The first leg

When I first arrived to Aukland I encountered a beautiful soul by the name of Laura, a copper haired girl originally from Bergamo, Italy and living in Waitakere. We quickly became good friends as we shared a taste for the same culture, a culture that we could not be further away from on our planet. The boys on Destination were fast to the draw on making jokes, claiming that I met and befriended the only other Southern European person in New Zealand. While I was working in Gulf Harbour for the month of April we went on a few adventures together and, as it transpired, she was planning to travel to the South Island around the same time as me, so we merged our plans and she joined me for my first week on the motorbike. The plan worked out well as Ish had to spend my first week in the South Island working on his property with his girlfriend Shawna in anticipation of selling the place, so I had a companion to share the epic journey with.

Monday 8th April 2019

The first morning at 47 Elgin Road started at a perfectly slow pace, the aptly name Mornington lives up to its British sounding name, it feels like I am riding through a hamlet in the South West of England as Laura and I go to pick up some supplies needed to make brunch for our hosts. After whipping up a very Mediterranean brunch for everyone, we packed our bags strategically for the next week, so strategically, in fact, that I left my washbag in Ish’s bathroom! We had to subsist on a small backpack each in order to fit both on the carry rack of my new (to me) flame, not an easy feat when you want to lug a hefty camera to document some of the trip, but we managed quite well. We said our goodbyes at midday and made our way to the petrol station so that I could buy a ratchet strap to tie everything down safely; I found out quite quickly that bags need to be very well secured if they are to be exposed to winds of more than 150km on the back of a motorcycle.

This leg from Dunedin to Fairlie had us riding North along the coastal highway ‘1’ and hanging a left turn to cut into the ‘8’ toward the little town that sat in the flats below Mount Dobson. This was my first time riding a 900cc motorcycle, I am more accustomed to adventure style bikes, but this red rocket stole my heart from the very first blast out of Dunedin; the low-down torque of this sixteen-valve double overhead cam powerhouse is undeniable and requires some taming. Once I figured out that she could do a back-flip if I opened her up enough, I became more comfortable with the amount of power available to me and we became synchronised in no time.

After cruising along the highway ‘1’ for a good hour and a half, I pulled in to a roadside cafe to regenerate. Laura and I both peeled ourselves off the bike aching and shaking as there is no wind visor on the motorcycle which meant that the headwind we had to contend with was unhindered; my neck was starting to cramp up while trying to stay upright as we ate the miles travelling at an average of 120km/h. Covering more than two hundred kilometres on my first ride with a pillion was a veritable baptism by fire; the weight of an extra person and luggage drastically changes the already small window available to a rider for reacting to any external factors, not to mention that these are not speeds that we are used to driving at in Malta. That being said, I have always felt inextricably connected to motorcycle riding and quickly acclimatised to the different environment, I attribute my passion for riding to my Grandfather John, who used to take me everywhere on his BMW, teaching me not to lean as a pillion and that swearing at drivers who don’t notice you is justified, his long inventory of motorcycles owned and enjoyed is one I aspire to match.

Once we changed our own oil with a couple of coffees and had a good stretch, we were on the road again. A glance at the maps to check progress before we set off again brought to attention a scenic route after the Waitaki bridge on the mountain pass before Pareora, so we made for that turning; one of the great aspects of travelling without too much of an agenda. After two hours of coastal highway that got quite stale after the first hour, we changed course to take the Pareora river road which was our first taste of the legendary New Zealand countryside roads enjoyed by so many.

We had this particular road to ourselves, winding turns up and down hillocks covered in white and brown blotches where the Deer and Sheep roam. The quintessential Kiwi farmland soon gave way to a mountain pass that took us over the first range of many that we would encounter on this journey. In this age of technology and crystal clear video recording capabilities, I felt as though I had seen this before only it was in a Lord of the Rings movie or a Youtube GoPro video of a guy showcasing the beautiful NZ roads, the only difference is that I was actually the one in the video, and what a difference it was. We careened dreamily through the wide open mountain road corners, a riding playground all to ourselves, either side of us the infant mountains watched as I played and danced with my new toy in the most idyllic setting. The enjoyment of the rugged nature around us was only bolstered by the fact that all the roads are in perfect condition, an important consideration for any rider.

We arrived at the small mountain town of Fairlie by the late afternoon, there was a change of setting somewhere along the way, clothes shops became ‘shop’ and bars became ‘bar’, we were very clearly in the middle of the country, in farm and mountain territory. In fact our first stay was in a functioning farm house, in an area that alleges the best night skies in the country. We soon confirmed their assertion as night fell; we were treated to a pristine view of the milky-way and all its characteristic fractures on the farm flats just below the mountains. The stellar view, with the rugged mountain silhouette at the forefront, challenged some of the best night skies that I have been regaled with in the middle of the Atlantic and Pacific, Fairlie had a lot of magic to give.

This Airbnb stay was just for one night, Tuesday brings us to Lake Tekapo and another long ride to Wanaka.