Off to New Zealand this November

Hello riders,

I'm heading to NZ for an 11 day southern island New Zealand trip that starts this October 31st through November 10th.
I'll be starting and ending in Christchurch and making a loop of the island.
It will be self guided and I am super stoked.
I'm wondering if any fellow forum members have ridden down there?
I'll be renting and riding with http://www.paradisemotorcycletours.co.nz
Hoping to gather any insight or recommendations if you have them about New Zealand riding.
Thanks much and safe riding!

rodneysherwood said:

Hoping to gather any insight or recommendations if you have them about New Zealand riding.

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Keep left? Probably already heard that!! I want to do this one day...I spent some time there on a work project...loved the South Island and want to go back on a motorcycle. I liked Milford Sound, Queenstown, Invercargill is where Burt Munro is from...World's Fastest Indian...I think there's a museum there. I made it all the way to the tip of the South Island. Lots to see. A few other members have traveled there, too.

Go to google and type in this - site:bmwmoa.org "new zealand" - you'll find other threads where New Zealand has been discussed.

Lucky you! Have fun!!

20774 said:

Invercargill is where Burt Munro is from...World's Fastest Indian...I think there's a museum there.

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We toured NZ with Fred Rau and Ted Simon a few years ago. We loved it. The "museum" is the displays at the hardware store in Invercargill where they have Burt Munro's Indian as well as the bike that was used in the movie.

While I know you are "renting" a bike for a self guided tour, the company ought to be able to mark up a map for you with suggestions of good places to go and things to see. I'd ask them to do that when I went to pick up the bike or well before.

It looks like they will do full guided tour, booking and such for a self guided tour, or straight bike rental.

Don't miss Mt. Cook. or Pancake Rocks for sure.

good idea

20774 said:

Go to google and type in this - site:bmwmoa.org "new zealand" - you'll find other threads where New Zealand has been discussed.

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thanks for the tip!

PGlaves said:

While I know you are "renting" a bike for a self guided tour, the company ought to be able to mark up a map for you with suggestions of good places to go and things to see. I'd ask them to do that when I went to pick up the bike or well before.

It looks like they will do full guided tour, booking and such for a self guided tour, or straight bike rental.

Don't miss Mt. Cook. or Pancake Rocks for sure.

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Yes, the tour company is providing the bike and pre-loaded GPS route.
Cannot wait to see NZ! it looks pretty amazing.

Here's some notes from an email I sent a friend recently; sorry about the inconsistent formatting.

We've been three times now. Each time, we've said "Well, we like it but we've seen NZ now and it's so far away, we won't be going again." And then we go again.

Traveling there is easy, both because they speak English and because, on balance, they're calm and pleasant and helpful. Because Kiwis have a tradition of young people traveling overseas before/during/after college, the place is pretty cosmopolitan and the food better than one expects.

Trip #1 2000 - South Island only. Flew into Christchurch, rented a GS1100 from Te Waiponamu, rode CCW around the island for two weeks.

Trip #2 2010 - South Island mostly. We took Jon (then 22) and Cameron (then 28 ). Flew into Dunedin, rented a car, drove CW around the South Island, turned in the car at the Picton Ferry terminal and took the ferry to Wellington; stayed one night (walked and saw Te Papa, the natiional museum, really really wonderful), then flew home. Three weeks total.

Trip #3 2014 - North Island only. Did a home exchange in Wellington, drove around locally, then flew to Auckland, stayed in Devonport across the harbor (smaller feeling, really recommended) then rented a car and drove up to the Bay of Islands. Three weeks total.

In 2000, there was little internet connectivity and it was tough to make reservations. By this year's trip, just about everyone had email and websites. Much easier.

The South Island is prettier (to our eyes): fewer people, more dramatic scenery. The North Island's more developed, but really - by comparison with what we have here in the US - once you're out of downtown Auckland or Wellington, it's pretty countrified everywhere.

