NZ_ride Feb/March 2005

Since I'm scambling to get the numbers together for this "BIGGIE" (minimum
10 for shipping)I'm posting this one in the N/G's.

In short:
4 weeks of touring NZ....YEEEAAAAAHHHHH
Late Feb to late March 2005 (yes, 2005).
Shipping of our own bikes will be organized by Dave Milligan
http://www.getrouted.com.au/, flights
most probably by Virgin_Pacific.
Christchurch to Christchurch.
About $5k ($5000) should cover shipping/flights/ rego and insurance over
there/ all necessary red tape/
food/petrol/fees/passports/bike prep before leaving/ accom etc etc.,
really...pretty much everything.
Expect to clock between 8-10.000km in that time.

Most probably it'll be a camping trip.
A ( ~$1500) deposit will be due earlyish 2004, to cover the shipping.

Interested?
Mail me off-list.

cheers
pete

 

shipping.

early 2004 or 2005????



--

MH

"the Kiwipete hall of fame"

lame duck who leeches on society
leeching on taxpayers and leeching on society
Maggot
you useless piece of shit
you lazy fucker
leech!
dull dumdrop
bludger
you dirty piece of scum
Moron

 

I think he was asking for clarification on the timing of the shipping
deposit. You wrote early 2004.

Nev..
'03 ZX12R
'02 CBR1100XX

 

2005...and you're booked !!!!
)
March 2004 is the 6_peaks #3...and you're booked for THAT, TOO.
cheeers
pete

 

tks, Nev
didn't read it that way....
shipping deposit will be 2004 (depends on Dave Milligan).
Apparently the feb/march 2005 bookings are HUUGE, with 2 big groups going
across.
cheers
pete

 

As far as I know at this stage for Feb 2005 I will be shipping 2
Ulysses groups of 25 & 40 bikes. I'm organising the tour for one of
them but they will guide it themselves the other group is organising
their own tour with my advice. The Ducati Tourismo mob (they organise
everything and I'm only involved in shipping their bikes) whilst not
yet confirmed (but I do have plenty of them enquiring and most of that
enquiry will come after March 2004 when the Tourismo to Tasmania has
finished and they are thinking about NZ in 2005) will be up to 120
bikes and then there's other individuals & small groups who have yet
to make themselves known to me.

The March 2005 shipment as yet has no bookings. If only one container
a 20 bike minimum applies.

This Saturday I'm flying down to Hobart to talk to the local Ulysses
club members (and sneak off to the Motorcycle Expo at the Casino)
about shipping their bikes to NZ in Feb 2005 and there is another
group in Hobart who I ran into at the Geelong Speed Trial who also
want to speak to me, but I don't yet know their dates.

The Hobart Ulysses group I will try to persuade to change their dates
to Nov/Dec 2004 because what I already have is a helluva lot of work.

Nov/Dec is a good time in NZ because the weather is warm and
accommodation is easy to find because most tourists arrive during
Jan/Feb. The roads are empty because of the lack of tourists and the
only down side is that it's late Spring which means you don't leave
home without your wet gear. It's no worse than this time of year in
Victoria but NZ don't get the 35 degree days we have here in November.
More like max temps of 25 degrees.

As far as paying a deposit (sorry for waffling, but I thought an
explanation was in order) is concerned I only accept bookings with the
Rego form filled out and a deposit of $600 paid. People choose when
they pay deposits and make bookings and of course the later they leave
it the less likely it is that I can fit their bike into a shipment.
I can fit 20 bikes (of less than 2.35 metres length) into a 40'
container and I don't ship less than 15 bikes in the last container to
be filled. The sooner a bike is booked the better I am placed to
guarantee it will get there.

This week I had enquiries from 5 ppl wanting info yet I only have 3
places available in the 3rd container to go to NZ in Feb 2004. As of
today those 3 places are full assuming the deposits arrive tomorrow,
so if I get more enquiries (for that Feb 2004 shipment) I'll need to
know that there will be at least 15 bikes before I'm prepared to
commit to a 4th container. To expect there will be another 15 bikes
booked at this late stage is asking too much with ppl thinking about
Christmas rather than last minute holiday plans.

I'm not limited in the number of containers/bikes I can ship, but like
anyone I'm only capable of doing so much - it is after all a one man
business and I cannot yet afford to employ staff, and neither do I
really want to. There could come a time when I simply refuse to take
bookings on the basis that I have enough work to do for a particular
shipment.

It's not so much the loading and unloading (which I go over to
Christchurch for) but the administrative processes which take up so
much of my time. Banking, Bond money collection, Insurances,
Invoicing, Customs & Quarantine documentation & clearances at both
ends and whilst it might not seem much I don't like making mistakes so
I try to be slow and careful.

All my business, so far since 1998, has come in Jan, Feb & March which
is a pain in the arse because I'd prefer to ship 40 bikes each month
rather than the whole lot over 3 months, but who would want to tour NZ
in Winter.

I'm trying to encourage groups and individuals to consider Nov/Dec to
spread the load.

The WIMA shipment is Nov/Dec in 2005 but that is dictated by the date
of their International Rally which is being held on the shores of Lake
Taupo from 18 to 23 November 2005. My wife and I are organising and
leading a 29 day guided tour for those who want (12 booked so far) and
a bike shipping service for those who want to organise their own.

If you guys & gals want me to come and talk about the whole concept of
shipping bikes overseas you only have to ask. Since the beginning of
August I have done 11 club meetings around Victoria (mostly Melb) and
2 in NSW. Any excuse for a ride, and I'm only flying to Hobart this
Sat because of the time factor.

Kind regards
Dave Milligan