Questions about your New Zealand motorcycle tour

You must be at least 25 years old to ride a Wandrith motorcycle.

There is no minimum age for a pillion, as long as they can ride safely as a passenger through long days.

We ask for at least two years of riding experience on a motorcycle similar to the one you book.

That way the bike feels familiar from the first morning, and the road gets your full attention.

Every rider must also be at least 25, with a full motorcycle licence.

You need a full, unrestricted motorcycle licence from your home country, held for at least two years.

If your licence is not in English, you also need either an International Driving Permit (IDP), which you must get at home before you travel, or an accurate English translation from a translator the NZ Transport Agency approves.

The NZ Transport Agency has the full rules for visiting drivers. More in our guide: riding a motorcycle in New Zealand as a visitor.

No. Our terms require you to carry your original, physical licence whenever you ride, and the NZ Transport Agency asks visitors to carry their current overseas licence.

Copies and scans don’t count either.

Yes. Our terms also require every rider to have no criminal convictions for an offence involving a motor vehicle, such as drink- or drug-driving, and to be in good physical and mental health. When you book, you accept the terms and confirm that every rider meets them, and we send you a rider declaration to complete online.

Yes. Pillions ride free. Two people on one bike pay the price of the bike and share the room, with no extra charge on any of our journeys. It’s our standard price, not an offer.

Your pillion brings their own helmet and riding gear, as you do.

You ride at your own pace, on the bike you booked, with no guide and no group to keep up with. Each day’s route is loaded on the bike’s own screen in the Wandrith Journey App, and we book somewhere special every night.

Each route links passes and back roads, such as the Lewis, Lindis and Haast passes on the South Island and the Forgotten World Highway on the North Island, with rest days built in. We favour quiet roads over crowded attractions. More in our guide: how a self-guided motorcycle tour works.

Every journey includes:

• The exact model you booked, not a class, with aluminium panniers and top box, waterproof liners, a Quad Lock phone mount with a case to fit your specific phone, action camera mounts, a first aid kit, a puncture plug kit and tie-down straps.
• Your bike brought to your hotel at the start, and collected from your hotel at the end.
• Your pillion, at no extra charge.
• Every night’s accommodation, with breakfast wherever it’s available.
• The Cook Strait ferry, where your journey crosses it.
• Road tolls on your route.
• Your first tank of fuel.
• The route, day by day, in the Wandrith Journey App.
• Roadside assistance from the AA, and a satellite emergency beacon on the bike.
• A briefing on your bike, its kit and the app before you ride, and a welcome pack.

Full motorcycle insurance cover is included.

Not included: flights, accommodation before and after your journey, fuel after the first tank, lunches and dinners, activities, your riding gear and travel insurance. See the full list.

A fleet of BMW and Royal Enfield adventure motorcycles: the BMW R1300GS Adventure (with Automated Shift Assistant), R1250GS Adventure and F900GS Adventure, and the Royal Enfield Himalayan. We own every bike in the fleet.

Each bike is fully optioned, with aluminium panniers and a top box, and maintained by authorised service agents. See the fleet.

Yes. You get the exact model you book; we don’t use bike classes. In the unlikely event it isn’t available, we’ll agree an alternative with you. Compare the bikes.

The one closest to what you ride at home: we ask for two years on a similar motorcycle. The BMW R1300GS Adventure and R1250GS Adventure are the big touring bikes; the F900GS Adventure and Royal Enfield Himalayan are lighter and lower, for riders who prefer that.

Standard seats start at 875 mm on the F900GS Adventure (825 mm with its low seat) and 825 mm on the Himalayan, and low seats are available for most models. Compare the bikes.

Our bikes are fitted with road-oriented adventure touring tyres: sure-footed on sealed roads, and comfortable on typical New Zealand gravel.

If you would rather have something more off-road, such as the Continental TKC 80, we may be able to fit it: ask us when you book.

A mix of hotels and serviced apartments, with the occasional speciality stay, such as a log cabin, depending on the journey. We choose somewhere special every night, for the stay itself or for the setting.

The earlier you book, the wider the choice. We don’t wait to book your accommodation: we book every night as soon as your deposit is paid. We have to get in quick, because many of the special places we use take only one booking at a time. If we ever need to make a major change to your nights, we talk to you first, and if you’d rather not go ahead, we treat it as our cancellation and refund your deposit in full.