These were out "must-dos" and "can avoids:"

South Island: near Dunedin, see the albatross and blue-eyed penguin sanctuaries at the end of the Otago Peninsula,
and go to Milford or Doubtful Sound. We took an overnight cruise on Milford Sound and it was wonderful being out there on the water at the base of the cliffs.
the west coast (wild and empty) and the glaciers
Tauranga Bay restaurant. We stayed twice in homestays at Cape Foulwind; great seafront walk, local pub?and nothing else. The local town Westport is 10 miles away and a thin 1500 people. Take a glowworm cave tour. The Coaltown mining museum is interesting for its exhibit of the Denniston Incline.
Pancake Rocks are really interesting.
Queenstown. Adventure sports (bungy jumping, rafting, jetboating - we rafted), great ride on an old excursion steamboat across the lake to a Disneyland-like farmstead (big!) on the other side with sheep dog demos, etc. etc.
Arrowtown, near Queenstown. Cute, arty
Maruia Hot Springs (if you can stand the insects - take repellent!); Hamner also has hot springs, but is a family resort town of little charm. Maruia is out in the country by itself.
Many travelers like Nelson for its art scene, but I found it an essentially charmless midsize city.
We kayaked and hiked in Abel Tasman National Park, at the north end of the South Island. The experience was fairly touristy, but it was lovely and tropical out there.
We liked Lyttleton, Christchurch's port; the town was badly damaged in the 2013 earthquake
We didn't see Akaroa, the old French colony town on the Banks Peninsula, and would have liked to.
Dunedin feels like San Francisco

-D

We toured in 2013 with South Pacific Mototours. I'll add: a big +1 for Milford Sound cruise;
I didn't care for Queenstown--too 'touristy', but the road from Queenstown along the lake to Glenorchy has to be one of the best rides in the world; spend some time at Aoraki/Mt. Cook; we enjoyed a whale watching cruise out of Kaikoura.

On the North Island, definitely spend time at Te Papa museum in Wellington; in Rotorua, Te Puia 'museum/park' highlights Maori culture and geothermal features, Te Po is Te Puia?s evening cultural experience (a little kitschy, but informative and generally fun); great riding and scenery around Coromandel Forest Park.

I found WiFi to be spotty, bandwidth limited, and expensive. A smart phone with a data plan proved much more reliable for web access, email, blog updates, etc. We picked up Vodafone simcards for our unlocked GSM phones at the Auckland airport.

Voni said:

When we visited in 2010 I distilled my many pictures into my favorites in these categories:

People:
http://s320.photobucket.com/user/Glaves/library/2010 NZ1 People?sort=6&page=1

Food:
http://s320.photobucket.com/user/Glaves/library/2010 NZ2 Food?sort=6&page=1

Views:
http://s320.photobucket.com/user/Glaves/library/2010 NZ3 Views?sort=6&page=1

AND, Too good not to share:
http://s320.photobucket.com/user/Glaves/library/2010 NZ4 Too Good Not to Share?sort=6&page=1





And here is the blog we posted to the forum:
http://forums.bmwmoa.org/showthread.php?42885-New-Zealand-and-Hawaii-2010

Internet was spotty and/or expensive so we shared more when we came home again.

ENJOY!

Voni
sMiling

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Thank you so much!

Thanks for the great tips!

jkersh1 said:

We toured in 2013 with South Pacific Mototours. I'll add: a big +1 for Milford Sound cruise;
I didn't care for Queenstown--too 'touristy', but the road from Queenstown along the lake to Glenorchy has to be one of the best rides in the world; spend some time at Aoraki/Mt. Cook; we enjoyed a whale watching cruise out of Kaikoura.

On the North Island, definitely spend time at Te Papa museum in Wellington; in Rotorua, Te Puia 'museum/park' highlights Maori culture and geothermal features, Te Po is Te Puia?s evening cultural experience (a little kitschy, but informative and generally fun); great riding and scenery around Coromandel Forest Park.

