Goodbye Motorcycle Hello Car
Sadly, the time had come to return Poppy (the motorcycle) back in Christchurch. Travis and I had a great time riding around New Zealand’s twisting roads. We saw awesome sights, met new friends, and camped in some of the most spectacular places I’ve ever seen.
This map shows an overview of our motorcycle trip around the southern island of New Zealand. We covered a lot of distance in just one week!
Lucky for us, our New Zealand adventure isn’t over yet. We still have a few more days to travel before I head back to Christchurch for final Antarctica preparations. Although a car isn’t our preferred mode of transportation, it sure is a lot warmer than a motorcycle!
Heading North
Having covered much of the southern portion of the island, we headed north out of Christchurch. Due to a recent earthquake, Route 1 (which takes you straight up the eastern coast) is mostly closed. Instead, we had to make our way west, through the mountains again, before we going north.
On the way, we saw Maruia Falls, a beautiful series of waterfalls nestled off of Route 6.
Maruia Falls, New Zealand.
We camped on a river not too far from here. It was a chilly night but the stars were out in full force.
Our Beach Attempt
We finally made it to Nelson, a buzzing beach town in the very north of the island. With a sunny day and only a few clouds in the sky, we decided to hit the beach.
One of the main beaches in Nelson, New Zealand.
Despite the picturesque view, the wind put a damper on things. With sand blowing into our picnic and the mist of the ocean making us cold, we decided to cut our losses and move to a nearby park. Here, we soaked in a little bit of sun and settled into a great book.
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