I’ve set this site up to document a couple of rides around New Zealand I did with a few mates.

Not so much ‘mates’ as idiots I know.

2 are so ugly we get them to keep their helmets on!

Hopefully it’ll be a half decent resource for you if you’re looking at doing the same sort of thing.

Main Tips

My big 2 tips for riding around New Zealand on a motorbike are:

• hire bikes from the guys at Te Waipounamu  Motorcycle Tours (fantastic bikes at a bargain price, with incredible service)
• ride the South Island first – the scenery is absolutely incredible and the roads are a biker’s dream

Cheers

Brendon

P.S:  I have a couple of other sites about motorbiking – rode across the USA with my 17 yo son in Nov/Dec 2012 and motorbiked around Tasmania with the guys here.

We started off the morning by checking the cloud cover and heading down to the Helicopter company we’d book a flight to the top of the Glacier with.

Now Flyboy is named “Flyboy” for a very good reason.  He used to be the Chief Test Pilot and Flight Lead for all Special Operations with the Australian SAS on Counter-Terrorist Operations.

(Flyboy can kill a man from 400 metres with a magnifying glass and a spoon!)

He hadn’t been in a chopper for a while, but herded us all in and away we went.  The chopper dropped in to Franz Josef (another nearby glacier town) and we picked up a young French woman who was taking the ride too.

No Surprise On Who Gets The Girl!

Up on top of the glacier for a bit of a look around – amazing views as you might expect.

Then it was back down the mountain and a great breakfast at Cafe Neve.

We then rode up for a look at the terminal face of Franz Josef.

Terminal Face Franz Josef Glacier

Heading For Blackball

Then it was onto the bikes and off – aiming for the old mining town of Blackball and the legendary Formerly The Blackball Hilton (with that name I thought it would be an older style 5 star joint – a little mistaken there!).

Some lovely bending bits today as we went over mountains, through valley and then along coastal highways.  Nice roads again with hardly any traffic.

We stopped in at Hokitika for lunch at a cafe and topped up at the service station.

I won’t name any names (it was Birdman) kept his record intact of dropping his bike by managing to drop it in the service station driveway.

Formerly The Blackball Hilton

Then it was onto Blackball and the Blackball Hotel (better know as the very cheekily named Formerly the Blackball Hilton).

The wonderful old mining town pub turned 100 in June 2001 and was the place for the start of the labour movement in New Zealand.

The host was Chris, he’s also got a mate in managing the place now, and he is a terrific guy.  Helping us to store the bikes, get sorted in our rooms and then taking great care of us as we relaxed in the bar for the rest of the afternoon and evening.

Bikes into the shed at Blackball

Publican Chris makes sure Golden Knob has room for dessert!

We had the very good luck to meet 2 couples – Danny and Heather & Lex and Carol – a fine bunch of characters!

The girls were taking the husbands on a Mystery Tour for a few days – frankly I reckon the mystery was how these 2 dopey blokes ended up with a couple of good lookers as wives!

Brendon (r) joins in the fun with the happy couples!

Blackball Hilton Does A Terrific Dinner & Breakfast

After a bit of a wander around Blackball (it’s a very small town) we settled back into the bar and dinner.

The dinner was delcious and plentiful and then it was a relaxing few hours chatting with the others in the bar, including Rod and Lyn who were traveling around the Island on motorbikes taking the unsealed roads.

Riley and Birdman toast David Lange!

In a surprise to everyone, Birdman flogged Drop Top Doc in dart.

I know what you’re thinking – “How pissed was the Doc?!”

Amazingly, Drop Top Doc ain’t a big drinker and Birdman beat him sober.

Birdman, incredibly, wins darts against Drop Top Doc

Paulie (l) toasts Birdman's amazing win

Golden Knob saves time and washing up and drinks straight from the bottle

Flyboy relaxes whilst Birdman falls asleep

For More On The Blackball Hilton

For more on the Blackball Hilton check out my review here.

