Victorian plumber Aiden ‘Aido’ Gale spends more time behind a rev counter than a trade counter.
The Lake Eildon resident has a passion for dirt bikes and in his spare time helps run an off-road tour company called All in Dirt Bike Adventures.
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He also creates content for not only his own website but also the Aussie Adventure Bike Show that airs on Channel 7Mate. And he regularly tests bikes for websites in Australia.
Recently Aiden was invited to New Zealand to film for an upcoming episode of the show. The event was the New Zealand Yamaha Adventure Ride – open to all Yamaha riders but exclusively attended by owners of Yamaha’s Ténéré 700.
The Ride is the brainchild of former World MX Champion and Yamaha ambassador Ben Townley.
Ride on
Now in its sixth year, the Ride consisted of a sensational three-day adventure in the North Island’s picturesque East Cape region.
The 1100km route covered many different terrains from slide-inducing gravel roads to slippery grass tracks and the scenery showed why New Zealand is considered an adventure riding bucket list destination.
Each day riders were offered the option to tackle breakout sections that were graded for difficulty between 1 and 5.
The breakouts featured stunning views and technical tracks on private farm property. Riding on these farm tracks is not normally possible, and the access to them is what makes the Yamaha NZ ADV Ride unique.
“We’ve got some pretty special tracks in the High Country,” claimed Aido.
“But the East Cape trails we rode just kept on going and the spectacular Kiwi views are unique.”
Starting in Havelock North on the North Island, the welcome dinner included the first Kiwi sighting of the new MY25 Ténéré 700 featuring many customer feedback inspired updates.
The next day’s first breakout offered eye-popping views of the South Pacific Ocean after a short climb through farmland.
Lord of the roads
Riders needed to focus to balance the panoramic views with the slippery grass trails – a constant challenge that forms a major part of the event drawcard. Night one and two were spent at Gisborne on the east coast – famed for its Maori culture and lush beaches. A loop ride on day two contained four breakouts of various difficulty and yet more stunning views, while day three took the riders from Gisborne to Whakatane via the snaking gravel Motu Road.
“Our aim is to showcase some of what New Zealand has to offer Yamaha adventure riders,” Yamaha ambassador Ben Townley said.
“And whether it’s the epic South Island or stunning areas like the East Cape this year, we like to deliver the best possible experience. The view from day one’s first breakout section for example I rate as the most spectacular we’ve yet seen on any of the Rides.”
Greener pastures
Aido was joined by Aussie Adventure Bike Show producer Brendan Bell on a pair of Ténéré 700 World Raids for three days of filming using drones, go-pros and handheld cameras. The challenge was knowing when to stop and shoot.
“Every time we pulled the camera out, we said to each other this can’t get any better,” Aiden, who is a big fan of following your passion, said.
“Then we put the camera away and rode around the corner and guess what – it got better.”
When offered a choice between riding and filming in one of the best adventure bike destinations in the world or unblocking drains, it’s really a no brainer for Aido.
“Geez, we had a blast!” he said.
The Yamaha NZ Adventure Ride episode of the Aussie Adventure Bike Show is due to air in Australia on Channel 7Mate at noon on Saturday in mid-July.