Why Suzuki DR 650?

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The Suzuki DR 650 has proved itself as a very reliable bike in any given situation. They just keep on going.  We have been adventure touring in New Zealand for a long time and we believe the DR 650 to be the best bike for the terrain and to give clients the most enjoyable experience.

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The guides are experienced riders who know the territory you will be going into.  The larger bike allows the guides to make your touring experience more enjoyable by reducing the weight on your bike.  You will carry on your bike all the equipment necessary for your safety and your own personal gear.

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Safety

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We take your safety very seriously.  We are going to places where there is no cellphone coverage and very few if any other people so we need to be “self contained”. On your bike you will carry a tent, sleeping gear, your clothing, a first aid kit, a small tool kit and some emergency rations.  The guide carries a more comprehensive first aid kit and the guides have first aid knowledge.  Each tour carries an emergency locator beacon and we are never more than a few hours ride from “civilisation”. The guide also carries spare parts and a full tool kit.  We will fix the most common (i.e. flat tyre) issue on the spot and carry the tools and spare parts for all basic repairs with us.

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What languages do the guides speak?

We ask that you have a reasonable knowledge of everyday English.  However, Toby is German and bilingual.

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Do I need a motorcycle license?

As your security is paramount to us, you must have a motorcycle driver’s license that is valid in New Zealand.  For insurance reasons you will need to show you have held your motorcycle license for 5 years.  If it is less we reserve the right to charge an additional fee for insurance cover. 

 

You don't need to have any experience in off-road riding as your guide will assist you with that. The first two days of the tour are to acclimatise you to riding in New Zealand and to give you some tuition with your off-road riding.  Your guide will provide off-road tuition on your tour.

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Who looks after safety, cooking, tent pitching etc

We all do.  On tour everyone looks out for everyone else.  We all taking turns at all the tasks (except guiding).  The guide will share his knowledge and ensure good safety practices.  

 

Helping each other is not restricted to riding. Part of the tour is living the experience as a team and this requires you to be willing to do your part in everyday work (i.e. putting up tents, cooking, doing the dishes, packing the bikes, etc.). Where we go there is no electricity, no running water except from the river or lake and often no cellphone coverage. Therefore helping each other and working as a team is essential.  You need to be able to rely on you fellow travellers and it is expected that we help each other in every situation, be it a guide or another group member walking with you on your bike through a river crossing, or providing encouragement and importantly celebrating success.

Encouraging each other is one of the fun parts of the tour, seeing your fellow travellers improve their riding skills is great because you know you are getting better as well. 

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Fitness to do a tour

Your level of fitness should be reasonable but you don't need to be an athlete.  If you have a question please contact us. 

 

What do I need to bring along for a tour?

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Motorcycle Gear

We recommend for your enjoyment you bring good quality waterproof riding gear:

• a jacket with elbow, shoulder and back protection,

• waterproof motorcycle trousers with hip and knee protectors

• armoured motorcycle jeans with knee and hip protectors are also suggested as an add-on

• solid boots which you feel comfortable walking in.

• a winter and summer pair of gloves with knuckle protectors

• ideally a flip-face helmet,

• ear plugs

• sunglasses
 

During the tour we experience day-time temperatures between 5 and 35 degrees centigrade.   We will be riding in alpine areas at times and also in very hot dry locations.  In Fiordland (if we go there the average January rainfall is 500mm) so having versatile riding gear to account for those extremes is important.

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Personal Gear

We recommend your personal clothing consists of:

• a good quality sleeping bag and liner. Temperatures at night can vary between 0 and 20 degrees centigrade

• two sets of trousers, shirts, socks, etc, however, please don’t bring black clothes as they attract sandflies and will make you their target.

• a fleece jacket, fleece cap and gloves again not black
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• Swimming trunks and a towel a travel towel works well.
 

Overall your luggage should be as minimal as possible because the lighter it is the more fun you will have riding off-road. A good indication is: 30 litres in volume and no more than 10kg in weight.
 
Phones Cameras computers

You are welcome to bring whatever electronic gear you like, however, we recommend waterproof and dustproof cases.  The bikes are equipped with 12 volt charging points so bring a cigarette charger with you for your electronics.  You can leave any gear you do not need for the tour at our Wellington base.

What are we providing?

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Apart from your motorcycle as described above, we provide tents, lightweight sleeping mats, dry bags, camping stools, eating and cooking gear.

