Destination: New Zealand's South Island

A few years ago, former bikesales editor Mark Fattore nearly coughed on his coffee when he learned I had planned a road trip to New Zealand but hadn’t intended on doing it on a bike.

“You’re mad,” he spluttered. “Do it on two wheels and write a story for the site. Trust me on this one,” he said.

The epiphany hit me hard (what had I been thinking?!) so I got to work rearranging my plans. A few emails later and I’d pulled enough strings to organise a loan through Harley-Davidson, but at such short notice the only model that had been available was a Sportster. Not the first bike that sprung to mind for a 1700km autumn foray across the land of hobbits and sheep, but suffice to say I had my story’s angle.

“Told you,” Mark said, once I’d got back to Australia. It must have been the grin on my face, stuck solid from the moment I first opened the throttle in Auckland.

Having only had enough time to beeline across New Zealand’s North Island, I’d promised myself that one day I’d return to conquer the South.

Almost two years to the day and I was back, this time touching down in Queenstown but again collecting another Harley. Seeing as last time I was there I’d done it on one of Milwaukee’s most affordable iron horses, this time it was going to be the other end of the spectrum: the FLHTK 2015 Ultra Limited.

Again, this wouldn’t be the bike of choice for some but there would definitely be some sort of poetic link — or not as the case maybe — between the Sportster I rode last time I was in NZ and the behemoth king of Harley’s Touring range; the one the suits at Harley label as one of their most aspirational models. And besides that, I’d heard the South Island can be a bit on the blue-fingers / rosy cheeks side of things at that time of year and the Ultra comes with heated grips as standard.

If you’re planning a similar trip and intend on visiting Queenstown, where I was starting my ride, then do as I didn’t and plan for a few extra days there. Such is the array of activities on offer around New Zealand’s self-proclaimed Capital of adventure sports (adrenaline comes pint-sized only here) that even ADHD-types, like me, can be entertained for weeks.

Paragliding, mountain biking, hiking and bungee jumping are just some of the activities on offer, while winter also brings various snow sports to the party.

The surrounding Central Otago region is known for its wineries (some of New Zealand’s finest Pinot Noir and Chardonnay comes from the area), which helps with the come down, no matter what the season.

Sitting on the shore of Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown is set against the dramatic beauty of the Southern Alps — equal not only in name but also in magnificence to their European counterparts.

The roads around Queenstown itself offer ample opportunity to day trip out to neighbouring hotspots such as Arrowtown, Arthurs Point and Mount Creighton — all close enough to get a taste of New Zealand’s glorious bitumen and still be back in time to tuck into one of Queenstown’s world famous Fergburger beef patties, which is a must.

If you want to head towards what feels like the end of the world, then Milford Sound (3-4 hours away) should be top of the list. Invercargill (2-2.5hrs, via State Highway 6) is just about as far south as ‘mainland’ New Zealand goes, without crossing over to the sometimes-forgotten third island, Rakiura.

My planned route was to take the coastal road north before cutting inland to Christchurch, with the first stop being Wanaka, just an hour up the road. Despite the short distance, this is one of the last mainstays of civilisation before the road starts to weave through the Mount Aspiring National Park. This snaking mountain pass hints at what is set to come and, after skirting through the township of Haast (stopping only for a fuel top-up), the road starts to come into its own.

Nicknamed the Glacier Highway, the road rolls up, down and through the surrounding mountains, reaching sea level at various points before approaching, first, Fox Glacier and then Franz Josef Glacier.

Both of these creaking, creeping giant wonders can be visited up close and even climbed. Or, for spectacular views of a different sort, take a helicopter ride which costs about $NZ235 for a 20-minute joyride. Although only 350km from Queenstown, the multitude of stops you’ll make to gawk at the scenery means that the going is slow so either of the glaciers’ towns make for a good stopover option. Franz Josef offers a great variety of eateries; our pick of the bunch was The Landing, not only for the lamb cutlets (when in Rome…) but because — as the name suggests — the outdoor seating offers prime viewing of the helicopters coming and going every few minutes. Plus there’s always enough parking outside to get a VIP spot and ogle at your bike.

Admittedly, the Ultra isn’t the best looking bike in the world but it’s a bit like that chick you don’t know why you're attracted to; then, the more you get to know her, the more you like her.

By the next day I’d fallen totally in love. Don’t get me wrong, if I could only have one bike in the garage the Ultra wouldn’t make the cut — it’s just not a bike that can be used feasibly in the city or everyday. However, if I wanted a bike to chew through bitumen and provide the ultimate in touring comfort, the Ultra would be high, if not top, of the list.

Bikesales recently put the Ultra Limited through its paces against the Honda Goldwing, and you can read the comparison test here.

I’ve ridden the FLHTK before and I’ll say now what I said then: this is a bike which has a remarkable ability, perhaps more than any other bike I’ve ridden, to make a 900km day’s ride feel like a quick pop to the shops. Such is its comfort that rider fatigue is almost non-existent. Likewise, the infotainment system helps give your ride that ‘life’s a movie’ feeling, warding off potential tiredness if it dare creeps up on you. Credit though also has to go to New Zealand; being surrounded by glorious mountains and New Zealand’s rugged coastline, riding a Harley, just works.

From Franz Josef, the Glacier Highway heads further north, hugging the coast past the towns of Ruatapu and Hokitika to Kamara Junction. From here there are a couple of options. Those short on time should head eastward towards Arthur’s Pass — one of the world’s all-time great roads. For me however, it was further north to travel the Great Coast Road, which runs from Greymouth through the Paparoa National Park to Westport, some 275km from the glaciers.

The most direct route to Christchurch from here is via State Highway 7 but with Arthur’s Pass being a must on any bike rider’s bucket list, it’s also possible to loop back to Greymouth via Reefton and a number of other towns — it’s a total of 235km. Those taking it slow can stop here, otherwise retrace your tread to Kamara Junction because what awaits hereafter could potentially be the highlight of any trip, any where in the world.

Officially part of State Highway 73, the route starts off academically but comes into its own from Inchbonnie and the start of the Arthur’s Pass National Park shortly after. Crossing the Waimakariri River on its elevated viaduct-style bridge is a once in a lifetime experience, which just makes you want to turn around to do it again. So I did. It was just as mind-blowing the second and third time around. I have no doubt that Arthur’s Pass will long stay in my mind as one of the best roads I have ever ridden.

Rolling through the river’s delta, past Lake Pearson, Castle Hill and finally, the Korowai-Torlesse Tussocklands Park, Christchurch would soon loom in just another 70 or so kilometres and with it the sadness of journey’s end.

Once again New Zealand had delighted over and over, with every inch of bitumen and bend after glorious bend. Just like at the end of my trip to the North Island, I found myself asking the same question: is there a better country anywhere in the world to ride a motorcycle? Maybe not. Or maybe I just haven’t found it yet.

This article was originally published on August 25, 2015.