NZ Accommodation
 

I am thinking about a trip around NZ north & south islands for about a month (not adventurous in the grand scheme of HU but it is for me). My initial idea is that I go down there and hire a bike (which will cost me in the region of 4500 to 5500 NZD).

Question 1.

Could I reduce costs by buying a bike down there (I am a UK citizen with no access to an address in NZ for registration, insurance and anything else), then sell it at the end of my trip? My suspicion is that for such a short period of time it wouldn't be worth it.

Question 2.

I am looking for cheap accommodation (akin to the camping cabins in Norway) that I could either drop into on the day or pre-book the day prior to turning up. Is there anything like that in NZ and what would typical prices be?

Many thanks, Rach bier

Buying a vehicle as a foreigner without any official adress in New Zealand is very easy. The adress thats needed for your bike papers must of course be a valid adress of New Zealand but not an official adress for you. So thats very easy. I bought a bike there in March 2016. It would be conveniant if you have a friend/acquaintance there that could help you. Especially in the selling process - as if you havent sold the bike and your departure date is getting closer - you will have to sell it cheap. But if you have a friend that can help you then you wouldnt have such a restricted time limit to sell it and thus get a better price for it.

About camp sites and cabins - yes many campgrounds have cabins for rent. But its a rather expensive option, I think prices are from 40-50 NZD and up. New Zealand is great for camping so you might have to consider that.

Maybe Nigel Marx will have some more detailed information to share... :-)

I have done a couple of motorcycle trips to NZ and highly recommend as a destination - although it can be a little expensive and gets busy at peak tourist destinations in the holiday season

I mostly used hostels affiliated with a group called BBH Hostels and always bought a room (average cost about $45 NZ in 2015) - they all have cheaper dormitory beds if you're OK with sharing

There are plenty of camp sites but I think cabins can be quite expensive - even camping can be $25 to $30 for a site

Hi Rach
You don't need to go off-tarmac to have a wonderful adventure in NZ. It's a much better idea to buy than hire as if you do decide to go off-piste, most hire policies won't let you.

I live in Welly and there are several bike companies here within easy reach of the CBD; Auckland has more but you may need a car to go bike shopping :helpsmilie: Christchurch & Dunedin are other options.

As mentioned, you don't need to be a NZ resident to buy & getting insurance would be easy too. Rego (road tax) is expensive compared to UK costs.

Be prepared to either sell at a discount or for a long wait as NZ simply does not have the population to shift them quickly. Perhaps think about ending your trip in Auckland so you can sell it faster. eBay doesn't exist here, look on TradeMe to get an idea of costs - however, you won't be able to buy on TM from the UK as it has location restrictions.

There are lots of cabins around & I often use them on my own. I've stayed in cabins at $20 per night. Holiday camp costs will be $80+ in high season.
I recently stayed at a lovely AirB&B for $50 per night in the Marlborough Sounds - big double bed, my own bathroom, fridge, kettle etc. They even put my bike in their garage - everything a girl needs :thumbup1:

When are you thinking of visiting & what type of bike do you prefer?
If I can be of help, just ask :)

btw - a month to tour north & south is doable but you'll be packing up almost every day. If you can't spend more time here then I would urge you to consider just touring the SI.

And, at the risk of being controversial - unless biking is on your bucket list, consider a car. Cars are cheaper to buy than bikes & much cheaper to hire. You can pack everything, go anywhere & it's somewhere to hide when the sand-flies are biting.
Don't get me wrong, the roads are amazing here & biking is a dream, but NZ is not for budget tourists :)

About 20 years ago I toured there on a rented F650, and a car driver asked me what I was paying for the rental. It was about $90/day which was quite a cheap rate even then. He was shocked and said, "But you could have rented a car for much cheaper!"


"Yes," I told him, "but then I'd be in a car instead of riding a motorcycle."


I don't think he quite got it.

Yep, cabins can be a good option, most commercial campgrounds will have a few different options, usually around the $60 - $90 range depending on what you get, but sometimes you'll get a really basic one cheaper. Also check out backpacker hostels as most of these have a few options for rooms as well as the std bunks in a dorm.

Booking the day prior will almost always get you something, but tourism is booming in NZ so so you'd want to book further ahead in the real tourist hotspots & during the summer peak Xmas-January when all the locals are on holiday also. That's where carrying a tent can come in handy as most places will be able to squeeze in a bike & a small tent somewhere at short notice.

Cheers
Clint

Many thanks for your responses. I am thinking of a one off trip but still want to take in both islands. I am very happy to be pretty much continually on the move so while it might be a bit of a rush at times it suits me.

Another question is would I be better off choosing November or April, to avoid high season but still get reasonable weather?