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We ensure that there is a tent on every bike for safety reasons

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The environment

We are travelling in a pristine environment where you can swim in the streams and see no litter.  We aim to keep it that way.  We work on the basis of “taking only photos and leaving only tyre prints” so we take our environmental responsibilities seriously.  We will provide you with a very unique experience and we feel a strong responsibility to protect the places we will take you.   

 

What can I do before the tour starts?

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It is worth reading about interesting places in the South Island so we can if possible cater for your interests.

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We can assist you by putting together a program for you based on your preferences. This could be some mountain biking, bungy jumping, trout or salmon fishing, photography (Toby’s trips), walking in the hills off the beaten track (Simon’s trips).

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In case you come with your partner who doesn't want to take part in the tour, we can assist your partner with a program of visiting places around both the North and the South Island of New Zealand whilst you are on tour with us.

 
What is the best time to come?

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As you can see under 'DATES' the best time starts late December and goes on to the end of March. We have had some years when we even did tours in April right up to middle of May.

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Nevertheless, you need to keep in mind that weather in New Zealand can change very quickly.  We are very fortunate to have a good meteorological service in New Zealand this provides us with the opportunity to adapt our tour plan to avoid patches of bad weather whenever it is possible.

 

What if I want to see particular places?

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As with activities we will work with you to try to meet your requests and tailor a tour for you and your fellow travellers.  The guides will always try to meet your needs and wishes as best as possible but in the case of bad weather, it might not be advisable or possible to go to all the places you want to see.

 

Who are the guides?

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Our guides are Simon Hughes and Toby Rosenberg.

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Simon is a very experienced rider with a lot of experience of the New Zealand wilderness and knowledge of tracks, landscapes and history of places. He has ridden motorcycles for over 40 years.

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Toby has over 30 years of riding experience and is a very keen photographer. Toby is of German descent and is bilingual.

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What is the food like?

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We might be off-road and away from everything but food, coffee is important to start your day and good New Zealand wine to complete your day and savour the location. Meals will vary depending on what seasonal produce is available.  You can be sure that all the great food and wine New Zealand has to offer will be included.

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You may have some particular food needs, desires or allergies and we will do our best to cater for that in our planning. And yes we can make fresh pizza on a gas cooker!

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Alcohol is a personal preference and so it is up to you to purchase the alcohol you prefer.  However, due to the rough terrain glass bottles and particularly carbonated beverages can be a challenge to carry.

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Food is usually cooked breakfast and cooked dinner whilst we normally eat lightly at lunch time. On some days we may stop at a cafe or a restaurant if you wish so but whatever you consume in cafes and restaurants has to be paid by yourself.

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What if I don't dare riding a track but everybody else does?

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As already mentioned: your security is paramount and therefore you should never be shy of telling us about your concerns.

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If a particular track is too challenging for you there are several options available: you can walk the really difficult bit of the track and the guide will go back and get your bike. If it is a longer stretch of the track you can hop on the guide’s bike and ride that portion of the track as a pillion. In that case the guide will ride back to your bike with another group member as a pillion and that person will ride your bike up to the meeting point.

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Everybody is expected to respect your fears as well as you are expected to respect others if they don't dare going any further.

 

Are you on Facebook?

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Yes we are.  However, we respect your privacy and will not publish your picture without your approval.

How can you make a booking?

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To make a booking click on the booking button on the DATES site or to ask any other questions you may have, you can send us an email by clicking the contact button. We will answer your questions as quickly as possible but please bear in mind that the time difference between New Zealand and other countries can be up to twelve hours.

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We will also provide you with additional information (packing lists, etc.) and please feel free to contact us in case you want some tips and recommendations about how to get to New Zealand and what to do prior to the tour starting. As an example, experience has shown that it is usually cheaper to book flights from Europe to here from New Zealand. However, our travel agent will be more than happy to provide you with a quote for your flight. She is also able to arrange accommodation and a travel itinerary for you for the time prior to your motorcycle adventure of a lifetime.

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The Booking Process

Prior to your booking commencing we will send you a questionnaire to get a better understanding of who you are and what places you want to see in particular. We ask that you answer all the questions in the questionnaire to allow us to maximise your enjoyment.

 

Bookings for the tours in any year can be made until 21 days before the start of any tour.  However, we recommend you book early to avoid disappointment.  This is a personal tour and we limit each trip to one guide and 4 client riders (or three client riders and one pillion).

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Once we have accepted your booking we will contact you with regards to payment details. Payments for bookings are due at least 21 days prior to the start of the tour.  Our cancellation policy is a full refund 28 days prior to the tour start, 50% refund 21 days prior to tour start.  We cannot provide a refund from 15 days prior to tour start.