Hello to all from the States... (FkNAmerica)

[FkNAmerican]

Hey all,

First off I think I should explain what an American living on the east coast (no, I dont mean California.....its the EAST coast!!) is doing on a kiwi bike forum!!! Here goes:

About a year ago I spent 6 months in NZ and fell in love with the place. From the amazing people to the spectacular scenary I was just blown away. NZ had all the beauty I've seen in my travels accross the USA but in a nice compact and accesible package.....well not quite the grand canyon....but most everything else! I spent alot of time touring around the north island before eventually ending up in Christchurch (best city in NZ, hands down.......hella lot better then Auckland anyway) where I spent much of my time. I did a semester at University of Canterbury (why I came to NZ in the first place......yeah right) and basically took weekend road trips with all the crazy kiwi's, Aussie's, Fijians, Brits, Germans, Americans etc I met and befriended on campus. I made some great friends and thoroughly enjoyed myself, not to mention I developed an love of Rugby (Crusaders dominate all...), fish n' chips wrapped in newspaper, Indian take-out (errr take-away), L&P, and kiwi/aussie women (its the accent......just does it for me).

But, on all those road trips all over the south and north islands one thought kept nagging me.......one little question stuck in my mind.......wouldnt this road trip just be a bit better if I were on a motorcycle?

And now I get, more specifically, to why I've come to this forum in the first place. I'm headed back to New Zealand (Christchurch again).....this time for a more extended stay. Im planning on getting a bike......and this time I'm gonna see your great country (maybe soon to be my country as well...who knows) the right way: on two wheels. I hope to have the same experience as I had last time....which means meeting great people and establishing lasting friendships......and going all over new zealand having one crazy adventure after another until severe injury, total exhaustian, imprisonment, or death stops me.

Oh, almost forgot........right now I ride a Ninja 250. It aint much but its my first bike and its what my Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) course instructors recommended I get. Its not pretty or fast but it was cheap, light weight, and great to learn on......and to be honest it just has a special place in my heart. Even when I pull up next to cruisers that have over a liter displacement on me I pat her on the side just to let her know its ok, I'm bigger then them where it counts anyway hehe.

So I have a few questions:

1. When I went to NZ, my American drivers license was good for the entire period I was there. Is this the same as with my motorcycle license or will I need to retake the test?? If so, can you post a link or let me know what the requirements are??

2. I noticed while in NZ that some car prices, not to even mention petrol, were outrageous! You guys sure do pay a premium for some of the trick kit we pay pennies for in the states, and yeah Ive taken the exchange rates into account. Is this the same with bikes?? Im looking at an R-6, CBR600RR, or GSXR-600 depending......also consiering an FZ-6 as it would be more comfortable on those long trips then a full on sports bike. So anyway, what do those bikes run new over there?

3. Im looking for a group of people, in Christchurch preferably, who like to do some weekend riding and dont mide riding with a F'in American. So anyway, if your interested in riding with me I would like to know who you are so I can get in touch when I get to Christchurch in about 4 months. PM me or something. I would also like to know the best place to get a bike in the city and that sort of thing.

Well, I guess thats it for now. Sorry for the long intro. Just thought I'd introduce myself straight away and get things rolling. Cant waite to get back to NZ......on a motorcycle this time. Counting down the days....

Heaven is a twisty road........somewhere in New Zealand.

[placidfemme]

Hey welcome to KB :)

Theres a bunch of KB'ers in ChCh, so I think you'll have no worries finding riding buddies...

PF

[yod]

1. When I went to NZ, my American drivers license was good for the entire period I was there. Is this the same as with my motorcycle license or will I need to retake the test?? If so, can you post a link or let me know what the requirements are??

2. I noticed while in NZ that some car prices were outrageous! You guys sure do pay a premium for some of the trick kit we pay pennies for in the states, and yeah Ive taken the exchange rates into account. Is this the same with bikes?? Im looking at an R-6, CBR600RR, or GSXR-600 depending......also consiering an FZ-6 as it would be more comfortable on those long trips then a full on sports bike. So anyway, what do those bikes run new over there?

3. Im looking for a group of people, in Christchurch preferably, who like to do some weekend riding and dont mide riding with a F'in American. So anyway, if your interested in riding with me I would like to know who you are so I can get in touch when I get to Christchurch in about 4 months. PM me or something. I would also like to know the best place to get a bike in the city and that sort of thing.

