South Pacific Motorcycles – The ExhaustNotes Blog

By Mike Huber

Kim from South Pacific Motorcycles had just picked me up at my hostel in downtown Christchurch, New Zealand and we were off to meet my new steed for the week. It was a BMW GS750 named “Massie.” Even with my lack of planning, somehow the Universe decided I needed to get back on a motorcycle and I was fortunate enough to snag the last one available for the dates I was in town. The stars couldn’t have aligned any better.

Kim and I exchanged ideas on routes and agreed the one I had lazily researched would be a great one, but it might result in some long riding days. I would have to forego some hikes and tourist attractions that were on my list. It was a loop that would take me over three unique mountain passes, and allow me to see two glaciers and cruise along ocean roads. It would be a full riding trip with not much time for hikes and other tourist stops. This was fine with me as I was itching to ride again. Also, I had enough time remaining in country that if anything appealed to me, I could always return via bus or rental car.

The weather was a perfect 70 degrees F and I was ready to hit the switchbacks as I raced towards Arthur’s Pass National Park. The roads were pretty solid going through this area. It was just exhilarating to be riding again (and in another country at that). I was so caught up in the moment that I forgot to top off on fuel prior to heading into the mountains.

Upon hitting the first town after completing Arthur’s Pass, Massie’s fuel level read a mere 18km remaining (a rookie mistake by me). Once the bike was topped off I sat under the gas station’s awning to figure out where I would be staying that evening. The rental company recommended staying in Holiday Parks. These were similar to the KOAs that we have in the United States.

I cannot stand KOAs. Unless I was in a pinch that would not be my plan for the evening. Camping in New Zealand is different from the United States in that many areas are called “freedom camping,” but in order to stay there you had to have a self-contained vehicle sticker. To obtain the sticker the vehicle must undergo a rigorous inspection process to ensure the vehicle has a toilet in it. So Freedom Camping was obviously out of the question.

Hunting down campsites wasn’t anything new for me. It didn’t take me long to remember that on the North Island I had camped in DOC (Department of Conservation) campsites. These campsites could be quite primitive but they have toilets, which meant I didn’t need a sticker. I found them in really beautiful areas and at a cost of just $15 NZD ($10 USD) they met all my requirements for a peaceful night of camping.

The campsite was perfect. It was next to a beautiful lake with plenty of weka birds that would walk right up to you and hang out for a bit. It had been a short day but it was the perfect length to get used to the bike, chat with a few other riders, and get back into camping off a motorcycle. I was back in my natural environment and decided to call it an early night. I knew the next day I would have to put some serious mileage behind me if I was to complete this loop.

Read the Mike Huber New Zealand posts here:

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By Mike Huber

Having both traveling and motorcycling as my two greatest passions in life whenever I have an opportunity to combine them it is always quite magical. Add on top of that camping, and it’s a trifecta for pure bliss. Having found myself in New Zealand (and previously hearing tales of the incredibly technical roads and terrain here) was something that I didn’t want to miss, yet I almost did.

One of my strengths as a traveler, which seems counter intuitive, is my lack of planning. I rarely plan more than a week in advance, and sometimes less than that. In the past this has been a double-edged sword. The agility of minimal planning allows me to instantly adjust with few consequences when opportunities arise, but it also has caused me to miss highlights that require more planning. Still, this is the way I have traveled and for the most part it works. To be fully transparent, the lack of planning could be due to laziness. But to be perfectly honest if it hadn’t been at least semi-successful I would absolutely put in the work to lay out a more detailed plan.

This lack of planning almost became a major regret here in New Zealand. By the time I arrived on the south island to reserve a motorcycle they were booked months in advance. I was pretty distraught, but I understood the reasoning since it was peak tourism season (and I hadn’t planned). It didn’t look like riding a motorcycle in New Zealand was in the cards for me.

There was a bright spot as an old friend of mine, Neal from the United States, happened to be on an Air Force duty assignment here. We hadn’t hung out in almost 20 years, so seeing him would be a great way to wash away the disappointment. Neal was in Christchurch and attached to an Air Force unit whose mission was to provide support for Antarctica. Which I thought was really cool as they were part of the maintenance team for C-130s that delivered supplies to the frozen continent. I love C-130s as I used to jump out of them when I served with the 82^nd Airborne Division. The only difference (from my limited perspective) is the props had eight blades on the propeller instead of four, and these planes had skis attached to the wheels for ice landings. Of course, I thought all this was bad ass.

Leading up to our visit, Neal kept mentioning this Brazilian BBQ place that is an all you can eat meat on a stick fest. When we arrived along with three of his soldiers, the owner came out to greet my friend like he was the mayor of Christchurch. Instantly I knew Neal frequents this place quite often.

After we ordered Brazil’s National Drink, the Caipirinha, we waited for the feast to begin. During this time I began chatting up the owner. He was originally from Arizona and had motorcycled quite a bit throughout the United States. It didn’t take long for the conversation to turn to motorcycling New Zealand and how I couldn’t find a bike. Within 5 minutes he had texted the owner of a local family-owned rental company, South Pacific Motorcycles. They had a BMW GS750 available for the exact days I wanted. This was great to hear. I may be able to rebound from my lack of planning after all! If this wasn’t destiny, I don’t know what is.

I had 5 days to kill in Christchurch until I picked up the BMW. That wasn’t too hard as it’s a fairly large city with some quirky architecture, botanical gardens, museums, and beaches to occupy my time until it was time to pick the bike up. The downtime also allowed me to research different routes. This wasn’t done by online forums or social media groups but by just looking at maps and putting a route together (as I would do in the United States). Again, this could be laziness, but it’s what works for me. Things were looking bright and the weather was great the day Kim, from South Pacific Motorcycles, picked me up in front of my hostel. It was time to get this adventure underway.

Read the Mike Huber New Zealand posts here: