Modern Vespa

I've been itching to do a long-ish ride on my little Vespa, and today here in New Zealand, we've got such great weather I couldn't pass on a ride. I decided to head for Akaroa, about 82 km (51 miles) away from Christchurch for some fish and chips.

Thank you!

Those pictures are lovely
and provided me with a very pleasant mini-holiday

Beautiful!

I hate you with a passion.

I've had fish and chips from that very shop and they were stunning.

I want to go back to NZ NOW!!!!!

Your pictures are gorgeous. You are really living in a gorgeous part of the world. That is such NZ is so on my bucket list. My grandfather was saving to take my grandmother there in 1971 when he died. He had saved just over $10,000 in cash in a hollowed out book. He must have known his heart was bad, because he told Grandmama about a month before he passed away. He had a scrapbook of magazine pics from NZ with all the places he wanted to go.

Thanks for sharing your memories, GeorgiaGirl. New Zealand is God's Own Country (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God's_Own_Country). She's blessed with immerse natural beauty and a population that appreciates it and intends to keep it that way. I'm not a native Kiwi (New Zealander) and it was a holiday trip back in 2006 that brought me back here as a resident. Your story of your grandfather really touched me because I struggled with the issue of emigration (being away from family and friends etc) but it is one of those things I know I will regret if I don't at least attempt to do. Life's too short to be wondering about all the "What If's".

Not everything is a bed of roses in NZ though. God probably is not required to pay taxes nor does He take up loans and struggle with employment If you intend to bring your Hornet with you, you might be interested to do this on your next trip to Akaroa

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKZ8kUL-pDs

edit: trying to fix URL links...

Thanks guys... glad you like the pictures. It was a bit of a "test ride". I've wanted to do a ride from Christchurch to Lake Tekapo, but I guess I'll put that idea away for now... until I get a bigger scoot perhaps...

If you're getting into doing longer rides, a bigger scoot is a must! Doesn't mean the smaller one will be redundant though.

Glad you liked the story - I was about one when my grandfather died, but I can remember thumbing through that scrapbook with Grandmama. I think that is why I like to travel and do and see and experience things with the people I love - because you never know what will happen next. My dad's dad wanted to go to NZ, and my mom's dad wanted to take his wife to Hawaii where he started in WWII, and he died in 1952 before he got to it. I try hard to live every day with no regrets. Enjoy your adventure!

Awesome dude. Ive just shown your post to my wife for inspiration.

She works in Christchurch regularly, is down for a few weeks soon and has booked a 50cc Scoot to hire from City Scooters for a fortnight.
Maybe your trip will encourage her to explore the sights of Canterbury!

(We are lucky having countryside like that 'in our backyard')

That's not helping , you know

I'm a happy City Scooters customer. They have larger scoots for hire too if you need them. Andrea, the lady owner of City Scooters, used to organise Sunday rides for ladies although I'm not sure if it runs year round or only in summer.

Sumner beach is my favourite beach to scoot to. It's still within the city limits so no crazy 120km/hr drivers to watch out for, and the journey into Sumner is amazing. You'll ride along the causeway that runs alongside the estuary. The view is to die for... I used to flat in Sumner before my previous employer seconded me to Dunedin and I absolutely love Sumner. One time last winter, I woke up to a snow-blanketed Sumner and for a moment thought I was in some alpine village in a fairy tale or something. Almost wanted to call in to work sick so I can walk around and take photos!

Ok.... Now you've done it!!!! I'm ready to go to New Zealand to ride scoots.... Who's with me????

you didn't get a picture of the fish and chips themselves?!?! you gotta go back and snap some!

{SIGH}

Was in Christchurch in June - got to go up to the Weka Pass Railway, and was driven up to Picton.

I WANNA GO BACK


Thanks for the pics - and Thanks to your Gummit, NZ is like popping across to Melbourne or Sydney - only better!

And surprisingly, not much further than Darwin!

Gorgeous countryside you have there! I'd love to visit NZ sometime. Thanks for posting those great photos.

You came to Christchurch... and went north-wards? That means you gotta come back here and and head south, where the real NZ is Places like Lake Tekapo, Milford Sound, Queenstown (real beauty once you look past the touristy places) and the glaciers along the west coast! Then there's the TranzAlpine train journey, one of the most scenic in the world...

*come back... come back...*

I, on the other hand, would love to visit Adelaide! It's one of those places I kept saying I want to visit but have yet to do so. Like I posted on the Aussie scooter forum, I've got this romantic and dreamy idea of scooting about Adelaide, wine-tasting and riding into the sunset... (to which someone replied, if I drink and ride, the sunset won't be the only thing I'll be riding into!). Yes NZ is beautiful That said, her beauty is probably nowhere near the scale of the Canadian counterparts!

I have every intention of coming back

Hope to be there (North Island) June Next year, but my project involves South Island, and, hopefully, Aurthurs Pass! Yeah - our numbnut pollies mean there are dodgie copppers all over.

But doing Clare, The Barossa ( ) and McLaren Vale by scooter would be tough - our roads are shot, and its 200k between them. Come and hire a car, you can then chuck in around Milang, the Murray and the Coonawarra!

Well worth it!

Arthur's Pass in winter will be harsh if you intend to do tramping (trekking) etc. Over winter, every now and then snow will force the pass to be closed. That said... these guys are my heroes. Hmm thanks for that suggestion. I'll obviously have to do more research. I've never been to South Australia, I'm sure it'll be quite an adventure for me!

Hmm thanks for that suggestion. I'll obviously have to do more research. I've never been to South Australia, I'm sure it'll be quite an adventure for me![/quote]

Its an easy place to get around - lots of (crappy) long straight roads, so getting around is not too bad.

Its off the beaten tourist track - they do the Gold Coast, sydney, Melbourne, Alice and Darwin, and miss the best bits here and in WA.

If you ever come here.........

Oh yea I will definitely pop by Adelaide, that's for sure. It's just a matter of when! I admit I had been to Sydney once and Melbourne several times, mainly to visit friends there, but haven't been to anywhere else in Australia.

Is there a scooter-friendly season to visit Adelaide - little rain, lots of sunshine, but not too warm?

Now or in march April would be ideal - late dec through feb will be stinking hot (high thirties and into the 40's).

Not sure where one could hire a scooter though- will have a dig and see what is what!

That must have been a beautiful ride, I look forward to read about your next trip.

gorgeous thanks for the write up and pics. [*sigh*]