Well, I guess thats it for now. Sorry for the long intro. Just thought I'd introduce myself straight away and get things rolling. Cant waite to get back to NZ......on a motorcycle this time. Counting down the days....

Heaven is a twisty road........somewhere in New Zealand.

ah grasshopper...you have found your true centre...in fact, THE true centre of the universe, CHRISTCHURCH

:rockon:

unfortunately im currently not in the homeland...i exported myself to the north/little/inferior island some years back but plan on returning (to a triumphant fanfare, I would imagine), to the centre of all things great and rugbyish, in the near future.

as for prices, (yes, we do get screwed, thanks for the reminder!) check out www.trademe.co.nz and www.bikepoint.co.nz - they will probably give you a good idea of the new and 2nd hand market here - not sure about the foreign license deal but try www.ltsa.govt.nz

cheers, beers and welcome

PS: if im down there - will definitely get out for a ride with ya:Punk:

[insane1]

well bout farkin time welcome to nz sounds like we have a american who likes us .

[FkNAmerican]

lol, hard to believe I'm one of the few yanks to fall in love with the place!! I mean, whats not to like???? Ordering a large drink and getting a small one instead never gets old ;). Ordering a big mac at "Mackers" and being asked "would you like the burger or the sandwich" is a question every American should be faced with at least ounce in their life. Going to the "largest screen in NZ" to watch a movie and realizing its about the size of the HDTV in my living room was great. Paying twelve billion dollars for what was basically some Mexican food was quite a laugh as well....oh but waite a second, it was ACTUALLY fancy "Spanish" food......wonder how long you Kiwi's are gonna fall for that shite hehe. ROFLMAO....... Oh, and I wont ever forget spending 4 months pronouncing it like "Wangeray" before somebody FINALLY politely told me the correct pronunciation of the city.

ahhhh see now Im starting to get all teary eyed just thinking about it all. Sweet sweet memories. Damn I need to get back to New Zealand!!!!

[cowpoos]

lol, hard to believe I'm one of the few yanks to fall in love with the place!! I mean, whats not to like???? Ordering a large drink and getting a small one instead never gets old ;). Ordering a big mac at "Mackers" and being asked "would you like the burger or the sandwich" is a question every American should be faced with at least ounce in their life. Going to the "largest screen in NZ" to watch a movie and realizing its about the size of the HDTV in my living room was great. Paying twelve billion dollars for what was basically some Mexican food was quite a laugh as well....oh but waite a second, it was ACTUALLY fancy "Spanish" food......wonder how long you Kiwi's are gonna fall for that shite hehe. ROFLMAO.......

ahhhh see now Im starting to get all teary eyed just thinking about it all. Sweet sweet memories. Damn I need to get back to New Zealand!!!!
hey mate....welcome to the forum....

now can you give us some advice?

We have this candian on our forum [waylander] how is the best way to get rid of him?? [you yanks are good at dealing with them I've heard??]

[FkNAmerican]

Oh and yeah, Christchurch is most def. the center of the universe. I took some road trips out of Christchurch that I've been thinking of taking on a motorcycle ever since.

Just a few of the trips I wanna retake on a motorcycle out of Christchurch:

1. Tour all around the Banks Peninsula......cuz sometimes nuthin beats a short ride out in the countryside.
2. Christchurch to Nelson (meet up with some old mates), Nelson to Picton (gotta drop one in the talking toilet of course and laze around the town), Picton to Kaikoura (do a little surfing), Kaikoura back to Christchurch.
3.Christchurch to Dunedin (just so I dont forget how much better Christchurch is....), Dunedin to Queenstown (so I can act like an American and spend alot of money), Queenstown to home.
4. Gotta take a couple trips to Wellington so I can convince Peter Jackson to do the Hobbit......or at the very least sign a deal with George RR Martin to do the Game of Thrones!!!
5. Greymouth sucked balls but the views on the way werent half bad........
6. Auckland.....ha yeah right, I already made the mistake of landing there......whew........felt like I was Kurt Russel in Escape from LA.

And for the bigger breaks the whole north island (besides Auckland) is fair game.

