The ‘To Do’ Pile

I've been thinking about all the essentials for the trip, and a couple of things spring to mind pretty quickly. The first is a passport. I don't have one. I traveled to Australia on my Dad's passport all those years ago and never got around to getting my own. Although, I've never really had any need to get a passport before, so it's going to be right at the top of my 'To Do' pile. I've got the next couple of weeks off, thanks to the holidays, so I should have ample opportunity to get that ball rolling.

The second task will be my 'R' class license which enables me to ride unrestricted. Currently, on my 'RE' class, I am limited by a power to weight ratio, meaning I can't just jump on any old bike and take off. However, from March 1, I can get that sorted. I'm opting to go back to the Team Moto Q-Ride at Springwood as it's a one day course, pretty much what I had to do to get my RE. I'll have to update this post in the future when I find out what the cost is, but I do believe it's around the $200 mark. This will help when it comes to the next task…

Finally, I need to get myself an international license (I believe). I will have to look into this some more as I'm not 100% sure what's involved or if I even need to. With Australia being the "West Island of New Zealand" (so I'm told by some Kiwi's on a motorcycle forum I've recently joined), I'm hoping that my R class license will be 'good enough'. (I'll look into that today, methinks)

As I mentioned, I've also joined http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/ (KB) and have started posting there. There's really no substitute for local knowledge, so I figured I'd hit them up for tips and suggestions for my adventure. So far the community has been rather receptive and friendly, a stark contrast to the Netrider forums. I've also found a North Island route somewhat similar to what I had proposed which will give me some point of reference for exploring the whole island efficiently. spajohn from KB immediately pointed me toward the website of Peter Mitchell (http://www.mcycle.co.nz/books.htm) and has got me looking for a copy of the New Zealand Motorcycle Atlas. It looks like the average price is $30, but I'll keep a look out for a used copy if I can, or just a cheap copy. I'm in no rush, but it will definitely help me plan my route in more detail and, if I can't get a GPS by then, then it'll possibly be the one thing that gets me where I need to be.

On a different note, I recently purchased a second hand VIO POV 1 for $250. (It might have been a little overpriced, but the deal is done, now, so there's no point complaining.) I've been after a POV camera since before I got my bike. The Loop feature enables you to have the camera recording continuously, but only saving a clip if you tag it with the small remote. This is a bit of an experiment to ensure I can, and do use it in my daily commute as a 'black box' recorder. I set it running as I leave for work, and as I leave work for home, should anything out of the ordinary happen. My intention is to also get the POV HD in the future. Currently it's available for about $650 online via international retailers – Australian distributors are pricing it at about $775, so unless they come down in price, I'll be buying from OS.


  EDIT:  It turns out that I won't need an international licence, according to one of the hire places I've been pricing the bike hire.  So that's a good thing.