Raven's Roads
Living an interesting life: the travels and musings
of motorcycling author Linda R. Moore

Sep 12, 2007

Kiwis Might Fly by Polly Evans

Polly Evans is a lunatic–and I approve. She passed her motorcycle test in England and a couple of weeks later was on her way to New Zealand where she rented a Suzuki SV650–hardly a beginner’s bike–and toured the country for several months in search of men.

Luckily, she has a sense of humor.

The book, Kiwis Might Fly, tells the story of Ms. Evan’s search for Real Men in New Zealand. Every time she thinks she has found this rare breed, something happens to spoil it: the big tough sheep shearer is the loving daddy of a little child. Burly Maoris started a men’s counseling group. There’s always something. In the meantime she goes into the history and cultural changes of New Zealand in some depth and with more than a little humor.

I enjoyed this book, though I’m still not 100% sure about its basic premise, which seems very judgmental. It was fun, though, and I have a great deal of empathy for the author’s urge to go off and do something mad. It’s just that I felt her quest for “real men” was a bit pointless, even shallow. But then, the same might be said for some of my motorcycling habits. ;)

I liked the introspective parts best, where she questions what the heck she is doing. I think that anyone on any kind of extended trip does eventually end up asking that question. ;) And she does write well about New Zealand, which has simply whetted my appetite to go there some day.

This is a motorcycle book written by a non-biker. I know that sounds strange, but it’s more of a standard travel essay than a biker story. The motorcycle is definitely secondary to the action, even though she is having conversations with it by the end.

As you do.