[tri boy]

Welcome ,welcome FkNAmerican.
This lot seem harmless enough, but I plead with you, please, pleeeease- do not let the one eyed Cantabs get to you. There is no known surgery to undo their wicked brainwashing.:shutup:

[MSTRS]

And for the bigger breaks the whole north island (besides Auckland) is fair game.

Hawkes Bay and East Cape are not part of NZ. For touring purposes. You have to stay awhile. Buy a vineyard. Construct a world class motorcycle race track. And let the locals use it for free.
OK?

[FkNAmerican]

LOL, getting rid of Canadians is EASY. All you have to do is vote Republican.

I dont remmember what the NZ equivalent was.....Destiny Church or something......but those nut jobs oughta be able to do the trick. All you gotta do is decide which is worse, Republicans or Canadians.......its a lose lose situation really. F'in Canadians......they always force us into this kinda shite!! Why cant they just make themselves useful and immigrate to Indonesia or something..........

(just kidding to all you Canucks on this forum...as you know.....we yanks cant possibly hate you :shit: because you have hotter strippers then we do). I mean, besides driving up to Alaska thats pretty much the only reason we travel to Canada anyway.......but a damn fine one at that!

[yod]

Welcome ,welcome FkNAmerican.
This lot seem harmless enough, but I plead with you, please, pleeeease- do not let the one eyed Cantabs get to you.

I heard that!! :angry: but s'ok, sounds like he's already under our evil influence:rockon:


Hawkes Bay and East Cape are not part of NZ. For touring purposes. You have to stay awhile. Buy a vineyard. Construct a world class motorcycle race track. And let the locals use it for free.
OK?

correct, good post, carry on....
(maybe we should make it part of the immigration laws or sumthin...)


Destiny Church or something......but those nut jobs oughta be able to do the trick.

Don't get me started......

[FkNAmerican]

hehe, I remmember being surprised a group like Destiny Church even existed in New Zealand. I suppose if you walk around in the most gorgeous field in the world you're eventually gonna step in some cow shite. Oh well, If it were perfect it would be boring right ?

Anyway, so I noticed there was a dedicated 250cc forum section. I suppose I should be hanging out there even if it does make me feel like I've just been sent to the "special people" classroom.

Not to worry though as a proper 600cc bike is in my future. Who knows, I might even go crazy and get myself an Fz-1....assuming they dont cost as much as a house over in NZ that is........

[yod]

hehe, I remmember being surprised a group like Destiny Church even existed in New Zealand. I suppose if you walk around in the most gorgeous field in the world you're eventually gonna step in some cow shite. Oh well, If it were perfect it would be boring right ?

Anyway, so I noticed there was a dedicated 250cc forum section. I suppose I should be hanging out there even if it does make me feel like I've just been sent to the "special people" classroom.

Not to worry though as a proper 600cc bike is in my future. Who knows, I might even go crazy and get myself an Fz-1....assuming they dont cost as much as a house over in NZ that is........

you dont wanna know what our house prices are like (dont bother looking in main centres....ya dont get much for your moolah there these days!)

and just to keep you informed of high profile news stories, the crusaders are top of the Super 14 table (again, *yawn*) and a win this week (vs Chiefs) will secure them a home semi-final (again, *yawn*)....aaahhhh, all is right with the world.....

[FkNAmerican]

Actually, what I was thinking of doing is opening up a little coffee shop in the future......few things are certain in this life but addiction to coffee sure as hell is one of 'em.

Plus, as they say in the states, whatever is happening here is likely to be happening in New Zealand in 3-5 years time. So all you really gotta do is look at the trends in the US and then be ready to capitalize on them in New Zealand.

So with that in mind, Im sure half of New Zealand is gonna be diabetic and severely overweight in about 10 years. So if I were really smart I would get a medical degree first, move to New Zealand and begin an advertisement campaign to educate Kiwi's as to the greatness of the "supersize" menu in the US, and open up a practice to treat the teaming hordes of fat asses in need of medical care..........but alas Im too lazy for that so I prefer to sell you legal drugs in the form of caffeine refreshment........granted Im a bit late on that trend but with coffee it doesnt really matter. As proven in seattle, there is ALWAYS room for another Starbucks and the way you kiwi's lap up that energy drink shite.....well lets just say its still a gold mine. MWUAHAHAHA

Who knows, if all goes well I might even get me a Ducati 1098 or some other such bike.