A great day riding when we headed out of New Plymouth on the “3″ coast road and turned left at Hangatiki.

From there it was about 60 kms of fantastic winding roads which were just brilliant.

We topped that off with a 15 km gravel road ride before we got back on the sealed stuff.

After that it got a little dull as we were running out of time and just hit the highway and freeway for the ride in Auckland.

The bikes were due back at Te Waipounamu  Motorcycle Tours at 5 pm and we arrived with about 10 minutes to spare.

We were all exhausted after a huge day or riding in heat and almost kissed John and Aiden when they produced icy cold beers when we got in.

A quick check over of the bikes and we were in a cab into a nearby pub for refreshments.

Disgraceful Presentation

In what must ranked up there as one of the biggest travesties of justice, Birdman had brought along a cupcake cup to be awarded to the most useful bloke on the trip.

Now, quite obviously, I was the stand out here as I was, and still am, quite amazing.

We all voted on the worthy recipient (me, obviously) in the pub and I voted for Drop Top Doc just so he’d have a vote and wouldn’t feel so bad about me clean sweeping the competition.

In what I can only assume was a rigged vote (!), Drop Top Doc won with all the votes (except for his!) and was the very proud winner of the Inaugural Cup Cake Cup Cup.

I made an angry (but heartfelt) speech how it was all complete bullshit and how undeserving he was whilst handing over the cup.

You know, the truth.

Then Doc got up and made a lovely speech about what an honour it was and blah, blah, blah.  I’d stopped listening to the smug little prick after 3 seconds ;o)

Winner of The Cupcake Cup Cup

Cab To The Hotel

The Doc had booked us into the Holiday Inn at Auckland Airport because we had an early flight in the morning, so we piled into a cab later that night.

Then, believe it or not, we had to wait for 30 minutes in Reception whilst the Doc tried to figure out what name he’d booked the rooms under!

What a clown – and he’s sup[posed to be the smart one.  Just when we were thinking he’d booked us into another hotel, they found the booking:  “Mr Cupcake”

We eventually got out rooms, dropped our gear and then headed for the bar.

After a few more beers we crashed into bed for a couple of hours sleep before our flight.

New Plymouth is on the other side of the North Island to Napier, in what’s one of the widest parts.

We decided to throw in a ride to Palmerston North as well, mostly because I was keen to get there because my old dad was born there.

New Zealand just keeps dishing up awesome road after awesome road and it was no exception along the “50″ through Ongaonga and Dannevirke.

From there it was into the magnificent Napier Road, running alongside a gorge with a fast river right beside us.

With windmills churning away above it, it was quite a spectacular sight.

Great shot of Birdman in action

Then it was into Palmerston North along flat farmland.

I’d always expected Palmerston North to be a depressed little country town, but instead found a vibrant and positive city.  It was lovely.

The centre of Palmerston North

I thought my 82 yo dad would appreciate a phone call from his home town so I called him up from a pay phone opposite the main park.

He’s a bit senile my old man, but seemed quite pleased I’d called him from his hometown.

“I was born there,” he said.

A Lovely Moment….For 30 Seconds!

It was a lovely moment……………until about 30 seconds later he said “Have you left for New Zealand yet?”

Old bugger had already forgotten!

A Quick Stop

After a few coffees and a fair bit of relaxation, it was time to hit the road and point the bikes to New Plymouth.

We soon hit Highway 3 beside the water and enjoyed the usual great roads.

Dave alongside the ocean

The Car Flashed Its Lights

Roaring along we had a car flash it’s light at us – I was in the lead and thought “Lovely, eh’s warning us about a local copper”.

Not exactly – that was the local copper suggesting we ease of the throttle a little.

Duly noted, the lads eased up and we idled into New Plymouth.

A quick check into the Copthorne Hotel Grand Central and we were off to a bar.  A refreshing beverage or 20 was followed by dinner at a the pub, a good oild fashioned Irish pub where Flyboy was chatted up by the ugliest woman in New Zealand.

