5 more sleeps until... Adventure! [Archive]

Rosie

16th March 2009, 08:45

Mr 640 and I are flying to Australia on Saturday for 5 weeks of gravel road goodness :wari:

The bikes have been cleaned and packed up, and were dispatched from Rotorua on Friday. :bye:

All going well, we will be reunited with them in Sydney on Monday. From there the general plan is: Great dividing range to Melbourne-ish, Great Ocean Rd, Adelaide + surrounding wineries, Flinders ranges, Cameron Corner, then back to Sydney. :scooter:

We promise to take lots of photos :yes:

.chris

16th March 2009, 08:49

You lucky buggers, have a great time.

How much did it cost to ship the bikes to aus?

oldrider

16th March 2009, 08:56

Good luck and "Enjoy" :ride: Cheers, John.

Paladin

16th March 2009, 09:11

Sounds like a proper adventure - have a wicked time out there! :niceone:

Rosie

16th March 2009, 09:24

How much did it cost to ship the bikes to aus?

Uh, good question :confused: (I didn't organise the shipping, and Clint hasn't billed me for it yet :blank:)
I think Clint said that all up it was about $2000 per bike return (including shipping, carnets, customs charges etc etc). That's air freighting them over, and surface freighting them back.

3L4NS1R

16th March 2009, 09:40

sounds epic! Looking forward to the ride report!

young1

16th March 2009, 09:57

Rosie / Clint, have a great trip and be safe!

I look forward to the trip reports

mike

Bass

16th March 2009, 09:59

You lucky buggers, have a great time.

How much did it cost to ship the bikes to aus?

In my experience, luck has absolutely nothing to do with it. It all comes down to to hard work and planning.

Rosie, you will have a ball.

Enjoy every second - I have no doubt that you have earned it.

NordieBoy

16th March 2009, 10:32

In my experience, luck has absolutely nothing to do with it. It all comes down to to hard work and planning.

Ok then...

You lucky, hard working buggers.

.chris

16th March 2009, 10:53

In my experience, luck has absolutely nothing to do with it. It all comes down to to hard work and planning.

Rosie, you will have a ball.

Enjoy every second - I have no doubt that you have earned it.

If I have to rephrase, then I shall

You fortuitous buggers, have a great time.

MXNUT

16th March 2009, 11:18

Im not very JEALOUS at all ,nose grows another inch longer :blank:

Have a great trip Guys :clap: and we look forward to the write up and pics

Bass

16th March 2009, 11:25

Ok then...

You lucky, hard working buggers.

If I have to rephrase, then I shall

You fortuitous buggers, have a great time.

Oh all right, be facetious then! :2guns: :spanking: :jerry:

I reckon that relying on luck vs planning and work, is the major difference between those who don't get to do this sort of stuff and those who do. :bleh:

So there!

Sorry Rosie - I'll climb down off my high horse now.

tri boy

16th March 2009, 11:46

South Aussie aye.
I guess a few vineyard gates will jump out, and kidnap you two for an our or two.:whistle:

Rosie

16th March 2009, 14:01

South Aussie aye.
I guess a few vineyard gates will jump out, and kidnap you two for an our or two.:whistle:

A great deal of planning and hard work has gone into the catering strategy for the trip. Due to refrigeration limitations, red wine ownership is a key part of this strategy. :apint:

3L4NS1R

16th March 2009, 14:11

I reckon that relying on luck vs planning and work, is the major difference between those who don't get to do this sort of stuff and those who do

But there is a limit to planning that one can reach before the planning takes over from the enjoyment of the trip...

I for one am a fan of laissez-faire type planning when it comes to trips...

Of course, a trip of this magnitude requires a rather high level of planning just to get off the ground...