Can you get MV Agustas in New Zealand?? Hmm.......gotta check that one out.

[tri boy]

I wager 1/2 a Mars bar, Chiefs by 13+.:gob:
Secret vile of food poison heading south.:kick:

[SDU]

Ah shit not another FkNAmerican :innocent: :sunny:
Welcome to the nuthouse. Great you :love: this little place.
Plenty of kbers here in Chch, always someone up for a ride.
Plenty rallies here in the south to go to over summer. Just let us know when you've arrived & arrange a night out in the meetings forum.

[FkNAmerican]

LMAO, Crusaders at it again eh?? Good to hear nothing has changed.

What I've really been dreaming of is seeing the US actually support a rugby league so we could get something like the British-Irish Lions Tour going with New Zealand.

Unfortunately, Rugby in the states has even less support than soccer (eh, football) so, at the very least, that dream of mine is gonna take awhile.

I can tell you, however, that at the grassroots level Rugby is alive and well in the US!! Its mostly played at the university level around the country but it doenst get ANY coverage on TV, almost nobody watches the games (there arnt even any real stands for fans), and all the real talent potential goes first to football/basketball, then to baseball, then to soccer, then to ultimate frisby (for christs sake THATS embarassing), and, finally, to rugby.

Rugby is slowly gaining in popularity in the US though because its not so commercialized and full of bullshite like profesional football (gridiron American style). Its kinda become the sport of choice for people who want something a little different. Eventually we are gonna get our act together and maybe set up a league. California would be a nice place for it as its decently cose to NZ. It certainly couldnt hurt the game to get a little New Zealand-US rivalry going......even if the Yank teams are a joke the first 30 years or so.

[FkNAmerican]

Oh and because Im new here on the forum I feel I should give you a little taste of the motorcycle lifestyle in my little slice of heaven here in North Carolina. I have a feeling you would just LOVE it if you ever came here:


1. "The Dragon". Said to be one of the best technical public motorcycle roads in the world. So awesome even "Shoooomaker" made a special visit to drive it.

http://www.tailofthedragon.com/

2. Blue Ridge Parkway. One of the most gorgeous motorcycle roads in all the world. (uh, excluding NZ of course).

http://www.blueridgeparkway.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Ridge_Parkway

A good pic of one of the bridges and the kind of riding you can expect: http://www.news.appstate.edu/wp-content/uploads/2006/12/D06_10area43.jpg

[MSTRS]

Oh and because Im new here on the forum I feel I should give you a little taste of the motorcycle lifestyle in my little slice of heaven hear in North Carolina. I have a feeling you would just LOVE it if you ever came here:


1. "The Dragon". Said to be one of the best technical public motorcycle roads in the world.

2. Blue Ridge Parkway. One of the most gorgeous motorcycle roads in all the world. (uh, excluding NZ of course).



Heard of the Dragon. Pah. We laugh at your Dragon. Nothing special when you see what we enjoy. :innocent:
Glad you added that. Might have had to have had a word with Immigration....
Be sure to look us up when you get here.:sunny:

[Lissa]

Welcome to KB.... FkNA! Hope to see you on some KB rides sometime maybe... if you happen to come to the Capital. Coffee Shop aye.. well, the Kbers I know spend ALOT of time in Coffee Shops, me included. Just make sure you have designated Motorcycle parks and great coffee you wont go wrong.

[FkNAmerican]

hehe, thanks all.

You laugh at the Dragon eh? Having ridden the dragon I can only imagine what New Zealand has to offer then......although I've seemingly driven most of New Zealand there must be some secret little hidden track known only to special two wheeled kiwi's right?? RIGHT??? Hope so.

Here are a couple vids to show you what the dragon ,otherwise known as deals gap, is like:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XxAtOm_syI&mode=related&search=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBe_pQKdClU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1-gWPHfYNc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xl7ZxWivtmQ&mode=related&search=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjoMD2Qk7PI&mode=related&search=

[MSTRS]

Ooooh yeah - there's a few of them alright. But not many with a surface like that.:love:
I am pulling your leg about the Dragon. It looks like m/c heaven.

[Disco Dan]

Oh, and I wont ever forget spending 4 months pronouncing it like "Wangeray" before somebody FINALLY politely told me the correct pronunciation of the city.

