SI adventure trip 2026

[SaferRides]

My neck is coming right after some physio, but realistically I doubt that I will write up each day now. I thought a list of awards might be fun instead. So, after careful consideration on the mostly boring ride from the ferry to Auckland, here goes:

Best day's ride: This was difficult, but it has to go to Ross - Wanaka. South Westland is stunning on a fine day, Haast Pass was fun despite the camper vans, and Lake Hawea was magnificent. The day in the McKenzie country is the runner up, especially the picture postcard view riding towards Mt Cook.

Biggest adrenaline rush: Crown Range Road from the summit to the Cardrona pub. A close second was riding down Takaka Hill towards Motueka, which was a constant series of "How brave do you feel" blind corners.

Best pub: The Vulcan in St Bathans. An English country pub transplanted to NZ. But read on...

Best pub food: The best meal I had was the lamb rump at the Waipiata hotel - we just don't get lamb like that in Auckland. Runner up goes to the blue cod at the top pub in Kurow. Huge fillet perfectly battered and deep fried.

Best pub experience: The Historic Empire Hotel in Ross. We were there on a Saturday night, which undoubtedly helped.

But really, there were no bad pub experiences. O'Flynns in Hanmer was a bit average, but otherwise they were all good. We were surprised how many were run by Indians though.

To be continued...

[BMWST?]

Yes, one of the guys that rode with us suggested the 690 Adventure - interesting thought, but it's a KTM...

The issue is getting down to the SI from Auckland, but when you add up all of the costs to do so, it may be worth considering having the bikes shipped down to Christchurch. What I have learnt is it's best not to compromise. I've had a ridiculous amount of fun on the R1, but would like to do some of the adv rides next time - I grew up riding dirt bikes.

if you booked ahead some you coul get some good flights I guess. Dont try that with Dunedin,it cost me a fortune to fly down there at shortish notice. Its not a problem for me I live 11 minutes from the interislander,and I kinda enjoy the ferry trip. Its a nice way to start and fimish IMHO

[SaferRides]

if you booked ahead some you coul get some good flights I guess. Dont try that with Dunedin,it cost me a fortune to fly down there at shortish notice. Its not a problem for me I live 11 minutes from the interislander,and I kinda enjoy the ferry trip. Its a nice way to start and fimish IMHO

With some forward planning, you can get Jetstar flights AKL-CHC for well under $100 each way.

I quite enjoy the ferry trips now, but the stress is whether they'll be late or even sail. It's to be expected given the age of the current fleet - even the "new" Bluebridge ferry is 18 years old.

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[SaferRides]

Not too much went wrong, but the one Worst award was well deserved:

Worst road works: Fairlie to Geraldine. There were plenty of road works in general and the Stop Goes became a little tiring at times. But this stretch of road was out on its own. Over just 45 km I lost count of the number of road works. It was like they started work on a stretch of road, decided they'd done enough in the meantime, and moved a few ks along the road to start again. I felt sorry for anyone who had to drive that road daily.

Best road surface: In general, the roads on the West Coast were in good condition given the issues they have to deal with. The road from north of Nelson to the start of the Rai Valley was great, especially the windy section after Hira which is mainly asphalt.

Best value accommodation: Forest Peak in Hanmer. Hard to argue with $195 for a 1-bedroom unit, although it is a bit of a trek from the town.

Best petrol stations: NPD. We gave up using Gaspy in the end as NPD was consistently the cheapest. Plus their terminals use Paywave and I was able to use my phone - very quick.

It was a great trip, and I won't be waiting four years to return!