I've toured NZ a couple of times on a motorcycle, once for 3 weeks and once for 2 weeks. With a month of time and a vehicle, you won't see everything, but you can see a lot of both islands.

One trip was in late October-early November, and one was in April. I think the weather was slightly warmer for the April trip. Both trips were dry and sunny about 80% of the time, with the occasional rainy day.

If you can do late Feb/early March, you'd be better off.

Regards
Nigel in NZ

Why is that Nigel?

I'd think that is the end of school and others holidays - so less demand on accommodation, possibly cheaper rates too.

I have travelled in NZ a few times by car and motorcycle. In 2016 I hired a bike and toured North Island for three weeks and this year I shipped my bike to Christchurch and toured South Island for a month. Both motorcycle trips were mid Feb to Mid March. The reason for this timing is both weather and the fact that schools have to be back by the end of the first week in February (approx). The timing makes accommodation a bit easier. Keep in mind that there are many events (national rowing champs and river festivals etc that impact on available accommodaation).

I always carry camping gear and camped, used cabins and B&B in both islands. Old pubs are also worth a look. I had to book a cabin in a couple of occasions in the south island this year because of community events taking accommodation. Cabins have communial cooking facilities and showers etc but are of good standard. Spend more money and you can get self contained facilities. This can be a bit expensive for solo travel.
My advive is to book the first day or so and see how you go later. Also be flexible as the weather can change and you may want to go east or west for better weather.

The advice from previous posters is correct and I have personallt found Nigel Marx to be a knowledgable and helpful person regarding motorcycle travel in NZ.

My couple of months of motorcycling in NZ only makes me want more! People are helpful and friendly; quality of foor/produce is high; there is much to see; road travel is much like UK, Australia. Take your time - NZ cannot be seen in a week. South Island is less populated and the scenery is diverse and spectacular. North Island is more populated but Coromandel, North East (Bay of Islands), and west coast are great places to visit.

Hope this helps.
Cheers

Sorry, I should have explained myself better. As other have said, the local tourist pressure is off at that time and, most importantly, the weather tends to be a bit more settled.

If you decide to buy a bike, feel free to use my address for registration purposes. Also remember that insurance is not mandatory here, so if you can decide if you want that. There are a couple of options for online insurance companies that are quite good value. I had a Canadian couple who insured a bike for about $45 a month for full insurance. I can get the details if you want. I would offer to help with selling but I think Me Darlin' has had enough of bikes sitting in the yard waiting for new owners for a while.......

Please feel free to get in touch, and drop in for a coffee/tea/beer and ride advice. We even have a little hut in the mountains at Arthur's Pass that you might like to visit. It's only accessible by foot or bike.

If you plan of touring the whole country, my usual recommendation is 1/3 North Island, 2/3 South Island.

I'm alway happy to answer questions, either here or via PM.

Best regards

Nigel

Thanks Nigel, that's a huge help and thank you for your very kind offer of help. I will bear it all in mind when I get that far 'down the road', so to say.

I'm not looking at going until either (NZ) summer 2018 or 2019 - I've got to see where life takes me before I make a final decision which.

My initial thought is that I currently ride an ST1300 but I keep looking at an F800GS (or F800GSA) and if I hired one it would be a good test to see if I liked it before deciding whether to change a bike that I absolutely love but is also heavy to push. I could also maybe try a couple of other hire bikes.

It would be amazing to air-freight my own bike down there but having thought about it I really couldn't be bothered with the paperwork etc.

I live in Christchurch and have toured around all of NZ so I am happy to help you out with information or a place to stay and organize when you get here or leave. Just message when your closer to the time for dates etc

Thanks Ollie bier

shipping your own Motorcycle?
 

Hello
I've shipped my motorcycle with Daniel who is specialized in shipping peoples own motorcycles between the UK and New Zealand.
His website can be found if searching for "New Zealand motorcycle adventures".
He provides a excellent service that is so easy taking your own motorcycle and all your gear together with other peoples.
Highly recommend checking out his website for additional information too.
I are certainly looking at using his service again.

I'm gonna pipe in here with a shameless plug for motorent.nz, who gave me a really good experience at a fair price - I ended up paying 700 euros for eight days on a CB500X and all the gear other than my own gloves. Nice people, too.

Oh, and make the time to have a beer with Pheonix/Elaine, she's great. :D

I did it in April and the weather was iffy - I'm from North Europe and my normal holiday riding environment is arctic Norway, so I could deal with it no problem, but I did end up missing my rainsuit while riding from Milford Sound to Invercargill through the worst typhoon NZ'd seen since 1968!

Decent-quality hostels are available in most places, camping seems easy too. Nothing will be cheap even by European standards, however.

