An Asian driver on a working visa has pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing the death of Tauranga motorcyclist Rhys Middleton near Napier in February.

Jieling Xiao, 27, appeared before Judge Geoff Rea and Judge Paul Mabey in Napier District Court today.

Tauranga man Rhys Middleton was killed in a crash on State Highway 5, near Napier.

Rhys Middleton, 23, died when the motorbike he was driving along State Highway 5, in Eskdale, north of Napier, collided with Xiao's vehicle.

The pair had both been travelling in the same direction when the crash occurred. Rhys was among a group of motorcyclists when the crash happened.

The Chinese national is in New Zealand on a 12-month working visa and currently resides in Hastings. Her visa expires in July, Stuff reports.

Xiao's lawyer, Scott Jefferson, said he will seek a financial penalty. Xiao will be sentenced next month.

The police summary of facts said Xiao was entitled to drive for a 12 month period from the date she arrived in New Zealand, but she had never driven on an open road at speeds of more than 50kph, "and by her own admission was not a confident driver".

There was a passenger in the car with Xiao, with whom she had purchased the Toyota a week before the crash.

The day before the crash, Xiao had driven the passenger to Waimarama beach. The passenger told police that Xiao had not slowed down for corners and was turning sharply. It wasn't until she told Xiao to slow down that she felt safe.

Xiao and her friend had been on their way to Rotorua when the crash occurred in a 100km/h zone.

Shortly before the crash occurred, two occupants of a Toyota Corolla following Xiao noticed the Rav was driving erratically, with speeds ranging between 70km/h and 100km/h. They also noticed the vehicle was not driving straight and on two occasions they saw the left wheels of the car come off the road.

Rhys Middleton was on one of five motorbikes that came up behind the Corolla. The first two bikes passed both cars, but as Middleton was passing, Xiao misjudged a right-hand bend, bearing her car completely out of the lane and off the road.

She drove through the accessway to a fruit and vege shop, completely outside the northbound lane, before suddenly veering back onto the road and directly into the path of Rhys' bike.

"There was no warning to other road users such as indicators, that the Toyota Rav was re-entering the road and it was completed at such an angle and speed that there was nowhere for the motor-cycle to have gone before impact," the summary said.

Rhys hit the front right wheel and was thrown across the road, dying at the scene.

Xiao told police, "on the highway the speed is really fast so sometimes when there is a corner I can't control my speed because I haven't been driving long in New Zealand".

Rhys, who had held his motorcycle licence since his mid-teens, was planning to get married in February next year. His father Mike described him as keen rider for the Bay of Plenty Road Pirates Social Motorcycle Club.

Mike said the family do not want to comment until Xiao has been sentenced.