Dreaming of a motorcycle trip to distant climes? This section will help you to plan your trip, whether it's to the next state, country or all the way around the world! Start here!
The Achievable Dream 5-part series - the definitive video guide for planning your motorcycle adventure. Get Ready! covers planning, paperwork, medical and many other topics! "Inspirational and Awesome!" See the trailer here!
You could just get on a plane with your credit card and passport and buy or rent everything you need when you get there. That includes the bike, riding gear, etc. etc.
Gear Up! is a 2-DVD set, 6 hours! Which bike is right for me? How do I prepare the bike? What stuff do I need - riding gear, clothing, camping gear, first aid kit, tires, maps and GPS? What don't I need? How do I pack it all in? Lots of opinions from over 150 travellers! "will save you a fortune!"See the trailer here!
So you've done it - got inspired, planned your trip, packed your stuff and you're on the road! This section is about staying healthy, happy and secure on your motorcycle adventure. And crossing borders, war zones or oceans!
On the Road! is 5.5 hours of the tips and advice you need to cross borders, break down language barriers, overcome culture shock, ship the bike and deal with breakdowns and emergencies."Just makes me want to pack up and go!" See the trailer here!
Tire Changing!Grant demystifies the black art of Tire Changing and Repair to help you STAY on the road! "Very informative and practical." See the trailer here!
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After the big trip - Was the trip the best - or worst - thing you ever did?
Resources and Links
Horizons Unlimited Presents!
Ladies on the Loose! For the first time ever, a motorcycle travel DVD made for women, by women! These intrepid women share their tips to help you plan your own motorcycle adventure. They also answer the women-only questions, and entertain you with amazing tales from the road! Presented by Lois Pryce, veteran solo traveller through South America and Africa and author of 'Lois on the Loose', and 'Red Tape and White Knuckles.'
"It has me all fired up to go out on my own adventure!" See the trailer here!
Meet people who don't think you're crazy for wanting to ride your bike to South America or across Asia! They will encourage you, share their experiences and advice on how to do it!
We're not a big multi-national company, just two people who love motorcycle travel and have grown a hobby into a full time job and a labour of love.
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World Map Sticker for PanniersShow your route on your panniers. Great conversation starter when you meet people on the road!
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Videos - Watch and Learn!
Horizons Unlimited presents!
Achievable Dream The definitive guide to planning your motorcycle adventure! This insanely ambitious 2-year project has produced an informative and entertaining 5-part, 18 hour video series. "The ultimate round the world rider's how-to!" MCN UK.
"The series is 'free' because the tips and advice will save much more than you spend on buying the DVD's."
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Nice pics guys, great to see some travelers having a proper look around!
If you make it to Rotorua in the North Is come & visit. Will PM with contact details.
Cheers
Clint
That's great Clint! That's awesome, thank you! We are going in your area on our way back from the northern part of North Island, we will let you know.
Have a good one!
Episode 21 - Motueka Valley, Okiwi Bay and Ferry to North Island
This video shows part of our ride on three consecutive days: through Motueka Valley via Tapawera, then back to Nelson, going north to Okiwi Bay and Elaine Bay on a very curvy and hilly road. Some scenes were taken on a trail to Goat Hill where there's a nice lookout and lots of surrounding noise in the 'jungle'. We took the very beautiful and winding Queen Charlotte drive to Picton. Finally, you will see the scenery from the ferry crossing the Cook Strait on our way to Wellington.
This video is about 17 minutes long.
View from the lookout at Goat Hill, going to Okiwi Bay DSC_0409 by Claire Girard, sur Flickr
View from a lookout near Havelock at the beginning of Queen Charlotte drive DSC_0417 by Claire Girard, sur Flickr
Here's a map showing our itinerary for the third portion of our trip in South Island. We have added about 1000 km more in that section, therefore a total of 4400 km riding all around South Island to Picton, where we left on the ferry on Feb 27.
Here are two new episodes and some pictures covering from February 28 until March 4th.
Episode 22 starts on the West Coast, riding from Wanganui on Hwy 3 North, swimming in HUGE waves at Opunake Beach where we spent our first night. On the following day, we passed by Mount Egmont on our way to Stratford, then we took hwy 3A North and then hwy 3 along the coast up to Hamilton where we visited the BMW dealer. On the following day, we rode along Karangahake Gorge, Waihi and went camping at Wentworth Valley DOC campground where you will see we had to cross a ford (first experience for us!). This episode is about 7 minutes long.
