Our two week New Zealand tours - the "Scampers," travel exclusively on the South Island, beginning and ending in Christchurch and cover the island from Southland right up to Nelson.

The sparsely populated South Island, with its lofty mountains flanked by icy glaciers, offers an ever changing scenic tone. Along the length of the west coast, the Southern Alps rise from the edge of the sea to dazzling, snowclad heights. Hundreds of mountains more than 7,500 feet high and a select few over 11,000 feet cluster protectively around the 12,349 foot Mount Cook which, in Maori, is called Aorangi, "The Cloud Piercer".

Subtropical rain forests, coastal fjords , vast grazing lands, deep alpine lakes bordered by thick forests, windswept headlands and sandy beaches add to the visual drama. The lightly trafficked roads, twisting, rising, falling and rising again, spur a motorcycle rider to explore.

The South Island’s variety of scenery, climate, and vegetation is matched by seasonal changes more distinct than those on the North Island.
It is possible to hack through the middle of a subtropical rain forest and emerge on a massive glacier. For those less adventurous, it is also possible to walk up a groomed trail to the same glacier. Only in Alaska and New Zealand are glaciers so close to the sea!

If that is not enough scenic splendor, a boat trip on the imposing Milford Sound is part of the tour. Enjoy the views and marvel at the hanging valleys and an amazing concentration of waterfalls.

And if, perchance, the riding in the rain is getting you down (yes, it does rain - mostly on the west coast - over 350 inches a year!), a short hop over the mountains will bring the temperature up 15 degrees and the airborne humidity down to nil — desert riding!

Only a small percentage of New Zealand’s population lives on the South Island which means sparse traffic on well maintained roads — perfect motorcycle touring.

You can ride your bike for 20 minutes and not pass another vehicle, seeing only the impressive mountains, fjords, forests, rivers, and sparkling lakes.

The South Island Scamper offers several opportunities to meet the locals. All of our New Zealand tours include overnight stays on private farms and/or sheep stations. Enjoy home cooked dinners, an evening drink by the fire and some interesting conversation. In the morning it’s up for breakfast and, if desired, a tour about the farm to learn how the majority of New Zealand’s population lives and works. Ranchers delight in the opportunity to host people from other parts of the world and to share their special part of New Zealand with you, the adventurer!

Riding in New Zealand