I say "wangeray". I know how to say it correctly I just choose not too. ..and I like winding up the locals.

Welcome by the way!

I have no desire to go back to America, hated the place and the people. But hey diferent strokes for diferent folks! (not american. Im English.)

[Waylander]

LOL, getting rid of Canadians is EASY. All you have to do is vote Republican.

I dont remmember what the NZ equivalent was.....Destiny Church or something......but those nut jobs oughta be able to do the trick. All you gotta do is decide which is worse, Republicans or Canadians.......its a lose lose situation really. F'in Canadians......they always force us into this kinda shite!! Why cant they just make themselves useful and immigrate to Indonesia or something..........

(just kidding to all you Canucks on this forum...as you know.....we yanks cant possibly hate you :shit: because you have hotter strippers then we do). I mean, besides driving up to Alaska thats pretty much the only reason we travel to Canada anyway.......but a damn fine one at that!

Actually the strippers in Texas are much hotter than the ones in canada.

And ignore cowpoos, he doesn't know how to read a map and thinks that MExico is the one up top, Canada in the middle and the US beneath that.

[cowpoos]

Actually the strippers in Texas are much hotter than the ones in canada.

And ignore cowpoos, he doesn'tknowhow to read a mapand thinks that MExico is the one up top, Canada in the middle and the US beneath that.
I know exactly where canada is...and whats a mapand??

SO GO BACK TO CANADA!!!!

[FkNAmerican]

Disco Dan, sometimes I feel the same way about the states.....but in all seriousness the US is so full of different sorts of people, different cultures and all that, that it really depends on where you go. I live in a university town and, quite literally, I can walk down the street and meet people from all over the world. Just the other day I ran into a Kiwi. I've got friends here in the states from England, Ireland, Morrocco, Ghana, Malaysia, Cuba, Canada, Mexico, Spain, Italy, Germany, Russia, Australia.....sheesh I could go on almost forever. So when you say "I dont like the people" it doesnt really make sense now does it. Its kinda like saying "I hate people in general".

American culture can def. get tiresome and there are no shortage of people who, in the wise words of Jeremy Clarkson "must have mated with vegetables" but, if you look hard enough there are millions upon millions of very bright and very aware people in the US who arnt bigots. Its just that we are very very quite :). Considering the fact that we are currently dealing with a resurgence of the radical right (Destiny Church types to you) and pretty much the worst leader in the nations history (kinda our version of Adolf Hitler) I think we are doing pretty well for ourselves....all things considered.

Trust me, America's negative image in the world is quite embarrasing to about half the country. The other half really have mated with carrots and dont know anything about the rest of the world. But that still leaves about 140 million Americans that still produce viable offspring capable of outsmarting a pig in basic intelligence testing, dont have sex with their sisters, and send their children to university!!! Oh and we are slowly taking back our country from the reigns of madness. Im really quite proud of that actually. I think things could have gone far worse considering............


Nevertheless, I spent six months in NZ and felt like thats where I shoulda been born all along. SoI can see why you have found yourself lost in NZ. Im hoping to get a little lost there myself!!

Yank by birth but a kiwi at heart.

[MSTRS]

Just the other day I ran into a Kiwi.

Don't do that here...you'll end up in a world of hurt.:innocent:

[FkNAmerican]

LOL, MSTRS. The only thing in NZ I was ever told to worry about by kiwis were the Maori. I'd just be walking down the street asking questions and that sort of thing and the kiwi's..ehem, the pakeha, would shoosh me. "Dont say that so loudly"!! It was like some Maori was gonna jump out of the bushes and wack me because I said the word Maori in conversation or something. I thought it was all a little silly really and I ended up meeting a bunch of great Maori who were the freindliest people one could ever hope to meet. Somehow I dont think the mean streets of Auckland (assuming they even exist) produce quite the level of asshole as the mean streets of LA or Chicago or NYC or Durham or Tampa..........

Thats def. something that interested me during my stay in NZ though. I always kinda sat back and observed the Maori-Pakeha tensions as an outsider so I was privy to some things that, lets just say, wouldnt be spoken in public. It really was interesting for me as an American to see how two different cultures came into low level conflict but also still manage to peacefully coexist in a constructive way. Considering the fact that "white" Americans virtually annihilated Native Americans during the expansion westward I was curious to see how Kiwi's and Maori's, who have a much more positive history with eachother then, say, that experienced in the United States or Australia, got along.

