Q ueenstown is an amazing place . Exceptionally beautiful scenery confronts your senses at every turn . From the crystalclear blue lakes , to the sheer boldness , scale and majesty of the mountains , it ’ s quite incredible . It has a wonderful aura like no other place in New Zealand . So , naturally this was the correct location to launch the 2021 Beta models - an area that would surely show the off the Italian brand to its fullest . I ’ m sure you can imagine my delight jumping on a plane heading south , despite the unusualness of mask wearing . Along for the ride was Beta head honcho Mike Ramsay , dealers Mark Whyte and Mark Penny – all good bastards . Thankfully , a rather marginal weather forecast was proven wrong as we were gliding through sunny skies prior to landing in Q-town . Upon arrival we grabbed our rental van and headed for Beta ’ s base in Clyde . The snowline looked high , which was very encouraging for me given that I ’ m now an ageing , fully fledged JAFA and pampered KR test rider - discomfort of any kind is no longer my thing . Now-a-days I ’ m far more accustomed to adventure bike heated handgrips and seats . Well , guess what ...? After a couple of beers and a relatively early night , it had snowed . Next morning , we met up with the South Island dealers James Blanchard and Mark Howden , who importantly had the new 2021 Beta models we were to ride . We gassed up in Alexandra and headed north east for a day exploring the St Bathans Range area . By the time we pulled off highway 85 and down Loop road we were driving on solid snow . It ’ s fair to say the amount of snow looked troublingly cold . Unloading and gearing up was a new experience with six-inch-deep snow all around and large drifts falling from the trees we thought we were sheltering under , but actually tended to offer frequent rude surprises .