Breakfast is included wherever it’s available; lunches and dinners aren’t. The Wandrith Journey App suggests cafés and restaurants along each day’s route.

No. Activities are not included in your journey price.

The Wandrith Journey App points out attractions, natural landmarks and activities along the route, and you choose what to stop for.

Turn by turn, on the bike’s own screen. Each day’s route is loaded in advance in the Wandrith Journey App, included with every journey, with suggested detours, cafés and restaurants along the way.

You can look over the next day’s ride from your room.

Generally, no. We don’t normally supply helmets, jackets, trousers, gloves or boots.

Most riders prefer the comfort of their own gear over kit that has been passed between strangers. If you’re stuck, ask us and we’ll see what we can do. More in our guide: riding gear.

You’ll need:

• Your full motorcycle licence: the original, physical licence, with an International Driving Permit or an approved English translation if it isn’t in English.
• An NZeTA before you fly (or a visa, if you’re not from a visa waiver country); Australian citizens need neither.
• Travel insurance, which is essential.
• Your own riding gear: helmet, jacket, trousers, gloves and boots.
• A hotel stay before and after your journey (we can suggest one), with at least one full day of rest after you arrive, to adjust to New Zealand time before you ride.

On the road, you pay for fuel after the first tank, lunches and dinners, and any activities. More in our guide: what to pack for a New Zealand motorcycle tour.

No, but we come to your hotel. We bring your bike there at the start of your journey for the handover and briefing, and collect it from your hotel at the end.

We don’t do airport transfers or store luggage. If you start and end at the same hotel, it will often hold your bags while you ride; otherwise, luggage storage companies do.

Prices are per bike and include GST. Each price depends on the journey, the season you ride in and the bike you choose (a journey that runs from one season into the next costs a mix of the two): the F900GS Adventure costs about 5% less and the Himalayan 10% less than the R1300GS Adventure and R1250GS Adventure. See dates and prices.

Pillions ride free. Travelling with a pair of bikes? Talk to us, as some accommodation may be able to be combined to reduce the cost.

Yes. Every Wandrith journey price includes GST (Goods and Services Tax, 15%), and nothing is added to it later. Prices in New Zealand shops include GST too.

No. There are no discount codes, no sales and no last-minute deals. Your price is set by the journey, your bike and the seasons you ride in, never by demand, and it’s locked when you pay the deposit.

No. Your Wandrith journey isn’t subject to tariffs, and your price is locked when you pay the deposit.

A refundable 20% deposit secures your booking and locks your price. We don’t wait to book your accommodation: we book every night as soon as your deposit is paid. We have to get in quick, because many of the special places we use take only one booking at a time. Pay the deposit by card through Stripe, with no card surcharge, or by international bank transfer.

The balance is due 60 days before your journey starts, and we invoice the refundable security bond alongside it. We return the bond within 10 working days of the end of your journey, provided the motorcycle comes back in the same condition. Our terms set out the bond and what we refund if you cancel.

All payments are in New Zealand dollars (NZ$).

All payments are in New Zealand dollars (NZ$).

When you book, we also show an estimated price in your own currency. The amount that leaves your account depends on the exchange rate your bank or card provider uses on the day.

Yes. Once we confirm your dates, we send an invoice for your 20% deposit, payable by card through Stripe or by international bank transfer, and Stripe sends a receipt for each card payment.

If you need a full invoice for your records, ask us and we’ll provide one.

We never store or even receive your card number.

Card payments are processed by Stripe, a specialist payment provider, and your payment details are encrypted.

If you cancel well ahead, we refund your deposit, less a NZ$250 administration fee (including GST); the closer to your start date you cancel, the less we refund. We book your accommodation as soon as your deposit is paid, and cancelling it takes work and sometimes costs us. Our terms set out the full refund schedule.

Tell us in writing. Depending on the reason, we may be able to move your dates instead. If we ever cancel a journey before it starts, we refund everything you have paid.

Travel insurance that covers cancellation is essential.

If you need to, we’ll do what we can. Changing dates means rebooking your accommodation, so it depends on availability, and your price becomes the price for your new dates.

Tell us as soon as you can. If we can’t move your dates and you can’t travel, our cancellation terms apply.

Yes. Full motorcycle insurance cover is included.

Travel insurance is separate, and essential: you arrange your own.

