Hello !
First of all I need to let you know that I am a real passionate of touring bike. Since many years, I dream to ride my bike in New Zealand. Here we come !!! Me, my husband and my little daughter borned in june 2016.
We expect to arrive in early February in South Island and cycle around for five weeks. The goal is to visit some of the most beautiful places in touring bike with our adorable little girl who will be 8 months at this time. We are attracted by the beauties of nature and will be autonomous with all the camping gear.
Your help in the planning of our trip would be more than welcome. Here are some of the questions we have at the moment :
Do you know a spot to rent the bikes and a chariot for Vicky (our little girl) at a good price ? What city is the best to find the required equipment ? Or, do you know someone who kindly agree to lend us equipment, it would be a great option.
There is too much to see in the South island. We’ll have to make choices between : Abel Tasman NP, Blenheim (we love good wines), Kaikoura, Banks Peninsula, Arthur’s Pass, Queenstown, Milford sound, Fox Glacier, the region around Mount Cook (we love mountains too !!). Maybe some won’t b by bike. What would be a great route to follow ? Something’s missing ? Also, is it possible to go from one spot to an other by bus and to bring the bikes with us ?
How about the temperature at night ? Is it too cold to sleep in campground with a kid under one year ? And with a baby on the way, what are the best tips to receive ?
Any other recommendation ?
In advance, many many many thanks for your help !
Hope to meet you on the road !
Nathalie, Sylvain and Vicky
If you Google 'touring cycle hire christchurch' you will find some companies which can help you. One can fit you out with the cycles and gear a lot cheaper than the others but you may have to hire a trailer from another company.
https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=tS&doc_id=5873&v=5T
contains info on NZ touring. It will be warm at that time of year for camping. Some of your choices may be too hilly with a child and gear eg Banks Peninsula. Queenstown area also has wineries so you might like to miss Blenheim if this is the only reason for visiting it.
Transport for bikes is rather limited to buses and most of these can be unhelpful in booking bikes as well. Atomic Shuttles is a good choice for carrying bikes. Trains are extremely limited in destinations (Christchurch to Picton or Christchurch to Greymouth).
Milford Sound - catch a bus. Don't try to cycle.
Hi there,
You may also want to take a look at http://nzcycletrail.com/
This website contains many cycle trails and is set up to boost cycle tourism in NZ.
Lots of bike rentals, fine food and fancy accommodation but also useful maps, campsites etc.
Also have a look at doc.govt.nz which is the Dept of Conservation. Much info on regions, activities (including some cycling) and also cheap basic campsites in conservation areas.
Generally Feb/March should be OK for camping, but you will have some chilly nights. Most commercial campsites also have cabins (little huts with a bed, a heater and not much more) which are very good value if the weather turns bad.
Good travels!
If you find yourself in Nelson check out The Crankhouse for bike hire and kiddy seat hire.Nelson is a great base for Abel Tasman and the whole Nelson area.The Taste Trail is a cycle path that covers most of the area and is mostly car free.The owner of The Crankhouse is a guy named Glen who has a young family, and the shop has an extensive fleet of hire bikes.
Please note the main highway south from Picton towards Christchurch (approximately 100km stretch between Ward and Cheviot) will be closed indefinitely.
Road closure information for all of New Zealand can be found here: http://www.nzta.govt.nz/traffic/regions/13
Currently the Rainbow Road and Molesworth Road (mountain routes) are both also closed.
There has been serious damage to highway 1 along the Kaikoura coast which is likely to remain closed for months. The traffic that used this road has diverted to highway 63 and 7, etc. which are now very much busier than previously. Extra care is now needed on what were once relatively quiet roads.
Wow !! You are adorable to have taken the initiative to provide us with this information, which is really helpfull.
I'm so sad it happened to you again.
Again, thank you so much !!
Nathalie, Sylvain and Vicky
Hi, just seen this message, we have just cycled around some of the South Island (without a baby...) you are in for a great time! Some tips from our experience...
- the cycle routes that are being promoted here are good for getting away from the traffic but we found the surfaces really hard going. Lots of loose gravel, so with heavy bikes we just did not find them fun as you have to watch your wheels all the time rather than look up at the amazing scenery. The Otago Rail Trail is probably the best one we have tried, it's pretty well packed gravel and now quite well established as a bike route.
- NZ has clamped down on 'freedom camping' which makes it quite difficult in most places. Lots of land is fenced. There are apps you can download which give good places where you can free camp officially. Private campgrounds in the South Island are pretty expensive ($35-45 for 2 people) but have great facilities (kitchen, inside sitting space, etc - a bit like hostels. DoC campgrounds are cheaper but have more basic facilities, many have water that has to be treated/boiled, but they tend to be in prettier locations.
- Mount Cook is probably my favourite place. It's a 56km each way out and back trip but if the weather is good it's well worth it. If the weather is bad it is probably not - low cloud blocks out the mountains. There's some great walks from the DoC campground. Nowhere to buy food except for some very expensive supplies at the hotel in the village so bring everything you need. The campground has a big shelter with sinks and drinking water.
- Arthur's Pass is a spectacular ride but the weather can be horrible. We had one very wet (and cold) day, one sunny and hot day. The road on the west side is unbelievably steep and narrow at times. It's a challenge!
- We found the west coast road a bit dull. It rains a lot, the glaciers are not that accessible any more, and lots of the road is in rainforest (which is pretty cool). There are hardly any coastal bits, except Greymouth to Westport which is an incredibly scenic road. The rest was a bit unimpressive, but probably the weather impacted this as the clouds were low most of the time and covering the beautiful mountains.
- The inland road from Christchurch to Wanaka is awesome. Mountains are in your view the whole time, it's much drier than the west coast and there wasn't much traffic in December.
There's probably loads more to say - any questions just ask!
Jo
Check this link out for road advise from Picton to Christchurch.
http://nzcycletrail.com/news/2016/advice-cyclists-travelling-south-picton/
Hello !
We just rented our bikes and child trailer for our bike trip. Our daughter is almost 8 months old. It would be better to put a hammock or infant sling inside so she would be more confortable.
Where can we buy or rent it in Auckland ? We start our bike trip next monday form Wellington. The brand of the trailer is Urban lifestyles.
In advance, many thanks for your help. Nathalie
Hello !
We just rented our bikes and child trailer for our bike trip. Our daughter is almost 8 months old. It would be better to put a hammock or infant sling inside so she would be more confortable.
Where can we buy or rent it in Auckland ? We start our bike trip next monday form Wellington. The brand of the trailer is Urban lifestyles.
In advance, many thanks for your help. Nathalie
Since I don't know exactly what you wish to buy, you would be best to Google what you want and see if it is available. You may have difficulty in finding the item if it is a cycle touring accessory as there are not many bike shops which carry a lot of cycle touring gear.