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About Us
South Pacific Motorcycle Tours New Zealand
South Pacific Motorcycle Tours is a highly professional, truly dedicated New Zealand family business, owned by Carole and Mike Lester. Specialising in all things motorcycle - New Zealand motorbike tours, motorcycle hire and self-guided motorcycle tours.
Where are we?
The South Island, Christchurch base is located at 43 Roscrea Place, Mandeville, RD (Rural District) 2, Kaiapoi 7692 North Canterbury, 20 minutes away from the city centre and airport. It consists of the family home, a large imposing colonial-style lodge, and extensive garaging to house all the bikes, and a fully-equipped Reception area for guests.
Our main North Island, Auckland agent is Cyclespot Honda, 63 Barrys Point Road, Takapuna, where there is an array of Honda, BMW, and KTM motorcycles for sale, and in addition some good accessores that you might like to consider taking home with you.
Click for a map of Christchurch NZ Base
Who are we?
Mike - Managing director / owner / Lead Tour Guide |
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Mike Lester is the Managing Director and has been a passionate motorcyclist since way back. “I was born with a pair of handlebars in my hands and Castrol in my nappy and have and been riding bikes legally since 1965, over the years I have owned a multitude of machines as I have a passion for all things motorised, one of my prized possessions at the moment is my 1965 MGB Roadster sports car, although the new Triumph Thunderbird SE has been seen missing from the workshop on quite a few occasions.” Mike is responsible for the smooth day to day operation of the company, making sure your chosen motorcycle is ready and in top condition before you arrive. Previously an electrician by trade, Mike emigrated from the UK, and after riding the superb South Island Roads realised there was an opportunity to offer this experience to fellow bikers and South Pacific Motorcycle Tours was born. Trained to an advanced level by the Institute of Advanced Motorcyclists, Mike loves passing on his vast riding knowledge to our tour guests who want to improve their ride. |
Carole - Customer services manager / Owner / Support Driver / Tour Guide |
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Carole is a wonderful host, excels in Customer Service, and manages the company alongside husband Mike. Carole’s enthusiasm and dedication has helped South Pacific Motorcycle Tours New Zealand to become the best motorcycling touring company in New Zealand. Carole got her full motorcycle licence at the ripe age of 53 and has a message for all ladies thinking of moving from the passenger seat to rider’s seat – do it! Her favourite motorbike on the fleet is a Forest Green and New England White Triumph Bonneville T100 Classic with full race exhaust and intake system and a King and Queen seat. In addition to motorcycling Carole is passionate about being kind to animals and the environment, and is also a great cook. |
Simon - Business Development Manager / Tour Guide |
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Simon, son-in-law of company owners Mike and Carole has his finger on the pulse with everything that goes on in the company. Simon is mad about wildlife and making sure we keep New Zealand clean and green, he also keeps the company up to date with the latest technologies, handles our website, online marketing and social media and is a keen videographer which comes from his background in the UK television industry. Simon is a superb guide and bike rider with advanced road skills and many years of tour guiding under his belt. Combined with his attention to detail and outgoing personality, Simon will make your vacation as fun and hassle free as possible. |
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Sam - Workshop manager / Tour Guide |
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Although originally hailing from the heart of the Yorkshire Dales (England), Sam has travel the world and worked in a variety of different industries, from being a member of the British armed forces to Himalayan mountain guide and even an industrial designer on NASA contracts. Sams riding experience spans over 670,000 km’s on four of the world’s continents on bikes that range from sports toys to his beloved BMW R1150GSA. He is thrilled to be working for South Pacific Motorcycle Tours within the motorcycle travel industry. |
Pegah - Administrator & graphic design |
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Pegah moved to NZ as a child with her family in 1989 and has lived in both the North and the South Islands, settling in Pegah’s favourite NZ city, Christchurch. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Visual communication, Diploma in Marketing and Business. Pegah loves to travel within NZ and globally having travelled so far in parts of the Asia pacific, Europe and the Middle East. Pegah absolutely loves to be taken out on motorbike rides any chance she gets as she has yet to master learning the art of riding a bike herself but it will happen someday, but for now she is looking forward to riding the fantastic Can-Am Spyder on her regular car licence! |
Kim - Tourism Research / Tour Guide |
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| Kim is Simons partner and Carole's daughter. Kim's mad about animals and loves showing guests all the best places to see the local New Zealand wildlife. Kim drives the support vehicle on tour when Simon is leading and assists with accommodation research and making sure standards don't slip, everything is based upon what Kim would want herself, the very best. When both Simon and Kim aren't working, they're out with their Alaskan Malamute sled dogs at shows, sledding competitions, going out for motorcycle rides, skiing, surfing... the list goes on. |
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Paul - Motorcycle Tour Guide |
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Paul has been riding motorcycles ever since he was 9 years old and has extensive experience in riding on and off road. He has ridden through many European countries and has an extensive knowledge of the roads and trails in New Zealand. He has been guiding professionally for nearly 7 years and takes great pride in his knowledge and professionalism. Paul is reliable and responsible, has a great sense of humour and thirst for adventure. He views each tour as a way to make new friends and share his knowledge, priding himself on going the extra mile to make each tour the holiday of a lifetime. |
John - Support driver tour guide
John is one of our support driving guides and is a Kiwi that knows every inch of New Zealand and can give you the most amazing facts about any of the places you visit on your travels. His attention to detail means your tour goes smoothly, your every need is attended to and Johns kind caring personlaity fits in well with South Pacifici Motorcycle Tours being New Zealands friendliest motorcycle touring company.Like Mike, John also enjoys weekend drives in his Classic MG as well as relaxing out in the Canterbury countryside.
Hayley - Graphic design
Hayley is Mikes daughter and moved to New Zealand with her husband Ian to raise their family. Hayley worked in the UK for magazine publications as a graphic designer and has continued within this field working with signwriting companies and producing the advertising material for South Pacific Motorcycle Tours. Hayley enjoys being creative and has a long family history of motorcycling, which means we have a talented graphic deisgner not only in the family, but also on the South Pacific team.
Bill - Marketing
There are two things Bill loves doing: riding motorcycles and working in international business. At South Pacific Motorcycle Tours he’s found the perfect match. Combining his 30+ years in global sales and marketing with his passion for motorcycle touring is a dream job.
Growing up in the U.S. Bill was a bike addict from an early age. From his teen years on Midwest dirt tracks to plying canyon roads through the mountains and deserts of the West, Bill thought it would be tough to beat the California coast when it came to motorcycle touring…’til he moved to New Zealand 8 years ago with his Kiwi wife and riding partner, Anne. Now he’s an avid ambassador for New Zealand motorcycling in general, and South Pacific Motorcycle Tours.
We are qualified:-
- All our staff are first-aid trained
- Rental Service Licence approved
- Qualified Passenger licenced Guides and Drivers
- Qualmark Endorsed Visitor Activity and Visitor Transport
- Awarded Exceptional Tourism Provider 2010
| Motorcycles in the family go back for generations. Check out this old family photo of Carole's grand-parents, great-grandparents and great uncle and aunt with their motorcycles. |
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