Overview
This tour is suitable for intermediate or advanced riders. Please note that New Zealand drivers drive on the left-hand side of the road. This amazing tour highlights some of the best that the North and South Islands have to offer. This exciting tour includes accommodation ranging from modestly priced cabins to deluxe quality hotels and a "farm stay". Tour highlights include access to a Maori Hangi. Use your own motorcycle or rent a motorcycle, which is licensed, safety inspected and verified by the NZ government. A valid Passport along with appropriate travel documents / approval is required for entry into New Zealand. A current driver's license from your country of residence is required for motorcycle rental.
Highlights
- Starts and ends in Auckland
- Enjoy the rugged hills, inspirational coastal seascapes, and rich farmland
- Head out through some fantastic twists and sweeping corners with picturesque seascapes
- Ride towards the coast through bush-covered hill leads you to some great gorge riding
- Loops out to the coast near Christchurch through amazing scenery
- Head south through some amazing sweepers and river valleys
- 12 nights accommodation
Itinerary
Day 1
After arriving at the Auckland International Airport, you’ll be met at the airport and shuttled to your hotel to check-in and then to pick up your bike. Today is set aside to allow you to settle in and rest up before the adventure begins tomorrow. Visit some of the city sights.
Day 2 (448 km / 267 mi route, approximately 6 hours riding)
Leaving your hotel and the city behind you, you will head out on lightly traveled country roads, through rolling countryside. Stopping along the way for breaks and lunch in small out-of-the-way country towns, combined with viewing the amazing scenery will have you pinching yourself to make sure you’re not dreaming. An overnight stay in an authentic Maori Village in an active thermal area is a great end to the first day.
Day 3 (334 km / 199 mi route, approximately 7 hours riding)
Today you will follow a lightly traveled road as it hugs the coast, taking you into a part of NZ that is a mix of rugged hills, inspirational coastal seascapes, and rich farmland. This combined with a small population makes for an easy riding day. A GoPro day. Tonight’s stop is on a working sheep and beef farm where you’re treated like royalty and one of the best meals you will experience. This will have you sleeping like a king/queen.
Day 4 (368 km / 219 mi route, approximately 7 hours riding)
Today the road will take you along the coast, before turning inland to climb towards the center of the island. A mix of rugged hills, inspirational coastal seascapes, and rich farmland mixed with great roads with lots of corners ranging from easy to twisty make this a fun day. Have your GoPro ready. Your ride today brings you to your stop for the night at the foot of the central mountain region making the perfect end to the day.
Day 5 (337 km / 201 mi route, approximately 7 hours riding)
After an early breakfast, you will head south through some amazing sweepers and river valleys towards the coast before turning south to New Zealand’s capital city for your stop for the night. This is a GoPro day, have lots of batteries ready.
Day 6 (188 km / 112 mi route, approximately 3 hours riding)
Setting out early to catch the interisland ferry, you will ride to the port located in NZ’s capital city. Once on the ferry and the bikes tied down in well-designed supports, relax and enjoy crossing the Cook Strait. After leaving the ferry on the Sth. Island, head out through some fantastic twists and sweeping corners with picturesque seascapes, windy roads, native bush, changing elevations and numerous photo stops, (along with some optional ziplining) that will lead you to your stop for the night. (Make sure your GoPro is ready with plenty of back up batteries).
Day 7 (391 km / 233 mi route, approximately 8 hours riding)
Heading towards the coast through bush-covered hill leads you to some great gorge riding. Fantastic cornering, great scenery, this is another GoPro day (there will be lots more on this tour) Have those batteries charged and ready. Continuing through scattered native bush brings you to your stop for the night. This 200-year. the old hotel is full of history and maybe a ghost or 2. It is home to the best chef you've come across in the South Island.
