Published in NZ!

As you may know, I have a degree in journalism and spent quite a few years working as a writer/communicator.  The last year and half, however, basically the only writing I've done has been for this blog. 

I've been wanting to get back into writing, so a few weeks ago I wrote an article for the local newspaper, The Wanaka Sun.

I had met Ellen Delis by chance back in August while I was hitchhiking up to Treble Cone (tons of people do it here).  She kindly offered me a ride and during the half-hour trip up to the mountain, she told me about the trip she and her husband Andy are going to take this coming May. I thought it was really interesting, and decided to contact the Sun about it.

The results are below:

Kiwis may not fly, but a Wanaka couple is proving that they sure can ride.

This coming May, Andi and Ellen Delis will pack a few belongings, strap on helmets and embark on the journey of a lifetime. 

Over the course of 18 months, the pair will ride motorcycles from Prudhoe Bay in northern Alaska to Ushuaia in Argentina’s Tierra del Fuego region. The journey will bring them through more than 25,000 km, three continents, some 15 countries, and countless adventures. 

“There will be some character-building moments,” says Ellen.  “Definitely.”

A long-haul trip has long been an ambition of motorcycle enthusiast Andi’s – he’s the president of the Wanaka Motorcycle Club – but as Ellen was a reluctant rider, it seemed unlikely he’d get to live his dream.

That all changed a few months ago when, to Andi’s great surprise, Ellen decided to get her full motorcycle licence.  Her test is scheduled for November 1^st.

“What was my dream has now become our dream,” says Andi.

To help offset costs, they’ll camp most of the way, and Beijing-born Ellen has been in contact with Chinese-language magazines about writing of their adventures.

They’ve also secured sponsorship from companies including Sargent Seats and Icebreaker, and hope to attract more leading up to their trip.

Their exploits and preparation are being documented on their blog at www.twomotokiwis.com, and they will continue to update it during their travels.

“We’ve never had a blog before.  We started and it’s really quite fun,” says Ellen. “We’re meeting new people. It’s opening a whole new world for us.  It’s already fantastic, and we haven’t even started [travelling] yet.”

As with any travels, there are some concerns, but not the ones you’d expect.

“To be honest, I’m afraid I won’t want to come home,” says Andi, with a laugh.

http://www.issuu.com/thewanakasun/docs/wanaka_sun_527 (go to page 5)

Follow Ellen and And's adventures at http://www.twomotokiwis.com/