Yes. Travel insurance is essential, and it’s yours to arrange. Choose comprehensive cover that includes cancellation, medical expenses, emergency evacuation, travel disruption and lost luggage.

The motorcycle is insured as part of your journey. Full motorcycle insurance cover is included.

Journeys run from November to April, in three seasons: prime season (1 February to 15 March), peak season (December, January and 16 to 31 March) and shoulder season (November and April). Prime season costs the most and shoulder season the least.

Each day of your journey is priced at the season it falls in, so a journey that runs from one season into the next costs a mix of the two. Prices don't change with demand, and your price is locked when you pay the deposit.

On the North Island, by arrangement; on the South Island, no. New Zealand’s winter is June to August. We don't run South Island journeys in winter: ice on the roads makes them unsafe.

A winter North Island journey is possible: talk to us, and pack for showers. Winter journeys can't be booked on the website.

Changeable, so pack for all of it. Our journeys run from November to April:

• November (late spring): sunshine, showers and crisp mornings, with daytime temperatures of 16°C to 21°C. Sunset is between about 8 pm and 9.15 pm, later in the south and later as the month goes on.
• December to February (summer): long, warm days, usually 20°C to 25°C, and they can pass 30°C inland and on the east coast. In midsummer, sunrise is around 5.45 to 6 am, and sunset around 8.40 pm in Auckland, 9.10 pm in Christchurch and 9.35 pm in Queenstown. By late February, sunrise is nearer 7 am and sunset 8 to 9 pm.
• March (early autumn): settled and still warm, with days of about 18°C to 24°C. Sunset is around 8 to 8.30 pm early in the month, and 7.15 to 7.45 pm by the end.
• April (autumn): cooler, with days of about 15°C to 20°C, fewer people about and the hills turning gold. Daylight saving ends on the first Sunday, when sunset moves to about 6.15 to 6.30 pm, and by the end of the month it is about 5.30 to 5.45 pm. An early cold snap is possible, especially on the South Island.

The North Island is warmer and more humid, with the odd tropical downpour in late summer. The South Island has cooler, crisper air, with a greater chance of sudden changes near the mountains. Winter (June to August) brings ice and snow to the mountains.

Our itineraries are planned around daylight, but check sunset times as you ride. UV is intense in summer, so wear sunscreen even when it’s cloudy. Whatever the month, layers and a good waterproof riding jacket are essential. More in our guide: when to ride New Zealand by motorcycle.

Choose your dates on the journey’s page and send the request: there’s no payment until we confirm your dates. We confirm availability within one business day and send an invoice for your refundable 20% deposit, which secures your booking and locks your price. Then we send you a rider declaration to complete online.

If you’d like to talk it through first, book a discovery call: a 30-minute video call about dates, bikes and the route.

We recommend booking at least six months in advance to get your preferred dates, especially for journeys from December to March. Accommodation is usually the limit, not the bikes.

Journeys booked online start at least 60 days ahead. The balance is due 60 days before your journey, so for a journey that soon it's due with the deposit. The date picker on each journey page shows the start dates that are open.

If you book later than that, we may need to adjust your route or your nights slightly, sometimes just by running the route in a different order. If we can’t find somewhere of the same standard for a night, we talk to you first, and if you’d rather not go ahead, we treat it as our cancellation and refund your deposit in full.

Your full itinerary arrives in the Wandrith Journey App about 60 days before your journey starts (or once your stays are confirmed, if you book later than that), with each day’s route, your accommodation and notes to help you prepare.

Yes. Each journey’s route is our base route, the starting point. We shape it around what you’d like to see and where there’s room to stay: many of the special places we use take only one booking at a time, so your nights may change, and the route with them.

If there’s a place you have your heart set on, tell us and we’ll do our best to fit it in.

We always confirm a change with you first. Book a discovery call to talk it through.

Yes. We can build a journey around you, with a route or a theme of your own.

Book a discovery call to start planning.

A different start or finish may be possible. Tell us what you need, and we’ll see whether we can plan the journey around it.

Most days are four to six hours in the saddle, with stops. Some run a little longer or shorter, depending on detours and where the night’s stay is.

Each journey page gives its average and longest day, and our guide compares all four: how a self-guided motorcycle tour works.

