Cycling in New Zealand?

It is possible to tour off-road for about half of the South Island and camp where you like - did it 20 years ago. Roads like the Rainbow Valley, Molesworth Station, Above Omarama, Beside Lake Tekapo and other hydro roads, and the ranges around Queenstown can be linked up to make for a fabulous off-road network, with usually quiet backcountry roads joining them up. The Kennett Brothers MTB NZ book (Google it) is invaluable for planning a trip like this.

+1 for all of hdb's comments

After 11 weeks of cycling both islands top to bottom last year I think he has summed it up really well. A few additional points
- I wouldn't discount the north island as the Coromandel is stunning (steep hills on a loaded bike is tough mind) and we had great riding around Taupo, across to Napier and in the south too. But for only a couple of weeks its hard to beat South Island
- My personal favourite was the area around Hawea, Wanaka and Queenstown too which you could link to the beautiful and historic Otago Rail trail down towards Dundein. The rail trail sounds like a boring straight line but the scenery is truly on an epic scale.
- If you go elsewhere, especially the west coast expect rain and temperatures which might not fit with your idea of summer riding. You might be lucky but we went from days on end of pouring rain to lovely sunshine and back again. Be prepared.
- Be aware that there is often nothing between population centres in the way of road stops or campsites so you can't just ride and see where you end up. That "town" you have been cycling towards all day may well turn out to be a tiny cluster of houses with little else.
- The people are fantastic too and are curious to hear what you're up to if you're on a bike. The roads are generally very quiet by UK standards but the turbulence caused by trucks is a hazard. We had a couple of hostility incidents but these were easily forgotten by the kindness and hospitality shown to us
- Don't let anything put you off and just go. It is truly amazing!

Not knowing when you're going or for how long, I'll assume summer/autumn (Dec->Apr) and about 2 weeks for my recommendations.

1. While we have great riding around Nelson, if I had to pick one place to be based for riding for a week, it would be Wanaka: (see http://cyclingtips.com.au/2014/04/roadtripping-new-zealand/) My daughter and I had several perfect days of 100 km rides there in April and we didn't hit all of the options available. You could also add in a day or two from Queenstown to ride out to Glenorchy. Most of this could be done without a hire car; shuttle to/from Queenstown airport and use a shuttle from Wanaka to Queenstown if needed. As long as you stay off SH6 between QT and Cromwell the roads are pretty quiet. Not as good once the snow starts to fly due to cold and ice, especially over the Crown Range.
2. Another great area would be the Caitlins southeast of Invercargill - very quiet roads, rolling climbs along the coast and through hills. *Very* rural and tough weather much of the year - expect wind and rain. You would need a hire car since you can't really base in Invercargill and ride there in a day or less. I wouldn't do this from May->October - we had snow and hail in early October when my daughter was racing in Southland.
3. The West Coast of the South Island is awesome riding - you could do credit card touring up the coast from Wanaka as far as Westport (3-4 days of riding -100km/day) and then catch a bus back to Wanaka or north to Nelson. Quiet roads (other than the Christmas high season) and lots of beautiful country, including glaciers, sea stacks and rain forest. Can have long days between settlements and the weather can be rough but not as bad as Southland. I'd suggest going south to north for fewer headwinds.
4. Nelson/Tasman/Marlborough has many great rides along the coast, through the Marlborough Sounds and over hills and through vineyards. Mostly doable without a car but you might want to take a bus from Nelson->Havelock to ride the Queen Charlotte Drive (SH6 is rideable but can be busy). Our area is good for riding year-round - summers are the nicest for temps, wind and rain. Some roads are busy but there are quiet alternatives to many.
5. Another good area, but not one I've ridden personally is the Otago Peninsula near Dunedin. One day of riding but could be done from Dunedin w/o a car.

I'd concur on avoiding SH1 along the East Coast - heaving traffic and narrow road. Arthur's Pass is beautiful but as the main route between Canterbury and the West Coast, the highway can be pretty busy as well.

General comments:

• You need to expect rain and wind - we are a little island in the middle of a big ocean.
• Just because the map shows a name doesn't mean there is a town - it can be a long way between lodging, food, money etc.
• We don't have lots of roads and bikes have to share with cars, buses, campervans and trucks. You'll hear people say that Kiwi drivers are hostile to cyclists but I don't think that is generally true - I had far more negative experiences when I lived in Boulder, CO than I have here - but our roads are narrow and you have to be a confident rider or you'll hate riding here.
• In many cases there are low traffic alternatives but you have to do a bit of digging to find them; some of the standard guidebooks send riders on the easy road instead of following the quieter option.
• That said, there are definitely roads I wouldn't ride or suggest others use, such as SH1 Blenheim->Dunedin or SH79/SH8 from Canterbury->Cromwell (especially in tourist season).

Sing out with more questions.

I've been all over NZ - using streetview on Google Maps - saved myself a blinkin' fortune.

Would say South Island, around Nelson, Queenstown or Dunedin should provide for pleassant cycling and nice landscape

eventhough roads are relatively quiet, and drivers considerate, cars go fast on winding mountain roads with no wide shoulder.

/m

Anything else I should know about road cycling in New Zealand?

Helmets are compulsory.

Where you go depends on what else you want to do. You probably don't only want to cycle. As others have said, the South Island is much less "crowded" (crowded is a relative term) than the North; 3/4 or the country's population live in the top half of the North Island. There's more outdoor activities and more open spaces in the South.

Depending on where you are it can be a really nice place to ride. I grew up near a small town in the South Island (Timaru). Last time I went back there on holiday I went out for a ride about 7:30 on a weekday morning and didn't see a car for 35 minutes. Admittedly that's better than normal but even at normal times during the day I only see a car about every 10 minutes. Road surface is a little dead but it's rare to see a pothole. I'd recommend to plan your rides though because sometimes roads can magically turn from tarmac to gravel - not great on a road bike.

Most drivers are quite friendly; I even have complete strangers wave to me sometimes - a very weird feeling after living in Sydney and London for so many years. Auckland is a different place though. Road-rage and the anti-cyclist brigade are alive and well there just like in most major cities in the world. Get out into the country and it's a great place to ride a bike.

What time of the year do you want to go? How long are you planning to stay?

I live in Nelson on the South Island and can give you you lots of options, but the time of year and duration will be factors.

In general, I strongly suggest the South Island over the North: 75% of the population is "crammed" into the North Island and the hills are far harder than most people expect; one Warmshowers guest of ours said she was "Worried about the mountains in the South but was broken by the hills on the North".

NZ is really beautiful. I'd go to the South Island as the scenery is more dramatic and it is much less populated than the North. Marlborough Sounds, Arthur's Pass, Buller Gorge, the road to Abel Tasman Park, Banks Peninsula, Nelson lakes, the southern lakes and mountains, the Kaikoura inland road, you can't go wrong. Just stay off of
Highway 1.

I'm heading out there in Feb for 3 weeks and the plan is to fit some sort of 5-6 day South Island cycling trip in. To take the hassle out of things we're going to do a guided trip with a company called Adventure South (www.advsouth.co.nz). They do trails (MTB/Hybrid) or road. The website's pretty detailed so could be a good source of info if you're 'DIYing' it. That said, if you need some level of support, these companies will always arrange a bespoke service.

I travelled in New Zealand many years ago and most of the country is really beautiful. Choosing one region to stay in will be difficult. Have you visited crazyguyonabike.com? It is aimed at cycle tourists rather than day trippers, but should give you some ideas about places to visit and put you in contact with people that have cycled there.

This page looks particularly useful: https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=Sh&doc_id=5873&v=4C