Meet Two Friends Who Cycled Across New Zealand - Travel Like Anna

Saving money on meet two friends who does not need to be complicated. Here is a clear, no nonsense rundown of what works and how to make the most of it.

Key Takeaways

• One day, we will travel again.
• Until then, I wish to bring you stories of epic adventures to inspire your post-COVID adventures!
• This week, I interview best friends, Nina Mariana Pascha and Gina Bourne, about their two-month cycling trip in New Zealand last year.
• The pair had no prior cycling experience BEFORE the trip and made the most of it!

Getting the Most From Meet Two Friends Who

Worth noting: check out how they overcame the mental and physical challenges. (Hint: It involved roadside dance breaks!) Gina Bourne, left, and Nina Mariana Pascha, right, stop for a celebratory dance break at Walter Peak near Queenstown, New Zealand during their two-month cycling trip near the country. Names: Gina Bourne & Nina Mariana Pascha Age: 27 years old (both)Hometown: Chiang Mai, Thailand Country count:  Gina - 29 & Nina - 28 Instagram: @spinning_noodle_sisters 1.

• How did you begin traveling?   We both grew up in families that travel, so it’s a natural process for us to be curious to travel as adults.
• During university years, we both traveled, either volunteering or studying abroad in Asia and the United States.
• More importantly, after university, we both worked for a few years.
• Gina lived a nomadic life traveling for seasonal work in outdoor education, and Nina invested her time in corporate work life in Amsterdam. After years of studying and working, we, then, decided to get out to fulfill our dream of visiting New Zealand (NZ) on a Working Holiday Visa.

Tips That Make a Difference

What was the inspiration for cycling New Zealand?  Since our teen years, we both knew we wanted to travel New Zealand together. Though, it took us 10 years to finally make our method there for a Working Holiday Visa.

• Remember that during our planning phase, Gina’s dad planted the concept of cycle touring as he did back in the ‘70s through the North and South Islands [of New Zealand].  After some research, we got inspired by the concept and felt like it was a challenge worth accepting.
• Little did we know that we would experience the NZ landscape and locals like we’ve at no point traveled before!
• Tell us all the details! (Planning, the route, cycling experience etc.!) The Route: We cycled for two months covering 2,000 km through the South Island beginning in Nelson and Motueka in the Abel Tasman National Park region, going down the west coast and finishing cross country towards the east coast in a small coastal town called Oamaru.
• We planned and roughly followed the official Tour Aotearoa cycling route all the method down to Lake Mavora, cycling through Nelson Lakes National Park, Murchison, Greymouth, Franz Josef Glacier, Haast Pass and Queenstown.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

As a rule, when possible, we would enjoy numerous of NZ’s official cycle trails, including the Tasman’s Excellent Taste Trail, West Cost Wilderness Trail, Near the Mountain and Queenstown Trail. We eventually ventured off the Tour Aotearoa route to Te Anau and continued back up to Mount Cook to take the Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail to Oamaru.  Planning & Experience: Before taking on NZ, we had absolutely no concept about cycle touring.

• We didn’t know how to change a tire, maintain our bikes, even how to route plan or any of the basics!
• We did not physically train for this journey, and we bought our cycle touring [bikes and gear] in country.
• In short, all we knew was that we were motivated and wanted to challenge and prove to ourselves that we could cycle a country!
• We approached our journey day-by-day and wanted to see how far we could make it.

Is Meet Two Friends Who Worth It?

Share your favorite adventures from the trip.  Cycling New Zealand’s landscape, especially in the South Island, was incredibly rewarding as we cycled through glacier valleys, rivers, mountain passes and fern forests. Though, [it was] at times not for the faint hearted.

• Worth noting: one of the biggest challenges we faced was the Haast Pass.
• That day we cycled 70 kilometres through glacier river valleys and faced a steep uphill climb of 1,200 meters elevation.
• Determined to not push our bikes up the steep mountain road, we took on multiple dance breaks and ate chocolate on gravels mounds as we watched vans struggling up the bending roads.
• After reaching the summit, we celebrated by skinny dipping into a glacial swimming hole!

Where the Real Savings Hide

More importantly, another highlight was coasting down the Crown Range switchbacks towards Queenstown for numerous kilometres, after spending the morning climbing the Cardrona Mountain pass from Wanaka. The summit was so high up that the planes flying into Queenstown were cruising below us!

• What were your favorite places in New Zealand? Any off-the-beaten path spots you recommend?
• There is so much beautiful jaw-dropping scenery in NZ, and it’s hard to only mention a few of our personal top favorite places.
• Remember that what was your biggest struggle during the trip and how did you overcome it?   The biggest challenge of this journey was developing our mental and physical resilience.
• Best friends Gina Bourne & Nina Mariana Pascha found cycling to be one of the most budget and eco-friendly methods to travel.

A Closer Look at Meet Two Friends Who

To cut costs, they stayed at free campgrounds and cooked their own food. What was the cost of your trip?

• As a rule, share a few budget pointers!  Budget Pointers: We believe that cycle touring is one of the most budget and sustainable methods to travel the world.
• If you are willing to camp and to live with the basic means, you can travel a long method with your money.
• To keep costs low we mainly camped at free camp grounds, Department of Conservation (DOC) camp sites, and Warmshowers.
• On the road, we kept our food basic and nutritious and still treated ourselves to our Burger Tour of NZ burger stops.

What to Know About Meet Two Friends Who

In short, as we didn’t have to pay for petrol, our food became our fuel.  Budget Breakdown: Budget wise, we both arrived in New Zealand with savings to afford bicycles, equipment and pay for our living expenses for the two months on the road. Lucky for us, our style of travel was a lot cheaper than we thought as most nights we spent camping at Department of Conservation sites in our mono-tent, which required a small donation fee of 5-8 NZD per person per night.

• At times, we would splash out for a hostel so that we could cook and have a hot shower, this may cost near 20-30 NZD depending on the region.
• We ate straightforward foods cooked from a small camping stove and frequently swam in rivers and lakes at the end of the day to feel clean.
• Worth noting: during our two month cycle [trip], we spent between 3,000-4,000 NZD (just under 2,000-2,500 USD), this is including purchasing our bikes and equipment. We would say our biggest expense were purchasing our bicycles and equipment for the cycle tour, whilst Nina spent just under 1,000 NZD for her brand new set up, Gina budgeted less with 700 NZD.
• Though, once the cycle tour was over, we both sold our bicycles and equipment, so part of that investment was returned.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I save money on meet two friends who?

Compare prices across a few retailers, look for active coupon codes, and time bigger buys around sales events. Names: Gina Bourne & Nina Mariana Pascha Age: 27 years old (both)Hometown: Chiang Mai, Thailand Country count:  Gina - 29 & Nina - 28 Instagram: @spinning_noodle_sisters 1.

Is it worth shopping around for meet two friends who?

Usually yes. How did you begin traveling?   We both grew up in families that travel, so it’s a natural process for us to be curious to travel as adults.

Smart Ways to Save More on Meet Two Friends Who

• Leave items in your cart for a day; some stores send a follow up discount.
• Pair cashback with a coupon so you save twice on the same order.
• Stack a coupon code with an existing sale whenever the store allows it.
• Sign up for the retailer newsletter to catch first time and seasonal discounts.
• Compare the final price including shipping, not just the headline number.

Final Thoughts

The bottom line on meet two friends who: a little research goes a long way. Compare your options, watch for seasonal offers, and never pay full price when a better deal is a click away.

Originally published at savingswitch.com.