Touring New Zealand Off-road

Jimfrandisco

I know this is covered partly in other threads but i was hoping to hear from people that have experience off touring NZ (North and South) off-road.
We're planning on going in late January and touring on mtb with a trailer using a combintation of backroads, dirt-track and single track where possible - but having folding slicks as well for long road sections.
Does anyone have any experience of long distance off-road trails over there - is it possible or are we likely to end up mostly on-road?
Any advice/thoughts welcome
cheers

andymiller

Hopefully someone with direct experience will come along, but here are some links which might be of use - in case you haven't come across them already:

http://www.kennett.co.nz/index.php/Book ... nBikeRides

(this seems to be the 'bible' - but I don't know whether it gives details of rides suitable for long-distance off road touring rather than circular rides.

http://www.mountainbike.co.nz/rides/mtb/

http://www.groundeffect.co.nz/projects.htm

http://www.groundeffect.co.nz/hotrides/hotride.htm#

(It might be worth dropping a line to the people at Ground Effect).

http://www.bikenz.org.nz/Article.aspx?ID=997

Jimfrandisco

Thanks for the links Andy...much appreciated.

Brian NZ

Yes the Kenett Brothers book is the bible for MTB rides in NZ. It does list some of the routes that will get you heading up or down the country. The reality is you can have awesome riding and scenery on gravel roads the length and bredth of NZ. The challange is to link them all together with as little tarmac as possible.

I have done some of them at different times (check out our NZ Journlas at www.crazyguyonbike.com/brownbs) also Jo and Dave Whitney on the same site have some awesome rides on gravel as does Steve Glasgow. Steve and I are NZer's Jo and Dave are English.

Also on the Kenett Brothers web site http://www.mountainbike.co.nz/ we have a thread running on just this in the touring section. It is "Summer is suppose to be coming."

I am planing a month long MTB oddessy in the Sth Islandthis Feb March doing day rides and multi days rides and the Kenett Brothers book is going to be our guide.

I hope this has been of some help and if you need more detail after you have checked out above let me know.

Take care Brian

Jimfrandisco

Thanks Brian - that information about about great riding and scenery on gravel roads nails it - as much as i'd like to be able to single track everywhere that's not very practical for covering much distance. So i'm looking to work out a route around the North and the South that is practical to tour but with plenty of opportunity to get off-road.

To do that, at the moment anyway, i'm thinking of going with a mtb and trailer (with some folding slicks for long road days etc)

Anyways - thanks for pointing me at the sites and links

Jim

RimTape

I think you would do better checking out gravel roads etc on the map than using the Kennet book as the book does not include many simple rides and certainly very few that could be ridden with a trailer.

In general due to the low population there are not many "minor roads" ie there is only one road between A and B which means that you can be sharing with the trucks etc.

On the South Island as far as long distance gravel roads are concerned the most obvious that spring to mind are the Rainbow Road and the Molesworth Road. There are organised races on both these tracks which will give you an idea of where they are etc.
http://www.rainbowrage.co.nz
http://www.bluedogevents.co.nz/MolesworthMuster.aspx

Cheers
Velox

herbert h

One worthwhile section to ride while at the southern end of the South Island is the Central Otago Rail Trail. I did it last year towing a trailer. It's a relatively flat ride through spectacular scenery. Camping in the forest at Naseby I saw the best night sky I think I've ever seen - there were so many stars there was a purple tinge to it. www.otagocentralrailtrail.co.nz

Also really good, up north in the South Island in the Marlborough Sounds is the Queen Charlotte walkway. It's a lot more up and down than the rail trail but absolutely stunning as is hugs the side of the sounds. What I rode of the trail is mostly singletrack but not especially technical mountain biking. How it would be with a trailer I'm not sure as I was unladen and just riding a section of it (I understand there are tourist services around here that will take your bags on ahead for you). During the peak season, part of it is also closed to bikers. http://www.qctrack.co.nz/track/bike/

As mentioned above the Kennett Brothers book (edition 7) is a good guide - well researched and updated last year. There are several routes in there that cut out and make better alternatives to the road networks. It's a shame I didn't get myself a copy until just before I left.

Jimfrandisco

Thanks guys for some great links and pointers - really helpful so much appreciated

Jim