Episode 23 presents the first two days spent in Coromandel Peninsula where the weather was fantastic! You will see the beautiful walk to Cathedral Cove as well as the amazing Hot Water Beach before and during 'rush hour' at low tide. This is quite an experience, fun to watch!! We continued our way up north where we met many other riders on that gorgeous day. From the lookout, we see Coromandel Village. Finally we took Colville Road to the end of the pavement, a little bit farther than Colville.
This episode is 18 minutes long. Some sequences have been accelerated (2X).
Here are two new videos and a bunch of pictures from our rides in North Island.
The first video (Episode 24) starts in Auckland where we spent a few hours walking around and visiting the central library. Then we crossed the Harbour Bridge heading North on the east coast, we saw Pakiri Beach, Mangawhai Heads and Whangarei. As you will see, we had to go through quite some rain and the road was pretty slippery. At 14:06 on the video, you may notice that a white car came in my lane and slowly slid back to give me way. A moment where you feel your stomach under contraction...
That's the kind of incident that happens once on each of our trips, so I should be good now for the rest of the season...
After seeing Tutukaka, Hikurangi and Helena Bay, you will see a landslide near Oakura Bay (14:40), close to where we ended that day, camping near Bay of Islands where we had heavy rain during the night. But, our tent kept us dry and the sun came out the next morning so that our equipment could be packed easily and kept dry. The video is about 15 minutes long.
Episode 25 which is 12 minutes long starts in Parekura Bay under a great sun. We visited the beautiful town of Russell and then took the ferry from Okiato to Opua. We crossed Northland from east to west on highway 10 and 12. You will see the great sand dunes of Hokianga Harbour and our visit to Waipoua Forest where we could see beautiful kauri trees, unfortunately under a lot of rain...
Riding under heavy rain, North Island - Episode 27
Hello again!
In the previous episode we were complaining about the rain, but that's nothing compared to what we had to go through on our way back south to Auckland. Episode 26 starts with us leaving Waipoua Forest on the west coast. Riding on hwy 12 South to Dargaville (50 km) was probably the most difficult portion of our trip as we had heavy rain and gales (100km/h). Both of us ended up at some point on the other lane as it was impossible to stay on ours...
However, before getting to Auckland, we had quite some fun in the Waitakere Ranges Regional Park as well as in Piha and Karekare. The Arataki Visitors Centre is quite nice!
Finally, after a drive on Tamaki Drive, we tried to escape from Auckland on a Friday afternoon. That wasn't the greatest idea.... We finally gave up as we were completely soaked and exhausted...
This video is 16 minutes long.
Here are some maps showing our itinerary in North Island. We have added about 2300 km more, therefore a total of 6700 km riding all around New Zealand so far.
Lower North Island, from Wellington to Auckland
Map 4
Northland East Coast from Auckland to Russell
Map 5
Crossing Northland to the West Coast and back to Auckland
Episode 27 - Auckland to Lake Rotorua, North Island, NZ
Hello!
Here are some new episodes, pictures and maps completing our journey on North Island.
Episode 27 starts south of Auckland, the morning following the heavy rain. You can see how the land next to the Hwy 1 is flooded. After a quick stop in Ngaruawahia to see how high the water level had raised, we continued on Hwy 1 to Tirau where interesting buildings have been shaped with corrugated steel. We rode to Rotorua on Hwy 5 where we found a lovely town with lots of flower beds, natural springs and mud pools. We camped that evening at Lake Okareka, a very nice quiet campground near the lake. As you will notice, we had heavy rain again the following day but we were rescued by a lovely couple, Rosie and Clint. :
The sun came back the following day as we rode around Lake Rotorua and to Te Puke, an area with many fields of growing kiwifruits. We rode along Bay of Plenty, went through Matata and Te Teko before coming back to Rotorua via Hwy 30, a very pleasant ride!
