hey mr aco, I should have brought this up before, but while Kiwis (New Zealanders) are generally very friendly folks, they are impatient and FAST drivers, so don't mess around and please use a mirror while riding.
If you are from Europe, you will probably be shocked by how aggressive cars can be towards you, so give yourself a few seconds of heads up of whats behind and use a mirror.
sorry, I'm a dad......
I have no desire to ride the roads in NZ ... but the trails looks really nice.
If we can ever travel again and cycle more than just a tiny bit, I would still like to go for the trails.
https://nzcycletrail.com/
https://nzcycletrail.com/find-your-ride/22-great-rides/
https://www.facebook.com/nzcycletrail/