Waihou Thumper

16th March 2009, 14:13

Whoops...sp.......Great trip....:whistle:

warewolf

16th March 2009, 16:26

Have an awesome trip you pair!

red wine ownership is a key part of this strategy. :apint:Bethany (http://www.bethany.com.au/) in the Barossa for Grenache Pressings and White Port, Coriole in McLaren Vale (if open), and Jim Barry (http://www.jimbarry.com/) in Clare Valley are a few wineries I'd recommend.

Our strategy was to buy enough wine for dinner plus a few to keep. At the winery where we bought the 12th bottle, we'd give them the rest to fill the carton and they'd ship the lot home. For weeks after we got home from the trip, we had random wine cases arrive with 'mixed dozens' from our visits. :2thumbsup

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o20/warewolf885/event/june97/jimbarry-1.jpg
http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/%5BIMG%5Dhttp://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o20/warewolf885/event/june97/jimbarry-1.jpg%5B/IMG%5D

junkmanjoe

16th March 2009, 16:36

Wicked,
one day ill get there again. used to live there.
most important rember to enjoy your selfs.
telly ho..:2thumbsup

helenoftroy

16th March 2009, 16:49

Fantastic guys!

Im incredibly envious!!:crybaby:

Dont need a nurse hooning along at the back??

Emergency response trained??
Could taste test the vino?
Advanced CPR skills??

No?oh well....pics,lots of them please:woohoo:

ducatijim

16th March 2009, 18:19

Pooh-bums.....so yous won't be comming out to visit me in Moora then?

Well......bloody be like that:Oi:

:2thumbsup......you have a GREAT time anyways!

Rosie

17th March 2009, 07:07

Our strategy was to buy enough wine for dinner plus a few to keep. At the winery where we bought the 12th bottle, we'd give them the rest to fill the carton and they'd ship the lot home. For weeks after we got home from the trip, we had random wine cases arrive with 'mixed dozens' from our visits. :2thumbsup

Hmmm, luggage space permitting, this sounds like a good strategy.

clint640

17th March 2009, 09:00

Cheers guys.

But there is a limit to planning that one can reach before the planning takes over from the enjoyment of the trip...

I for one am a fan of laissez-faire type planning when it comes to trips...

Of course, a trip of this magnitude requires a rather high level of planning just to get off the ground...

The route planning has been extremely laissez-faire. We will be following our usual strategy of having done some research & taking plenty of maps & info on all the places we might want to see, but no firm itinerary other than Rosie's rough outline above.

The things we have put a lot of work into are bike preparation & maintenance, what gear & tools to take & trying to make sure that when we get to Sydney, our bikes are there & cleared to go.

Cheers
Clint

Sidewinder

17th March 2009, 09:03

enough room to put a gsxr in there aswell?

Bass

17th March 2009, 09:19

Cheers guys.

The route planning has been extremely laissez-faire. We will be following our usual strategy of having done some research & taking plenty of maps & info on all the places we might want to see, but no firm itinerary other than Rosie's rough outline above.

The things we have put a lot of work into are bike preparation & maintenance, what gear & tools to take & trying to make sure that when we get to Sydney, our bikes are there & cleared to go.

Cheers
Clint

You've got it, but then you would.
Provided that you have the machinery and supplies to get you through or the technology to get you help if it goes wrong, then where you go is completely secondary.
This is especially true if your time is limited and the conditions are uncertain so that you can't predict what your average speed will be. In that case, your route has to be flexible.

clint640

17th March 2009, 09:22

enough room to put a gsxr in there aswell?

Yep, no problem. I'll just have to drive my digger over it a few times first though :shifty:

We used a couple of steel + cardboard motorbike crates from the local shop (thanks Patterson O'Connor!) The bikes go in with the front wheel off & the handlebars unbolted, it was actually quite easy to mod the crates to fit our bikes & bolt them together, although it does take a couple of hours to pack / unpack & bolt it all together.

Cheers
Clint

3L4NS1R

17th March 2009, 09:22

Sounds like the perfect trip: The tools and time to do anything you want.

