New Zealand

[Dagley]

Click on the link below to go to a site where you can see a six miute video of our New Zeland ride. No spam or registering, just the video.
Full report and more photos later when I have time. Enjoy,
Dakar Dag

http://dakardag.phanfare.com/album/247668#imageID=14699912
:wave :wave

[Voni]

Sweet!!!

Thanks for sharing your awesome trip!:groovy

Voni
sMiling

[RTRandy]

Very nice!

I didn't realize New Zealand roads are right hand drive. I've visited London and Japan and felt it would be too difficult to simply rent a car and drive . More so on a bike.

Is there a learning curve for riding there if you're from the states?

[flash412]

I didn't realize New Zealand roads are right hand drive. I've visited London and Japan and felt it would be too difficult to simply rent a car and drive . More so on a bike. Is there a learning curve for riding these if you're from the states?Riding on the left is actually EASIER than driving on the left. All the controls for the bike are the same, none switch sides. You generally ride a bike all over the lane you're occupying, so there is no "perspective shift" caused by sitting in the driver's seat on the right side. The intial challenge to a right side of the road driver switching to the left side of the road is right hand turns.

A South African friend of mine (also wrong-hand-drive) pointed out that the yellow line is ALWAYS at your left side and the white to your right, no matter where you drive. That said... if you're a spaz driver or rider, being on the opposite side of the road is NOT going to be good.

[20774]

Ah, meat pies in New Zealand...my favorite roadside snack! One of these days, I'll make it back for a bike trip. I took a car trip around the South Island about 10 years ago and rented a stick shift car...that took some getting used to. However, sitting in the car, I didn't seem to have any "issues" with being on the left side of the road because all the visual clues inside the car kept me thinking of that. However, I thought that on a bike, the visual clues are gone since you're sitting squarely in the center, not off to one side like in a car.

Still, very enjoyable trip. I'll be baaack...

Kurt in S.A.

[Dagley]

Aside from nearly getting T boned right out of the freakin driveway on the first ten seconds of the ride, it wasn't too bad actually.

"Stay left, and everything will be allright.
Stay right, and there won't be anything left"

Well, that's what they said.:dunno

Dagger

[pmdave]

Ah, meat pies in New Zealand...my favorite roadside snack! Kurt in S.A.

I'll vote for THAT! Wish I had taken a good photo of a New Zealand meat pie. About the same relative size of a frozen pie from the grocery, but fresh and loaded with real meat--venison, beef, lamb, etc. all with no gristle or fat, and very economical.

What I really enjoyed about NZ meat pies is the absolute practicality. You pull up to a bakery, step inside, take a ceramic plate, slide out a fresh, hot meat pie, take it to a table, and eat. No wrappers, no plastic box, no cardboard tray, no plastic fork snapping in half, no kidding!

I also learned to like the NZ "flat white" coffee, a nice cup of rich espresso with a layer of stiff foamed milk on top, often with a cute design made in the foam.

Meat pies and flat whites were all the more appreciated because restaurant meals in NZ are typically stretched out affairs, especially out on the coast away from the cities. If you happen to arrive just as a coachload of orientals pulls in, you may not get served within two hours.

The real secret of New Zealand is that because of the narrow twisty roads, and scarcity of traffic out in the country, it's ideal for motorcycling. Any large animals capable of causing you grief are corralled in fenced pastures, including deer and elk.

I suggest you make New Zealand a high priority--before too many people discover it and clog it all up like Hawaii. There are several different tour companies and at least two different bike rental agencies. OK, it's a long flight down there, but it's worth it. Get another second mortgage on the house and go.

pmdave

[sfarson]

Thanks for the NZ memories. Enjoyed the North Island for five days following business in Auckland. It is a special place.

[beemerguru]

Just spent the last 2 weeks riding an R12GS all over the south island...walked on glaciers, watched whales, swam with dolphins, got fat, hiked all over, saw Bert's original bike in the hardware store, stood where Aragon and Gandolf walked...and still have 2 more days to go.

Roads fantastic, right side - pretend your always passing -, Alps as good as the Swiss just not enough roads..water clear, wine's wonderful, sports bloody, and deer stay BEHIND a fence!!