Category: Tourism & Travel

1. Savannah Way tour lead by Simon Pavey

   Posted on 10:00am Saturday 26th Sep 2015

   The Savannah Way is Australia's ultimate adventure ride along the northern edge of the continent. From the Coral Sea to the Indian Ocean this 21 day adventure motorcycle tour encompasses unbelievable dirt riding that ventures across a staggering four world heritage areas and offers a chance to experience some of the finest off-road routes in Australia all whilst under the expert guidance of Dakar legend Simon Pavey and his Off Road Skills team.
   
   After an outstanding research trip with Simon riding his 2009 Dakar BMW X-Challenge from Cairns to Broome, Compass Expeditions, part of the BikeRoundOz Group, are very excited to announce the inaugural Savannah Way tour departing Cairns August 1st 2016.

   “This is an incredible ride that needs to be shouted from the mountaintops,” said an excited Simon Pavey after yet another day finding tracks that haven’t been used for 30 years, (according to locals), “this certainly isn’t a wide open flat dirt track tour of Australia,” continues Simon.

   Supporting Simon on the research trip was Compass Expeditions co-founder Mick McDonald “I cant believe some of the tracks Simon has found, not super technical or enduro, but unused and some through private cattle stations and some we made ourselves” says Mick, “we do a lot of rides around the world but this is going to be one out of the box” continues Mick.

   Accommodation is a mix of camping and some of the best hotels available at stunning locations. Riding is incredible with each day having a “Special” section in it. A Qualified chef will accompany the group preparing superb lunches and dinners when camping while Simon will lead the ride on his BMW X-Challenge that he raced in the 2009 Dakar, one of 10 Dakar’s Simon has raced in.

   “We have truly found some incredible riding through some beautiful and very remote regions of Australia” says Mick; “this can only be done by very thorough research and navigational skills something that is paramount when competing in the Dakar,” continues Mick.
   
   Bike Transport to Cairns and from Broome has been arranged, for those wishing to bring their own bikes, for a one off flat fee no matter where you live in Australia, (except Tasmania), our Tassie clients will need to get their bikes to Melbourne where Compass shall take care of the rest.

   Tour information
   
   www.compassexpeditions.com
   

2. Mediocre museums, ringside comedy gold and grandiose cathedrals

   Posted on 10:00am Monday 24th Aug 2015

   Upon saying our toodaloos to Leanne and Calvin in El Tule, we tootled off with the mountains and volcanoes flirting in our periphery onto Puebla—70 miles southeast of the capital. As well as the city, Puebla is also a Mexican state and the Spanish word for ‘seed that a gardener sows’. Might as well kill three birds…Meeting overlanders Chloe and Toby (from Carpe Viam), with whom we’d become acquainted at Overlander Oasis at an Air B&B apartment there was both a respite and a splurge for the month. Jason’s eye had just been all but taken out by a firework, unlucky lad.

   Indulging in the apartment’s amenities such as: the swallow-me-whole-and-leave-me-here-forever sofa, coffee machine and double bed with en suite, set the mood to be a comfortable and convenient one. Just as well because a mind-bogglingly abstract tour around a museum in the afternoon left me uninspired and my brain aching—post a couple of hours of failing to fathom what the heck I was looking at—much to Chloe’s amusement and Toby’s surprise. Thank Karma it was free entry that day.

   Clearly far more cultured city folk than we were, Toby arched his perplexed brow and asked inquisitively “Well if you’re not museum people, what kind of people are you?” ‘Oh that’s easy!’ I mused. “We’re outdoorsy types, anywhere there are big open spaces preferably with wildlife,” I conveyed in a smiling tone. “Oh.”
   
   Read more here

3. Winter Sunshine Rideaway!

   Posted on 8:33am Saturday 18th Jul 2015

   Whilst it's that strawberries and cream time of year and the perfect weather for home bike rallies, now is a good time to plan your winter rideaway! Here at H-C Travel we have a superb range of small group, guided and self-guided motorcycle adventures in some amazing locations.

   To inspire you, we have picked a selection of 3 contrasting guided rides in 3 continents:

   • Cape Classic Tour, South Africa in late October/November 2015 (last few places remaining)
   • Kerala Tea and Spices Adventure, India in Feb and March 2016
   • New Zealand On the Beach Tour, January and March 2016 (new tour date added for Easter !) 

   Call us on +44 1256 770775 or email or visit  H-C travel and we will answer any questions or help provide further inspiration for your next adventure!
   
   

   

4. Australia's First Nationwide Motorcycle Rental Agency Bike Round Oz launches‏

   Posted on 10:00am Friday 10th Jul 2015

   The merging of three of Australia’s largest tour and rental operators means that ‘Down Under’ two-wheeled explorers have a single source for pre-ride advice, rental bikes, tours and support no matter where they roam across Oz.

