My husband and I have hosted a few touring motorcyclists and are keen to continue to do so. I'd like to know more about signing up for the communities thing but I can't send a private message as I haven't posted enough! Please let me know how it all works as we've thoroughly enjoyed the three German couples and two young Swedes we've had staying here. We don't charge, we just ask that the travellers treat us and our home with respect. We live north of Levin and have a spare room/double bed and secure garaging. Keen to have more travellers!

Good to see more Kiwi's on here. And also good to see someone who has one of those lovely Suzuki Gooses (Geese??). The community system is a great idea but the most common complaint is people are too shy to use them. In about three years I have only had maybe 2 people come to stay thru the community system. The direct approach seems to work best; I'm often dragging home strays I have accosted after performing mad U-turns to chase and stop. Keeping an eye on the Blogs here for people heading for NZ and offering a bed to those people is also very rewarding.
I see you are from Levin. Do you know Murray Speirs by any cahnce? He is from Levin and his and Kathy's blog can be found at www.kathyandmurray.com
Also see this thread:
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...ers-your-23895
There's a bed and a garage if you are ever down south too.

Kind regards

Nigel in NZ (Rangiora)

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The mouth of a perfectly contented man is filled with . -- 2200 BC Egyptian inscription

Hi Nigel,
Maybe you can give me a hand.

I'm doing a fare-thee-well trip of the south Island before heading off overseas.
I'll be down the West Coast from Monday 4/12/06 coming around to a Kiwibiker meeting near Mt Cook 9-12 Dec and then I have until 15/12/06 ferry back to Picton. I will be going via Christchurch to see family but can't really be naffed going down to Dunedin, although I do have family there also.

Are there any really interesting roads from Otematata/Omarama through to Christchurch as SH1 gets a little boring?

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The Road To Rio - Locokiwi

Yes, Nigel, we know Murray Spiers well - my husband has gone on trail rides and adventure rides with him and others for many years. He used to be at Waitarere Beach and we're at Koputaroa - about 10kms as the crow flies! We get most of our travellers from www.kiwibiker.co.nz where they have a 'coming and going' section for tourists to post in. We got two couples and a single guy that way, then one of the couples told us about two more who were coming and we had them to stay too. The two Swedes were broken down on the side of the road so I got my husband to go back with the bike trailer and they stayed the night while he fixed their bike. We love having them to stay - we don't have kids and live in a lovely quiet area of the country so they find it quite relaxing. My husband knows all the good rides in the area so he often takes them out if they feel like it, otherwise they are welcome to chill out and take a well-earned break.

The Goose is great - I started off with a Suzuki RG150 then bought a BMW F650CS (hence the username Beemer on Kiwi Biker), but I sold that last year and bought the Goose. Great bike, but VERY uncomfortable seat, I keep meaning to do something about it!

What is the etiquette about posting contact details on here? I wouldn't want to put our home address but wondered about a phone number or email address? I'm a journalist and photographer and work from home so having people to stay isn't usually a problem. We're non-smokers - oh, and I love to cook!

We have the HU Communities for that express purpose - your personal details are not exposed to anyone until after you receive an email from them, AND you choose to respond! See the Communities page - link on left.

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Grant Johnson
Seek, and ye shall find.
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Inspiring, Informing and Connecting travellers since 1997!
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

Thanks Grant, but I can't figure out how to join the community - I clicked on the 'join a community' link but can't see how you actually do this. I notice on that page there is a comment by you about Helpful People and having your details listed there. That may be easier - I'd only want to list my email address and possibly a phone number - maybe my mobile - for people to contact me if they are in NZ. All the travellers we've had to stay have contacted me by email or private message on other forums and that seems to work quite well.

Hi Josh. There is really only one other more interesting ride than SH1 up from Omarama, unless you get into some fairly hard-core gravel. That is to take the main route from Mt Cook, Tekapo, Fairlie to Geraldine (Nice!), but just past the one-lane bridge 5 km north of Geraldine, don't take the posted turn for Chch and SH1, but carry on straight ahead on the Inland Scenic Route (72) via Mayfield, Mt Somers, Mt Hutt and the Rakaia Gorge (Extra Nice!), then Windwhistle, and Glentunnel. About 5km after Glentunnel, leave the Inland Route (72) at Homebush and take the Chch turnings. That will spit you back out on the the boring straight road again at Darfield on the road to Chch from the West Coast, about 30km from Chch. It's more simple than it sounds.
Watch for speed traps around Twizel, Tekapo, Fairlie and Mayfield esp. Other than there I have never seen a cop on patrol *wink*.
There's a bed and a shed for you here if you need one. I'm about 25km north of Chch. You lucky bastard, you are in for a very nice trip.

Kind regards

Nigel in NZ (Rangiora)

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The mouth of a perfectly contented man is filled with . -- 2200 BC Egyptian inscription

thanks Nigel
Have lodgings in Christchurch but would be interested in having a or lunch with you if time permits.

This trip's just the warm up! Check out what we have planned www.locokiwi.com

Josh

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The Road To Rio - Locokiwi