Episode 28 - Rotorua, Bay of Plenty and Waioeka Gorge, North Island, NZ
Episode 28 starts at beautiful Government Gardens in Rotorua that we visited as well as Kuirau Park. That’s where we found a lot of hot springs and mud pools. Then we left Rotorua via Hwy 30 and following Clint’s suggestion, we headed to Waioeka Gorge (another very nice ride!!) where we camped at DOC Manganuku Campground in a lovely setting.
The next morning, on our way to Gisborne, it became very wet and cold, therefore we unfortunately had to skip the ride to Urewera NP via Hwy 38.
We continued along the East coast to Wairoa and as we were getting closer to Napier, the weather improved so we decided to camp at another nice quiet campground, Lake Tutira.
Episode 29 - Napier to Lake Taupo and Tongariro NP, North Island, NZ
In Episode 29, we continue our ride on Hwy 2 South along Hawke Bay and we soon get to Napier, an interesting town that was almost completely destroyed during the 1931 earthquake. During rebuilding, architects adopted a fashionable Art Deco style which gives a very special look and atmosphere to the town. You will see typical pastel colour buildings with bold lines and elaborate motifs.
From Napier, Hwy 5 also called Thermal Highway, took us to the beautiful Lake Taupo area. We took a break in Taupo along the lake and relaxed a bit under a very warm sun. We were quite impressed with our visit to Huka Falls. Then we decided to ride along the west side of Lake Taupo on Hwy 32 as we were heading towards Tongariro NP. That evening, we stayed in a nice Holiday Park in Tokaanu with its own hot pools. Very relaxing!!
The following morning, we woke up in a very foggy environment but you will see the fog clearing up as we entered Tongariro NP. We spent the day walking and riding in the park, the most interesting part was certainly our walk on the ridge in Whakapapa Village and ski area, and our ride back down. We rode back up North that afternoon on Hwy 47 and Hwy 46 towards Turangi where we were stuck for a while since Hwy 1 had been closed following an accident. With some difficulty due to a missing sign, we managed to find the Waikoko DOC Campground where we stayed for a night.
Next morning, we continued our journey on Hwy 1 South on the east side of Tongariro NP where you can see again very nice scenery of the adjacent mountains and volcanos. We started with a very beautiful sunny day but soon big foggy clouds came in our way, and we felt cold and wet when we arrived in Waiouru, where you will see an old car leaving with its stylish trailer tent.
Episode 30 - Whangaehu Valley and Whanganui River Road, North Island, NZ
When we left Waiouru, we missed the junction to Hwy 49 getting us to Raetihi where we had planned to go. Continuing on Hwy 1 South, we ended in Hunterville where we decided to take a shortcut to get back North to Raetihi. Episode 30 starts on this small Mangamahu Road through farms and along the Whangaehu River. As you will see, the road becomes narrower, the gorge steeper and we end up with a stretch of 20 km of gravel road. A very nice ride, a bit scary but very rewarding! You will notice the steep slopes of fine clay along the road which makes the ride quite special. The most difficult section of the ride was not filmed as there’s no way our hands could leave the handles for a second or two to start the GoPro camera… You MUST go and try this one out!
From Raetihi, we found the way to get to Pipiriki, our final destination of the day at Whanganui River Bank Campground. One of the best free campground found so far…
The next morning, we can hardly wait to head down the 64 km of curves along Whanganui River. We quickly realised our GoPro support was broken so everything you see was filmed during a few stops on our way down the Whanganui Valley. Beautiful day, beautiful scenery with a few unexpected features along the way! The video ends with a boat race in Wanganui and is about 15,5 minutes long.
Episode 31 - Pahiatua to Wellington, North Island, NZ
Episode 31 starts south of Palmerston North after we left a nice Holiday Park in Pahiatua. The day started under a very gray sky with some rain but soon after, it became very windy as the sky was clearing up. On our way back to Wellington on a backcountry road, we encountered a few sheep and cows, as farmers were moving their stock from one field to another. Some scenes have been accelerated so that you can see the incredible good work done by the dogs, following the orders coming from their master.
To get to Wellington, you have to go through Upper Hutt, which is a very pleasant ride, lots of hills and nice sharp curves but on a very windy day, that becomes quickly a challenge. I am sure we both have gained a few more gray hair during this ride!! Unfortunately, we have no images for this part.
