Kat and I quit our job with our current company and are starting with a new company in November here in Guam, Sooo I booked a 10 day motorcycle trip to the South Island of New Zealand!
I know Muz, why not Austaralia? (too big)
Do we have any compadres in NZ?

One of my RC helicopter buddies lives in Christchurch in NZ....

I don't know many people down south.

I do know they have tanks near Wanaka.... or they did... you should check it out and see if they are still open.... you can drive a tank

Thats where we start and end our trip, as far as tanks go....
I have US M-60 Tank on my military drivers license....fun yes, but not enough to do it on vacay!

When are you due to hit 'shakey town'? (Christchurch)

I should set my friend Glynn onto you... I think he is into bikes too?

When you eventually come over here, I might let you ride my DR650 (an oldie but a goodie) And I have a friend who guides riders on KTM adventure ride experiences...

Muz, we won't be in Christchurch for very long. It's our embarkation point.
Would love to come out to see you eventually. We will be touching down in Sydney as a layover but just long enough to get a Starbucks coffee mug for Australia. I asked her and she assures me it counts....

Sounds like fun Benry!

I need some!
Company management philosophy changes have been soul crushing.
Two and a half years building a program to be proud of, the envy of all our competition as evidenced by their wishes to join my crew and a bunch of fuck tard bean counters get promoted and scrap everything from 4000 miles away.....I hope their fucking igloos melt!

"But, I ain't bitter"

It's always the bean counters that ruin stuff....

Top of the south. Marlborough. Havelock to be specific. When you over?

Supposed to leave here tomorrow at lunch, but theres a storm in these parts, we may or may not get off island on time.
Fingers crossed!

Good luck Benry, have a good time...


Take some pics or video especially if you fall off

Where is the tour? Over the alps?

Well, the PI pilots are pussies!
Ive flown my gyro in stroger winds...
We leave Friday now and all of our schedule is up in the air...
Muz, trip is self guided tour of South Island...
You get a bike and a Gps and they take care of hotel arrangements....other than that, your on your own.

I do hace a 6 hour layover in Melbourne.....

Hmmm for some reason I like the new Honda Rebel 500 with a cafe kit, not sure what...lightweight?
Small, 47 HP, will hang with an 883 sportster in the 1/4 mile...Fat tires...

I'll stick with my DR650

I wouldn't mind a Honda Grom tho.... full throttle everywhere

How are you going Benry.... where did you end up going? Have you tried any New Zealand 'Fush and Chups' yet? (translation: Fish and Chips)

Its 4 am sitting in airport in Melbourne. Trip pushed back by storm tutu from guam....

What?? You are/were sitting in Melbourne in a Tutu? I'd pay good money to see that

Oh, Cyclone Tutu... forget I said that

So, Muz Ive been to Australia twice now. Both ok experiences but the trip to New Zealand was just incredible!
I think in retrospect 9 to 10 days would have been perfect, we both started to get a bit saddle sore on day 11.
Started in Christchurch abd got the bike, landed at 15:30 and made our way to Hamner Springs...mostly urban driving and getting used to gear and driving on the left.
Next morning began the trip of a lifetime! 12 days, temps ranged from 39 degrees to 80 degrees in 4 hours!!!!
Rain, wet,windy dry and windy! 55 mph through the Gates of Hasst!
The roads were obviously designed by a bike rider...perfect grip and countour.
Kat did great and barley stopped smiking....well it did get really cold...tye Crown Ridge to Qweenstown was like Lombardi St on steroids with no guard rails....note to self, where you look the bike follows;)
The glow worms of Te Anau were cool and the Mt Cook and the sound were like walpapers....
Bike was in great shape, but I may not upgrade mine at home...sometgings about the new bike I just didnt like. Well see.

Having some trouble with pics...im working on it

What sort of bikes did you end up with?

How did you handle having to ride on the wrong side of the road? Did you scare yourself (or anyone else) being on the wrong side? I have always wondered how I would go if I visited 'Murica and had to drive/ride on your side of the road... would take a bit of getting used to....


Do they still have the gondolas up the mountain at Queenstown? Did you go to the old jail at Arrowtown? There is a house made of beer bottles down there somewhere too.... and Larnach Castle....

Would have been a good trip.... look forward to seeing pics....

Do you talk funny now? (like Nabs)

The only time I had issues with the road side was early morning when no one else was on the road! Kat was great at reminding me without freaking out.
Bmw 1200 GS was great, I chose it as it remains my favorite road cruiser in my stable...
I am NOT in love with some of the new bells and whistles of the watercooled versions vs. my old aircooled. Most notably they moved the muffler to the right side, ostensibly to sell new hard cases....but in doing so repositiined the kickstand. I HATED IT!

Other wise mostly nitpicks...
Lanarch castle was the day we went to see Penguins...the road was wet,muddy ruts for about 15 miles with 500 ft drop offs and no guard rails....seriously some of the most technical riding Ive done in years, the fact that Kat had no idea from the back seat how fucking nervous I was is a testament to how good the bike and I handled it!
The gondola at Qweenstown is still operational and was great!
Almost went paragliding with the rental people at top, till I saw the price!

It was just an incredible place, great roads, friendly people but not too many of them, good water, hardly any hijabs and we saw one negroid the whole trip....were condidering moving;)