tonyishuk Posted December 14, 2008 Share Posted December 14, 2008 My son is off touring New Zealand and I am trying to find out about mapping systems. Autoroute was one suggestion Has anyone got a copy, is it worth getting ? Rgds (The words ""Haystack & Needle " spring to mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted December 14, 2008 Share Posted December 14, 2008 Just had a look at my copy which came on PC with 'works', mapping of roads stops at border of poland. I guess it is covered but make sure you get correct version. South Island is easily navigated with one map, there's not that many roads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted December 14, 2008 Share Posted December 14, 2008 All you need in NZ is a map, there are not that many roads, that's why it is such a fantastic country to tour with a motorhome................ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted December 14, 2008 Share Posted December 14, 2008 Ranger - 2008-12-14 9:16 PM All you need in NZ is a map, there are not that many roads, that's why it is such a fantastic country to tour with a motorhome................ I'd agree with Ranger. It's such an easy country to find your way around in, especially South Island that you only need a map. We got a book of maps from the motorhome depot, New Zealand Road Atlas (published by Hema Maps NZ Ltd ), which we found excellent. Even had the Dept. of Conservation campsites ( D.o.C's ) marked. They are similar idea to CL's in this country. North Island is much more developed but apart from the environs of Auckland, navigation is pretty straightforward. :-| (Mind you, I should 'declare' that I don't use sat-navs or Autoroute in Britain or Europe ). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
libby Posted December 14, 2008 Share Posted December 14, 2008 South Island roads are like the spine of your body with ribs attached, one central and lots of branches, can't remember about North Island I ate some poisoned muscels which cast my mind in different directions for a week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted December 15, 2008 Share Posted December 15, 2008 Yes libby that is the only thing I did not like about NZ. But then muscels are dodgey anyway, they absorb impurities from the water they live in to such and extent that the Ministry of the Environment use them to collect water impurities for testing. Plus the NZ ones are like leather. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyishuk Posted December 15, 2008 Author Share Posted December 15, 2008 Many thanks for your replies It is more a matter of how long to get from A to B, rather than how too ! From our experience you could usually get to B either clockwise or anticlockwise :-> Just takes a little longer than expected ! Rgds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
betsy Posted December 15, 2008 Share Posted December 15, 2008 Totally agree with everything that has been said. Touring NZ is easy (the map that the campervan company will give you will be probably be sufficient) and its one of life's greatest experiences. We have done it three times and every time was better than the last. The best advice that I could give was, if you are hiring a campervan, do it outside the school holidays and go for at least 3 weeks - 6 (or longer) weeks would be even better. You cannot get lost as the route is, basically, a big figure of 8 with side-trips. If you only have three weeks and want to do both islands, pick-up in Auckland and drop-off in Christchurch - spend more time on the South Island than on the North. Cross the Strait in the daytime as the entrance to the sound that runs up to Picton is a great experience. Make sure you go to Milford Sound (the tunnel experience is worth the trip on its own!). You will love it!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted December 15, 2008 Share Posted December 15, 2008 When we did it, if we picked the 'van up in Christchurch and took it back in Auckland the hiring company paid the ferry fare, as most people prefered doing it the other way round so the company finished up with too many vans left down south. Worth asking about............... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted December 15, 2008 Share Posted December 15, 2008 For curirosity I looked at multimap and got directions from chrischuch to hokitika, their answer was 157.02 miles, about 2 hours 29 mins, now I know we where driving a big van but 2 1/2hrs! over Aurthers pass, or am I just a slow driver? http://www.multimap.com/directions/?mode=driving&qs_2=hokitika&lon_1=172.63179&displayName_2=hokitika&lon_2=170.97015&lat_1=-43.52995&lat_2=-42.71571&mapData=1000&countryCode_2=NZ&countryCode_1=NZ&optimizeFor=time&qs_1=chrischuch&displayName_1=chrischuch#map=-43.0668,171.91159|9|4&bd=useful_information Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted December 15, 2008 Share Posted December 15, 2008 Although Arthers pass is very steep Colin it was worth it for the jade, got a nice carving of a sailing yacht made for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alistair Posted December 26, 2008 Share Posted December 26, 2008 Just noticed this thread. To Ranger: Our NZ farmed mussels are safe if stored and handled properly before cooking and are only like leather if they're overcooked. Cooked properly (removed from heat as soon as they open) they are magnificent! Mussels gathered in the wild can be suspect if growing near houses where there may be sewage entering their water. Commercial mussell farms are always located where the water is clean and naturally flushed by sea currents. To Colin: I agree completely that driving between Christchurch and Hokitika would take way longer than 2.5 hours unless you're driving a car and travel briskly, taking no time to see the wonderful scenery. In a motorhome you could quite easily take most of a day as there is a lot to see as you traverse the Southern Alps, and there are lots of walking tracks you can spend time exploring in the right weather. It's a wonderful part of the world (unless it's raining!) To others: As a born and bred South Islander, I completely agree that visitors should spend more time in the South Island than in the North Island! Please come and enjoy our country - we need your money! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted December 26, 2008 Share Posted December 26, 2008 Nice to see a South Islander on the Forum, that is the better half of NZ. All my relatives live in the North Island. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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