Aslan

17th March 2009, 15:10

A great deal of planning and hard work has gone into the catering strategy for the trip. Due to refrigeration limitations, red wine ownership is a key part of this strategy. :apint:

have fun you two - as you can see many of us wish we were doing what you and Clint are doing Rosie - good on ya both - ride safe - look forward to hearing of your escapdes in due course :msn-wink:

ducatijim

17th March 2009, 21:10

clint640

18th March 2009, 07:11

I will think of you 2 everytime my 540hp Stieger tractor turns her nose east....which won't be too often in any shift, given the size of the fields!!
( you'll be having 'beer-o-clock' when I'm eating lunch!! haha)

Jamie

Ahh... so now the real reason for Jamie's working holiday comes out... the chance to drive a real big-ass tractor! :laugh:

Just pop over to Innamincka for a beer & a catch up while we're there, it can't be that far from WA can it? :laugh: Especially on a KTM 990
:msn-wink:

Cheers
Clint

Rosie

18th March 2009, 07:54

( you'll be having 'beer-o-clock' when I'm eating lunch!! haha)

Some days we'll be having beer o'clock while you're at morning smoko :laugh:
Have an awesome trip :sunny:

Cary

18th March 2009, 17:30

All the best guys, will look forward to story/pics

ducatijim

18th March 2009, 20:03

Ahh... so now the real reason for Jamie's working holiday comes out... the chance to drive a real big-ass tractor! :laugh:

Just pop over to Innamincka for a beer & a catch up while we're there, it can't be that far from WA can it? :laugh: Especially on a KTM 990
:msn-wink:

Cheers
Clint

Innamincka would be awesome.....just won't be able to string 6 consec. daze off before mid-june M8!!!( even on a 990, the GCR is a prick of a sandtrap!!)

You go guys, take your time and soak it all up, theres MUCH more to the place than some sand and spinifax!

kanny

19th March 2009, 08:38

You lucky buggers.Though you have planned it for awhile.Have a wicked awesome time you two.

Rosie

19th March 2009, 09:08

... Though you have planned it for awhile...

Most of the 18 months of 'planning' has been spent telling people about the trip, and highlighting roads on my giant map of south eastern Australia, rather than actually organising anything :laugh:

And now, all of a sudden, the bikes are in Sydney :clap:

Crisis management

19th March 2009, 17:35

Have a great time you two, I'm just going to sit here and fume about the unfairness of the world for 5 weeks!

reofix

19th March 2009, 17:50

What recession ....Lucky buggers... enjoy the red stuff!!! (dust that is)

clint640

23rd March 2009, 11:47

Paladin

23rd March 2009, 17:53

Well, we've made it to Sydney. Our bikes have made it to Sydney. The Carnet documents ($1400 worth including deposits) have not made it to Sydney :pinch:

Apparently the paperwork for the entire planeload of cargo has been lost by Qantas. So much for airfreight being more efficient. Now we have to wait while the carnets are re-issued in NZ & sent to Oz. :argh:

Cheers
Clint

Geez, hope they sort it FAST for you! Sure it won't be the last hiccup on a big trip like you have planned but you guys will get thru it and be on to your adventure proper soon!!
Have a GREAT time guys!

ducatijim

24th March 2009, 09:55

Apparently the paperwork for the entire planeload of cargo has been lost by Qantas. So much for airfreight being more efficient. Now we have to wait while the carnets are re-issued in NZ & sent to Oz. :argh:

Cheers
Clint

Thats a bugger! I thought you were supposed to keep your carnet document in your own pocession once customs have stamped it?
Hope you get a speedy resolution guys!

clint640

24th March 2009, 10:54

Thats a bugger! I thought you were supposed to keep your carnet document in your own pocession once customs have stamped it?
Hope you get a speedy resolution guys!

As the bikes came over last week before us & the freight forwarders were acting as our agents to get the bikes cleared before we arrived, the docs were were sent with the bikes by them. So much for being bloody organised.

