Video: Becoming an Expert on New Zealand with The Gehrig Twins

New Zealand is a special place on earth. For most of us, it is just very far away. Its location is unique. The country is the first on the planet to see a new day. The scenery is beyond description and speaks volume of the handiwork of mother nature. We feel very fortunate to be able to keep coming back to enjoy riding our bikes and race in this beautiful place far away.

There are many things that come to our mind when we think of New Zealand but here is our short list of facts and things you might haven’t known about the country of the long white cloud.



Kia Ora
Kia what? Kia Ora is the Māori-language greeting which has entered New Zealand English. It means as much as welcome, hello, be well, be healthy and is used everywhere.



No.1 Ice cream lovers
New Zealand is not known as an extra ordinary hot country. Nevertheless, Kiwis are amongst the biggest ice cream eaters with 23 liters of indulgent goodness per person and year.



NZ Enduro
An event put up by Anka and Sven Martin can only mean one thing– Endless good times filled with adventure, sweet trails and a tiny bit of toughness required. The three-day event covers the trails of NZ’s very top of the South Island: Whakamarina, Nydia Bay and Whites Bay. Our first helidrop remains an all-time memory, sleeping in a flooded tent too.


Unbeatable hospitality
My home is yours! You won’t find a folk much more welcoming and as easy going then the Kiwis. No matter if you know someone for longer or just the length of a ride don’t be surprised when they invite you to their home. It might even occur that you are left alone with a house.



Flat White versus Cappuccino
The typical NZ flat white is served with a double shot ristretto, which just brings more flavour into the cup as the single shot of espresso in a cappuccino. The milk is less frothy but more creamy, so a definite win for the flat white.



The reason why NZ coffee culture is outstanding?
The Kiwis stay true to their British roots and have an established tea- coffee time a day. With their high-quality approach, it’s not surprising that almost every place has a fancy espresso machine (NZ is the most saturated market for La Marzocco - the leading barista coffee machine producer). Snacks and cakes are beautifully presented and it’s hard to resist a delightful NZ carrot cake after a good ride.

Just one question remains for us: Why would you close your coffee shop at 3 pm?



Type II fun
When the going gets tough the tough get going – the Kiwis seek those kinds of activities you’ll have to dig deep but you’ll have a day to remember that’s for sure. So if you meet up with Kiwis for a casual ride, make sure to pack some extra snacks and water, it could escalate very quickly. Being great hosts they simply want to show you ALL of their favorite tracks, even when you only have a day.



Jandals
Flip-flops, Birkenstocks, call them whatever you want to call them, but in NZ it’s a jandal. Worn with or without socks, the Kiwis could not care less.


Kiwi’s are tough AF
Despite Switzerland being a country full of mountains, you can’t find much real wilderness here, the place is crowded and phone reception is available 99% anywhere. Whereas in NZ you can be absolutely out there! Nevertheless, it’s easy to get carried away on your bike and just send it but you might need to consider that if you get hurt the way out might hurt even more. That’s probably the reason why Kiwis are tough AF as it seems they all have their own war stories…



NZ is Switzerland in bigger and with fewer people
In many terms New Zealand is similar to Switzerland, epic views, mountains but all that with way fewer people. NZ is over six times bigger then Switzerland but has only a bit more than half the amount of inhabitants. Despite being smaller, the North Island is populated by three times more people then the South Island. There is another significant difference; Kiwis are more relaxed than we business-minded Swiss.


There is no such animal that could kill you
Other then Tasmania that we visited after our NZ trip you can’t find anything that could really kill you with a bite. People have died because of cows but what are the odds? The sandflies can be nerve-wracking though!




Kiwi Slang by Anka Martin

Aotearoa New Zealand (land oft he long white cloud)
Chur bro thank you my brother/ friend
Lollies Sweets/ candy
Stubby can of beer or very short shorts for men
Pounamu greenstone, jade (can only be gifted to someone, not bought for yourself!)
Yarn conversation
Kumara sweet potatoe
Munted damaged/ broken/ not working
Wahine Women
Pakeha Non maori person
Yonk to have sex with
Wops a long way from anywhere
Yeah, nah bro an indicesive phrase, technically means no. „Do you want to go on a date with me?“ „Yeah...nah!“
Long black similar to americano but not quite
Short black espresso




Travel tips:

Kaikoura
Take the scenic route along the sea and witness the astonishing beauty. You can see plenty of wildlife to spice the long drive up.

Nelson
Has a unique charm! Their hills are home of some of the best and most challenging tracks of the world. You can handle a double black trail normally? Well, that doesn’t mean you can handle it in Nelson.

Craigieburn
If you look for loamers and beech tree trails, right there!

Rotorua
Is home of the probably best trail center in the world. The amount of sick trails in the Whakarewarewa Forest is just insane. Along with the Maori culture and geothermal activity, this place is fascinating.

Queenstown
All the fun can be had in QT, ALL of it. But you might be just happy with the trails and bikepark! If you have some extra coins left you can spend it on: partying, bungee jumping, jet boating, canyon swing, hang gliding, rafting, Ferg Burger, Vudu Coffee and so on…


Tell us about your NZ experience!


Follow our journey on Instagram @anitagehrig @caro_gehrig #norcotwinsracing

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MENTIONS: @norcobicycles / @deityusa / @wilderness-trail-bikes / @Praxisbicyclecomponents / @CamelBak

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