After the recent tragedy of the White Island eruption I wanted to write a short article about my experience and support for anyone wishing to visit and travel across New Zealand.
I enjoyed an amazing motorcycle trip across both north and south islands in 2018 and recently reflected on my experience after the recent tragedy. The geography and attractions of New Zealand are a direct consequence of the sometimes unstable and unpredictable nature of volcanic activity and underlying tectonic fault lines.
Prior to the recent eruption at White Island was the 2016 earthquake at Kaikoura and the 2011 earthquake at Christchurch. I meet a group of motorcyclists during my trip in 2018 who were travelling to Christchurch to remember the people who lost their lives in the 2011 earthquake, which resulted in 185 people loosing their lives and many thousands injured and displaced.
The group of riders demonstrated the true kiwi spirit of adventure and overcoming the challenges they’ve faced when living in an amazingly beautiful but sometimes unpredictable country. The kiwi spirit and native Maori spirit seems to accept the tough times and always muddle through the tough times with friendship and stories.
Whenever I’ve travelled to countries for motorcycle trips I’ve always been conscious of the dangers and accepted them as part of the adventure and experience. You always take some sensible measures to protect yourself, such as emergency contacts, medical insurance and suitable protective clothing.
Whilst our thoughts are with the families and friends of the people who were impacted by the recent White Island I hope that it doesn’t remove the idea of adventure and opportunities to explore beautiful New Zealand.
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