Winter break in the warm north

The signs were clearly pointing to autumn when we arrived in Christchurch around mid-May. The bare trees cast long shadows in the pale midday sun, and the maximum temperatures barely reached 10°C. Behind us lay a wonderful tour that had taken us over 4,000 km from Auckland on the North Island to the largest city on the South Island. True to the motto "it can't get any better than this," we decided to end our New Zealand trip here. This raised the question of where and how we would spend the approaching winter. We quickly found an answer, as we had been reluctant to leave Australia seven months earlier, having only been able to explore sections of the coastal regions and thus a very small part of this vast continent. We were also interested in the interior, especially the north and the center, and the climate there would be ideal for exploration in the coming months. However, we knew from previous plans that the distances, due to the solitude of the Outback, were not feasible for us by bicycle.

On a whim, we found storage space for our motorcycles in Cairns and rented a Toyota campervan there as our new means of travel.

Since June 4th, we are on the road, enjoying mostly sunny and dry weather with temperatures around 30°C. We're no longer fueled by muesli, but by unleaded 91-95 fuel. (Karumba, Australia)

Thank goodness for the rails

'Dunedin 55 km' was written on the green and white signpost in the center of Milton. Despite the fact that Dunedin was our destination, we ignored the sign and, following the advice of our friendly campground manager, headed in the opposite direction, following the inconspicuous, gold-brown signs that led us away from State Highway 1 to the start of the Clutha Gold Trail.

This was the beginning of an inland route that would take us 400 kilometers to Dunedin, the second-largest city on the South Island. We chose this route because it allowed us to take advantage of two of the 23 Great Rides that New Zealand offers for cyclists. Both Great Rides, the Clutha Gold Trail and the Otago Central Rail Trail, follow the routes of former railway lines and were therefore perfectly suited for our fully loaded bikes.

Along with many other cyclists, most of them on e-bikes and carrying light luggage, we wound our way along well-maintained gravel roads through the fantastic landscape of the Otago region, stopping in small towns, visiting the local restaurants along the way, and enjoying the long "detour" from beginning to end. (Dunedin, New Zealand)

A lost (cycling) paradise?

For us cyclists, there's nothing better than touring from one place to another on good roads that wind through spectacular landscapes, stopping for breaks at cozy cafes, eavesdropping on conversations at local tables, sharing our experiences of where we're from and where we're going, and thus getting to know the country and its people. And if we also manage to find a campsite nestled in nature at regular intervals, we feel like we're in cycling paradise.

New Zealand could be such a paradise for cycling tourists, if it weren't for the many motorized vehicles. The narrow roads and reckless drivers who overtake at high speed, leaving so little space that their rearview mirrors touch, can easily ruin our day.

However, upon closer inspection, such situations aren't a problem of sheer numbers, but rather a problem of behavior. If drivers treated cyclists as equals, we could share the road, and everyone would be happy.

Therefore, I (as an optimist and dreamer ;-)) believe we need as many bicycle tourists as possible so that everyone gets used to the fact that it's not just four- and multi-wheeled vehicles on the road, but also bicycles that are part of the streetscape. In that spirit: "Keep on touring!", paradise is not yet lost :). (Alexandra, New Zealand)