Has anyone tried mountain biking in New Zealand ? Any recommendations for holiday companies? I’m thinking xc/am single track type riding.

Try around queenstown if you want traditional british style singletrack holiday ( in a going to france kinda way) Many of the guides round there are brits.

Kiwis have a different approach to mtb to most holiday resorts it appears to be all short loops ( land access restrictions) or gravel grindings – ime ( from kennett bros book and speaking to the local mtb club in southland for reccomendations – as well as the moonshine ,,bannockburn classic and gutbuster races )

The scenary more than makes up for it though. We were on cross bikes and around queenstown was the only time we found anything that made us turn back – trying to ride up the river trail to the goldmine

the tramping trails are out of bounds ( and so busy you wouldnt want to be on them anyway) but the ones i did (tramp on) would have made awesome trails.

How long you going out for ?

Forgot to say – what ever happens go, its the most amazing place ive cycled round the whole place such a contracting enviroment for such a small place – from the cold and wind of southland to deserts of otago to the practically rainforest of the north auckland region to the carribean looking beaches of corromandel and everything inbetween. Made for great cycling

Tons of quality trails in Rotorua, Wanaka, Queenstown, Nelson…etc etc

Talk to the folks on http://www.vorb.org.nz/ and check out Spoke magazine (can be bought via Zinio http://spokemagazine.com/

Wellington, Rotorua , wanaka , taupo trails were awesome but not a holidays worth of trails in any of them Hiring a car and doing a few of them would be recomended

Thanks for the suggestions so far. trail_rat I am dreaming up plans at the moment as planning to visit friends in Sydney thought I could extend it by a week-10 days while I am nearish to New Zealand (always wanted to see it). It sounds like I need longer really to do it justice….

I was there for 5 months …. Still didnt see everything i wanted to see but i had a hoot of a time.

I wouldnt bother taking a bike.

Go see the place and hire a bike in a coule of places if you feel it , draging a bike across the world is so over rated ( and expensive) i ended up buying a bike in nz

Personally id fly into christchurch or auckland and hire a car( car hire was cheap- i was hiring a mazda 323 shitbox for 6 pounds a day in auckland from one of the big kiwi companies and just go for a drive. Do not try and see both islands, hell i wouldnt even try and see all of one island.

Look no further
http://ridehousemartin.com
They know their onions.

Don’t bother with Auckland.

Agree the best thing about auckland is getting out of it. Cheap flight in and head south. Although chinese new year as we waited on our flight to austrailia was pretty cool. They know how to party

Don’t bother with Auckland.

this is something I would disagree with, first time I went NZ I got out as quick as possible, last time I was out for a wedding so tied to Auckland for a lot longer, there is a surprising amount to see. Spent a lot of time on the ferries going round the islands, museums etc.

But don’t bother trying to see much you will fail. For various reasons had to drive from south of New Plymouth upto the Coromandel in a day, it was a long day! admittedly did stop for photos but still, the roads aren’t fast, except the trucks!

Try sandsurfing at Opononi in the north west of north island. Great fun and cheap as chips. Lots of dirt roads to take you big distances and great public hot baths everywhere as well. Went up in a seaplane for £25 each for half hour (more than enough time to get airsick) at Rotarua. Mental coming in to land at 100mph!!!
Get a good book on “tramping” or walking as us civilised folk call it, and do some of the great trails around coromandel and Mt Taranaki. In fact go climb Mt Taranaki, just dont try to do it in a cyclone like I did.
Do the North or the south islands, just dont do both unless you have plenty time to spare – like 6+ months.