Motorcycle Adventure Super Tenere - New Zealand Part 1

There's a hawk up on the hill, he said, come up here and everything will. But you never, you never gotta leave your lover alone. There's a voice, it's whispering through the trees, if you listen there's a whistling on the breeze. You never, you never gotta leave your lover alone. He just carried us in. New Zealand is just made for adventure, and what better way to see it than on a big adventure bike. Yamaha New Zealand have kindly given me a Super Tenere to take on the Bert Munro Challenge, a three day, 700 kilometre adventure from the small town of Fairlie in South Canterbury to Invercargill, the home of motorcycle legend Bert Munro, on almost the tip of New Zealand's South Island. A couple of Tenere's. It's a mixed bag of bikes and rider skills, and the ages range from 30 to 70 years of age. But everyone is linked by one common bond, we're all looking for adventure. Yay, my favourite. Another one of those Tenere's. And a very well presented KTM 990. Oh, but what's this? An XR. Hardy har. That's the blackest, meanest looking XR I've ever seen. It's been modified quite a bit, hasn't it? Our leader for the trip is Robbie Cricket of High Country Trail New Zealand, and he has got some surprises for us. Access to rarely used farmland and conservation areas. Brilliant days riding. Central Otago always puts on great weather. The highlight of the day was riding side by side with Peter Nutsford through the Ida Valley. This magical twin trail epitomises what New Zealand has to offer for adventure riders. Not too technical, but enough on the track to keep you on your toes, with the odd small creek crossing or rocky ford to put you in your place if you weren't focused on the job. Riding side by side through rocky creek crossings on super tens can end in tears, but when you pull it off, it's a great feeling. Day one was coming to an end, and if I walked away then, I would have been happy. But I was happier knowing there were still two days riding to go in this land made for adventure.