At least I hope she was the ugliest woman in New Zealand!

We got out of Rotorua pretty early as the lads weren’t so impressed.

The Doc had a puncture in his MX5 in the car park of the hotel and 3 of the dopey blokes needed to fix it!  Dumbasses!

1 tyre, 3 dopes

After that we headed for Taupo.

Lake Taupo

A couple of us are push bike riders and had toyed with the idea of doing the Lake Taupo ride – 160 kms of hills around the lake.

But, being so smart, we did the ride with motors.

We stopped for breakfast/brunch in Taupo and then headed out to ride around the Lake.

On the road

Gorgeous scenery and fantastic riding which just got better when we rode up into the Tongariro National Park to check out the Chateau Tongariro (amazing) and take a lift ride up the mountain.

Don't look down lads

Some of the lads cranked it up a bit and the roads were nothing short of glorious.

After lunch here we then headed to Napier, the retro town on the east side of the North Island.

Birdman fuels up

We stayed at the Scenic Hotel Te Pania and had dinner at a nearby restaurant.  After a few beers most of the lads crashed into bed, whilst Jimbo and i kept on drinking like the heroes we are.

What a great day’s riding this was.

We headed out pretty early so we could enjoy the amazing Coromandels – north of Thames.

Another gorgeous view

We did the loop from Thames around the Coromandel National Park on Highway 25 (a narrow highway, with tons of hills and bends) and stopped in at Whangamata for a bite to eat.

After a glorious ride through to Waihi, we headed to Tauranga and Mount Maunganui for a bit of lunch.

He might be a doctor, but he ain't that smart - the chicks in bikinis are behind you!

From there it was through Te Puke, into Paengaroa and onto Rotorua, a city of 16 lakes and one hell of a smell.

I’d booked us into the Grand Hotel, a great looking older pub if the web site was anything to go by.

Don’t know what the hell happened, but I screwed that up because we ended up in a boxy not so nice motel.

350 Complaints

Anyway, the lads didn’t let me know (only about 350 times that night) and we went off to enjoy a fantastic meal at a local restaurant.

And look, I don’t want to be tough on Rotorua, but man, that smell is bad.

A big day of riding today from Russell to Thames, way past Auckland.

We headed out early and rode some beautiful roads in perfect weather through the Russell Whakaparra Rd down into Helena Bay and then onto Whangarie.

Jimbo, he is prettier with his helmet on!

The lads split up here, as we headed towards Auckland and beyond down the State Highway and then the Freeway.

The much more handsome Brendon

I was with Jimbo, which was a very smart move because he had a GPS.

Nothing worse than a Freeway to ride on, we exited off the turnoff to Te Kauwhata and had a beautiful ride through farmland into Waitakaruru, Pipiroa and into Thames.

We quickly found the Junction Hotel and then had some great news.

The other lads had broken down and were a few hours away.

Probably looking for Superman to fix their bike!

We didn’t care where, because by this time Jimbo and I were in the bar, drinking beers and eating mussels.

They could have been on the moon for all we cared!

Tucked Into A 4 Course Feast

So whilst Jimbo and I tucked into a 4 course feast at the hotel – sensational food – the other guys were on the side of the road awaiting the arrival of Aiden from Te Waipounamu  Motorcycle Tours.

He soon arrived on his white horse/white van, swapped the bike for a new one and the lads were off.

With lovely timing they arrived at the hotel just before the kitchen shut and we ordered them dinner while they dropped their gear in their rooms.

Downstairs they came looking for cold beers and hot food and the Junction Hotel obliged.

The Junction Hotel

We have a game where at the end of each meal everyone has to guess what the bill is.

The person closest to the amount doesn’t have to pay.

Amazingly, Jimbo and I, despite being the only ones who knew how much we’d had to eat and drink were the furthest away!

That may have had something to do with the 1,000 beers we’d had.

