I think they are still going/resurrected so I guess it was a one-off/mis-communication/single bad employee. A missed opportunity but I still had a great tour in the car and probably saw more than I would have on a bike because I just drove and drove. The car hire bloke raised an eyebrow when I got back!

Pics 2 and 3 are Pancake Rocks, Punakaiki and a whale-watching boat with Kaikoura in the background.

I scared myself to death driving into Homer Tunnel towards Milford Sound, I could hardly see a thing until I remembered I was still wearing sunglasses.

https://i.postimg.cc/DwHcnz37/IMG-2541.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/DzGPZK7L/IMG-2540.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/526mhCGP/IMG-2542.jpg

[ThunderGuts]