It’s hard to believe that it has been about 15 years since we bought our first Ducati.
Jason found an ST4s in Senna colours on TradeMe. It was in Wellington. So, he drove the ute from our home in Arapuni, six hours down to Wellington, rode the bike around the block, decided he loved it, put it on the back of the ute, and brought it home.
Unaware at the time that he had just met the infamous Chris Marer – DOCNZ’s loyal son!
Jason arrived home and was talking about Chris. “He seemed like a really good guy. He reckons we should join the Ducati Club. Reckons they’re a bunch of good buggers.” So, we did!
We love exploring NZ, and what better way than on a bike with like-minded Ducatisti? We signed up for the 2011 South Island Turismo. It started in Kaikōura, went to Cromwell, Invercargill, Haast, and Westport. A truly epic trip, and we met some really great guys.
The following year, the NDR was in Hanmer Springs. Jason had always wanted to take me there, so we signed up, and he organised a week-long trip with our friends from Waikato and BOP. Seven bikes followed us all around the South Island to Hanmer Springs.
At a breakfast stop on our way through Wānaka, noticed a couple parked up by their bike, so we said hello. It turned out they had just bought their first bike – a Ducati ST3 – and were on their way to Hanmer Springs for the NDR as well. We invited them to join our ‘gang’… haha! 😊 They did! So, Ross and Christine (who are now Southland Regional Directors) spent the next couple of days riding with us towards NDR in Hanmer Springs.
Recently, Jason bought a DesertX, and the shop signed us up to DOCNZ so we would receive emails about what’s on. We didn’t think much more about it until one day we got a notification that the Waikato crew were stopping at Arapuni for lunch on Sunday. That’s where we met Roger and Sue (Waikato Regional Directors) and some of the Waikato riders. We really enjoyed our day.
When we saw that NDR/Turismo ’25 was going to be in Tauranga, we decided it was easy for us to get to, so we signed up.
A few days later, my phone rang. A number I didn’t recognise. The voice introduced himself as ‘Graeme from Ducati Official NZ.’ At first, I wondered if I had done something wrong with the sign-up, but no. He was just ringing to say, ‘Welcome,’ and that we were officially signed up and would receive our welcome pack shortly.
As I have a Scrambler Full Throttle (that Jason has slightly modified so I can follow him on his DesertX when he turns down a gravel road! 😊), Graeme helped me set up my own DOCNZ account. He was very helpful and encouraging. He said that if we needed to get in touch, it was no trouble!
Once at the NDR, I met DOCNZ President, Ange. While we were talking, I told her that I really appreciated the phone call from Graeme. It made the club feel very approachable, and I wanted to thank him for making that call. She introduced me to Graeme, and he was as kind and friendly as I had imagined. We chatted for a while, and I realised what a gem the Ducati club has in him… and also, of course, in Ange.
From the time we went to our first NDR 14 years ago to now, our impression is that it feels like the club has gotten stronger. It is very well supported, very well led, and has passionate key people in all corners of NZ.
From the top down, the overall vibe is so FRIENDLY. Everyone we saw in passing or met had a ready smile, was happy to chat, and was there for the same reason… to enjoy the weekend, talk about bikes, and meet great people on the ONLY bikes with SOUL!! ❤️ DUCATI ❤️
We’re looking forward to next year already!! 😊
📸✍️ Rochelle Anderson