After dinner we adjourned to the bar, where the barman Dave looked after us all night.

Then The Night Turned Bad – Pool Shark Strikes!

In the bar we met Jo and her lovely daughter Sara.

Jo was a 30 year old pool shark from Seattle and proceeded to give me a beating in pool.

Unbelievable!

The worst bit about it was the condescending “Oh, bad luck Brendon” when she potted the black.

Pfffffffffft!

I sulked and went to bed almost immediately ;o(

The lads were up early ready to go, including Nick, a first timer with us riding a beautiful Ducati.

Nick and his beloved Ducati

A lovely day for a bike ride as we headed to the town of Russell in the Bay of Islands on the eastern side of the North Island.

The ride out of Apihara was in overcast conditions, but it soon fined up as we headed along the North Road to the town of Awanui, where we swung a right onto State Highway 10 and headed for Mangonui.

Now, I don’t think we should blame anyone and I don’t think we should point fingers, but the dickhead who was leading the pack (that would be me) rode right past the turnoff to Mangonui and kept going.

When that same dickhead pulled the lads over into a coffee shop some miles down the road, one rider was heard to say “I thought we were going to Mangonui??”

Where Real Leadership Comes In

This is where real leadership comes in.  And my reply was chock full of leadership if nothing else.

“I decide where we go and where we stop, you insolent little bastard!  To the back of the pack for you!” I said with firm authority anmd managed to have the lads think I missed the turnoff on purpose.

They’re not the smartest bunch (stupid is probably the word), so none of them were any the wiser.

They’re so stupid you’d think they were all English!

Nice Biking Roads

Past Doubtless Bay, through Mangonui and into Waipapa was lovely riding with easy roads and nice weather.

Waitangi is the place of the Waitangi Treaty Grounds and we called in to take a look at this historic part of New Zealand’s past.

Back in 1840 the Treaty of Waitangi was signed between Maori and the British – it established British law in New Zealand whilst guaranteeing Maori authority over their land and culture.

Waitangi Treaty Grounds

Ferry To Russell

From Waitangi it was a short ride to Port Opua, where we caught the ferry across the bay to Russell.

This beautiful waterfront town boasts New Zealand’s oldest hotel The Duke of Marlborough, which is where we stayed for the night.

This is one happy me

Now this was a good start to the trip – flew into Auckland, jumped into a cab and headed to the Copthorne Hotel.

A quick check in and down into the Reception area. From there one of the staff directed us over to the Provedore pub – a great little pub over on the wharf.

As luck would have it, we wandered in at about 5 pm just when they we’re starting Happy Hour!  Wooooohoooooo!

$2 Beers – A Nice Start!

Heinekens were $2 each and the lads tucked in.

They also provide free sandwiches and a BBQ for free during this time.

Life can be very, very good sometimes.

From drinks we wandered over to the Kermadec Restaurant, across the road.

After a wonderful 4 course meal, a few wines and beers, we got tucked into bed for a nice early start the next day to ride the roads of the North island of New Zealand.

Cheers

Brendon

You hear about these supposedly incredible roads for riding in New Zealand and you wonder if they’re not a bit over-hyped.

They’re not.

A couple of times on the trip – heading into Mount Cook and the road from Hawea through to Makarora (between Lake Wanaka and Lake Hawea) – was breathtakingly beautiful.

Heading away from Mount Cook

They were times when you can’t quite believe your luck.

New Zealand’s a very easy place to motorcycle around for Australian’s – very friendly, English speaking and they’re set up wonderfully well for tourists.

The Australian $ is strong against the NZ $, so it’s a pretty cheap place to visit – as an example, my hire of a R1200R BMW motorbike for a week set me back just under $900 Australian.

With the super cheap airfares from Australia, there’s really no excuse not to head over to NZ for a motorcycling holiday and it’s one I’d recommend strongly.

The South Island scenery is nothing short of spectacular and well worth a look.

Near Tasman Lake