3 month bike tour New Zealand - road or touring bike?

[Elioelio]

Hi there,
I'm new to this forum and need some help. Warning - I'm no expert in bikes so I apologise for any naivety.
I've never done a bike tour before but am planning on doing some in the near future. First will be around a week in Europe (Netherlands?) - then I'll do a 3 month trip in October (possibly New Zealand). I'm not sure what kind of bike to do this on.

I’ve been looking at hybrid touring road bikes and also road bikes for around £500-£700.
From my research - most people seem to use touring bikes. However, I assume that touring bikes are just made to carry heavier loads than road bikes. However - I weigh 60kg and plan to take no more than 12kg in luggage. I'm sure many 82kg men ride road bikes so surely a road bike could take me and my luggage just fine?

My friend - who I will probably do a short tour with - has a road bike that weighs about 10.5kg - a Specialised Secteur Triple. So that’s 1.5kg less. There’s room for the panniers etc.
He’s done 1-2 week tours on this bike but all on roads only. I wondered if a bike like this would be ok with riding on dirt tracks occasionally, and he says I'll be fine with 700x25c tyres, and to get puncture free ones.

So basically – would a road bike be fine for this kind of trip?
And if I end up taking it somewhere more rugged (i.e Thailand) – how would it handle? Would it just be a more uncomfortable ride, or would it be in danger of breakage?

Just out of interest – how many miles should I get out of a £700 road bike? I have a Carerra mountain bike at the moment (cost around £250, weights 13.5kg) which has so far done 5000 miles in two years through rain, mud, and snow. I don’t take care of it (cleaned twice), it lives in a tent. I’ve had to change the back brake pads once but that’s it, and it’s still got lots of life in it yet.
I’m partially wondering (if a road bike wouldn't be suitable) - why I don’t just take this bike with me…?

Thanks for any thoughts you might have

 

[doog]

The first thing you will want is confidence in your bike or it will ruin your trip. For touring that means lugs for panniers, suitable gearing,clearance for mud guards and more than anything a stronger rear wheel.

So ideally you need a triple chainset for getting up them hills with a load, with a higher spoke count on the rear wheel (should you hit a pot hole) and something that can carry racks. A mountain bike on slicks might be your answer if you were on a budget , however for a 3 month trip look at a second hand Dawes Galaxy or similar, it will always sell on.

 

[rualexander]

New Zealand's main rural roads, which you would be touring on, are coated with a fairly rough tarmac, and the minor rural roads are often unsealed gravel.
I wouldn't be happy touring with luggage on anything narrower than 700x32, preferably wider. It could probably be done but it wouldn't be comfortable for long days on the road in my opinion.

 

[psmiffy]

and the minor rural roads are often unsealed gravel.

which is often quite deep (and big) particularly on the south island