nz2019 – Page 4 – Wanderings

Just a -tiny- bit hYPeR

The day of departure.

I’m nervous and excited! I’ve got stiff shoulders and a mild headache, but I’m keen to get this trip started.

I can’t wait to be on the plane and heading over. There’s a certain relief in knowing that whatever is forgotten will simply be unavailable to me while I’m away… and will be right where I left it when I get back.

Incidentally, I’ve been informed that the correct underwear:socks ratio is 3:1. I may have gotten it all sorts of wrong.

Passport? Check. Payment options? Check. Nunchaku? Check.

Let’s GOOOOO~!

Almost…

One day until departure.

Is it really going to be as cold as people (and the NZ weather bureau) say? Will I use half the hardware I’m taking with me? Should I not have purchased a drone and kept the money for things such as food and water instead?

Heck no! At least for that last one. I’ll subsist on dry Maggi noodles and a cup of lukewarm water for the contents of the sachet if I must.

What’s the correct underwear:socks ratio again? How many bow ties is too many, really?

Despite these uncertainties, around this time tomorrow, I will have landed in Christchurch. With a belly full of plane food and a head full of wonder, I’ll make my way through customs and be churned out the other end like a… I don’t know, like a tourist sausage.

I’ll be staying at the Jucy Snooze near the airport for the first night.

Steed

Still four days until departure.

I have a ride!

Many thanks to South Pacific Motorcycle Tours (SPMT) for hooking me up with a Suzuki SV650 for this trip. Givi panniers and lock box are included!

I’ll have Ruby from Friday 8 November until Friday 22 November, giving me the remaining weekend to explore Christchurch.

I was getting caught up in multiple suggestions about what type of bike to try and what sort of roads to explore, making the decision process take much longer. Admittedly, I was also shopping around for insurance excesses that weren’t exorbitant. I’m glad it’s over.

SPMT’s policy states that I have to stick to sealed roads and major routes, which is perfectly fine by me for this first attempt at such a trip. In future, I may look at softroading, but I’d like to build up adventure riding experience in Australia (on Hilda!) first.

Armoured

Four days until departure.

I did end up buying a new set of adventure riding gear. Many thanks to The Motorcycle Accessories Shop in Nerang for hooking me up with a good deal.

Combined with some of my existing equipment, here’s the protective gear I’ll be wearing on this trip:

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Underneath, I’m going to be packing sets of Uniqlo HEATTECH Ultra Warm thermals and an older set of BodyWild thermals that I bought in Japan for snowboarding some <redacted> years ago – they’re still good!

Although the HEATTECH Ultra Warms are a little heavier than I was aiming for, their superior heating capability may allow me to forgo other clothing underneath the riding gear.