New Zealand is an ideal location for senior motorcycle group tours. Here, visitors can witness spectacular sightings such as whales and seals; admire Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch Queenstown Fox Glacier or Aoraki Mount Cook as you tour.
Explore Queenstown’s hiking trails or head to Nelson for some art appreciation. Taking the TranzAlpine train ride will add another memorable memory as you witness New Zealand’s natural splendour first hand.
Accommodation
As soon as you arrive at Auckland International Airport, a shuttle will transport you directly to your hotel where you’ll check in and collect your motorcycle. At your safety meeting and getting acquainted with your tour guide, then relax and settle into your accommodations for the rest of the day.
From here, your journey will take you through a landscape shaped by volcanoes and other natural forces, along sweeping and windy roads as well as dense forests and wild country. Additionally, you will have an opportunity to see where early European settlers have settled down and live today.
As you head out of the city, your ride will lead you towards Rotorua where you will witness spraying geysers and boiling mudpits – not forgetting a visit to Middle Earth movie set where The Hobbit was shot!
After leaving the geothermal activity behind, you will travel through a landscape of sharp hills covered by native bush or pasture as you travel towards Wellington in order to board the Interislander ferry bound for South Island.
New Zealand (known by Maori speakers as Aotearoa) is an island nation comprised of two main islands and various smaller ones, offering adventure tourism or relaxation alike. You’re sure to love exploring its breathtaking scenery during your time there!
Meals
On your trip to New Zealand, you’ll experience an array of cuisine. From traditional British-influenced classics such as fish and chips to fresh local seafood and an increasingly robust vegetarian and vegan scene – NZ food is truly world-class. Additionally, this country has a strong craft beer and wine culture and is famous for its wine production.
Odyssey tours pride themselves on meeting high standards when it comes to food and accommodations, while Ayres Adventures offer all meals, accommodation and an experienced driver-guide for their New Zealand tours. Both offer relaxed tours that provide plenty of laughs along the way!
Planning a tour of New Zealand requires careful preparation. Make sure you bring plenty of cash, particularly New Zealand dollars of various denominations. This will allow you to purchase items in locations that don’t accept credit cards as well as avoid card transaction fees and make tipping easier. In addition, bring clothing suitable for cold weather riding including waterproof jackets and hiking shoes; layers will help when temperatures cool off at night or when ascending higher elevations – and in case it rains you might also bring along an umbrella or rain cape depending on the season!
Routes
New Zealand is an idyllic destination for bikers. The Southern Alps dominate South Island and provide breathtaking views, such as of Mount Cook (Aoraki) from Lake Tekapo. Tours may also include day tours to Milford Sound (part of Te Wahipounamu region of UNESCO World Heritage) or West Coast where breathtaking mountain passes offer great photo ops with Mount Cook as a backdrop.
If group tours aren’t your cup of tea, why not consider self-guided options instead? Companies such as Bike Rent A Bike provide rental bikes and sat navs so that you can explore at your own pace while still benefiting from all the advantages associated with an organized tour?
RealRoads offers fully escorted tours that cover everything you’d need – bikes and all activities; an experienced tour manager on hand in case of unexpected circumstances; accommodation, meals and activities all taken care of! Zoe Cano, an English motorcyclist touring both New Zealand’s North and South Islands with RealRoads wrote an incredible book called Hellbent for Paradise about her experience!
Guides
An expertly planned tour should always include a guide and this can be an immense benefit to seniors. By having someone else drive and navigate twisty roads for them, this can provide great peace of mind. Furthermore, having a guide at their side allows you to uncover little-known gems you might never discover on your own; plus they are available at all times should any queries arise during your tour – they are here to provide answers and offer some reassurance!
Tour guides will ensure you make the most of your visit to New Zealand. They can offer advice about restaurants and activities you might otherwise overlook alone, provide insight into its culture and history, give tips about when is best time for famous attractions to be visited and suggest other areas worth seeing.
Are you seeking an adventure on your next vacation? Why not take one of our small group tours to New Zealand? With incredible landscapes like Bay of Islands, Auckland, Waitomo caves and Rotorua to Christchurch Fox Glacier then Stewart Island with its rainforest and stunning beaches awaits your discovery!