Cycling in New Zealand

• The UK Met Office weather forecasts give the likelihood of rain, not how heavy it will be. And it’s often wrong. But so is the NZ MetService. We were told that the Norwegian weather forecast is the best, wherever you are – but that got it really wrong some days, too.
• Don’t be fooled into expecting a lake-edge trail to be flat. Off road. ‘gentle undulations’ in Norwood speak (i.e. rather hilly).

• If you packed a bike tool and mudguard in your luggage, bring it with you when you go cycling.
• Unsegregated, shared-use paths work very well all over New Zealand. Pedestrians and cyclists (and skateboarders, though not necessarily e-scooter users) are generally courteous and considerate.

There’s no shame in walking up hills pushing your bike. If you feel you need an excuse, “my knee/back is playing up and I don’t want to make it worse” works well. “I was in the wrong gear” implies incompetence. My favourites are “it burns more calories pushing a bike uphill than riding it” and “I want to take a photo”.Take your rainwear with you.Take your own rainwear with you, yourself; if someone else kindly carries yours, he may be way ahead when you need it.Distances in New Zealand are long.Avoid cycling on main roads

Cycling in Dunedin

The hills! I mean, really, THE HILLS! (and not just Baldwin Street, the steepest street in the world. David got almost halfway up)

There are new segregated cycle lanes along the one-way State Highway 1 through the city centre.

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There are traffic lights at every junction, more-or-less. Sometimes cyclists have priority over turning cars (controlled by traffic lights). Sometimes turning motor vehicles go first and cyclists must wait. Sometimes there are just a single set of lights for motor vehicles and cycles. It seems totally random, so you never know what the next junction will be like. Must be just as confusing for motorists.

Sometimes the segregated lane is on the left of the street. Sometimes it’s on the right. Seemingly at random, you go through a junction on the green light and realise too late it said ‘Cyclists cross with pedestrians’ and suddenly you’re across the junction and your lane has gone – but it’s now on the other side of the road, with three lanes of fast-moving cars and lorries in the way.

When you’re on the left, there’s no way to turn right at a junction (and vice versa) except getting off the bike and crossing at the pedestrian lights. Imagine if car drivers were expected to do that!

Despite the good barriers, I was nearly ‘doored’ by a coach that decided to open its passenger door across the cycle lane as I was approaching. Ho hum! But apart from that, they’re great.