“Bigred”
Howdy, I’m Sam. I’m originally from the West Coast of New Zealand, near Fox River, it’s a small rural community nestled between the Southern Alps and the Tasman Sea, and the nearest towns are about 50km in either direction.
This is probably where my passion for adventures began, as I had a huge playground right outside the front door. It is like something out of “Lord of the Rings”.
I’m not sure how it happens but I seem to always choose the road least travelled, sure it takes longer, but you see more things along the way.
My passion for wheels started on a Sunday arvo, when I was about 12. This is the day I got my first driving lesson from my dad. He thought it was a good idea to teach me to drift his VW beach buggy, you know being my first time behind the wheel. I did really well too, right up to the part that I put in the fence after a huge power slid………OOOPS ! My dad, bless him, he just laughed and told me to try it again with “more speed”.
I learn one important lesson that day, if it doesn’t work the first time, just back it up, and have another go with more speed!
I got my first motorbike at age 13, well two actually, 2 x Honda CT90 farms bikes. My first set of wheels, yeehaa! Freedom!
As time went by the bikes got bigger and more powerful, until a taxi took me out. This landed me in hospital for a bit and wrote off my new bike that was only three weeks old. Major bummer!
That ended things with motorbikes for a bit.
But the adventures continued 4×4 racing, skydiving, jet-boating, surfing and travelling, to name a few.
I spent the best part of 10 years travelling the world, it’s a great life living by the seat of your pants, just working when you have to, saving up for the next part of the adventure, then moving on again. On one of my trips back to New Zealand, it seems like maybe a change might be a good thing for a while so I settled down back home.
I was happily living in Christchurch, when it was hit by a series of four big earthquakes. As a result we sold up all our stuff and moved to Austria.
I hear you ask, why Austria? Keep your pants on I’m getting to that. Oh, did I mention that I share my live with a Austrian lady (Um it’s used to, now) and I’m lucky enough to have three kids.
Anyhow, before agreeing to move to Austria there were some conditions to be agreed on…
Yep, you guessed it…
A motorbike !
I always liked the sound of a Harley, 1,000+ccm of throbbing V twin, nothing sounds like a Harley, but the style is just not me, so I bought a Buell Lightning – a Harley motor in a sports bike.
Brilliant, loved the bike, great for a short blast, just not great for trips.
Next I got a Yamaha FZ6 Fazer, it was a typical Japer if know what I saying, 100% reliable, 100% lacking in character.
Then I got a KTM 950 Adventure… now this is a man’s bike! It’s the last of the old school bikes, you know with a carby and a cable that connects my hand to that big V Twin engine, it makes me grin just thinking about it! Best of all there is no computerised crap!
GAS Adventures is really pretty cool when you think about.
It’s 3 mates sharing all the stuff that make travelling cool.
This is the moment, the beginning, and it all starts now.
Honestly, I’m really stoked to be part of it. Where it will go and what we do is an open page. Or maybe its a dusty back road that is just waiting to be explored…
I look forward to meeting you out there somewhere on our next adventure. 🙂