New Zealand Here We come - Huskytalk.com

**NickW** · 10-22-14

Finally booked a bike tour of the South Island (self guided). Picking up a Triumph Tiger in Christchurch and spending 12 days on the road

.

Going in late November so hope the weather is kind, or the missus will be giving me ear-ache! They did have a F800GT but unfortunately this has gone.

So any tips anyone?

**Carlos Fandango** · 10-22-14

Saw Henry Cole's program where he rode across NZ, looks absolutely breathtaking and lovely people, lucky fella! the Tiger should be a good choice of bike to do it on, post plenty of photos

**15292** · 10-22-14

all I can say is welcome, and enjoy the ride

Expect the west coast to be wet and spectacular, and the roads brilliant with the occasional lethal chinese tourist in a rental car and no doubt you'll figure it out as you go

the locals even speak English (of sorts)

**mondello** · 10-22-14

Click image for larger version.

Name: DSC03148.jpg
Views: 155
Size: 90.4 KB
ID: 115106

Just back from B Colombia where I took a Tiger Calgary-Vancouver on and off road. Wonderful bike for mountain work. Chose it for the Givi panniers but found they were not as useful as the BM expandable bags i use on ST n GT. Watch out for tank fuel range. Small creen was surprisingly good but I did not have to hack any rain.

**Flook** · 10-23-14

Bren, did you know you posted three of the same photo..
Nice scenery though, I would have thought it might have been a chilled when you took that photo.

**mondello** · 10-23-14

I am having problems on this forum. Just to see if I can do it I will attach another image once ...here goes.

Click image for larger version.

Name: DSC03143.jpg
Views: 150
Size: 94.8 KB
ID: 115122

**Flook** · 10-23-14

yep got one nice photo there

**mondello** · 10-23-14

OK that worked. Must put some text in before image and not visa versa. I fled the snow in Calgary and was riding in circa 8 deg C. It was cold till about midday but comfortable overall, comparable to 16 C here due to humidity I presume. Will attach image of Parker Glacier[if I can find it] Deg 0.

Click image for larger version.

Name: DSC02971.jpg
Views: 146
Size: 94.9 KB
ID: 115130

**oxytotl** · 10-23-14

Great photos Bren, looks marvellous scenery. I too had problems with photos - the ones I wanted to share are too large to even downsize to the 97Kb limit. Back to the drawing board.

**trevor** · 10-23-14

Nick when?

remember the west coast measures it's rain fall in metres! The eastern side in millimetres.

**NickW** · 10-24-14

Starting 20th November Trevor.

**KRA** · 10-24-14

Stunning riding roads, did 2 weeks with the missus on a rented VFR800 out of Christchurch a few years ago and would definitely do it again.

Highlights were Christchurch itself (punting rivers and restaurants), the helpful locals, Lake Tekapo (incredibly bright blue), Hokitika on the west coast, Wanaka, Fox & Franz Josef Glaciers, riding any road between lakes & mountains (like the road between Lake Wanaka and Lake Hawea), Queenstown (for water sports but is full of tourists), anything with the name 'Pass' in it (ie Arthurs Pass, Haast Pass) is good but be prepared to take every opportunity to overtake gawking tourists doing 25mph to make any progress, on the twisty passes it might be a while till you get another shot at it.

The weather can change immensely in minutes, we got caught in a brutal horizontal blizzard coming over a pass coming back from Hokitika to Christchurch (in time to return the bike) at the end of December which was mid-summer there. No option but to press on slowly, keep wiping the snow off the visor, control the slides and stay away from the cliff edges. East coast dry but flat and relatively featureless, west coast stunning but wet. You can actually see the rain clouds forming against the mountains. If you see a cloud in the distance, stop quickly or the downpour can hit you by the time you get the waterproofs on.

Do not ride up to the glaciers as the local birds (Kias?) actually eat bike seats along with car wipers, bumper trim and window rubbers. Seriously, get a lift up as they were big and although we were sceptical when told, we watched a few of the buggers tearing strips off parked cars.

Try not to run over the dead possums mid corner (surprisingly frequent) as they can be slippy.