Day 8 (220 km / 131 mi route, approximately 6 hours riding)
Today’s ride takes you along the world-famous coastal highway, sweeping through fantastic corners, racing past rocky outcrops, and screaming at the top of your lungs all the way. Mix this with some fantastic stops for one of a kind scenery, and you have a ride location that is amazing. Today ends in a small mountain village with a great view of the Southern Alps.
Day 9 (286 km / 170 mi route, approximately 5 hours riding)
If you love waterfall’s, wild bush, misty mountains, and easy sweepers then today is your day. The road will take you alongside lakes, rivers, and great photo opportunities. Also, another great GoPro day. End the day at a quaint country pub/hotel.
Day 10 (337 km / 201 mi route, approximately 5 hours riding)
After a fantastic breakfast you will climb to the highest paved road in NZ, which then turns into some amazing switchbacks as you drop down in lower elevations. Today takes you back inland where you can stop to see New Zealand’s highest mountain. Wide-open spaces, great roads, and light traffic make today a fun ride.
Day 11 (238 km / 142 mi route, approximately 6 hours riding)
After a relaxing night, the road continues to call your name for one more day of fun riding. This day loops out to the coast near Christchurch through amazing scenery. With no time deadlines today, you set the pace and just live the dream.
Day 12 (30 km / 18 mi route, approximately 50 minutes riding)
Sleep in, have a lazy breakfast and then set out for an easy ride through some tight corners towards the drop point for your bikes, where you will catch your shuttle to your hotel. Spend the balance of the day and into the evening enjoying some of the features that are available.
Day 13 (no riding)
Your last day in NZ begins with a relaxing breakfast, and a short shuttle ride, to the airport. This shuttle ride is filled with talk about the adventure you’ve just had and the fun experienced. If you want to stay on for additional nights that can be arranged.
Ride Details
- Terrain
- mostly sealed roads
- Bike
- personal or rental bike (BMW, Triumph Tiger, Honda, or Suzuki models)
- Mileage
- approximately 3266 kilometers / 2021 miles
- Daily rides
- 30 - 448 kilometers / 18 - 267 miles
- Riding gear
- not included
What's included
- Printed daily ride guide
- Bike rental (excluding insurance or damage waiver or auxiliary equipment such as GPS or optional fittings)
- 12 nights accommodation (day 1 of a tour through to last night of the tour. Extra nights before or after can be arranged)
- Shuttles (transfers) to and from hotel, airport and bike rental location
- Ferry fees
Not included
- Airfare
- Insurance coverage and damage waivers (bonds) on rental bikes
- Optional equipment add-ons to rental bikes
- Fuel
- All meals
- Special/optional events
- Access to various attractions such as museums and Interpretive Centers
- Various native bird displays, glowworm caves, and native bush tours
- National and Provincial Parks, hot springs, and Hobbiton
- Incidentals and other costs once inside various attractions. i.e. rental of bathing suits or towels
Accommodation
This tour includes accommodation ranging from modestly priced cabins to deluxe quality hotels and “farm stays”.
Getting There
You will experience riding through old-growth sub-tropical forests, along with sweeping coastal roads, through rugged hill country, and lush pasturelands while enjoying gentle sweeping corners mixed with twisty back roads. Picking up your bike and leaving the modern city of Auckland you will ride the rugged coastline and back roads of this riders paradise. Crossing to the South Island you will con
Rider Reviews
First of all, New Zealand was the best choice I could have made for a motorcycle tour. It was absolutely fantastic - I got lucky with the weather! I booked with Pohutukawa Motorcycle Touring and am very satisfied with the package I received. Interesting routes and nice hotel/motel accommodations along the way. Colin Rowe was my tour guide in absentia (In fact, he was leading another group on a 27-day tour of New Zealand for most of the time) but I felt he was with me and on top of things every kilometre of the way. There had to be some route changes and changes in accommodations due to Monsoon Gabrielle but they were handled deftly by Pohutukawa. All in all, a great adventure made that much better by this tour company and its principle operator, Colin Rowe. Thank you!
