Everything you need to know to bike across new zealand

[@livingbybike]

Thank you so much for watching this video! Please let me know what other questions you have or content you would like to see. I appreciate your feedback!

[@whatthe6532]

As a New Zealander who bike tours (Hardtail MTB with rack and panniers) Everything she said is 100 percent accurate. Well done.

[@livingbybike]

haha amazing. thank you for the confirmation!

[@smrooke]

This was great info I’m riding solo on the South Island in Feb 2025. Thanks

[@livingbybike]

ofc! glad you found it helpful!

[@inzana2]

If you want to avoid sandflies in the South Island west coast, the best time of year is autumn, none around then and weather is usually pretty settled also

[@subtropicalken1362]

My wife and I traveled through Haast? in late February 2013 and the bugs were horrible. And I am assuming you mean NZ autumn. Loved the South Island but that area was our least favorite. 🤷‍♂️

[@livingbybike]

if i'm ever back in new zealand I will keep this noted in my head!

[@whatthe6532]

@@livingbybikespend quite a bit of time on the west coast. Sandflys are anytime of year.

[@M.D.Hildebrand]

Thank you for a very helpful overview of cycling in NZ. Can you comment a bit more on the prevailing wind direction and the advantages etc. of cycling from north to south or vice-versa?

[@livingbybike]

All I know is that the vast majority of people bike north to south, not south to north!

[@whatthe6532]

Sun travels through the northern sky so more likely to have it at your back. Also prevailing wind is north west so side to slight tailwind.

[@stevenjmasters]

Milford Sound was neat but was thinking it would be very difficult to cycle there, some steep mountains and lots of tourist traffic there(including me). North Island, did you make it to Hobbittown?

[@livingbybike]

if I had had the time to go to milford sound, I probably would have book a tour out of queenstown, or biked as close as possible before booking a bus/tour to get there. And idk about hobbittown! I went central from Wellington to Auckland, did the Timber Trail etc.

[@orchestratedpassage9468]

LOL I had the airport beagle find an apple in my pack... no fine for me thou. ;)

[@livingbybike]

damn, so lucky you didn't get a fine!

[@pickledkumera5065]

I realised watching this that you rode past my house... in the middle of absolutely nowhere....

[@livingbybike]

that's hilarious!

[@KayakKiwi_Peter]

Great advice but would not suggest solo hitchiking for a woman. There have been some incidents unfortunately. Getting a ride with someone you know is fine

[@livingbybike]

@@KayakKiwi_Peter that’s valid! And that’s why I only did it once, just to try the novelty of it….. probably wouldn’t do it consistently ever haha