Uncle Phil's 2014 New Zealand Trip

Have a great trip Up. I look forward to hearing about this one. I must admit that I'm jealous!
 
I always enjoy reading about your adventures. This sounds like another great story. Have fun!
 
Uncle Phil said:
Well, in 47 days I'll be on a big bird headed for my New Zealand ride finally. I've been trying to sort this out since 2009. Finally this year the money and the time have come together so I'm getting a bit excited. Now a question for folks that have done it or live/lived in New Zealand. I've got an old LG CG225 cell phone that will take a cell card. I am only interested in voice not data. Looks like Vodaphone is one of the big players, but I am wondering if their sim card will work in my old phone. Anybody's experience that's actually done it would be greatly appreciated.
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Uncle, when I went to NZ in 2011, I found a Vodafone shop in the airport (Auckland). While they were radiating my camping gear the Vodafone guy signed me up and had me ready to go with a cheap phone (no data) that worked really well for voice and text. It cost $60 initially and then I had to top up with minutes a couple of times.
I still have that fone and I'm not planning on using it in AU (I'll be gone the same time you are in NZ). If you want I could send it with charger, just pm me.
Cheers and enjoy, I know you will.
 
hi Uncle Phil. you can pickup prepaid ph ready to go at any mall. I will check out some local deals and get back to you.several options 2 degrees vodaphone or telecom.
l live an hr & 1/2 south of AKLD and Hamilton is on route to Rotorua . would be good to spend a couple hrs on a ride if we can organise. check out Coromandel Loop awesome ride and scenery . what date do you arrive
cheers
 
Phil... My nephew and his new wife from California just quit their jobs and are hiking some 800 mile trail through New Zealand. They have been there for about a month and will be there another month or two. If you need me to find out anything from them that may be helpful just let me know.

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk
 
Uncle Phil said:
Well, in 47 days I'll be on a big bird headed for my New Zealand ride finally.
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Hi Phil,

You and Alain will love it. Lots of great people, roads, scenery, and food.

Can't help you with the cell phone issue.

I bought a t-shirt there:

No Cellphone, No Email, No Problem
New Zealand

How long are you going for? We did two weeks on each Island.

The folks at Te Wai are great to deal with. Glad to hear they still have the ST. Mike tells me About Town is likely dropping the ST this year so we'll have to rent something else for Scotland in August.

You should post something in the New Zealand forum - lots of great people to meet up with down there and they can offer some tips on great riding and even come along for part of the adventure.

Looking forward to reading of your travels.

Bruce
 
Hi phil
have a look at this it may be helpful , Mike Hyde has written several books on Motor bike traveling . this latest one is 50 best rides in NZ , i recall there is also a really good utube short video which you may give some insight to the great rides you and Alain are going to get.
http://www.twistingthrottle.com/uploads/1/8/2/2/18229311/oamaru_mail_jul_13 also check out telecom, 2 degrees and skinny pre paid mobile phs. if you click on the store finder you will find several in the airport area including in the terminal. personally any of the companies will give you reasonable coverage in NZ. yes telecom do have more repeaters but even they have bad areas . i would check out the best deal , you can buy cheap prepaids from as little as 29 NZD and about 44 cents a minute talk time , txt are cheaper 20 c a txt i think.
pdfhttp://store.telecom.co.nz/mobile/personal/phones/prepaid/?cid=sem_ao_mob_pre&gclid=CIXakJP_n7wCFcFhpQod5xAAZA
hope this helps if there is anything that you would like to know just ask im happy to help any way I can.
Cheers Cobie
 
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Have a safe trip as well as a blast. Will be looking for lots of pictures and your trip report.

John
 
Cobie said:
hi Uncle Phil. you can pickup prepaid ph ready to go at any mall. I will check out some local deals and get back to you.several options 2 degrees vodaphone or telecom.
l live an hr & 1/2 south of AKLD and Hamilton is on route to Rotorua . would be good to spend a couple hrs on a ride if we can organise. check out Coromandel Loop awesome ride and scenery . what date do you arrive
cheers
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Cobie - I'll arrive in Auckland Mar 16th in the afternoon (assuming the plane does what it's supposed to do!). We get the bikes on the 17th and will spend the day sorting out our setups and hopefully remembering how to ride on the proper side of the road. ;-) We are heading north the sort of following the east coast around (Bay Islands, Orewa (3-20), Coromandel(3-21), Rotura(3-22), Hawkes Bay(3-23), Tongariro(3-24), New Plymouth(3-25), then Wellington(3-26) then off to the South Island(3-27). It'd be great to ride with you however it sorts out. Our 'destinations' are pretty well set, but how we get there is up to us!
 
hi Phil
you will be with in catch up range when you travel from AKLD to Coromandel then to Rotorua. I will check dates to see if it works for me to be on the road on those dates. weather will still be great with day light till about 8ish , down in the South Island the sunset is a little later in the evening. you will be seeing some great parts of NZ, you may be on the same road from Hawkes bay to Tongariro unless you are traveling across the Gentle Annie ( Napier to Taihape ) then up to Waiouru across to Ohakune then thru Tamaranui to New Plymouth. what ever way you go you will love the scenery but may find our roads a little coarser than you are used to at home.
our local Honda shop arrange a ride after work every Thursday. just home after 2 1/2 hr ride tonite. Temp today 19 C when I got home about 9.30 pm so mid March will still be pretty good. I will send you my mob number and you can txt me when you get ph running in NZ. will contact if a catchup on 2 wheels is a possibility. cheers for now Cobes
 
Have a blast, UP! New Zealand is on my bucket list. Look forward to hearing your stories at Moonshine.
 
U.P

If it hasn't been said already, remember the road speeds in NZ are posted in Kilometres per hour, not Miles per hour ! And if you don't eat your airline apple on the journey over, leave it on the plane, the Kiwi Customs are very hot on sources of bio-contamination coming onto the islands. Both could clean out your holiday fund before you even get started.

But at least you are used to riding on the correct side of the road already :)
 
Big Russ said:
U.P

If it hasn't been said already, remember the road speeds in NZ are posted in Kilometres per hour, not Miles per hour !
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I don't really think that is going to matter as far as Uncle Phil's selection of rate of travel is concerned. :D
 
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