So I am moving to Auckland next month...
Discussion
What do I need to know? :D Who is gonna show me around?
I am moving up from Dunedin (which for me is a pretty big city coming from Vermont in the US). Know next to nothing about Auckland, and know next to no one there.
So why am I moving? I am going to be working for NZ Autocar! Should be quite the great job, although I don't know how much I will like Auckland.
I am moving up from Dunedin (which for me is a pretty big city coming from Vermont in the US). Know next to nothing about Auckland, and know next to no one there.
So why am I moving? I am going to be working for NZ Autocar! Should be quite the great job, although I don't know how much I will like Auckland.
Some parts of Auckland aren't too bad for cycling, but Penrose can be busy on the roads, with lots of white-van-man types, as it's a fairly industrial area...
If you move in around Mt Eden/Epsom/Greenlane you can probably cycle thru One(now none) Tree Hill Domain on the way to work and back... nice bit of fresh air in the morning...
If you move in around Mt Eden/Epsom/Greenlane you can probably cycle thru One(now none) Tree Hill Domain on the way to work and back... nice bit of fresh air in the morning...
IMHO riding bicycles in Auckland for commuting purposes is as suicidal as base-jumping without the benefit of a spectacular view.
The drivers are blind, impatient & inconsiderate and the roads are not up to it. The few cycle-lanes that do exist only give you a temporary illusion of safety and their continuity / connectivity is appalling.
I find Aucklanders great as individuals; but in an anonymous mass behind a million windscreens they become a screaming tide of rabid lemmings.
. . . out of rush-hour however
Good God don't even consider it. I work in Penrose, and having "attempted" to cycle to work on a couple of occasions I can honestly say it was the scariest thing I have ever done. Forget bungee jumping or skydiving... if you're in to adventure sports you can't go far wrong with braving Station Rd. on a weekday morning.
I cycled from westmere to Otara (and so through Penrose) every week day for 3 years. It is possible to do, and yes it can be scary, and yes, you might get squished. you might be able to do a bike ride/trainride thing.Worst thing i found thru penrose on a bike was punctures-my record was 5 in 1 trip!
Congrats on the job at NZAutocar... I'm taking it that this comes off the back of your NZ Enthusiast magazine that we saw? Will be most happy to meet up with ya in Auckland when you get up here... so long as you don't mind being squeezed into the passengers seat in an Elise to get around.
Good for you making the move up here. It will certainly be a shock to the system getting around here from what your used to. But once you get your bearings and settle in you'll be fine. I also work in Penrose and theres plenty of buses running on the main routes, so if you get stuck on those rainy horid days you can bus around ok. Theres also a train thats runs through Penrose too, don't ask me where to catch it though, never used it since the nine yrs been up here !
With biking around as mentioned be careful and keep your wits about, but I cant see it any different than biking around Dunedin in the busy industrial places. I have seen heaps of bikers around on the roads and more so at this time of yr. Many people training for their summer multisports etc. I use tubulars for training on at the moment, but have invested in high TPI rated tires to help with the puncture situation. Besides they are faster too
I wish they would put more bike lanes around the city its a common complaint up here and numerous people I have spoken to who love the great outdoors would bike to work if it were a safer place.
With biking around as mentioned be careful and keep your wits about, but I cant see it any different than biking around Dunedin in the busy industrial places. I have seen heaps of bikers around on the roads and more so at this time of yr. Many people training for their summer multisports etc. I use tubulars for training on at the moment, but have invested in high TPI rated tires to help with the puncture situation. Besides they are faster too
I wish they would put more bike lanes around the city its a common complaint up here and numerous people I have spoken to who love the great outdoors would bike to work if it were a safer place.
DONT DO IT 
I'm with Izza on this one! 
I can't believe anyone would cycle through Otara - did you ever do that at night Roger? Now that would be like base-jumping with a blind-fold on!
On a more serious note, Ellerslie may be just the place for you to live. There are few decent pubs there, transport and it's not as outrageously expensive as Mt Eden / Epsom etc.
I can't believe anyone would cycle through Otara - did you ever do that at night Roger? Now that would be like base-jumping with a blind-fold on!
On a more serious note, Ellerslie may be just the place for you to live. There are few decent pubs there, transport and it's not as outrageously expensive as Mt Eden / Epsom etc.
Kiwi XTR2 said:
. . . I'm a suburb or two over in Remuera . . .
What's the selection like for a good half-caf, decaf, soy latté with cinnamon sprinkles ?
Don't move there, you'll end up with a blue rinse and driving a TT.
I live in MEADOWBANK (ex-state-house-ville) hehe I only tag remuera there as it's the nearest big suburb (most people look at you blankly when I mention "meadowbank"
Although having said that, while I live in Meadowbank, my car lives in Parnell.... does that mean my car is too high-class for me?
George.
Esprit said:
Congrats on the job at NZAutocar... I'm taking it that this comes off the back of your NZ Enthusiast magazine that we saw? Will be most happy to meet up with ya in Auckland when you get up here... so long as you don't mind being squeezed into the passengers seat in an Elise to get around.
Yeah, my magazine contributed some to getting the job indeed.
I have no (let me repeat NO) problems with being squeezed into an Elise. Unless of course you want to drive around in my lovely Prelude
Are there any indoor kart tracks in Auckland by chance? I haven't had a chance to turn a wheel in any sort of anger for a couple of years, and figure thats a good way to start. Perhaps a Pistinheads indoor kart race?
Anyways, thanks everyone for all the advice!
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