17th November 2008 till May 2009
 

Thats the rough time frame i have for a tour of Australia and New Zealand and hopefully with the last few weeks in Japan.

Got a DR600 hired for the duration, with no timetable and no routes planned,So im pretty much a free spirit when it comes to what to do and where to do it.

Already said hello to some other lads riding from Melbourne to Perth starting a month after me.....so if anyone is up for a riding partner or got some routes and suggestions, please feel free to say hello.

Mostly planning on camping with a hostel/motel every few days for a bit of luxury...and thats as far as the battle plan goes ;)

Andy

Allow plenty of time for NZ.
 

Obviously Oz is heaps bigger than NZ but, as a lot of people do, don't make the mistake of spending 90% of your time there. There is a lot to see in NZ (especially the South Island) and some fantastic riding both on and off road. I meet so many travellers (some on bikes, some not) who don't leave enough time for it and go home really regretting it.

Don't get me wrong, Oz has plenty of good stuff, but you can tour NZ and see a much wider variety of landscapes, with some breathtaking scenery and you won't use so much fuel on mile after mile of redish brown nothingness. The people are much nicer too, of course.

Hi Andy

I will be riding around OZ from Jan to mid April 09, my starting point is Brisbane.

I have done the South Island (twice) and it is stunning, you can read all about my last trip on my blog.

Let me know if I can help with the NZ leg of your trip.

Cheers

Thankyou for the offer Peter

Reading up on your blog,and might well ask some questions regarding New Zealand when i get to OZ.

Thanks Andy