Cruising round NZ before or after IM?

Triathlon Forum
1

Hi all,
I am going to IMNZ for 08 and am planning my travel. I am thinking about seeing NZ before the race, rather than after, as I’d like to go to Solvang Century the week after (not that I’ll do the century, just have a lot of friends going). I am pretty laid back about IM, and though this will be my first I was at IMC last year (seperated shoulder knocked me off the start line) so I am familiar with the scene. Any feedback?
Thanks,
Tilden

2

How will you be “seeing NZ”? If by car, that’s a lot of sitting and driving around before the race. I’ve been there multiple times and my preference for sight seeing is post-race. I’ve gone early before, but that was when I was staying with friends and they planned their training around my training schedule and we didn’t sight see much.

clm

3

Hmm, thanks for the feedback. I would be doing it by car. I have a friend’s family all over the place and I plan to hit them up for lodging :).

4

Stay after the race. NZ is the most fantastic place I have ever been. Take some time off, examine the guide books, and go for a hike (no kidding!). Check out the Abel Tasman park on the south island; closer for you would be the Marlborough Sounds (north end of south island)…Queen Charlotte Track. But, do yourself a favor and hang out in NZ as long as you can…

5

I would suggest picking a few places to go since it’s a big country with no freeways (and a very long way from Auckland at the top of the N. Island to anywhere on the S. Island).

We took 3 weeks on one trip and did 2 days/1 night in AKL when we arrived, then drove down to Taupo for the race (drive down Tuesday, then to the next Tuesday). Then two weeks of travel. One full day to drive Taupo - Wellington; next day ferry over to the S. Island and a full day’s drive to Christchurch. A few days there, then we drove across the S. Island to the West Coast and ended up down at Fox Glacier for a couple of days, then back up the West Coast and back up. Next time, I’d fly from ChCh back to AKL and home. It was a really long drive from the ferry to Taupo (to pick up the bike and stuff we’d left with friends), to AKL.

clm