There's nothing like the south island for touring by bike but some mates and I were due to attend a conference in Porirua late last month and decided to turn it into a tour of some of the north island's back roads whilst we were at it. I haven't toured for over 5 years and it was genuinely good for the soul. We had an absolute ball and were amazed just how little traffic there was on the roads at this time of the year if you pick the route with a bit of care. We also met some awesome people all the way round, from gas station attendants to cafe and motel staff and so on. Overall, we shouldn't lose sight of what a neat bunch of people live in this country.
For what it's worth for riders who are looking for places to go at this time of year and also to keep our memories of the trip alive, I've posted some narrative and lots of photos of our trip here:
https://geoffjames.blogspot.com/2020...ur-part-1.html
https://geoffjames.blogspot.com/2020...tour-pt-2.html
https://geoffjames.blogspot.com/2020...-tour-pt3.html
My Duke 790 turned out to be a really competent touring machine, travelling light. Have owned it for just on a year and it's turned out to be the perfect choice for this old fella - makes me laugh every time I throw a leg over it!
Cheers,
Geoff
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