Transportation

So, I have messed up the inspections of our motorcycles by having one of the hard cases locked. The Dept of Agriculture needed in to make sure that I was not bring over some critter that would destroy all of New Zealand. What is the most efficient way for me to make this 1/2 hour ride in a taxi. Rent a scooter.
Do I tell them where I am going? Hell no. I have to ride all the way out of Auckland to the surrounding areas of the airport. It is about 20 miles.
So I am truckin' along, trying to to get run over by every car on the road any time I hit an uphill section and bogged the bike down to about 20 miles and hour. Oh, and of course I have one of those extremely ridiculous helmets that makes you look like a penis from the shoulders up. Not something I need any more help with while riding this hog. Roads here will change dramatically in short distances. Changes like a 20 mph zone through residential neighborhoods to highway without a chance to get off. All of a sudden everyone is just going a lot faster, except of course me and my beast. That was cool. Rush hour in the largest city in New Zealand on a highway. My only saving grace was at one point hitting a downhill section where I got the steel horse up to about 70 mph. Now I have been over 130 mph on a bike before and that was no comparison to the fear that came with this adventure.
I eventually limped up the shoulder getting blasted with debris from trucks, got lost, and to top it all off had a wasp fly into my face and land on my sun glasses. Not know what has blinded my right eye I reached for the sleeping giant and that is where the fun truly began. He of course did not like me grabbing him (big enough to hold in three fingers). So it began stinging me. But not until it crawled under my glasses so it could get me in those tough leather areas, like both of my eye lids. It happened so fast I did not know what hit me but all of the time I am trying to stay upright on this stupid as scooter which is now swerving all over the place as I can not see out of either eye which are both spewing tears. He ended up getting me with one in the eyebrow, three in the upper eyelid, and two in the lower eyelid. Imagine your eyeball in a microwave, throbbing, about to explode like a gremlin. A few choice words were followed with the realization that had I gone the other way on this road, the correct way, I would have already been to the shipping office and none of this would have been an issue. My mood was becoming a bit volatile.
I arrive to find that Dusty's bike has broken from from his shit crate that they were expecting us to pay exorbitant amounts for. One handle bar was sticking out from the side and the whole bike was tilted over about 30 degrees from center. Mine was upright but of course they put side rails against the hard luggage, ripping through the paint and into the plastic core. To top it off the Dept of Agriculture had left and could not come back until the next day so I did not even have to come out there in the first place.
By the time I returned the scooter, iced my swollen eye, and drank about a third of a bottle of Vodka, Dusty showed up with the final blow. The invoice was about three times as much as we were quoted. I almost jumped off of the building.
I won't bore you with further details than than but it was a rough couple of days. Everything has worked out and we have traveled off on our bikes and have reached what is looking to be our home for the next 3-6 months. Though the scooter was an amazing experience, I mean, to have that power between your legs is, well its, Shit!! Glad to have my bike back. Now I can return to riding with an ear to ear grin all day. Our riding from Auckland to Queenstown was some of the best that I have ever done. The wasp, it was just a sign of what happens when you are doing something that you shouldn't be.