On the road with Tour 2007-10BB. Wanaka to Queenstown

Nov 6, 2007: Wanaka to Queenstown

We woke to an absolute cracker of a day - the sky was almost cloudless.

For those that were into it, we went for a good physical workout with a run up Mt Iron on the outskirts of Wanaka. This peak overlooks Wanaka township and offers spectacular 360 deg views of Wanaka, the Cardrona Valley, and the Alps.

After a hearty breakfast at the Lodge we rode to the Warbirds museum at the airport for a view of the machines of yesteryear. Then it was on the bikes for the great ride up the Cardrona Valley and over the Crown Range to Queenstown. The views are simply breathtaking - this is a "must do" road for any motorcyclist.

Cheers,

John.

On the road with Tour 2007-10BB. Franz Josef to Wanaka

Nov 5, 2007: Franz Josef to Wanaka.

After a damp Day 3 riding from Paroa to Franz Josef, the weather came right in a big way - just what we were hoping for, as the ride to Wanaka is one of the best rides in the world. We woke this morning to a perfectly clear day, so it was into the helicopter for a stunning 45 minute flight up to Mt Cook and a landing in the neve of Franz Josef Glacier. After breakfast, we hit the road for Haast for 3 hours of exhilarating jetboating up a real wilderness river deep into the Alps.


Then it was back on the bikes for the fantastic 2 hour ride over Haast Pass, along the sides of lakes Wanaka and Hawea, and on to Wanaka. I truly believe this to be one of the best rides you'll find anywhere on The Planet - fantastic alpine scenery, twisting, rising, falling, grippy roads....and no traffic.

A long day, but everyone was buzzed. we capped it off with a great meal, some excellent local Pinot Noir....and a soak in the spa for some, watching the stars.

A great day!

On the road with Tour 2007-10BB

Nov 2, 2007.Location: Hanmer Springs.

Our November Best of the Best 14 day South Island tour is on the road and we're off to a great start. Though we're only on Day 2, the weather has been fantastic and the entire group is having a blast.

We spent a the first day pootling around Nelson and Golden Bay getting used to the bikes and riding on the correct side of the road. The views over Golden and Tasman Bays from the top of the Takaka Hill were fantastic.

Today we rode from Nelson to the thermal resort town of Hanmer Springs via Lewis Pass. The roads were almost deserted, and the clean mountain air and sunlight shining through the canopy of the beech forests were great.

On this tour we have a party of 6 one of whom, Laura Flynn, won a free tour with us at the BMWMOA Rally in Burlington, Vermont last year. Each year at the BMWMOA rally in the US, we give away 2 free tour prize - if you live in the US make sure you get along to the MOA rally to be in with a chance for yourself.

I'll post more as the trip progresses.

Safe riding,

John & Ian

Motorcycle Touring Vacations in New Zealand

We're proud to be a totally New Zealand owned and operated business and unlike other operators, ALL tours are guided exclusively by the company owners and founders, John & Ian Fitzwater.

Our motorcycle touring vacations in New Zealand are second to none. Our aim is not simply to provide you with the best motorcycle tour you'll ever have - we aim to give you the best holiday or vacation you'll ever have!

We think that too many NZ motorcycle tours stick to the main routes and tourist towns, and totally miss the 'real New Zealand'. If you want to see neon then you can do that at home, right?? Our touring vacations visit some out-of-the-way areas that are often missed by other motorbike tour companies because of the herd-like size of their groups - just check out our itineraries , we bet you'll have trouble finding some of our stopovers on your map! In fact even a lot of Kiwis don't know about these locations. You'll still get to see the main sightseeing attractions - the glaciers, the mountains, the glacial lakes and rugged but beautiful coastlines.

Tour with GoTourNZ and go home fitter and lighter!

The record for the most weight gained by a member on one of our guided tours stands at 9lbs. Yes, there's a lot of great food, fantastic wines and fab boutique brews, and you are on vacation... but it needn't mean you're going to have to go on a diet of Lettuce Soup when you get home.

On some of our guided tours, you can take advantage of our free health and fitness programme. John is a keen runner and takes an interest in general health and fitness. He needs to - an occupational hazard for a guide a slow, steady weight gain each season, courtesy of too many great restaurants meals. Clients who are into training and fitness are welcome to go for a run or exercise with John each morning before breakfast. In every place we stay at, we generally have a great running route mapped out. Additionally, John's interest in his own health has led him to research and experiment with various diets and eating styles until he found one that worked for him. If you're interested, he's more than happy to share his experience.

Taking a vacation needn't automatically mean you'll need to diet and do penance when you get home. Here's what one of our clients said recently:

Hey John,
Just wanted to thank you again for giving me the knowledge and tools to take control of my weight and fitness. If it wasn't for the daily runs, diet change, and The Ministry of Silly Walks (our morning lower body strength workout), I would probably still be struggling.

When I arrived in NZ in January, I was about 186lbs (84 kilos). As of today, I'm down to 161lbs (73 kilos), less than 12% body fat, I feel great, AND I'm still eating as much food as I really care to (I'm just eating a proper balance per the diet).

Thanks again,

Dave Pullen