New Zealand

Troopy

I'm going to be in NZ in a couple of weeks time, will be in the south Island mainly and should have the chance to get a couple of days biking in, possibly around Alexandra and Arrowtown. Does anyone have any contacts or suggestions for some good trail riding?

breezer

If you are going to Arrowtown then head over to Queenstown. There is a massive freeride park up on the hill to the left of the main cable car and I presume lots of other XC routes amongst the forest and fire roads. Here are some photos from when I went in late 06 when it was nearly complete

http://complexdreams.com/pics/nz/queenstown/mtb/

This is the view from the top of that cable car btw, make sure you go on the luge track, oh the carnage when you get tons of people at once heh

http://complexdreams.com/pics/nz/queenstown/chairlift&views/

breezer

http://www.qmtbc.co.nz/news.php

Troopy

Thanks a lot for that Breezer, nice photos, the bike park looks cool and I’ve had a look at the Queenstown web site and will try and contact them before I go, so, if the legendary NZ hospitality is true, I may be able to hook up with some of the locals for a ride out at some point.
Looking forward to going, only trouble is I'm only there for 2 weeks. Will try and take in the luge though!
Thanks again

breezer

I went visiting a friend for 3 or so weeks in Dunedin but we did a road trip over to Queenstown for a few days. If you like curries, bear in mind that the NZ'ers have no concept of hot ones, I had a vindaloo and it was nothing whereas over here I cant get anywhere near them heh. Dunedin itself has a xc course that was used for one of their national rounds and a massive bmx track. The luge was brilliant. One track was shut when we were there so they gave us more goes on the main one. Absolutely lethal as you get them on 2 wheels on the corner with only the side bump stops holding you up and you can do mad overtakes into the tight chicanes heh

Here is my write up if ultra bored

http://complexdreams.com/newzealandtrip.html

Kiwi Kranker

Nice....


You will love it if you ride anywhere around the Queenstown area.

Useful link for NZ riding info

http://www.vorb.org.nz/

Just a heads up, yesterday Christchurch cracked 40 degrees C. Queenstown will be scorching if the weather holds for the next few weeks.

One piece of advice take your camera and sunscreen........LOTS of sunscreen even if its cloudy you will burn faster than Gordon Brown burns money.


Enjoy

Troopy

Thanks Breezer, might print it our and read it on the plane!!
Kiwi Kranker, nice site thanks for the link, just been cringing at some of the crashes on the vorb website and hoping I'll never appear in one.
Looking forward to getting out there, it's just a pity that I can't take my faithful Ellsworth with me! Got a feeling that when I come back here it might just be to pack everything up and move out there 8) :P

breezer

40C !!!!! lucky I went at the start of spring so it was ok!

You will love it out there, I did and want to go back, its just a pain that its takes over a day to get there once you have finished faffing around with airports and all that

Hothouse

Hi guys

I'm new to the forum and thought i'd hijack your NZ post. I'm hopefully emigrating to NZ later this year, hopefully around ChCh area. Has anyone been up in the Port Hills around ChCh and are they as good as they look on some of the piccies i've seen.

cheers

i heart mtb

if your in Qstown and you have some extra time head over to Wanaka, they've just had a new bike park built there. Unfortuantly i left before it was finished but from what i hear it's pretty mad.

Am very jealous, NZ is such a beautiful place.

Troopy

Thanks for that, just had a look at it on the vorb site, it looks pretty full on.
I think we should all just move over there, sod the government, illegal immigrants and working your arse of just to be fleeced by excessive amounts of high taxes and duties, there's enough room over there for a few good bikers anyway!!
Let’s make a break for the border I say :P