I’M REALLY excited about riding for Swindon this season – we have got good support who I am sure will all be right behind me in my first year as a Robin.

I’ve practiced a few times at the Abbey Stadium in the last few weeks and it’s been good to get up there with Nick Morris.

He has been at Swindon for a few years now so it’s handy having him there and he has come over to my pit bay asking me what set-up I am using and saying I should try this or that.

Rosco (Robins team boss Alun Rossiter) has got a lot of knowledge and years of experience so he has been steering me round as well and telling me what to do, so that’s been good.

Over the winter, I was crowned New Zealand champion and that was a big one for me to tick off.

Obviously the level of speedway in New Zealand is nothing like it is here in the UK so although it is an accomplishment for me, the level of guys out there means I know it’s not the biggest deal in the world.

Still, it is another title and I want to try to win as many of those as I can during my career.

I really enjoy racing when I go back home because the other guys over there who want to be racing in England can gauge themselves riding against me.

We have not really had anyone from New Zealand racing over in England that recently other than Jason Bunyan, although he is from here anyway.

Now I am racing over here and have established myself in the second division – the Championship as it is called this year – everyone at home who is aspiring to be a speedway rider in England can gauge themselves against me.

I think that’s a good thing for everyone.

It was a relatively quiet winter back in New Zealand on the track for me.

I only rode in about five meetings in the four months I was home.

I had a bit of time off and tried to make the most of it. I was out riding a motocross bike most weekends and also went out on a boat a few times and went wakeboarding, skiing and mountain biking.

I just tried to enjoy my time off and hang out with my friends and family.