Wendy Rides Again

Another Big-Hearted Ride on a Little Scooter

In 2024, Wendy joined Jamie Croton and the Rogers Yamaha Invercargill team for the PlaceMakers Southern Scooter Challenge, a 220-kilometre ride from Bluff to Frankton that delivered everything from horizontal rain to a memorable introduction to the wild beauty of New Zealand’s South Island. This year, the weather could not have been more different  (as you would expect from the South Island). Under clear skies and sunshine, Wendy again teamed up with Jamie for another Southland scooter adventure, this time riding 165 kilometres from Teretonga Park Raceway to Te Anau in support of The Grace Street Project, a community-led initiative helping create better opportunities for people in South Invercargill. 

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For Wendy, the return to the Southern Scooter Challenge was about more than simply hopping back on a scooter. It was another chance to experience the unique atmosphere that comes from putting hundreds of riders, tiny-capacity machines and a good cause together on the open road. “I teamed up with Jamie Croton from Rogers Yamaha Invercargill once again,” Wendy said. “This scooter challenge is done every two years. The last one, the weather was horrendous, with rain and wind marring the day. This time, we started with morning sunshine and it continued throughout the day until the end.”

This year, Jamie rode a classic 1970s Yamaha Chappy 50cc, while Wendy climbed back aboard an old faithful Yamaha JOG 50cc. “Jamie is tall, and the Chappy is a small bike, so he was forced to stop and stretch his legs throughout the ride,” Wendy explained. “I rode the old faithful Yamaha JOG 50cc. It’s a shame these aren’t still in production because these little scooters just keep going.”

The day began bright and early at Teretonga Park Raceway, where 200 riders gathered before setting off with two laps of the famous circuit. With Police escorts, traffic control and support crews helping guide the ride safely along the route, the event quickly settled into a rolling celebration of scooters, costumes and community spirit. The first stop for the riders was Orepuki, where morning tea was waiting under cloudless skies.

As with any long-distance scooter ride, there were a few small dramas along the way. “Jamie was stung on the face by a bee,” Wendy said. “I saw him flicking the bee off, but when we got to Orepuki the sting was still in his cheek. It was removed by our support person Claire, Jamie’s wife.”

With scooters refuelled and riders fed, the group pressed on toward Tuatapere, where lunch was supplied by the Rapid Relief Team. Afternoon tea at Brunel Peaks Café and Bar quickly became another highlight of the ride. “People along the side of the road were waving and smiling at us,” Wendy said. “Throughout the ride, wherever we were, the little horns were tooting.” 

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The final leg into Te Anau brought the riders to the finish line after 165 memorable kilometres. Before wrapping up the day, the group completed two laps of Te Anau’s main street, announcing their arrival in true scooter challenge style. Of the 200 bikes that started the ride, 199 successfully crossed the finish line - one sidelined with a flat tyre - an impressive achievement for a field made up largely of small-capacity scooters and vintage machines.

For Wendy, the ride once again highlighted what makes the Southern Scooter Challenge so special. “It is always a great feeling being involved in something like this and it is for charity,” she said. “The costumes, the laughter, the support crews and the donations from everyone — what a great country we live in.”

This year’s event supported The Grace Street Project, a transformative initiative designed to help address intergenerational disadvantage in South Invercargill through education, employment, enterprise and community connection. Yamaha Motor New Zealand also contributed to the event by donating prizes for the best group outfit, adding even more colour and fun to the day.