Hey good video. I'm planning to return to my homeland NZ end of the year. I'll be on a road bike so I'm keen to stay on the roads and take it in stages. I'm mapping out a more scenic route - first up is the cape to my house on the east coast by Pakiri north of Auckland. I'm gonna take a coastal route so head towards the Bay of Islands and over to Russell then take the back road to Whangarei etc. I'll probably try the East Cape from Tauranga round to Napier after that. I've biked most of the lower north island as I grew up in Wanganui, so I might do the Ruapehu National Park to Raetihi and then on to Wanganui. South Island route has yet to be determined but I may follow most of your route. Thanks for the video 🙏
Good ride. I enjoyed that meander through mid Wales. Can't beat that part of the country. There's a reason why they call the Cambrians the last wilderness of Wales. Good going. Mark
I would love to get a copy of your gear list also. Am doing this with 7 other friends in Feb 2020. My email is libby.lyver@gmail.com Your video is great as it takes me back over many of the trails I have done and am looking forward to doing again but also shows me the new ones I will be doing.
Great trip. Is it a designated trail or do you have to string individual trails together so you can to make the route? There seemed to be a fair bit of road riding at times. I remember going up and over the beautiful pass going by Cardona Hotel when it was a rough dirt track back in the early 1990s. Sadly now it looks like a proper road. The rain forests of the west coast of the south island and the lakes Wannaker, Tekapo were stunning. Did you stay in accommodation every night or did you wild camp some of the time? The guy Chris was a star for towing you. Wow! Definitely on my to do list but with the Old Ghost Road some how thrown in. Riding along the beaches at the start was epic. Thanks for making and sharing your excellent video.
Alex thanks for your great comments. It is a recognised route linking trails and bike routes together but there is inevitably chunks of road riding especially the last few days. I camped for approximately half the nights then used cabins etc on the other nights (not much price difference particularly on South Island). All the info is on the Tour Aotearoa website, hope you get to ride it. Cheers
@@doublebilly1 Many thanks for your reply. This autumn is looking the earliest opportunity but NZ has very strict travel restrictions at the moment. Sadly I don't think they are letting tourists in just now. Not sure. Useful info none the less. Thanks again.
Hi, most people I saw were using hard tail mountain bikes with 29er wheels so the tyres were much larger than 28mm. A few people were on gravel bikes so I guess the tyres on these were smaller but I would suggest that 28mm was unnecessarily small, although you'd be quicker on the road sections.
Hi Dave I want to ride the tour in 2022 and am curious if you have switched everything off on your GPS (garmin) in advance and which overnight stays you have done. I am from the Netherlands myself and cycle about 11,000 km a year. Shall I give you your email address so that I can ask you more? Kia Ora Derek
I'm from NZ, awesome vid showing the journey! Any chance you'd know the make/model of your sunglasses? Looking to get something similar with a good wrap around the face, covering your peripherals.
Hi Aitken, thanks for the comments about the vid, appreciated. Unfortunately there is no makers name on the glasses, I picked them up from a small cycle shop in West Wales about five years ago when I was touring there, after breaking my previous pair.
