elantra wrote:RonK wrote:elantra wrote:South Island of New Zealand (But dont try to ride down the NZ West Coast)
Oh? Why not?
I've done it. Well, I rode
up it, and it was a great ride...
I would agree that for a fit and very experienced cycle tourist that would be quite desirable.
But not knowing the level of experience of the author of the topic, it could be a steep learning curve.
I travelled from Greymouth to Wanaka along the Haast highway on a bus earlier this year.
The weather was nearly perfect when i was there, but that part of NZ does have a reputation for formidable weather conditions.
I did notice that it is a very long way, with long distances between communities, lots of narrow bridges and generally narrow roads.
In other words, 0ther parts of the South Island seemed to have easier riding conditions
Well, I have cycled toured the central and southern parts of the South Island and will return to tour the northern part before long.
Narrow roads and bridges can be encountered anywhere in EnZed. At least on the west coast there is hardly any traffic using them.
If you are touring EnZed, the only predictable thing about the weather is that it is changeable. You will get hot, cold, wet, sweat - such is life for the touring cyclist.
Yes, it did rain quite heavily for one day at Haast. I stayed in bed. The next day I made up by riding two sections - 125km. That was the longest section on the west coast, but only by my choice.
I would strongly encourage any cycle tourist -
do not miss the west coast. In fact if there is any part of the South Island to be avoided it is the busy State Highway (SH1) which runs along the east coast.