A little. Our routes are almost all sealed, with a few short stretches of gravel: for example, on the South Island, the road into Mount Lyford, the last stretch past Glenorchy to Paradise and the side trip to the Clay Cliffs near Ōmarama. Some of our stays have a short gravel driveway too: at one near Mount Hutt, it’s 300 m.

You won’t ride long unsealed sections unless you choose to, and the gravel side quests in the app are optional. Our roads guide has more on the surfaces.

Yes. Every journey includes at least one planned rest day, and the longer journeys more, for exploring a town, doing something off the bike or simply resting.

We book you on the Interislander or the Bluebridge ferry, depending on availability and your dates. Both run several crossings a day between Wellington (North Island) and Picton (South Island), and the crossing takes about 3.5 hours.

Motorcycles are usually first on and first off. We provide a tie-down kit to secure your bike for the crossing.

Your ferry tickets are included in your journey: the motorcycle's, yours and any pillion's. Where available, they include the Premium Lounge for you and any pillion, with more comfortable seating and complimentary food and drink. Lounges have a minimum age of 16 or 18, depending on the operator, so tell us if your pillion is younger.

The smaller harbour ferries on the Aotearoa Odyssey’s Day 2, in Northland, aren’t included: the Hokianga ferry from Kohukohu to Rawene, and the ferry to Russell (the passenger ferry from Paihia or the vehicle ferry from Ōpua) if you take one. Each is a small fare, paid on the spot.

Ultimate NZ and the Aotearoa Odyssey cross Cook Strait; the North Island and South Island journeys don’t. If yours crosses, we’ll send you a detailed guide before you travel, and our Cook Strait ferry guide covers boarding with the bike, tie-downs and cancelled sailings.

On unsealed roads, yes; on beaches, never. Wandrith motorcycles must stay off beaches and out of salt water, and out of rivers too: a river crossing can void the insurance, as our terms set out.

If you take a Wandrith motorcycle off a legal road and it has to be recovered, you are responsible for the recovery costs.

Yes, a few. Tolls are charged by number-plate recognition; there are no cash booths.

Where one of our routes uses a toll road, the toll is included in your journey, and you don’t need to do anything.

Petrol stations are easy to find in towns, and most are self-service. Z, BP and Mobil are the big names; Gull, Waitomo and NPD have sites across the country too, and many of theirs, like many rural stations, are unstaffed and pay-at-pump only, so carry a card with a PIN. Elsewhere, some stations ask you to pay at the pump before you fill; others let you pay inside afterwards.

Take care parking on sloping or uneven forecourts, especially on a loaded bike. Your bike starts the journey with a full tank, and the Wandrith Journey App suggests fuel stops on each day’s route, including before remote stretches such as the Forgotten World Highway. If you’re ever unsure which fuel your bike takes, ask us before you fill up.

Many of the places we book have a self-service laundry. Hotel machines usually take cards, though some need coins from reception. Rest days are a good time for washing.

Public laundromats are easy to find in most towns, and the Wandrith Journey App marks good places on the route for a laundry stop.

The rules that matter most to a visiting rider:

• Keep to the left.
• Turning right, give way to oncoming traffic, including vehicles turning left. It’s the same rule as in the UK and Australia.
• Helmets are compulsory for riders and passengers, and must carry the label of an approved standard; most current helmets sold in the UK, Europe, the US, Australia and Japan qualify.
• A solid yellow line on your side of the centre line means no overtaking.
• At roundabouts, give way to traffic coming from your right.
• A yellow traffic light means stop, unless it’s unsafe to.
• Merging traffic gives way to vehicles already on the main road.
• Open roads are mostly 100 km/h (110 km/h on a few expressways) and towns 50 km/h, but many rural roads are posted lower: the sign is the limit.

Speed limits are strictly enforced, especially in holiday periods. Keep to the posted limit: even minor speeding is likely to be fined. Speeding, parking and other fines during your journey are yours to pay, and our terms let us take them from your bond.

The NZ Transport Agency’s guide to driving in New Zealand has the full rules. More in our guide: riding on the left.

Give yourself time. Allow at least one full day of rest after your flight before you ride, and keep the first hour easy: stay left, and at roundabouts give way to traffic coming from your right.

Day 1 of the South Island journey starts gently, with a warm-up ride around the headlands of Lyttelton Harbour. More in our guide: your first day on the left.

