Life is more complicated nowadays. As age increases so do your commitments. Work, family, and everything in between slowly takes away from the time we give to our passions. Not surprising then that the plan to get a dozen of the crew to all hit the road together, and clock up close to 30 parks while covering a distance of 2500kms over nine days was a highly improbable dream from the outset. Somehow though, we managed to make it happen and it exceeded our already hyped expectations.

The heckling, urban camping, beer, swimming in ice-cold rivers and schralping were all laid on in heavy quantities, and those days will be forever deeply burnt into our memories. From backyard ramps to crusty old bowls, we shredded them all. It was so rad.

I can see why so many of our mates have returned to New Zealand to live. The people, natural beauty and lifestyle are compelling. The run through the guts of the South Island, from Wanaka to the West Coast would have to be in the top ten drives on the planet.

There was a point where we were all setting up fresh boards in Tom’s garage in Wanaka. I looked around the room, and everyone had high stoke levels etched across their faces. Decades riding a board haven’t dimmed the flame since skateboarding first sunk its teeth in and gripped us.

Hopefully these photographs inspire you to rally your own troops, find a destination, set a date and hit the road.

Swimming in freezing water sorted out the old bones and hangovers, Tekapo. Photo by Josh Feggans.

Morph boosting a boneless, Rangiora. As good as one can be done. Photo by Josh Feggans.

Morph barging a frontside air in a driveway DIY. GB’s house. Photo by Josh Feggans.

Large amounts of noise on this layback Smith grind. Morph, Leeston. Photo by Josh Feggans.

Morph Slapping a stalefish proper, GB’s. Photo by Josh Feggans.

Morph, hucking a large tweaker, Leeston. Photo by Josh Feggans.

Sean Ritchie picking his nose before the BBQ, Winton. Photo by Josh Feggans.

Shaka Wereta, timeless style on a big wall, Winton. Photo by Josh Feggans.

The best pool coping and backdrop of any skatepark in the world. Shannon Boyd, Smith tailgrab. Photo by Josh Feggans.

This Texas plant was in a blistering run. Destroying it. Shannon Boyd, Wanaka. Photo by Josh Feggans.

Having some yarn juice at The Hilton, Blackball. Photo by Tom Peden. 

GB, frontside air at The Dream Ramp, Wanaka. Photo by Josh Feggans.

Scotty Hasselberg, barking as many tiles as he can on a feeble, Leeston. Photo by Tom Peden. 

Tim Cunneen, textbook back disasters every time, Leeston. Photo by Tom Peden. 

This vert wall is no joke. Tim manhandled it. Kaiapoi. Photo by Tom Peden. 

Morph charged into these laybacks so hard, Kaiapoi. Photo by Tom Peden. 

Josh, tailblock on ancient crust, Blackball. Photo by Tom Peden. 

Clanging the fence on a backside boneless. Josh, Kaiapoi. Photo by Tom Peden. 

Wallie on New Years Eve. Josh, Winton. Photo by Tom Peden. 

History yarns with, Reefton. Photo by Tom Peden. 

Perfectly styled aggression. Morph at Linwood. Photo by Tom Peden. 

Ye Olde explorations. Photo by Tom Peden. 

Pie hunting. Photo by Tom Peden. 

Nosegrind tailgrab on a beast of a ramp. Shaka Wereta, Wanaka. Photo by Tom Peden. 

Slappy on a sketchy barrier – the last trick of the trip. Josh, Reefton. Photo by Tom Peden.