Also, don't run the tank too low as it can be a surprising distance between fuel stations (nearly caught out twice). It can be a staion every 5 miles, every 5 miles, every 5 miles then nothing for 50.

And have a ball!!!!!!!

KRA

**Flook** · 10-24-14

Welcome to the site KRA, you must be near Carlos Fandango

**trevor** · 10-24-14

Nick

OK that's still "spring" down here. In the SI expect it to be cold at night <8C and anywhere between 8-25C during the day depending on the weather.

When I toured the SI I used this every day http://www.metservice.com/maps-radar...forecast-3-day if it looked like it was going to be dry on the West coast I nipped over. Also remember you have to cross the mountains to get from one side to the other, just the week before last they had snow and the road was closed (we don't salt them - we say 4x4 with chains or it's closed).

And when this happens park the bike

http://www.metservice.com/warnings/s...eather-outlook

Oh the forecast is about the same as the UK normally OK for the next 24-48 hours, but after that it's a fairy tale.

For pics look at my sig. it will take you off to my google page

**trevor** · 10-24-14

Oh and invest in a copy of this!

http://www.amazon.com/New-Zealand-Mo.../dp/1877302325

It has all the best roads marked on it and good rides (I plugged them all into my GPS).

**raycott** · 10-24-14

Originally Posted by NickW

Finally booked a bike tour of the South Island (self guided). Picking up a Triumph Tiger in Christchurch and spending 12 days on the road

.

Going in late November so hope the weather is kind, or the missus will be giving me ear-ache! They did have a F800GT but unfortunately this has gone.

So any tips anyone?

I have a complaint to make to KRA .you describe motorcycling in New Zealand better than most Kiwis do .But glad you enjoyed your time here .

Welcome NickW to NZ , just a suggestion , when you arrive in Christchurch ,first check the weather forecast , if the whole West Coast shows sunshine then do that side first then East Coast after, or vice versa , like Karl says you can get caught out very quickly . I am sure you and your missus will enjoy your stay , cheers Ray ( sorry Trevor you just beat me to it , Great information )

**trevor** · 10-24-14

Karl

Mid December may be officially "mid Summer", but the real good weather in not until Jan/Feb. (think July/August) - after 21 years I still add on 6 months to work out what the season should be

Yeah avoid the Kea they are known for destroying stuff.

Nick

Karl makes a good point about petrol stations (if you can hire a GPS do). And don't expect them to be open on a Sunday down in the SI (that nearly caught me out).

Be prepared to ride in rain it will happen.

https://www.niwa.co.nz/education-and...imate/overview yes on that map it is 10metres of rain per year

The good news no roads there and nobody lives there nothing to see.

Milford Sound however is specatular. Book in for the night, ride in in the evening (when all the tourist buses are leaving and going the other way). Spend the night in the lodge (the only option unless you are hiking the track), ride out in the morning. Take insect repellent!

**DWS** · 10-24-14

Those Kea aren't so bad ...

**slparry** · 10-25-14

Originally Posted by NickW

Finally booked a bike tour of the South Island (self guided). Picking up a Triumph Tiger in Christchurch and spending 12 days on the road

.

Going in late November so hope the weather is kind, or the missus will be giving me ear-ache! They did have a F800GT but unfortunately this has gone.

So any tips anyone?

Green with envy. My daughter is in Auckland for a year at the moment would love to go and visit

**TheMeteor** · 10-25-14

I visited NZ in 2009. What a beautiful country. I was only able to rent a bike for one day while in Queenstown. I dreaded having to return the bike at the end of the day. Do be aware of the rental travel campers and enjoy. Post some pics.

**Quiltzig** · 10-25-14

Originally Posted by NickW

Finally booked a bike tour of the South Island (self guided). Picking up a Triumph Tiger in Christchurch and spending 12 days on the road

.

Going in late November so hope the weather is kind, or the missus will be giving me ear-ache! They did have a F800GT but unfortunately this has gone.

So any tips anyone?