Go Logistics have been pulling out all the stops to get things sorted as far as I can tell, unfortunately the main Carnet guy at the AA is away until tomorrow, his stand in refused to issue replacements yesterday until the freight company had looked at other options, then revealed late yesterday that he's away today also, so no carnets til tomorrow, then they still have to get to Oz...

Nobody give me a gun!

Cheers
Clint

jezzaNZ

24th March 2009, 13:07

Clint I have had the same problem with the Carnet guy at the AA before. He seem to never be in the office......sounds like the dream job!!!!!

Hope they get it sorted ASAP as I can't wait to see some photos.

Good luck. Jez

Bass

24th March 2009, 13:49

Nobody give me a gun!

Cheers
Clint

I know how you feel mate.
I really thought that you guys had all the bases covered but I never considered the airline losing the docos.
Are they offering you any compensation for the lost time and extra expense or are they hiding behind the usual freight company get-out clauses?

As for Alan at the AA who does the carnets, he couldn't have been more helpful in my case - really great service.
So you have to complete the picture by picking a time when he is on holiday.
Somebody up there hates you mate.
Never mind Clint. It's going to be just like our trip where we got all the crap over and done with at the start and the rest was pure magic!!

clint640

26th March 2009, 10:16

Well now Alan is back & we've handed over ANOTHER $700!! to the AA some new Carnets are on the way, so all going well we'll be bailing out the bikes & on the road tomorrow.

Cheers
Clint

ducatijim

26th March 2009, 12:51

That sounds like progress Clint. I just hope someone at Qantas(?) puts their hands in their pockets and sees you right.
Lets hope you now have the crap outta the way and you 2 can go do some adventuring!
Enjoy.

nic

26th March 2009, 20:33

Hi Clint & Rosie

Thanks for your email. Really hope you get it all sorted out tomorrow so that you can begin your adventure.

Safe travels

nic

Rosie

26th March 2009, 21:09

Really hope you get it all sorted out tomorrow so that you can begin your adventure...

*sigh* so do we. Beer is really expensive in Sydney, I don't think we can afford to stay here much longer. :mellow:

junkmanjoe

26th March 2009, 21:13

hi sorry im not up with the play.
but have you not got your bikes, are they stuck in customs or something....

Rosie

26th March 2009, 21:27

Qantas lost all our documentation. The AA took 3 days to get around to giving us new documentation, it is currently being couriered to Sydney, hopefully we can get an appointment with Australian customs tomorrow and pick up the bikes. Otherwise we'll have to wait until Monday :eek5:

Beer is so expensive in Australia. James Squire's (Sydney brewery) is cheaper in Rotorua than it is in Sydney :eek5::eek5:

junkmanjoe

26th March 2009, 21:42

that sucks...
will you have to cut your travels short, for loss of riding days.
what a bugger...

Bass

27th March 2009, 07:43

Qantas lost all our documentation. ::eek5:

This is all just totally unbelievable!

Have you put a hit contract out on anyone yet?
My tenant has close rellies in the Mob - perhaps I could get something arranged for you.

Joking aside Rosie (and I understand that getting angry in your situation CAN sometimes just make it worse), but you must be about ready to explode by now.

This has cost you big time - is anybody talking any sort of reimbursement?

clint640

27th March 2009, 10:09

This is all just totally unbelievable!

Have you put a hit contract out on anyone yet?
My tenant has close rellies in the Mob - perhaps I could get something arranged for you.

Gooood... we have a list: :angry2: Qantas for losing the docs in the first place, Oz customs for refusing to accept copies of the Carnets even if they were witnessed by NZ Customs, & the NZ AA with their stand in Carnet guy who obviously did not know anything about Carnets & their inability to re issue the Carnets without charging the full $350 per 50c bit of paper & cardboard AGAIN.