   BikeRoundOz has been serving the region for 14 years. By joining forces with the Australian division of worldwide tour operator Compass Expeditions and Bikescape, who are Sydney’s largest rental and tour company, the new organization has a central booking office with collection and drop off depots in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, Cairns and Adelaide.

   “The key things that ensure fellow riders enjoy their time in Australia are high quality advice from real people that have ridden the routes many times, expertly prepared bikes, attention to detail and fast support no matter where you are in the country” says Selena Thurbon, the new MD of BikeRoundOz. “The country is vast and without good knowledgeable advice you can miss all the good stuff. Our daily focus is to ensure clients make the most of their time here whether it’s a day trip from the city or a cross continent, gravel road epic!”, continues Selena.

   The merging of these experienced rental, self-guided and guided tour operators provides riders a seamless one stop shop no matter which part of Australia you are exploring and type of trip you’d like. Choose from a simple rental, on or off road, over 60 self-guided tours and both sealed and enduro guided trips.

   The extremely popular “Outback Ready” bikes will be available out of all depots and as the name suggests are equipped with everything you’ll need to venture into Australia’s iconic outback.

   The national fleet is focused around BMWs and Harleys but Japanese bikes are on the list and even scooters for zipping around Sydney.

   For more information visit www.bikeroundoz.com

5. What defines a hardcore moto-traveller?

   Posted on 9:00am Thursday 11th Jun 2015

   Lisa and Jason from Two Wheeled Nomad, inspired by their years of living on the road, have put together a list on what they believe makes you a proper ‘adventure-rider’! WARNING -  contains funny stuff...

   You’re a real moto-traveller if:
   
   

   • When you’ve ran out of toilet roll, it’s goodbye socks.
   • The 80 mile tow back.
   • Your reaction to cold showers is “Oooh, the water pressure’s good!”
   • You’re always on the scrounge for plastic bags and get excited about those ones with strong handles. And Zip-lock bags are the future; they rock your world. (A wild criterion, we know)
   • Sourcing a truck for your broken bike when marooned on the roadside just becomes a routine formality.
   • Getting blown off the road in gusting winds, missing a wild animal racing across your path by a hair’s breadth at 50mph and negotiating 75 gravel hairpin bends in the space of eight hours, is just a normal day.
   • You’ve experienced enough coffee, milk and boxed wine explosions inside your pannier so you’ll ride no distance without brown parcel tape or an equivalent.
   • You’ve been towed bike-to-bike at least once.
   • There’s no length to which you won’t go in order to smuggle your ‘five a day’ fruity lovelies across a country’s border.
   • You’ve mastered the ‘Survival’ level in a foreign language; precisely enough to ask for what you need but not enough to understand the response.
   • Keeping schtum, playing dumb or even ‘not quite there’ in front of a fake cop has become the norm to prevent these time-stealers hindering your riding day.
   • Like in the film Avatar, you fuse naturally with your motorcycle like a mythical Greek creature; half man, half moto.
   • You love your wheels like a person, sometimes more than your peachy partner.
   • When your ‘marvellous other’ informs you that your moto-trousers reek of ‘crotch’, you casually dismiss it but wonder why that just doesn’t bother you.
   • Rocking up to a civilised establishment like a cafe, with a face smeared in dirt doesn’t compel you to seek soap and water first. You place your food order with the ‘afternoon shadow’ and then locate the toilets.
   • You are convinced that you’re the cat with 99 lives having been saved from yourself by your moto-angel more times that you’ve had hot dinners.
   • When your instinctive reaction to crashing is, ‘Bloody hell, I hope my bike’s okay and still rideable’ before checking for personal injuries.
   • Outrageous flirting has become a highly entertaining pastime, even if it means you’re only saving a resultant $3 USD off your room.
   • You’re (as a woman) prepared to display all levels of feminine charms—like wildly waving your hair around and over-the-top giggling—knowing they’ll often work wonders as distraction techniques with male traffic police insistent on seeing your full complement of papers.
   • You can summon real tears in erupting a mini thunder storm on your face so as to rapidly retrieve your parcel of moto-parts from the clerk in foreign customs.
   • You’d rather sleep rough next to your motorcycle than take a comfy bed and leave your wheels unsupervised on the street.   
   • Better still, you’d rather park your wheels in your room for the night.
   • Flashing your blindingly white backside while crouched near a busy motorway is something you’ve become increasingly comfortable with when nature calls.
   • You’ve dined on pasta with jam or rice coated in mustard at least twice.
   • You consider home as anywhere you kick the side-stand down.

   
   

   The 80 mile tow back!

    See the full article on their website, with lots of great photographs and sign up for regular newsletters.