Horizons Unlimited - The HUBB - facilities in New Zealand

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facilities in New Zealand

Hi there,

- internet is good in towns, wifi widly available. Mobile reception can be from good to not existing between towns specially south island, check the coverage maps from Spark and Vodafone NZ.
- accomodation should be no problem if you are flexible, I would include Backpacker accomodation in your list they have often single rooms too.
- petrol?!?! whats your range, where are you going. In general if you stay on the main roads you will have no problem just fill up on any station.
- march/april is end of summer in general the road condition are good.
- ?

hope that helps

I spent two weeks riding NZ in mid-March. Had a great time. Weather was generally good, though I did have a couple of wet days. No problem finding tent sites or rooms.

Thanks guys
that sounds pretty good...

I rode around in NZ for ten weeks from around 12 of March this year. I did the south island first and then the north. Had some wet days on the SI and some pretty cold ones too. I was camping most of the time though. Weather is quite unpredictable down there as it is two islands in the middle of a large ocean. So be prepared for some rough weather from time to time.

Housing shouldnt be a big problem but if youre there for easter you better book ahead as it seem to fill up quickly many places.

Fuel shouldnt be a problem - depending on your range. Just fill up if youre going somewhere a bit remote.

Wifi - is in general slow and expensive. 1 GB cost 20 NZD at Vodaphone and its 3G speed. But they do have quite good coverage. Some accommodation have ok wifi but in general you have to pay a good bit for it. I even bought wifi vouchers at accommodation places where wifi was so bad it couldnt be used.

Both islands are stunningly beautiful and NZ are a very well organised country and most people are easy to get along with and very helpful and polite. So all in all its a great country for bike travelling.

Would suggest camping a bit - its cheap and camp sites are plentiful and it gives you more opportunity to enjoy nature and scenery.

thanks Snakeboy !
looks like I'll be spending 17 days in the saddle in March 2017 so I should get a good idea of the place
:mchappy:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Endeavour II (Post 541227)

Hello there,

I am planning a few weeks in New Zealand in March 2017 - riding the North & South Island in roughly 3 weeks or a month... I know, it's not long but I've got my own small company in Europe so it's difficult to get away for longer. A few things depend on the facilities so feedback on these is highly appreciated:
- how good are the internet connections in general and especially the south island.... 3G, 4G, wifi points.... ?

Every public library has free WiFi, 24 hrs if you are outside the building. There is very fast 3G and 4G but there are plenty of "holes" in the networks as the South Island is a sparsely populated island. If most of your data use is in major towns and cities, I'd recommend 2Degrees as a data provider, but outside the cities their data price is crazy. Probably Vodafone is best. Every accommodation place will have WiFi, but you will only get a small amount of data for free in most places. NZ backbone data prices are amongst the most expensive in the world (we are a long data cable from anywhere).

- is it easy to find motel/hotel/B&B places in March without having to book to far ahead ?

A couple of years ago, you never needed to book but we have had a rapid rise in the number of tourists recently, especially from East Asia. There are plenty of good camping places (many free) but I'd be booking ahead a couple of days, if you are motelling. Most places have online booking, making it easy to see availability. I highly recommend the old network of country and city pubs where you can get a basic room for about NZ$70 which is half the price of a motel and twice the price of a backpacker dorm bed. You will meet plenty of real New Zealanders there and not so many German backpackers.

- enough petrol stations or should I carry a reserve jerrycan?

Define "enough"? What bike will you be riding? How far off the beaten track do you want to go? I almost never carry a jerrycan, but I'm careful to fill up as often as I can. In the weekend, some country gas stations are closed in the remote small towns. A 2 litre coke bottle full can be useful as an emergency supply.

- Autumn weather ? or still 'summer feel' ? what does it do to the roads ? can one expect loads and loads of dead leaves on the roads making it a slipping & sliding match ?

There will be a noticeable difference between South Island and North Island weather by that time of the year on average
. The weather down south is more likely to be variable. You can get snow and 36 deg C days at that time of the year. My advice is to head south as fast as you can and leave the North Island section of your travel to the end, when it is likely to be warmer.

- any places to be avoided ? the real tourist traps ?

The South Island especially has limited access between the east and west coasts due to the Southern Alps so you will not be able to avoid crossing paths many times with tourists. It what we locals have to get used to. If you are interested in some more remote, back country travel, I can provide some details of places that are simply amazing. Let me know. You'll need a dual-sport bike, but it's not difficult, technical or dangerous. I gave Snakeboy some tips that worked out well, I think. We have a tiny hut in the mountains (Arthur's Pass) that is only accessible by motorbike or foot that you may like to use. With you time restrictions you might consider spending more time in the South Island than the North. The usual ratio is 2/3 in the south and 1/3 in the north.

Thanks for your feedback !!!

Regards

Nigel

03-13 South Island NZ " meet up "

Hi my nane is Paul from Australia and are traveling to NZ from 03-24 Feb 17 , I was wondering if any one will be there at the same time and won't to hook up and ride together for a few days, I will be camping for most of time even if any local HU Kewis would give me a floor space shower would be much appreciated, I am always open to return the favor in Wodonga Victoria Australia, The HU Snowy Vic/NSW and ACT event is from 18-20 Nov in Aus ,I will be going So any Kewis that need a place to stay prior or after the event let me know ! anyway as I said happy to return any favors. I will riding out from Christchurch in a anti clockwise direction and back to Christchurch before heading to the Chadham Islands. My email is paulchidgey@yahoo.com.au

Hi Tiger68,

I rode (Suzuki DL650) around North Island in Feb/March this year(2016) and camped, used cabins and B&B (plus one motel when it was raining cats and dogs). I have been to NZ a few times and I think NZ is a great place. I will be riding South Island in Feb/March 2017 - arriving about 11 Feb. (when NZ children go back to school and accommodation is a bit easier). You there 3 to 13 Feb I understand so our timing may not be good for a catch up in NZ.

The info in the above posts is good information.

I will, however be at HU in the Snowys in November 18-20 so maybe we can catch up.

Mal

amazing feedback

Hello guys

I want to thank you all for providing all this feedback - really amazing - I learned a lot. i will bear in mind the country & city pubs and possibly combine them with campsites. I'll think about Nigel's hut.
As I am actually going there for a friend's wedding (and a stag night the week prior to the wedding) it's difficult to plan an ideal itinery so i intend to let it come to me rather than plan things ahead. With a little tent that should be no problem.
As to internet well.... what did we do when there was no internet ?? we lived and loved without 3G and 4G so I might get myself a digital detox period... (or use the libraries if i get cold turkey!).

thanks again and maybe see you on the road somewhere !

wedding gifts in NZ

Hi guys

you might be able to give me some advice on this one: I am going to NZ for a wedding and I'd like to know what the habits are when it comes to giving money (the suggestion from the couple is to contribute to their honeymoon).
How much do you give to a friend who is getting married in NZ ? I noticed that habits are very different around the world and what is considered a lot in Holland is considered ridiculous in Italy...

thanks !

TripHobo.com can provide you with different travel tips for how to plan a trip in your budget so that you can get a good quality holiday at a low price.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Endeavour II (Post 549037)

Hi, I asked my daughter this question as it's exactly what they asked from their guests. Her answer is 'the cost of a nice meal', which would equate to $50 - $100 depending if you're gifting from 1 person or 2.

Enjoy NZ, the south island is particularly special with plenty of dirt trails to choose from :)

Thanks Pheonix !!!:thumbup1: