Thanks man. I’m very keen to get some recommendations on where to spend half/full day rest breaks.
Worth a stop -enough to wheel your bike on the path to the trees- but not a whole day.
You’ll probably wanna detour up the glaciers on the west coast, and Queenstown or Wanaka might be worth a day off as both a quite spectacular and have good food and lodgings compared to other places on the route.
Pelorus bridge is definetly worth a swim if its hot, and there is a little campground there and excellent pies (right on route to)
See some strategy is already coming into it regarding ferry timing.
1st wave has 170kms to cover in 8 hours to get last ferry across the Hokianga (22kmph ave)
2nd wave has 6 hrs
3rd wave has less hours
then another 170kms to get to Poutou at low tide … when ever that is for the chartered ferry.
That’s only if you want to do it on the first day though
yes, but otherwise you gotta wait 11hrs till the morning ferry.
Some 1st wavers will make it, but I doubt any 2nd wavers will.
I suspect the wind will have the final say.
It’s not a race Mike!
According to here they’re expecting people to take the boat the day or two after they start.
No, but it is a challenge 
and despite what anyway says people will be racing it
Not me!
I’m taking as much time as I can, enjoying myself, seeing the landscape, taking heaps of photos
Nice one Adam.
Is that a AWOL?
It is called Tour Aotearoa after all.
Provided that there’s no howling westerly or sou-westerly down NMB, that’d be totally doable IMHO. That said everytime I’ve been there the flags have been whipping. What were we averaging in that first day of KB15? Was pretty high I think. Most of us would have done that easily.
bahhahhhahhaa
yerp
yes
So, three weeks to go!
I’m finalising my pack list, which I’ll post up tomorrow (probably).
Few things left to get:
- Lightweight knife (current one is HEAVY)
- Rain pants (Ground Effect)
- Shoe covers (probably going to get Velotoze and hope I don’t have to walk much in them)
- Small, heavy duty zip lock bags
How’s everyone else’s prep?
Get a little Opinel pocket knife, cheap and not heavy
I’m riding the strongest I have in ages - got that covered (Y)
Gear wise, I’m reusing everything I had from last year.
But I still need to purchase:
- Annual SPOT subscription (fucken expensive, lol)
- New tires (2" Conti Race King)
- Jacket
- Those clip-on anywhere cage mounts for fork (or rig up some DIY alternative)
Slight thread derail; couldn’t get time off for this but have taken 2 weeks leave early March. Want to ride from Christchurch to Queenstown via Wanaka. Looking for a 600-800km route. Anyone got any bright ideas?
Legs are surprisingly good considering three months off the bike from Oct-Dec.
-got new tyres, pads, cables, chain, cassete, chainrings and grips to put on bike
-new cleats for shoes
-gear wise I’m good, but should do one last pack of exactly what I’m taking
-want to get new gloves but that may or may not happen (want exact same ones I have)
-gonna get a gas tank bag for tools and lube
Open to some gravel I assume?
Check out the Great Southern Brevet Route, The Original Great Southern Brevet: Route 2021
and the Alps to Ocean Trail http://www.alps2ocean.com/
Hakataramea valley etc looks good, some of it -Pisa and Old man range is gnarly by the looks of it.
Head inland then south from CHCH, state highway one sucks, avoid where ever possible.