Thorn Cycles Forum
Community => Muppets Threads! (And Anything Else) => Topic started by: jags on September 15, 2013, 03:42:24 PM
-
Have we any lads from New zealand on here.
my son is heading that way in November to work there for a while he's a mural artist.but he's talking of buying a bike when he gets there and maybe doing some touring about.
so wheres the best places to visit or should he just explore it himself.
-
He'll have a whale of a time, Jags. I'm not a kiwi but did a 3 month trip there using tourist buses and sharing a guy's car in 2011 and loved it. I would say just go and see what happens. Once he gets talking to the locals then who knows what opportunities will arise - I got chatting to the owners of a hostel up in Pahia and spent the next 3 days helping to crew their mate's yacht down the coast to Auckland!
As I went in January there were really cheap deals on the tourist bus routes so I bought a cheap bus ticket before I left the UK covering both islands. Once I got there I used it to go around the North Island but on the South Island I started travelling with a Swiss guy I met in a hostel who'd bought a car. This was much better as we could get off the beaten track and drive up to some of the trail heads for mountain walks. If your son is into mountain hiking then there's a fantastic network of mountain huts that you can make use of.
It would have been fun to cycle as the distances aren't that huge and stopping to chat to the locals would have opened up some great opportunities. But then again, buying an old car is pretty common amongst travellers as you can pick up a reasonable one for around 1000 UK pounds, pay the road tax (which has 3rd party insurance included quite cheaply) and drive it. Then, when you come to sell it I think you need to MOT it but that makes selling it easier. Buy an estate like my Swiss friend and you can sleep in it!
One place that I can really recommend is a small hostel at the north end of the west coast on the South Island in Karamea. It's the only place I've stayed at that has its own organic farm, community radio station and artist in residence! Great place for an artist to visit. http://rongobackpackers.com/
-
Thanks freewheeler i'll pass on the info, i've no idea what part he heading too i'll ask him next time he skypes me which should be during the week.
-
I am Scottish, but also a New Zealander, having lived there for a few years around the turn of the millennium and gained citizenship. I have cycle toured pretty much the whole country, some parts many times. Also returned for four months touring in 2007/8.
The North Island is not as good as it was for touring due to the traffic but there are still some good routes to follow if you pick your roads carefully. The East Cape and the Wairarapa are particularly nice. Otherwise, the whole of the South Island is superb with the exception of State Highway 1 in places where the traffic is too risky. Also weekends can be busy on other roads.
NZ drivers have a bad reputation with cyclists but my view is that this is overdone, they are not as bad as many other places.
NZPeterG on here lives around Taupo in the central North Island
-
cheers rual again i'll pass on the info i'm not to sure of his plans he keeps changing his mind ::)
-
Hi i'm a Kiwi,
Live in Godzone (New Zealand)
All of NZ is a must See! New Zealand is like Europe/U.K and more all in one land.
Pete :-*
-
My brother's just moved from Auckland to Wanaka. Going to have to get the time to go down and see him (i.e. use his home as a base for riding the Otago rail trail and surrounding areas)