I have to say that I was rather impressed overall. The one thing that REALLY shocked me about NZ: The very bad relations with Asian immigrants. To a degree I can understand this considering NZ is a small island nation with a low population that has experienced a huge Asian influx recently. Naturally that is gonna create tension. But sheesh, the level of general anger and resentment towards Asians I witnessed was unreal especially as an American. In the states most of the stereotypes concerning Asians are actually positive. So it was just odd feeling to hear so much negativity regarding Asians. Very interesting.

On a funnier note, coming from America and having lived in the south for a bit I thought I new what true red neck was. Not so!!! I had to go to Australia to find true red neck. Wow! They have people there that make Mississippi inbred hicks look like Cambridge graduates. I've had more intelligent conversations with my dog then some of those guys. But to be fair, the rest of Australia (non outback) was great and the people were great.......its just that some of those Aussie really should be studied by modern medical science.......wow....just wow.

[mstriumph]

lol, hard to believe I'm one of the few yanks to fall in love with the place!! I mean, whats not to like???? Ordering a large drink and getting a small one instead never gets old ;). Ordering a big mac at "Mackers" and being asked "would you like the burger or the sandwich" is a question every American should be faced with at least ounce in their life. Going to the "largest screen in NZ" to watch a movie and realizing its about the size of the HDTV in my living room was great. Paying twelve billion dollars for what was basically some Mexican food was quite a laugh as well....oh but waite a second, it was ACTUALLY fancy "Spanish" food......wonder how long you Kiwi's are gonna fall for that shite hehe. .............

NOBODY likes a smartarse - especially a foreign-import smartarse - better watch yourself, grasshopper, you have much to learn

[mstriumph]

......... some of those Aussie really should be studied by modern medical science.......wow....just wow.

anyone else in the antipodies that you'd like to put down?

[FkNAmerican]

LOL LOL...woah woah woah........just being a little light hearted.

All that stuff about NZ was stuff I found charming. I mean, I really meant most of it as a joke on us yanks......example would be the big vs. small cups. The reality is that you guys actually have your drink sizes right.....its us yanks that drink supersize and wonder why they have to redesign baseball stadiums to seat less people b/c of our fat asses............The joke about the "Spanish" mexican food was soooo true. But it happens to us over in the sates too....only with Indian food which we pay $$$ for. Nothing to take offense at.

The Australian thing........well thats true.......but only in the outback!! The rest of Aussie was great. Either way, part of my family is Aussie to begin with so I've got a license for that one hehe.

In all seriousness, of course all Aussies in the outback arnt red necks. I was only making those sorts of gross generalizations in a light hearted way. Didnt mean to offend. I was, however, surprised by the commonality between Mississippians and some of the people I ran into in the outback..........and I will never understand what this Aussie rules mumbo jumbo is all about............

[u4ea]

Hey WELCOME to KB....:yes: ...they say its all in a name so maybe call your coffee shop LIVE WIRE :dodge: because thats what ya seem to be!!!!please dont stick to the 250 threads as youre an entertaining lad and the banter will be sadly missed(I dont frequent the 250 threads)....:rockon:

[paturoa]

FkN good posts - lol - welcome

Oh and by the way, if you want to return, it is arse or arsehole not ass (do a search on BDOTGNZA)

[FkNAmerican]

thanks u4ea.........keep in mind that all these damn posts Im making are @ 3:10 AM my time and Im having a few beeries as Im off work all day tommorrow!!! I, therefore, cant be held entirely responsible for the contents of my posts. Im sure I will wake up tommorrow going "oye what an ass I made of myself day one. Way to go!" but thats life. I'll make my apologies then.


Either way, always happy to entertain!

[paturoa]

......In all seriousness, of course all Aussies in the outback arnt red necks.........

What about Kiwis from Christchurch???