I found WiFi to be spotty, bandwidth limited, and expensive. A smart phone with a data plan proved much more reliable for web access, email, blog updates, etc. We picked up Vodafone simcards for our unlocked GSM phones at the Auckland airport.

Click to expand...

Cannot wait to go. Thanks for the heads up on the internet and smart phone.

Also look at the older thread here in "Just Ridin' for "New-Zealand-Edelweiss-Motor-Cycle-Tour" on page 3
Only a little dated but good variety.
Don't get bogged down w/ information.
1$NZ = 87-88 Cents US 7/21/14. Just take lots of money.
Don't get bogged down by being cheap either.
You are going to have a great time.
Charlie

Touring NZ

Hi. My wife and I, from Vancouver Island, spent 4 weeks March of 2012 on a 2007 Suzuki DL1000 touring both islands. Although it was one of their worst summers ever for rain and cold, we had a great time thanks to the great people, food, and scenery. I would agree generally that south island riding is the most scenic. When heading to Greymouth south from Nelson look for Blackball and stay at the Formerly Hilton Hotel. It is popular with bikers. You can find small seal coated roads from there to take you over Arthur's Pass to the east side. If you're riding dual sport bikes, try Molesworth Station near Hamner Springs. Riding the west coast south to Franz Joseph is park like with many one way bridges. Watch the signage for traffic flow. Queenstown was a bit too much for us, but the ride to Teanu and Milford Sound made up for it. There were no bad roads. Stray a little or a lot. You will always find good food and accommodation. If on the north island, the forgotten highway from Hamilton to ?Taupo was another great ride. So many roads, so little time. Have fun.

Off to NZ

It's the first of October and you only have another month. I'm very envious !
Here are a few notes from one of our trips that my wife and I went on.

Jan/Feb 20??
I woke up this morning and looked in the mirror and saw a Pakeha. Ok, I can deal with that.
Had 2 chook eggs (nice dark yolks) before fixing coffee and had trouble with the hob. Is the switch on or not ?
Tried to fix my wife's tea and the zip overflowed after finally switching the power on. I have the new switches down pat, but the old ones are trial and error and play with me every time I use them.

When I stopped for petrol, the girl asked me if I wanted a docket. Hunh ?, I'm thinking. I know I just bought petrol, but did I ship something ? When I came to, by the look on her face, I could tell that it is not very easy to hide that look of a confused country boy from rural Virginia. At least I was entertained. I love it!

On the way to Kawhia on a very nice road with no traffic, I pass a road sign pointing to the later afternoons destination. The road was metal and I slowed down to tell my wife that I won't be taking that way as 30 km
of metal didn't seem like as much fun as a sealed road would be. After lunch and having another look at the metal road, it turned out that it would save 2 1/2 hrs. Metal it is. Turned out to be a nice road and lo and behold we rounded a bend and there was a Plunket ! Didn't have to slam on the binders as the Plunket was on the side of the road.

Stayed a night in Port Waitomo, where the Waikato River enters the Tasman Sea. The campground cabin was in the blazing sun all day and must have been 45 degrees until well after 1 am. I have no idea how hot 45 degrees C is but it sounded good as it was hot. The sun at this latitude seems intense. Life is good over here. I'm "happy as a box of birds".

Happiness here is, after driving for a while and encountering your first vehicle of the day coming the other way, discovering that indeed you are on the correct side (left) of the road !

Some of these may not be exactly right. Check with locals. Spelling from memory.