Just a thought - Im in south-America right now and I have used Airbnb a lot here. It works like a charm and I can usually get a decent room for half of the price of a privat room in a hostel. And less noise (drunken backpackers arriving after a night out) and I have met some wonderful people (hosts) a really great experience. How about Airbnb on New Zealand - is it popular and widespread?

Yes air bnb is very available and popular everywhere in NZ

Hi, just catching up on your questions...

The main time to avoid is the school holiday period between Xmas & early Feb. Many businesses close down for 2-4 weeks so camp grounds & touristy areas can be heaving, so unless you book in advance, you will struggle to find an available cabin on the day.

February/March is a much better time to visit. Those months are still warm & sunny, but accommodation will be easier to find, especially during the week (weekends may still be busy as Kiwi's love the outdoors).

November & April can have good weather but it varies, just like the UK! :)
I'm writing this in the middle of winter yet yesterday was t.shirt weather & today is bitterly cold wind and lashing rain.
Summer can be just as weird :cool4:

Hi,
Have to agree with Phoenix. Both times I have ridden a motorcycle in in NZ have been in Feb-March by design. School holidays finish in the first week in Feb and weather is generally good Feb/March. Keep in mind there are many events - national rowing competition; river festivals etc that can occur in Feb/Mar but this is not as much a problem as trying to get suitable accommodation when all the parents and school children are travelling. Many types of accommodation available in NZ. Great country for motorcycling.

Mal

Re South Island accomodation/ touring
 

Hi all , we are heading over from australia to the Greymouth street races , we are hiring some bikes out of Christchurch. For a 12 day quick trip of the South Island including a look at greymouth . Have done some research, was after any local knowledge or must see things . Was thinking of backpacker private room,airbnb / pub room accommodation. Have some experience with the Island having lived in Queenstown for a snow season, a few years ago now. Travelled the west coast down to Stuart island, did the Milford sound walk . Was younger then ....
Cheers

Sounds like you've seen most of the west coast, did you do any touring when living in Queenstown? Are you looking for ideas of roads to ride, places to see or walk? Does the hire company permit you to ride a gravel or dirt road? There's some great back roads in Central Otago :thumbup1:

No not much , yes more so roads to ride ,no walking this trip.. I have not looked into remote moto site yet. Have no east coast ideas yet, or central. The hire company mentioned no dirt then said gazetted roads only, that are gravel. Not quite certain of that yet , am guessing insurance compliance issues. Cheers

Yep, I think most hire companies for cars & bikes are fairly strict.

I would suggest registering with RemoteMoto, it's a great source of information & has been extensively updated :mchappy:

The road from Queenstown to Glenorchy is fab & the road to Paradise is fun. It turns to gravel with a few fords that most tourists stay clear of.

Skipper's Canyon is doable on most bikes. But it is classed as a 4x4 track and gets a bad press due to the high drops & narrow track. Hard to keep your eyes on the trail with the amazing views. Look for on-coming vans that transport tourists to the river.

Take your bikes on the Earnslaw steam boat then ride to Mavora Lakes :thumbup1:

Ride over Cardrona pass & Lindis pass to Twizel then onto Mt Cook village. Return to Lake Tekapo & select one of the trails that head south or keep on the SH8.

If you ride off-piste, good weather may reduce the risk of a slide and impede your insurance :rain:

oh how I miss the South Island :( doh :blushing:

Ok , thanks for the info . Yes it is a beautiful place .
Cheers

Hi Rachel - just wondering if you've made it to NZ yet? I see you've already had some great advice so throwing in my 2c:
1 - have a look at the Top10 range of campgrounds, they're over 45 of them throughout NZ and have all sorts of accommodation options plus they're in some fantastic locations.
2 - Mar/April/May is one of my favorite times for riding here, the roads are much quieter, the weather very settled - you may get a cold night but then a beautiful sunny day. Jan can actually be too hot especially if you're a ATGATT type of rider.
3 - I've had guests caught out trying to buy fuel at a 24hr pump but unable to do so as their card is 'sign only' ie no PIN number, something to watch out for.
4 - Shout out or pm me if you need any advice, happy to help out.
5 - Nigel's hut is one of the nicest places I've ever stayed :-)

+1 for Nigels hut...:thumbup1:

If you're looking for budget accommodation with a difference try the Jailhouse in Christchurch. It is what it sounds like, a prison built in 1876 but converted to a hostel in 2006. Your room is actually one of the cells but the hostel is very well equipped with everything you'd expect and the prices are very reasonable. It's also within easy walking distance of the city centre so a great base to do some exploring from.

My wife and I stayed there to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary, she made the booking it so I'm not sure if there was some sort of subliminal message in that.....

Google 'jailhouse accommodation christchurch"