[MSTRS]

LOL, MSTRS. The only thing in NZ I was ever told to worry about by kiwis were the Maori. I'd just be walking down the street asking questions and that sort of thing and the kiwi's..ehem, the pakeha, would shoosh me. "Dont say that so loudly"!! It was like some Maori was gonna jump out of the bushes and wack me because I said the word Maori in conversation or something. I thought it was all a little silly really and I ended up meeting a bunch of great Maori who were the freindliest people one could ever hope to meet. Somehow I dont think the mean streets of Auckland (assuming they even exist) produce quite the level of asshole as the mean streets of LA or Chicago or NYC or Durham or Tampa..........


I referred to the kiwi - flightless bird, our mascot (if you like), endangered. Don't run one over. Treason is still on the statutes here.:dodge:
Quite right about the friendly Maoris - but like every colour they are not all great people.
Wait until you've walked a mile in Otara before you jump to conclusions about 'the mean streets...'
PS you're not WINJA by any chance - we miss him.

[FkNAmerican]

Nope, but you've managed to get me interested in this Winja guy though! I mean, the implications to mother earth should there be another like me on the planet at the same time.......its just too terrible to even begin to really ponder seriously without more beer.

[FkNAmerican]

yeah and Im still coming to terms with that hole "arsehole" thing. Much like Vegemite.....Im not sure if I'll ever get used to it.

Wow, I just realized that sounded like I was talking about gay sex. I can only pray that all you people read the above IN CONTEXT.

[johnnyflash]

Welcome FknAmerican, great to have you aboard, Sorry you have been enfected byt the Canterbury virus, but Im sure if you head North far enough we will be able to have our specialists remove the bug from your system so you can enjoy the real NZ we only show special guests LoL...

[u4ea]

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm winja aye.................... still a LIVE WIRE

[FkNAmerican]

see now I have to actually USE this forum to search up this winja character.....and thats hard to do after you've put down a few beeries let me tell you!!!

[FkNAmerican]

hehe MSTRS yet again I lose a little in the translation there........sorry for the slow pick up on my part.......please account for the fact that I am raging drunk( well, more like mellowed out drunk really) at the moment, its 3:42 AM my time, and I dont have to set the alarm because I dont have to work tommorrow!!!

In fact, the only reason to even get up, besides the fact that it would be utterly depressing and unforgivable to sleep all day on my day off, is that my mate is getting an SV-650 and Im gonna be there to test it out with him before he actually puts down the cash.

But dont worry, Im usually faster on the uptake when Im sober. Err or is it the other way around......ah hell. I might just be even worse in the morning. Cant remmember if Im smarter sober or drunk. Bloody hell.

[FkNAmerican]

no no I've got it all sorted now. Im luckier when Im drunk but Im definately smarter when Im sober.

[McJim]

with that hole "arsehole" thing. Much like Vegemite I was talking about gay sex. .

Sure we can read it in Context but where would be the fun in QUOTING you in context?

Welcome to KB.

I'm a dirty immigrant here too - only been to Ch'Ch twice - traffic jams both times - made me long for Auckland.

You see Christchurch on the news lots though - hit and run, hit and run, boy racer, hooker murdered, hit and run yadda yadda yadda.

Sounds a neat place.....:rofl:

[paturoa]

no no I've got it all sorted now. Im luckier when Im drunk but Im definately smarter when Im sober.

nope,

(shameful repost but relevant)

In one episode of 'Cheers', Cliff is seated at the bar describing the 'Buffalo Theory' to his buddy Norm. I don't think I've ever heard the concept explained any better than this...

"Well you see, Norm, it's like this... A herd of buffalo can only move as fast as the slowest buffalo and when the herd is hunted, it is the slowest and weakest ones at the back that are killed first. This natural selection is good for the herd as a whole, because the general speed and health of the whole group keeps improving by the regular killing of the weakest members. In much the same way, the human brain can only operate as fast as the slowest brain cells. Now, as we know, excessive drinking of alcohol kills brain cells. But naturally, it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first. In this way, regular consumption of beer eliminates the weaker brain cells, making the brain a faster and more efficient machine. And that, Norm, is why you always feel smarter after a few beers."

[FkNAmerican]

ROFLMAO Paturoa...Although very blatantly self serving....awh hell what am I saying....logic is worthless if it isnt self serving anyway...just look at Iraq.....err hold on a minute...I cant quite get my head around what I just said..

...damn I always knew there was a reason my parents watched Cheers.......I just never knew what it was until now.

