Originally Posted by
farfaraway
You cannot bike in cold winter or thunderstorm and rain.
Having a car gives you freedom, and be stress free, and makes u independent.
To each their own, but last year I was using the bike in -6 weather and I frequently use it in the rain and even occasional snow for my commute. On the other hand, I find using the car for commuting to be
supremely irritating, however, in NZ the traffic is much less than in much of Europe and as was mentioned, the distances often farther. But, I think it would be very reasonable for someone even of average fitness to make trips less than 15km with the bike. Get a comfortable bike with some tall gears if you have to do big climbs. I even do shopping runs--I've got four bags on the bike that can hold a combined total of 140L. Also e-bikes have become very popular in Germany which makes cycling longer distances and tougher grades attainable for many more people...I know they've made their way to NZ, but not sure what the prices are like. Last year I met a lovely 70 year old man who'd ridden from Cape Reinga to the Bluff on one. Maybe something to look into.
In my limited experience so far, I have noticed, however, that Kiwi drivers aren't so patient with cyclists (though probably similar to German drivers--neither of which are anywhere near as polite as most UK drivers!) So you'll definitely need to be on your defensive when you're out there.