The Road to South America

No superhero is complete without a trusty sidekick, and, in my book, the same goes for adventures. Sure, solo trips are great for self-discovery and singing off-key without judgment, but sharing the journey? That’s where the magic happens.

I learned this early on when I left New Zealand at 21 for what was supposed to be a one-year overseas experience. Six years later (whoops), I finally made it back—having explored some incredible, far-flung places along the way. But one place eluded me: South America.

Not for lack of trying. I desperately wanted to go, but two things held me back:

I wanted to immerse myself, not just skim the surface with a whirlwind trip.

I really, really wanted a travel buddy. Because, let’s be real, adventures are best when you have someone to laugh with (and to help push your bike up ridiculous hills).

Enter: The Sidekick (Who Can Definitely Take Me in a Fight)

Fast-forward to when I met Maree. At the time, she was deep into Jujitsu (which meant I knew not to get on her bad side), and I had just fallen headfirst into my new addiction—bikepacking.

Early on, she laid down the law: "I have Jujitsu, and you have biking. That’s how it is!"

Fair enough. I respected that. I pedalled off into the sunset, and she kept perfecting her ability to flip people onto the floor.

The Wheels in Motion!

But then…we moved back to Nelson. One day, completely out of the blue, she looked at me and said, “Hey babe, everyone here bikes!”

I nodded, keeping my cool, but inside, my inner bikepacking evangelist was doing backflips. Still, I didn’t push it. Until one fateful morning, as I sipped my coffee, she hit me with:

"Hey babe, can you take me biking?"

My coffee ejected out of my mouth at a rapid rate! (what a waste!!)

And just like that, we were off. One ride led to another, then another. Soon, she was taking herself out on bike missions. The transformation was happening.

The seed is planted.

Then, life did what life does, spins in mysterious ways—we both ended up out of work. Jokingly, I tossed out:

"Well, we could always just go bikepacking in South America!"

Now, I know my partner. She’s a thinker, a processor. So, I let the idea float around like a stray sock in the wind, giving it time to settle. Then, casually, I checked in.

"Hey babe, have you thought about the South America thing?"

Her response? She’d need to try bikepacking properly before deciding. Fair enough. So, I planned a trip—a proper test run.

The Ultimate Relationship Test: Hills, Mud, and Heavy Rain

Now, if I wanted to design a trip to completely put someone off bikepacking, I couldn’t have done a better job!

A brutal, sun-scorched climb up a long, steep hill? Check.

*An intermediate mountain bike route with a solid dose of “What have I gotten myself into?” Check.

Some classic New Zealand heavy rain to really spice things up? Check.

And yet… she loved it.

She wanted more.

And best of all? She said YES to my wild South American dream.

Next Stop: South America!

So here we are, gearing up for what promises to be the adventure of a lifetime. Two bikes, two dreamers, and a whole continent of winding roads, towering mountains, and unexpected challenges ahead.

Am I excited? Absolutely.

Am I slightly terrified? Also yes.

But that’s the beauty of adventure—you never really know what’s coming next. And this time, I get to share it with someone who can not only keep up but could probably take down a llama with a well-timed Jujitsu move if things go sideways.

South America, we’re coming for you.