First Days in New Zealand

I arrive in to Auckland , New Zealand on the afternoon of Friday 10th February and I'm pick d up by Brenton who I met while riding the TAT across the US. After a long over night flight I'm keen for a cold beer and a shower, in that order. Brenton and his wife Maria do me a sumptuous dinner and far too much win is consumed,  as should happen when old friendships are reacquainted.

Over the weekend I'm given the tourist treatment and indulged in far too much good food. Sunday I prep the bike and get all my gear ready as we are leaving early Monday morning. At 6 am we are both up and packing the bikes, a small breakfast and then we hit the road, for a full 2 miles; a man needs coffee in the morning 😎☕️

Tanks and caffeine topped up, we ride off on a damp and drizzly Auckland morning to do battle with the dense traffic. By 11am we have encountered the first dirt road and the Im reacquainted with how badly the GS handles on dirt, and vein with the right tyres. It's big, ponderous and a handful when it's wet and it's very very wet. I slither and slide up and down the tight twisty hills of the north island, as Brenton effortlessly, well actually skilfully, handles his old XTZ750 through the densely wooded terrain. 

The rain is now coming down in sheets and the hill tops are mist shrouded, making visibility poor and the going slower than we would like. After 2 hours of constant rain we eventually find tar road again and set the GPS to fastest route to get us to our destination, this is not enjoyable. We make good progress and enroute find a warm cafe to pull in to, a bonus of traveling in NZ is the abundance of such establishments, where a flat white can be knocked up in no time.

We arrive at a small roadside motel in the middle of the north island (the name of the town escapes me, it was not exciting) for the night and meet up with three other lads that are riding down with us. It's an old school place, which would not be out of keeping in a 1970's American film, which might actually be much of NZ, there is a slightly behind the time feel here, not in a bad way, more just quaint. 

I'm up early the following day, but Jenny the motel supervisor isn't not, breakfast starts at 8am! By 8.30 we are all on the road and it's raining. We pull in for gas after half an hour, it should be routine, even with 5 riders, but on of the KTM's won't start. After an hour we have it running, but without really identifying what the problem was. I don't like Orange.

The rain clears and we start on to a dirt road that leads us through beautiful grass covered hill, with the obligatory sheep and a fast flowing river in the valley below. 

After several days on the road we arrive in Fairlie to register for the Dusty Butt adventure riding, a three days gravel road ride through what is I hope spectacular country side. The previously day I experienced my first trail bike sections, with a couple of stream crossing, which on the fully loaded GS was a challenge, as it weighs a ton.

We over night in the town of Methven a small ski town that is full of gap year students from Europe thanking a year out from the stress of study. The boys arrive an hour after me , as I have taken the tar option, so I have the JD and coke ready in the fridge for when they arrive. It's the gentlemanly thing to do.

The following day is going to be a relaxed affair, so we have a lay in and a relaxed breafast before  taking a slow ride to Fairlie. Once here we settle in to our motel, then grab some previsions for breakfast, as it's going to be an early start.