21/8/07 We are in Bangkok, Thailand, for ten days on our
way back to Australia. Our hotel has wi/fi as we wait for the dentist
to make a crown for Kay's molar. The mamoth task of planning to link
the thirteen island countries of the Pacific begins in ernest. The airlines
to many countries are too small to carry the motorcycle or are too expensive.
Shipping movements are often as infrequent as more than monthly. The challenge
is to avoid being stuck on a small attol country for months and to try
to minimise the high costs of moving us and the motorcycle in the region.
Internet research is our main avenue but with small isolated communities
there are not the facilities nor perceived need for extensive web pages.
One shipping company, Kyowa Lines, visits most of the countries, but infrequently.
Small populations and little export trade reduces the need for vessels.
Optomistically we might be able to either do a couple of rapid visits, getting
the motorcycle off a vessel for the day then resailing it on the same vessel,
not too likely. It seems we will have to fly to most, if not all the countries.
Freight ships are reluctant to take passengers because of insurance concerns.
Islanders, if they go anywhere at all, tend to fly on small aeroplanes
between countries. Planning a long time ahead to get discount air tickets
seems impossible as shipping schedules are notoriously delayed. Hopefully
the picture of a method to aproach the problem will evolve.
The scheduled departure date of 18/8/07 of our motorcycle from
Sri Lanka has already been delayed to the 23rd, we wait and see.
15/9/07 The motorcycle arrived in Singapore and was transhipped,
unloaded from one container and restuffed into another one. At least
that is what the internet tracking stated. It left on the container ship
Mol Mauao, on the 4th September, heading for New Zealand, due to arrive
tomorrow. We have no knowledge of its future movements as the Mol Mauou
returns directly to Singapore but as we fly out to Fiji on the 17th we
will wait and talk to the agent on our arrival.
The three weeks in Australia have been spent with our children,
catching up on their lives and planning the pacific trip. We have not
progressed much with our route through the Pacific. We are currently
in discussions with an air freight logistics company who may sponsor the
motorcycles movement to a number of the countries. That would not only
remove some expense but also a lot of the logistics, a tiresome part
of this region. Hopefully it will come to our mutual advantage. Proceeding
with our planning, one of the more difficult countries to visit is Nauru,
a single isolated island on the equator. Its only connection with the
outside world, one flight a week from Brisbane Australia, too small for
the motorcycle, and a boat every month or more from Australia, no regular
schedule. As an example, a visit would take a minimum of two months, one
ship out, the next one back, little chance of onward flights or shipping
to other destinations. Tuvalu is a similarly sized country, 10,000 people,
connected with its nearest large neighbour, Fiji, two flights a week and
shipping aproximately every three weeks. Part of the problem is the shipping
is not out and back but the air connections are, meaning we have to return
to our starting point and then fly to the next destination, an expensive
exercise, Fiji to Tuvalu return is over $US 1000.00. As shipping generally
does a loop to many countries it can take almost two loops to get to our
next destination, so on a three week schedule it can take almost six weeks
to the next country. We have had no luck in getting aproval to travel on
any of the ships, now all container oriented.
You can now move onto the first country of the fourteenth
trip if you wish, Start Travelling
