NZ bikers near end of epic adventure

Rob Climo and his three compatriots are hoping to raise $25,000 for the NZ-run charity in Russia. Photo / Supplied

Four New Zealanders are in their last week of an epic adventure - a 25,000km motorbike ride through 18 countries from Vladivostok in Russia to London.

Thrill seekers Rob Gray, Misha Kravcenko, Rob Climo and Tom Anselmi began their journey in April and are currently speeding through France as their trip nears its end.

By Tuesday, they aim to be in the British capital.

Weather extremes, corrupt border guards, a broken leg, "out-of-this-world" scenery and sleeping under the stars at Anzac Cove in Turkey are just a taste of what the men have experienced on their journey.

"Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan just blew my mind," said Mr Gray. "Riding through remote valleys on bad roads, where we were such a novelty that kids would line the streets in the villages, waving and trying to slap hands with us, surrounded by 7000-metre-plus peaks and incredible scenery."

Their chosen route - which they named the 51st Travese - meant riding through some of the most dangerous countries in the world, including Siberia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and Georgia.

However, danger seems no deterrent for the men, who started planning the trip in 2007 and were determined to stick to the route as closely as possible, despite safety warnings.

Their crisis manager, Margaret Muir, advised them to stay out of Kyrgyzstan in June when thousands of refugees were fleeing violent ethnic clashes, that at the time had killed at least 138 and wounded 1761.

"They didn't want to skip Kyrgyzstan so they took calculated risks and avoided the hardest-hit places but absolutely loved seeing the country," said Mrs Muir.

Numerous events threatened to overturn their plans - food poisoning, lost wallets and motorbike issues to name a few.

One event that nearly brought the trip to a startling halt was an accident in Kyrgyzstan in which a drunk driver hit all four of their bikes, which led to a very tense stand-off between them and 10 Kyrgyz men.

Mike Jacobson, one of the original five who had embarked on the journey, had to return home after breaking his leg in Mongolia in June. He had pulled over to the side of the road on sand and his bike tipped over, crushing his leg and resulting in a very painful, long journey home.

Mr Gray said the group had been shown "incredible" hospitality.

"Everything from a disco party in the basement of a wealthy Russian man's mansion, to sharing fresh lumpy yoghurt with a Mongolian family in their yurt, to a lovely meal cooked by a Tajik family on the border of Afghanistan, to being invited off the street by a group of Turks to share their meal which they were eating at a restaurant.

"We have met so many good people on this trip that it would take a whole edition of this newspaper to tell of them all."

The trip "hasn't really" been what the group expected. Mr Gray said in some ways his expectations had been exceeded.

"No amount of research and stories really prepares you for leaving home, jumping on a motorbike and going to the other side of the world.

"We were expecting Siberia to be far harder than it was after being told there might not be a road at all - turns out there was a highway.

"Other things have been more difficult - we hadn't expected to have to spend so much time riding each day."

The adventure took more than two years to plan and the route they have taken would have been a struggle for even the most experienced motorcyclists.

Mr Anselmi was the only member who had owned a motorbike before the group started their planning.

They opted against cars so they could "get the smells and sensations", and they wanted to go to the most different and interesting places they could. "You probably wouldn't want to be dragging your wife around Kosovo when you're 60, or the back-blocks of Siberia," said Mr Gray.

For the most part, the trip has gone to plan, so Mr Gray will be able to get back to NZ for his wedding on December 4.

The trip has had its hardships. "The hardest thing for me has been leaving my fiancee behind in New Zealand. That has been harder than all the long miles, cold nights, mosquitoes, bad food, stressful moments etc," said Mr Gray.

The men were more like brothers now, he said. "We're much closer, but also much less polite."

The group have raised $19,000 for Living Hope, a New Zealand-run charity for Russian street kids.

They hope to raise $25,000 - $1 for every kilometre.

Mr Gray wants to donate his bike to a museum, "if they'll take it". The other men want to hang on to theirs.

The four have mixed feelings as they ponder returning home to New Zealand.

"I'm really looking forward to spending time with my beautiful fiancee, having clean clothes, and not having to look for a new campsite each night," said Mr Gray.

"But I think we'll all wake up at some point a few weeks after the trip and feel a bit strange that we aren't in a tent, and miss our motorbikes ..."