"It's definitely frustrating. The hardest part is knowing you won't have the physical ability you used to have ever again. It's just something you've got to face up to."
But despite surviving the harrowing ordeal, he was determined to make the best of a grim situation and use his recovery as an inspiration for others.
"I don't want my injury to go to waste. I want as many people to be able to be affected by this in a good way and maybe help any other people who have injuries like mine," Somervell said.
"The coolest thing for me is inspiring others."
He was looking forward to being reunited with his family in Nelson and catching up with friends. "It'll be awesome to be together as one again," he said.
Mum Francelle Somervell, who had been at her eldest son's bedside for much of his stay in Hunter Memorial Hospital, said the past two months had been surreal.
"It was a parent's worst nightmare," she said.
"Every time you hear more about what happened you're amazed that he's alive and not paralysed or brain dead."
She said more specialist treatment was needed to save her son's right leg and this would continue at Nelson Hospital.
"He still has a pretty sizeable wound that is not fully covered and the jury is still out on whether it can be saved."
Francelle said the financial and emotional support in America and New Zealand through social media crowdfunding sites, work colleagues, church groups and his rescuers had helped enormously.
Investigations were still continuing into the accident, examining whether loose gravel washed on to the road during an earlier storm may have contributed to his motorbike losing control, she said.