We set up our tent in Belmont Park, about 20 km north of Wellington. Going in town late afternoon, we purchased a new support for our GoPro camera that entitled us to capture images while riding. Although still a very windy evening, we had fun going along the beautiful coastal drive from Oriental Bay, southeast of the city centre, to Owhiro Bay on the outer shoreline facing Cook Strait.
The following day, we went back in town and visited the amazing Te Papa Museum where you could easily spend a week. While walking through Bush City, we took some images in the cave where you can see the amazing glow-worms in action. Afterwards, we took some time to walk on the harbourfront, admiring this beautiful 85 meter long super shiny private yatch before heading to the ferry, leaving North Island in the afternoon. The video is 18,5 minutes long.
Episode 32 - Rainbow Valley and Nelson Lakes NP, South Island, NZ
In Episode 32, we are back on South Island after taking the ferry across the Cook Strait. We were riding on Hwy 63 during late afternoon when we decided to stop along the road to check our final destination, a DOC campground in Wairau Valley. We were getting worried also with some approaching dark clouds. But Richard has never been able to restart his motorcycle, the battery was dead...
Lucky to find a home just beside with a very generous man who accepted to let us install our tent on his property as well as lending us a battery charger.
The next morning, after Richard went back to Blenheim to purchase a new battery, we were good to pursue our trip towards St-Arnaud.
You will see that we found a nice road through Rainbow Valley with a few dips and ford to go through. We had lunch in a sunny quiet area near the ski centre. Then we got to Nelson Lakes NP where you will see the beautiful surrounding of Lake Rotoiti.
Since the Kaikoura earthquake last November, all road and rail traffic between Picton and Christchurch must go through Hwy 6 and 65 South (8 times more trucks and 4 times more cars). In fact, the layout of multiple single lane bridges has been changed following the addition of temporary bridges to accommodate more vehicles in both directions. Therefore, due to the incredible increase of traffic on this road, a lot of repair work is currently going on. We camped that evening not far from Springs Junction at Marble Hill campground.
The following day, Richard’s bike broke down again in the middle of nowhere at approximately 135 km of our final destination near Christchurch. Again, we were lucky to be rescued by a HU member!
This video is 8,5 minutes long.
Episode 33 - Banks Peninsula and Akaroa, South Island, NZ
For our last ride in New Zealand, once Richard’s motorcycle was running again with a new stator, we decided to go to Banks Peninsula, southeast of Christchurch and visit Akaroa. As you will see in this final episode from New Zealand (Episode 33), we arrived in Lyttelton where the port is physically built in a volcano’s crater. We slowly followed the road along Governors Bay and took a nice break for lunch. As we were approaching Akaroa on Hwy 75, we were quite pleased with the views and the road becoming more winding. But it’s after our visit in Akaroa while riding on the Summit Road that we were very much surprised with the striking scenery of deep valleys and precipitous bluffs surrounding the bays and Akaroa. With the oncoming low clouds surrounding us, it was just amazing. At one point, we were even on top of the clouds, really felt like heaven on earth…
Akaroa was founded by a small band of French settlers in 1840. Langlois-Eteveneaux House that you can see below, is believed to have been prefabricated in France and erected in 1841.
Special Edition is a very short movie showing an automated public toilet that we found in Ngaruawahia, North Island.
Very neet! Don't forget to rise the volume and listen for instructions provided by the machine!
We were in New Zealand for 62 days and rode about 10,200 km on incredible winding roads with amazing scenery!
Special Thanks to HU Members who provided extraordinary support throughout our journey in New Zealand :
• Nigel Marx, from Amberley, South Island - This trip could not have happened without you!!! You are a great inspiration!
• Rosie and Clint from Lake Rotoiti, Rotorua, North Island
Also much appreciated, the help and support provided by Roger (Hwy 63), Patrick (Amberley campground), Tony (Amberley) and all others, either Kiwi locals or people from all over the world who we met and spoke to during our wonderful trip.
Thank you all for making it so lovely!
Follow us in Part 2 - Riding Down Under in Australia, a new thread (blog) will be created shortly under the 'Ride Tales' Forum!
We are hoping to get our newly purchased bikes tomorrow... Weather here in Melbourne is great and we look forward starting our trip on the Great Ocean Road!
Have YOU ever wondered who has ridden around the world? We did too - and now here's thelist of Circumnavigators!
Check it out now, and add your information if we didn't find you.