Winding, often narrow and mostly quiet. Most roads are one lane each way, and rural roads can be narrower and unmarked. Single-lane bridges are common, on the West Coast especially; signs on the approach show which direction gives way. Travel times are often longer than they look: roads wind, roadworks come and go, and campervans are slow.

Except at rush hour near the cities and on busy holiday weekends, rural roads are quiet, with long stretches of open road. State highways are marked with a red shield and a white number, and State Highway 1 (SH1) runs the length of the country, but some of the best riding is off the main roads, on routes such as the Forgotten World Highway.

New Zealand has plenty of unsealed back roads, but our routes are almost all sealed, with a few short stretches of gravel: our roads guide has more.

Much like drivers at home. Most are courteous, and slower vehicles often pull over to let you pass; some don’t indicate, and not all check their blind spots. Ride defensively.

Away from the main centres, traffic thins out quickly. Around the busy tourist spots, especially on the South Island, campervans are common.

If the police stop you, stay calm, polite and where you are. You’ll be asked for your driver licence, so keep it handy. (You don’t need to carry insurance documents.)

Random breath testing is common, at temporary roadside checkpoints or when an officer stops you for another reason, and every rider must take part. If you’re riding, don’t drink any alcohol.

Since 1 July 2026 the police have also run roadside drug tests across the country: a saliva swab that screens for cannabis, methamphetamine, MDMA and cocaine. Two positive screens mean you can’t ride for 12 hours, and a fine follows if a lab confirms the result; refusing the test brings a fine, demerit points and the same ban. If you take prescription medicine, keep the prescription: it won’t stop a roadside test, but it supports a medical defence afterwards.

More in our guide: speed limits, the police and breath tests.

If the bike breaks down, call the AA’s roadside assistance first, then let us know, and we’ll work to get a replacement bike to you if yours can’t be fixed on the spot.

Every Wandrith motorcycle has roadside assistance from the AA, a satellite emergency beacon and a puncture plug kit, so a flat somewhere remote needn’t end the day. Repairing a puncture or other tyre damage is at your cost, as our terms set out.

First, make sure you’re safe. Dial 111 if anyone needs help, or use the bike’s satellite emergency beacon where there’s no signal. Follow any instructions from the police or emergency services at the scene, and don’t admit fault or liability: under our terms, that can void the insurance.

Then, as soon as you can, let us know. If the bike can’t be ridden on, call the AA’s roadside assistance first, then us.

Dial 111 for police, fire and ambulance. It’s free from any mobile or landline. For an urgent road problem that isn’t life-threatening, such as a crash with no one hurt or something blocking the road, dial *555 from a mobile; for other non-urgent police matters, call 105.

Every Wandrith bike also carries a satellite emergency beacon for remote areas, and a first aid kit.

Most days, you ride through it. New Zealand weather is changeable: sun, wind, rain and cloud can all come in a single day, so bring layers and a good waterproof riding jacket, whatever the month.

Heavy rain can close an alpine pass or a coastal road for a day or more, and now and then the tail of a Pacific cyclone brings several days too wet and windy to ride. If the weather stops you reaching the night’s stay, contact us straight away, and we’ll do our best to make other arrangements. Cook Strait sailings can be cancelled in bad weather too: our ferry guide explains what happens.

Travel insurance that covers travel disruption is essential.

New Zealand’s Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) covers treatment for accidental injury, for visitors too, though a clinic may still charge part of its fee. ACC doesn’t pay to get you home, or for a disrupted trip.

Illness isn’t covered by ACC. Under reciprocal health agreements, visitors from Australia can get immediately necessary treatment in a public hospital, though not subsidised visits to a GP (general practitioner), and UK citizens who live in the UK can get timely treatment for a new condition and pay a GP what a New Zealander would. Other visitors pay for treatment of illness. Travel insurance is essential: it can cover routine and emergency treatment, hospital stays and medical repatriation.

A GP visit usually costs about NZ$200 for visitors, and up to NZ$300 at some clinics.

Yes. We hold a government Transport Service Licence (TSL), and every motorcycle carries a current Certificate of Fitness (CoF), the safety and roadworthiness standard for commercial vehicles in New Zealand.

We are listed in the Tourism New Zealand operator database, and we are members of Tourism Industry Aotearoa (TIA), the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) and the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC).

We offset twice each journey’s estimated emissions by planting native trees with Trees That Count, a native-planting charity that Tourism New Zealand partners with.

You can see them on our Trees That Count profile.

