Some advice regarding cycling in New Zealand

Hi,
I haven't posted for a while, but I could use some of the
collective wisdom of this group. My sweetie and I are planning on
packing our tandem and heading for New Zealand in September and cycle
around for three weeks. We plan on renting a van or camper or truck to
haul the bike from place to place and then do day rides in the areas.
We plan on just under three weeks for the trip and will start in
Aukland and cycle down to the southern tip of the South Island. I
ordered the Cycling New Zealand book, but I'd love to hear from anyone
who has ridden there or lives there.

Arnie

On May 3, 7:21*pm, arnieb wrote:
Hi,
* *I haven't posted for a while, but I could use some of the
collective wisdom of this group. My sweetie and I are planning on
packing our tandem and heading for New Zealand in September and cycle
around for three weeks. We plan on renting a van or camper or truck to
haul the bike from place to place and then do day rides in the areas.
We plan on just under three weeks for the trip and will start in
Aukland and cycle down to the southern tip of the South Island. I
ordered the Cycling New Zealand book, but I'd love to hear from anyone
who has ridden there or lives there.

Arnie

Hi Arnie,

I always recommend these cycling guidebooks:
http://www.paradise-press.co.nz/
One for the north island and one for the south island. They are
small, light and contain all the information you need. I may be
biased - I stayed with him when he ran a hostel for cyclists and he
was very helpful. He is a local who is a cycling advocate. I like to
support that.

New Zealand is a wonderful place to cycle. There are many interesting
things very close together. It's hard to go wrong. Here are some
random thoughts.

On the North Island, I enjoyed cycling on the Coromandel Peninsula.
It's quiet with lovely scenery. The geothermal plateau in the centre
is a very interesting place to visit. The geothermal reserves around
Rotorua are fascinating. Buses will drop you off at one end and pick
you up at the other end of the Tongariro Crossing. It has been called
the best day hike in New Zealand. The Te Papa museum in Wellington is
worth a visit.

The roads on the South Island are less busy. The coast down to
Kaikoura is beautiful. You can go whale-watching when you reach
Kaikoura. The glaciers on the west coast are worthwhile, but the west
coast is a rain forest so be warned. Queenstown and Wanaka are
similar. They are both towns on a lake by beautiful mountains and
known for adrenaline sports. Queenstown is more famous. Wanaka seems
to be preferred by the locals because it is more laid back. There are
some good climbs in the area - the Haast pass and the climb between
Queenstown and Wanaka are recommended. I enjoyed taking a day trip
out to Milford Sound by bus. I missed Doubtful Sound (next time).
When I was on the south coast I was forced to a stop by wind in Curio
Bay. It turned out to be good fortune - there is a petrified forest
there and I saw penguins and dolphins.

I hope this helps. Enjoy!

Cheers!
Don

I haven't cycled in NZ, but I have driven there. The local drivers are
often pretty reckless, and both speed and tailgate. The roads are
usually narrow, and shoulder space - where it exists - is extremely
limited. A lot of the bridges (and there are many, many bridges) are
single-lane.

Also, the hills you'll encounter are prodigious and it rains a lot,
but I see you're from Washington state, so maybe that won't be an
issue for you!

Then again, there's not much traffic and the scenery is spectacular.

I'd recommend the south island (known locally as "the mainland") over
the north.


-- Phil

Some absolutely brilliant advice! Thanks so much for your useful posts.

I am thinking about going travellling later next year and have been told that cycling round NZ is a fantastic experience. There is so much planning involved but hopefully it will be worth it once I am out there.

Thanks for the recommendations on books though. Hadn't thought that anyone would have specifically written on this topic.

This forum is just brilliant for ideas!

Thanks

Originally Posted by mischastar

Some absolutely brilliant advice! Thanks so much for your useful posts.

I am thinking about going travellling later next year and have been told that cycling round NZ is a fantastic experience. There is so much planning involved but hopefully it will be worth it once I am out there.

Thanks for the recommendations on books though. Hadn't thought that anyone would have specifically written on this topic.

This forum is just brilliant for ideas!

Thanks

Aha !I have a cycle this day ! Wonderful!