Hmmm, I suppose I could always download it off bittorrent.......but then again I might trigger some sort of early mid life crisis or something.........I will proceed on that note with caution....that caution coming in the form of another beer to make sure I've only got my fastest brain cells to put to work on this one.

[Waylander]

FkN good posts - lol - welcome

Oh and by the way, if you want to return, it is arse or arsehole not ass (do a search on BDOTGNZA)
Hitcher can kiss my southern ass.

[Edbear]

lol, hard to believe I'm one of the few yanks to fall in love with the place!! I mean, whats not to like???? !!!!



I'm on a couple of US forums and in my experience you Yanks all seem to love NZ! Most of the people I correspond with would either love to visit here or have been here and would love to come back!

[FkNAmerican]

yeah, Edbear thats been my experience. I know heaps of Americans that travel to NZ every year for vacation. I know quite a few more that wanna stay.

Luckily for me I knew all about NZ before the whole Lord of the Rings craze put you guys on the map for alot of yanks.....destination wise at least. My parents actually considered opening up a buisness in Auckland way back when I was a little one. I still have all the books they bought on NZ hehe. Too bad for me, they decided Chapel Hill, NC was a better business proposition so I ended up becoming a true blue Tar Heel.

The only thing about living in NZ long term that scares me is I might get a little stir crazy as its, of course, much much smaller then the US. I couldnt help but notice that alot of young kiwi's (guys my age) were all about trying to get to the US or someplace else........but that might be a "grass is always greener on the other side of the fence" type deal.

[gijoe1313]

Stone the flamin' crows! So this is where you got to! :lol: Sounds like you're writing your major opus here - almost as bad as me for copius volumes of bit packets representing ASCII! :msn-wink:

Good on ya mate, it's a hard road finding the perfect road to pootle along! :scooter:

btw, you got a gun licence? :whistle:

[scumdog]

Sure we can read it in Context but where would be the fun in QUOTING you in context?

Welcome to KB.

I'm a dirty immigrant here too - only been to Ch'Ch twice - traffic jams both times - made me long for Auckland.

You see Christchurch on the news lots though - hit and run, hit and run, boy racer, hooker murdered, hit and run yadda yadda yadda.

Sounds a neat place.....:rofl:


Yeah but that's 'cos it's NEWS down there - not run-of-the-mill daily activity like it is up your way...Mwahahaha!!!:dodge:

[scumdog]

were all about trying to get to the US or someplace else........but that might be a "grass is always greener on the other side of the fence" type deal.

True - for a hot-rodder, classic Yank-Tank lover and gun owner it's Mecca.

Been there 4 times (last time in '05 when I bought a '66 Thunderbird and did 6,000 miles of cruising around) and never regretted it, the only negative is the tipping thing, makes for expensive eating-out - especially back in '01 when we were only getting 40 cents US for a Kiwi dollar.

Oh, and welcome to the site!

[Swoop]

and I will never understand what this Aussie rules mumbo jumbo is all about............
Just another excuse to drink beer, BUT whilst watching a circular bit of grass (instead of rectangular) with some tossers throwing a pointy ball around.

You see Christchurch on the news lots though - hit and run, hit and run, boy racer, hooker murdered, hit and run yadda yadda yadda.
Don't forget the skinheads...:whistle:(NOT Finn or Spank though!)

Welcome to KB FkNAmerican!

[mstriumph]

LOL LOL...woah woah woah........just being a little light hearted................... I was only making those sorts of gross generalizations in a light hearted way. Didnt mean to offend. ................and I will never understand what this Aussie rules mumbo jumbo is all about............

no offence taken - by me at least .............. it's a cultural thingy

welcome aboard

[cold comfort]

Welcome-as an previously "one eyed Cantabrian" your generous comments on the Garden City are appreciated!. Watch out for the dual carriageways here due to the cage's (tourists and locals) complete inabilty to use only their half. Bunch of homicidal,myopic retards from my observation.
Would be keen to do a run around the top half of the SI this summer if you don't mind riding with and old fart (i would not slow you down, trust me). Plenty of room down here if you need a place to stay on the way. Chatting to a friend from Sth Carolina last night and would love to get over there sometime.

[skidMark]

for those here who do not know the "ninja250" is known here as a gpx 250

welcome mate,

i'm going to tour the whole of nz sometime round the entire cost of both islands.

should be interesting.