No. Wandrith runs self-guided journeys only, so a motorbike comes with a journey, never on its own. For motorcycle hire in New Zealand, see our sister brand, intrepidUs, and how the two compare.

intrepidUs is our sister brand, with journeys on the same New Zealand roads. Where Wandrith chooses somewhere special every night, intrepidUs books simpler stays: hotels, motels and Department of Conservation (DOC) campgrounds. intrepidUs also offers motorcycle hire for 7 days or more.

Simpler stays mean lower prices. To compare, see Wandrith and intrepidUs, or intrepidus.nz.

Not if you’re from one of the visa waiver countries, including the UK, the US and most of Europe. Australian citizens travelling on an Australian passport need neither a visa nor an NZeTA.

Visitors from visa waiver countries need a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) before they travel, and most also pay the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) when they request it. Both are on the official Immigration New Zealand website, which has the current fees.

Get your NZeTA only from Immigration New Zealand. Third-party agents often charge much more, and some never deliver. More in our guide: the NZeTA and the visitor levy.

No. New Zealand has no specific vaccination requirements for travellers, and no major health concerns beyond the strong summer sun.

Yes, but you must declare it.

Keep medicines in their original packaging, carry a doctor’s letter or prescription, and bring no more than three months’ supply (one month for controlled drugs).

NZ Customs has the full rules.

We strongly recommend you don’t. New Zealand’s biosecurity laws are strict: one forgotten apple in your bag can mean an instant NZ$400 fine.

You’ll complete a New Zealand Traveller Declaration, online or in its app, and must declare all food. Declare your used riding boots and outdoor gear too, and make sure they’re clean: soil on them is a biosecurity risk. Bags may be checked on arrival, with sniffer dogs and X-ray machines.

The official traveller declaration website explains what you can and can’t bring.

Layers. New Zealand weather can change a lot in a single day.

Every bike has aluminium panniers and a top box, with removable waterproof liners, so there’s room for layers, rain gear and the essentials.

Lightweight merino is worth packing: warm in the cold, cool in the heat and odour-resistant. Icebreaker, Macpac and Kathmandu have shops in the larger towns if you need to top up on the way.

More in our guide: what to pack.

New Zealand uses 230 V, 50 Hz electricity and Type I plugs and sockets, with three flat pins: two angled and one vertical. A plug with only the two angled pins fits too.

You’ll need a Type I travel adapter for your devices, unless they come from Australia, which uses the same plug. Most phone, camera and laptop chargers take 100 to 240 V; check the label on anything else.

Usually, yes. New Zealand’s networks closed 3G in 2026, so your phone needs 4G calling (VoLTE). If you roam, your home provider must also support VoLTE roaming, or you may have data but no calls: check with your provider before you travel. A local SIM card or eSIM is usually easier and cheaper; a data-only eSIM has no number for calls.

Mobile coverage is good in towns and cities, with 5G and 4G in most populated areas. Parts of our routes, remote stretches of the South Island especially, have little or no signal; the bike’s satellite emergency beacon works where the phone doesn’t.

Most of our accommodation has Wi-Fi, though some of the more remote places may not. Most cafés and restaurants have free Wi-Fi too.

You can, but in most cases it isn’t worth the trouble.

New Zealand’s drone rules are strict. You need landowner consent for anywhere you take off from, land on or fly over, including beaches, parks and private land, and consent from anyone you fly over, and recreational flights over state highways aren’t allowed: the NZ Transport Agency approves only operators certified under Part 102.

Much of the scenery is conservation land run by the Department of Conservation (DOC), and flying there needs a DOC permit: in some areas it’s issued online straight away, for a fee, but in many of the best-known places it’s rarely approved.

You must also keep your drone in sight, unaided, at all times.

Yes. Summer UV in New Zealand is about 40% higher than at similar latitudes in the northern hemisphere. The biggest reason is the clean, clear air. A thinner summer ozone layer adds to it, and so does the Earth being about 5 million km closer to the sun in the New Zealand summer than in the northern one. The Antarctic “ozone hole” isn’t the main reason. The Science Learning Hub explains why UV levels are high in a New Zealand summer.

That puts UV levels among the highest in the world. On a summer day you can burn in as little as 12 minutes, and cloud doesn’t stop it.

Any chemist or supermarket sells a good sunscreen (Cancer Society NZ makes one). Check the daily UV index, apply sunscreen generously, and reapply every two hours on the bike, and after swimming.

From the last Sunday in September to the first Sunday in April, which covers most of our riding season, New Zealand is on NZDT (New Zealand Daylight Time, UTC+13).

The rest of the year, it is on NZST (New Zealand Standard Time, UTC+12).

New Zealand is mostly cashless: cards are taken almost everywhere, from hotels and restaurants to supermarkets and petrol stations.

If you’re using an overseas card, make sure it’s enabled for international use and that you know your PIN. Check with your bank before you travel, so nothing gets blocked.

Carry a little cash too, around NZ$250, for the odd market stall, remote café or small shop that prefers it.

No. Tipping is not expected in New Zealand, and some locals find it awkward. Card terminals in cafés and restaurants sometimes prompt for a tip; it’s entirely optional, and most people skip it. Hospitality staff are paid at least the minimum wage, and don’t rely on tips.

On public holidays, staff are paid time and a half, so many restaurants, cafés and attractions add a surcharge, often 15%. The public holidays in our season are Christmas Day, Boxing Day, 1 and 2 January, Waitangi Day (6 February), Good Friday, Easter Monday and Anzac Day (25 April), plus each region’s anniversary day; when one falls on a weekend, the surcharge often moves to the Monday after.

In the cities, chain stores usually close around 6 pm, while restaurants and supermarkets stay open later, often until 9 or 10 pm.

In smaller towns, hours are shorter, and many shops close on Sundays. Some restaurants close on Mondays.

On Christmas Day, Good Friday and Easter Sunday, and until 1 pm on Anzac Day, most shops must close by law, though petrol stations, dairies (corner shops), cafés and restaurants can open, and some tourist towns, such as Queenstown and Taupō, can open at Easter. On other public holidays, many places add a surcharge.

Yes, almost everywhere. Town and city supplies are treated and safe to drink, so refill your bottle as you go. A few small rural supplies have a boil-water notice, and some remote stays use untreated rain or bore water: if you see a notice, or you’re not sure, ask your host.

Good, and easy to find. Even small towns usually have a café for breakfast and a good flat white, and most overnight stops have restaurants nearby; hotels usually serve full meals. Most menus have gluten-free, dairy-free and vegetarian choices.

Worth trying on the road:

• A bakery pie: savoury, not sweet; steak and cheese is the classic.
• Fish and chips, wrapped in paper. Ask for snapper.
• Green-lipped mussels, found only in New Zealand and best fresh at the top of the South Island.
• Crayfish (kōura), on the Kaikōura coast.
• Hāngī: Māori food cooked in an earth oven.
• Pavlova and hokey pokey ice cream, for after.

Aotearoa New Zealand has three official languages: English, Māori (te reo Māori) and New Zealand Sign Language.

English is the everyday language for conversation, business and travel, and you’ll see and hear te reo Māori throughout the country. Bilingual signs are common: school zones, for example, are marked both “SCHOOL” and “KURA” (te reo Māori for school).

The one to know is kia ora (said key-or-rah). It means hello, and can also mean goodbye or thank you. We’ll share a few more before your journey.

Few, but one is worth knowing. In Māori culture, sitting on tables or putting hats on them is disrespectful, because tables are for food. Not everyone follows this today, but it’s good manners to avoid it.

No. New Zealand has no snakes or scorpions, and no dangerous wildlife to speak of.

Sandflies can be a nuisance on the West Coast of the South Island and in Fiordland. Insect repellent keeps them off, and is worth carrying whenever you’re near rivers, lakes or coastal bush.

The kea, an alpine parrot you’ll meet at Arthur’s Pass and on the road to Milford Sound, is harmless to you but not to your bike: it pecks at seats, straps and rubber, so don’t leave the bike for long where kea gather.

New Zealand is widely regarded as one of the safest countries in the world, and consistently ranks in the top five of the Global Peace Index.

The one risk worth planning for is theft from parked vehicles at car parks for walks and lookouts: don’t leave anything valuable in your panniers or top box there.

You might, late in the season. The aurora australis is most often seen from March to September, when the nights are longer, and around the March equinox in particular. March and April journeys have the best chance, especially under the dark skies around Tekapo, in the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve. From November to February the nights are short, and sightings are rare.

For alerts, follow space weather forecasts and the New Zealand Aurora Australis Group on Facebook.