New bicycle assembly area in Christchurch NZ

brumby33
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New bicycle assembly area in Christchurch NZ

Postby brumby33 » Sat Apr 28, 2018 5:31 am

Seems the Kiwis are doing something very pro-active to make it easier for cycle tourists.

A bicycle assembly area at the airport in Christchurch which as bike stand and tool facilities plus air as well.

http://www.christchurchairport.co.nz/en ... acilities/

Cheers

brumby33
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RonK
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Re: New bicycle assembly area in Christchurch NZ

Postby RonK » Sat Apr 28, 2018 7:01 am

It’s actually only new in the sense its been moved and upgraded with tools and pump.
I used the bike assemly area at CHCH on my first tour there in 2010.

Here is a pic of the original bike assembly area.

Image

No doubt the Kiwis know how to do tourism. Actually they have become rather too successful. The place is overrun with tourists.

Mod=Mikesbytes - fixed the image
Last edited by RonK on Mon Apr 30, 2018 12:17 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: New bicycle assembly area in Christchurch NZ

Postby rifraf » Sat Apr 28, 2018 5:44 pm

RonK wrote:It’s actually only new in the sense its been upgraded with tools and pump.
I used the bike assemly area at CHCH on my first tour there in 2010.
No doubt the Kiwis know how to do tourism. Actually they have become rather too successful. The place is overrun with tourists.
I'm hearing quite a few complaints from locals about this topical subject.
Many are starting to very much resent the added congestion of traffic and we won't talk about the feral tourists that think nothing about leaving their bodily wastes in inappropriate places which is upsetting a lot of people.
The "Great Walks" are turning out not so great when your competing for a place to put your head down and trying enjoy a bit of unspoilt solitude that NZ used to supply in abundance.
The new abundance of AirBnB type of accommodation is biting into the rental market so that what used to be thought of as people freedom camping in their cars is slowly being acknowledged as too many NZers becoming homeless.
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brumby33
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Re: New bicycle assembly area in Christchurch NZ

Postby brumby33 » Sat Apr 28, 2018 10:38 pm

Jeez rifraf, didn't realise it was so bad over there but NZ has definately attracted more bicycle travellers and backpackers.
I did read only yesterday that theres also major littering issues over there.
Unfortunately with groups of budget travellers, only few are environmentally conscious hence why many Eastern and Northern Sydney Councils banned backpackers in vans parking in lucrative suburban streets & carparks.
However putting that aside, the bicycle touring initiatives such as the ones illistrated is good to see.

Cheers

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rifraf
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Re: New bicycle assembly area in Christchurch NZ

Postby rifraf » Sat Apr 28, 2018 10:54 pm

brumby33 wrote:Jeez rifraf, didn't realise it was so bad over there but NZ has definately attracted more bicycle travellers and backpackers.
I did read only yesterday that theres also major littering issues over there.
Unfortunately with groups of budget travellers, only few are environmentally conscious hence why many Eastern and Northern Sydney Councils banned backpackers in vans parking in lucrative suburban streets & carparks.
However putting that aside, the bicycle touring initiatives such as the ones illistrated is good to see.

Cheers

brumby33
Don't let my lament put you off.
The targets of distain are for the most part people overseas folk holidaying/living in vehicles despoiling beauty spots with toilet papers flying about everywhere and ground matter to match.
They are referred to as freedom campers but whats happening is they are causing so much strife and upset that it won't be long and everyone will be banned from the practice and one more of NZers relatively few freedoms in their own country will have been eroded by the hunger for the tourism dollar at all costs.
Australia isn't immune as here in WA I've seen examples of them attempting to steal free hot showers at campgrounds pretending to be paying campers.
At Yanchep National Park I heard tell of coin operated showers being on the cards to replace the free/honour system gas califont showers which would be a real shame having experienced them.
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RonK
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Re: New bicycle assembly area in Christchurch NZ

Postby RonK » Mon Apr 30, 2018 12:05 pm

The best advice for cycle tourists is to avoid the locations favoured by the freeloader campers.

However is is impossible to avoid noticing how busy and overcrowded it is in some of the most popular and scenic of locations. I could not take a photo of the Church of the Good Shepherd at Tekapo without a horde of Asian tourists surrounding it.

And they are destroying the Wanaka Tree. Tourists are destroying New Zealand’s famous Lake Wanaka Tree

Last year I was there on the cusp of winter when normally the summer tourist droves would have been expected to have gone and the winter tourists would have not yet arrived, but it was very busy in many of the places I visited.

And it is a reality that landlords find it more profitable to list their properties on AirBNB, leaving the locals with few rental opportunities. Australia is not immune to this either - similar is happening on the Gold Coast and in Tasmania.

Hobart housing crisis: Tourism squeezing out affordable rentals in Tasmania, report finds
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Re: New bicycle assembly area in Christchurch NZ

Postby Trevtassie » Tue May 01, 2018 11:05 pm

Yeah, Tassie is in the midst of killing the goose that laid the golden egg. Usually developers coming in from outside, outspending the locals and then overdeveloping... encouraged by the usual suspects in government with the growth and jobs mantra. Hasn't worked so far in Tassie, wages and employment are stagnant and the only thing growing are the crowds, homeless people, property prices and the fees to do previously free walks.

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Re: New bicycle assembly area in Christchurch NZ

Postby rifraf » Sun May 27, 2018 1:48 pm

Having taken for granted "free entry" to national parks here in WA, for cyclists, I got a bit of a surprise when researching Tassie to see no "free ride".
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Re: New bicycle assembly area in Christchurch NZ

Postby LG » Mon May 28, 2018 10:57 am

rifraf wrote:Having taken for granted "free entry" to national parks here in WA, for cyclists, I got a bit of a surprise when researching Tassie to see no "free ride".
Since when has Tassie moved to the 'Touring Overseas' section? :lol:

As for Park entry fees, you're probably best to buy the $30 pass for 2 month NP entry if on your bike - and then make the most of it.
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rifraf
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Re: New bicycle assembly area in Christchurch NZ

Postby rifraf » Mon May 28, 2018 3:11 pm

LG wrote:
rifraf wrote:Having taken for granted "free entry" to national parks here in WA, for cyclists, I got a bit of a surprise when researching Tassie to see no "free ride".
Since when has Tassie moved to the 'Touring Overseas' section? :lol:

As for Park entry fees, you're probably best to buy the $30 pass for 2 month NP entry if on your bike - and then make the most of it.
Quite correct with Tassie not being really "overseas". :oops:
I got caught up in the moment reading Trevtassies post given I was quite keen to explore it as a potential place to move to, having some family there.
Some of the recent ABC.com articles I've read suggest that the grass might not as greener there as I'd hoped.
Oh and theres no suggestion from me that the NP fees were onerous, only that I'd gotten used to them being free over here and the suggestion of a fee caught me by surprise when I was researching the trip I wish to do.
If I was able to transition successfully, I'd likely grab the 2 year entry ticket I think I spotted.
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Re: New bicycle assembly area in Christchurch NZ

Postby LG » Mon May 28, 2018 7:58 pm

Can't disagree with much of what Trevtassie says, Tassie certainly has some current challenges and the place is changing from what I love about it. We've been personally effected by the whole Airbnb and rental shortage in southern Tassie, my daughter has recently had to move to the mainland because there was literally nowhere to rent in Hobart. The uni has just bought a large hotel because their students can't find anywhere to live. Welcome to Tassie if you decide to make the move.

EDIT: Picked up my partner from Hobart airport today and noticed an undercover bike work stand and tools, wow.
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