Pakeha-Non Maori
Chook- Chicken
Hob-Stove or hot plate burner
Zip-Wall mounted hot water heater ( for Tea etc.) 220 volt. I mean hot/ boiling
Docket-Receipt
Plunket-School for 5 yrs and younger
Metal-Gravel
Box of Birds-Real Happy apparently


May you wallow in the fact that you trip will be 10% cheaper today than just last July as the NZ Dollar has fallen some against the US Dollar. Tell your credit card company where you're going and get a PIN number for your credit card.
Take your bosses day and nighttime phone #'s and keep it with the # at your Airlines that you can reschedule/delay your return.
Have a great time and can we hear a short or long recap after you get back ?
Charlie

Per the the above comment about PIN for CC's:

Our current CC has neither & magnetic stripe only. Our debit card has a stripe/pin and is commonly used as our "ATM cash card" for travel(plus gasoline when it saves $ or for Wally world $100.00) otherwise neither has an embedded chip in the end as common in Europe now. After having the experience of recently being unable to buy gasoline(as in zero gas) during a Euro trip I am wondering about where,what,etc. "CC's are doing"?
It's bad enough already when the plastic controllers "turn off your card" when your en-route somewhere (and supposedly having a great time) to find your card is a no-go for lack of the chip & PIN features.
NZ is on our bucket list, so what is working down there per my comments?
Refresh my memory-what are typical travel miles per day on a self travel rental tour?
My point of decision is two-fold: pick a month to travel between Sept.1st-May 30th, with personal preference for Jan.,Feb.,March?
and to decide if MC is gonna work OK based on non-rider spouse as pillion partner based on miles per day rigors vs. rent a car?

In a very well related way to NZ trips-as in long air hours & DVT(deep vein thrombosis) (and for that matter I wonder if there is a corollary concern for long hours on a MC saddle)?

I just watched the Fox Sunday "TV doctor show" wherein they discussed DVT and ways to avoid it and treatments. That is a lonnnnng air trip down there to NZ! 600,000 people have DVT in USA & many will die from it or suffer debilitating results. MC riding also places you in a sitting position for long periods. Comments from " doctor riders" or others with expertise?

I do wonder how a "gravel road" became a "metal road"? Weird,huh?

New Zealand

New Zealand is often a test bed for US products and business trends. Coke Zero was there long before being around where I live and finally, we have Magnam ice cream bars too. It took a few years to figure out that a 4 digit pin #, for a magnetic strip credit card transaction, was much better. Before I got a Pin #, the cashier would lay your card down, back side up to see your signature while you sign the receipt (who does that here in the US ?). Pin#'s take seconds and are much more secure. Why don't we have credit card Pin #'s in the US ? Bottom line is money for the card company. If we had them, it sure would make it easier on the heart after the sudden discovery that you have lost your wallet or your card. I have heard something about NZ going card chip only. Won't work very well with the tourist.
Things change rapidly in NZ, so this information that is 7 or 8 months old may be obsolete by now.
I have never used an ATM, so I don't know much about about electronic money. Cash I do know. I wonder if the Canadians have Pin #'s for credit cards.

Well it looks like y'all have given him lots of good tips and advice. The only thing I have to say is Vegemite will never be popular in the U.S.!

You're exactly right !

NZ in November

Excellent map
Kiwimaps ltd

Kiwi Pathfinder
New Zealand
South Island (or North Island)
1:1 000 000
Topographical Map Series

Get laminated in a paper or book store to make it last a lot longer.

13278 said:

New Zealand is often a test bed for US products and business trends. Coke Zero was there long before being around where I live and finally, we have Magnam ice cream bars too. It took a few years to figure out that a 4 digit pin #, for a magnetic strip credit card transaction, was much better. Before I got a Pin #, the cashier would lay your card down, back side up to see your signature while you sign the receipt (who does that here in the US ?). Pin#'s take seconds and are much more secure. Why don't we have credit card Pin #'s in the US ? Bottom line is money for the card company. If we had them, it sure would make it easier on the heart after the sudden discovery that you have lost your wallet or your card. I have heard something about NZ going card chip only. Won't work very well with the tourist.
Things change rapidly in NZ, so this information that is 7 or 8 months old may be obsolete by now.
I have never used an ATM, so I don't know much about about electronic money. Cash I do know. I wonder if the Canadians have Pin #'s for credit cards.

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Per "electronic money"- FWIW, I've never heard of an ATM that "spit out anything other than cash" ? " Kind of handy when banks are often closed at night...