Firmly in the good books so far are Go Logistics who have been doing their level best to get the problem sorted, including driving across Auckland to get the new Carnet docs from the AA, to customs & on to Fedex without waiting on a courier at each step.

We did have insurance on the shipment, not sure what the excess is though, Go Logistics are looking in to it, at best we would only get the value of the Carnets back I would guess.

The docs are now in Sydney, hopefully they will get to customs here shortly so they can then inspect the bikes & they can be trucked from the bonded store to the warehouse where we will be uncrating them.

Cheers
Clint

bvaut

27th March 2009, 10:55

Bad luck with regards to the paperwork; it does suck and especially the NZ AA who have fleeced you another $350 for the re-issue of papers. I trust you will take up this offence with them when you return to NZ. In the meantime have a great trip and enjoy the travels, and of course i await your trip writeups with antipiciation; just to make us all extremely envious.:drool:

3L4NS1R

27th March 2009, 13:26

Thats rediculous! $700 for something completely out of your control, that you paid already, trusting that people will do the jobs that they are paid to do.

Thats a big bite of money. Hopefully it's not too much of a damper on the trip!

clint640

27th March 2009, 22:20

Yep, getting charged twice for the Carnets seems like bullshit to me, but they've got ya totally screwed, there is no other way to get a vehicle into Oz temporarily.

The good news is we now have our bikes! :hug: & will be getting the hell out of Sydney tomorrow at sparrows. Thanks for all the kind words & offers of gang retaliation;)

To the Blue mountains & beyond...

Cheers
Clint

Paladin

27th March 2009, 22:53

ducatijim

28th March 2009, 09:20

there is no other way to get a vehicle into Oz temporarily.

Cheers
Clint

One thing that is patentedly obvious from all my dealings and attempts to get my bikes into Oz:

Ozzi just plain doesn't want us and our bloody vehicles over there. Period.

So much for C.E.R eh?( when you think what travellers spend over there one would think they would welcome us....not make it bordering on impossible!:argh:

Best of luck for the rest guys.

Jamie.

clint640

4th April 2009, 17:34

After finally getting the bikes, & getting on the road last Saturday, we have had a fantastic weeks riding down through the Blue Mountains, Kosciuszko Nat park & Alpine Victoria, 2200 km of everything from rocky 4x4 tracks, river crossings & bulldust through to glorious twisty tarmac. We have found some really neat places to camp in the bush & the weather has been great apart from 1 thunderous downpour yesterday arvo.

We are currently staying with Chris McArdle, who is a great host & an oracle on outback motorcycling. We have just sketched out the route for the next 3 weeks which will be taking in the Flinders Ranges, Lake Eyre, & on to Innamincka deep in the outback before turning East back to Sydney.

Cheers
Clint

marks

4th April 2009, 18:08

We are currently staying with Chris McArdle, who is a great host & an oracle on outback motorcycling.

was it Chris who had the prang in NZ?
if so how is he healing?

Hope all goes well for the remainder of your trip.

clint640

4th April 2009, 19:02

was it Chris who had the prang in NZ?
if so how is he healing?

Hope all goes well for the remainder of your trip.

Cheers Mate, it is the same Chris, he's in good spirits but just had another op on his shoulder & will be off the bike for 12 months unfortunately, however the advantage of having a hack or 2 in the shed means that he'll be out & about in the sidechair with a mate at the helm soon.

Cheers
Clint

ducatijim

5th April 2009, 13:56

Good onya, great to b on the road eh!

I expect to collect my 990 from Perth 2moro as it finally flew in on Friday arvo. All inspections are booked so should b sweet................then I too can

ADVENTURE!!

clint640

14th April 2009, 21:35

In outback SA now at Lyndhurst, ready for the 480 km Strzelecki track to Innamincka tomorrow, had some great riding across into SA & up through the Flinders Ranges, met a few local riders who showed us around, went out for a look at lake Eyre yesterday, bikes are going well, it's all good!

Cheers
Clint