Check the RAW segments; Grant, your HU host is on every month!
Episodes below to listen to while you, err, pretend to do something or other...
2020 Edition of Chris Scott's Adventure Motorcycling Handbook.
"Ultimate global guide for red-blooded bikers planning overseas exploration. Covers choice & preparation of best bike, shipping overseas, baggage design, riding techniques, travel health, visas, documentation, safety and useful addresses." Recommended. (Grant)
Ripcord Rescue Travel Insurance™ combines into a single integrated program the best evacuation and rescue with the premier travel insurance coverages designed for adventurers.
Led by special operations veterans, Stanford Medicine affiliated physicians, paramedics and other travel experts, Ripcord is perfect for adventure seekers, climbers, skiers, sports enthusiasts, hunters, international travelers, humanitarian efforts, expeditions and more.
Ripcord travel protection is now available for ALL nationalities, and travel is covered on motorcycles of all sizes!
What others say about HU...
"This site is the BIBLE for international bike travelers." Greg, Australia
"Thank you! The web site, The travels, The insight, The inspiration, Everything, just thanks." Colin, UK
"My friend and I are planning a trip from Singapore to England... We found (the HU) site invaluable as an aid to planning and have based a lot of our purchases (bikes, riding gear, etc.) on what we have learned from this site." Phil, Australia
"I for one always had an adventurous spirit, but you and Susan lit the fire for my trip and I'll be forever grateful for what you two do to inspire others to just do it." Brent, USA
"Your website is a mecca of valuable information and the (video) series is informative, entertaining, and inspiring!" Jennifer, Canada
"Your worldwide organisation and events are the Go To places to for all serious touring and aspiring touring bikers." Trevor, South Africa
"This is the answer to all my questions." Haydn, Australia
"Keep going the excellent work you are doing for Horizons Unlimited - I love it!" Thomas, Germany
Horizons Unlimited is not a big multi-national company, just two people who love motorcycle travel and have grown what started as a hobby in 1997 into a full time job (usually 8-10 hours per day and 7 days a week) and a labour of love. To keep it going and a roof over our heads, we run events all over the world with the help of volunteers; we sell inspirational and informative DVDs; we have a few selected advertisers; and we make a small amount from memberships.
You don't have to be a Member to come to an HU meeting, access the website, or ask questions on the HUBB. What you get for your membership contribution is our sincere gratitude, good karma and knowing that you're helping to keep the motorcycle travel dream alive. Contributing Members and Gold Members do get additional features on the HUBB. Here's a list of all the Member benefits on the HUBB.
helps answer the question - Why Go? Inspirational stories by veteran travellers Greg Frazier (5 times RTW), Peter and Kay Forwood (193 countries), Tiffany Coates (Mongolia Mayhem) and Rene Cormier (University of Gravel Roads).
Get Ready! covers planning, paperwork, medical and many other topics! "Inspirational and Awesome!" See the trailer here!
What stuff do I need - riding gear, clothing, camping gear, first aid kit, tires, maps and GPS? What don't I need? How do I pack it all in? Lots of opinions from over 150 travellers!
break down language barriers, overcome culture shock, ship the bike and deal with breakdowns and emergencies."Just makes me want to pack up and go!" See the trailer here!
Grant demystifies the black art of Tire Changing and Repair to help you STAY on the road! "Very informative and practical." See the trailer here!
Ladies on the Loose! For the first time ever, a motorcycle travel DVD made for women, by women! These intrepid women share their tips to help you plan your own motorcycle adventure. They also answer the women-only questions, and entertain you with amazing tales from the road! Presented by Lois Pryce, veteran solo traveller through South America and Africa and author of 'Lois on the Loose', and 'Red Tape and White Knuckles.'
Cotton or synth sweat-wicking t-shirts with the cool Horizons Unlimited graphic on the front and a snappy slogan (changing every year) on the back.
Show your route on your panniers. Great conversation starter when you meet people on the road!
Motorcycle and travel books to inspire and inform you!
The definitive guide to planning your motorcycle adventure! This insanely ambitious 2-year project has produced an informative and entertaining 5-part, 18 hour video series. "The ultimate round the world rider's how-to!" MCN UK.
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We finally gave up as we were completely soaked and exhausted...
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