Best bikers road in the South Island is definitely the crown Range road from Wanaka to Queenstown. This is just such a cool road to ride that most riders just want to turn round and do it again in reverse !
Roads in the South Island are just so good that it is hard to find a bad one!
The Haast pass is good, and often overlooked is the ride north from Greymouth to Karamea.
The road over the Takaka hill from Nelson to Golden Bay is a technically challenging ride, but worth every single hairpin bend. Go on through to Farewell Spit for great views and a lunch at the cafe there.
We enjoy the South Island so much that we go down each year from the north island for a few weeks of touring. You will have a great time. Enjoy !

**Flook** · 10-26-14

Flipping heck guy's you all making want to come over to NZ. Your better than the Advertising companies for presenting your country, nice one.

**The Albatross** · 10-26-14

You picked a cracking bike to rent in the Tiger 800. I swopped my F800ST for one after a long South Island tour last autumn. Expect fuel consumption to be worse (5.2 lts/100km as opposed to 4.2 on the BMW) but I can still get a comfortable 300 kms range with some to spare. Watch out for gravel chipping on the back roads after they have been resurfaced. They are a different colour in the South Island and its really difficult to see the difference between the road surface and loose chippings left behind. The councils usually sweep them up after resurfacing but some rural roads are left untouched. The Crown Ranges road was a good example with some corners looser than many gravel roads so trust they swept them since April.You will rarely see a police car more than 20 kms from a town so stick to the speed limits around towns and enjoy the open road and twists in between them! My favourite road was the Haast Pass - even in the rain it was spectacular scenery. Enjoy!!!

**NickW** · 10-26-14

Hey guys, many thanks for your feedback! Looking forward to it even more now

.

KRA - Did you take your own crash helmets?

**DWS** · 10-27-14

Just don't expect to get any Chocolate Milk ...

**KRA** · 10-27-14

Nick - Yes. We took a large suitcase that got unpacked into the panniers (left at the rental station in Christchurch) but flew with our helmets as carry on luggage in helmet bags packed with heavyish stuff. We prefer our own helmets and gear but I think it is cheap enough to rent locally (and some throw them in free). Just check helmet widths if they decide to check (rarely do) when checking in. My AGV is fine but the missus Caberg is slightly wider and just makes it with a slight push which worried me. We always take our own helmets when renting/touring overseas (usually once or twice a year) and often fly in riding boots (taken straight off after boarding) and leather jackets to minimise the packing.

Quite amusingly, we kept passing a couple on a rented V-Strom on the west coast who kept passing us back and we ended up catching up in a cafe at the top of a pass (Arthurs???). Turns out they were dutch and had ridden their Tenere all the way from Amsterdam down to Melbourne (other than the boat crossings) and had flown from there to Christchurch to pick up the renter and were going to ride back home from Australia. After their comment 'it was not too far' I had to point out that it was actually the definition of far - you have to add in space travel to go further as it is diametrically opposite on the planet.

Flook - no idea. I am just outside Woodstock, Oxfordshire.

Argh, want to head back to ride NZ now. Was pencilling in Tasmania next year but may reconsider.

**NickW** · 12-12-14

Well we are back. Wow, what a beautiful country, friendly people and great roads. If you go you will not be disappointed! Will post some pics soon when I can figure how to reduce the size..

The only downsides were, it is a feckin long way

and the speeding ticket! I had a Tiger 800 which was great, lovely engine, was wondering if the engine would fit in my ST!

**Flook** · 12-12-14

Nice to see you had a great time Nick

**DWS** · 12-12-14

Originally Posted by NickW

Will post some pics soon when I can figure how to reduce the size..

Read this thread ...

**TheMeteor** · 12-13-14

Originally Posted by NickW

Well we are back. Wow, what a beautiful country, friendly people and great roads. If you go you will not be disappointed! Will post some pics soon when I can figure how to reduce the size..

The only downsides were, it is a feckin long way

and the speeding ticket! I had a Tiger 800 which was great, lovely engine, was wondering if the engine would fit in my ST!

I managed to get Velocity Certificate while visiting too! They are very strict.... only a few kph over but very expensive! At least the made it easy to pay ....just stop in any Westpac Bank with credit card.

Beautiful country..... someday will go back....