This is the beginning of the fourth section of our around the world trip.
Complete Trip Overview & Map

 Coming from the Third Section, Netherlands.

15-16/7/98 Why not start trip four on a negative, the worst section of any trip, the aeroplane flight, and having won heaps of brownie points visiting the relatives in Sydney on the way home from the last trip we now had to fly out of Australia also from Sydney. So we left home at 5.30 am arriving at the airport to find the tickets and passports, yes you guessed it, safely stowed away at home. My only excuse, it was 5.30 am. Luckily we live 10 minutes from the airport. Then after "only" 42 hours, five flights, train and taxi, we arrived at our hosts place in the Netherlands. A long time to get just half way around the world, it just seems that way when it is dead time.

17/7/98 Well after being lovingly stored in an old ammunition shed on a closed army base in the North of the Netherlands, our motorcycle was awaiting our return. Within 20 minutes of combining the new battery, flown in with us and the battery acid we had carried from Austria on the last trip the motorcycle slowly rumbled into action after two months of inactivity. Now if we can only fit all the gear we brought onto the motorcycle. After repositioning the number plate, drilling four holes and inserting hooks under the top box we could sling the tent. The bed rolls and sleeping bags would have to go on top of the side panniers, one set on each side. We are always heaviest at the beginning of a trip as the toothpaste tube, soap, shampoo, engine oils etc. are new and full. It's amazing how much weight is in some small containers when added together. A check of the motorcycle and we are ready to roll.

18/7/98 We had arranged to meet our first internet contact at the Danish border at 4 pm. Peter Petersen is a giant of a man and not just in size. He travelled to the USA to learn how to ride a motorcycle and then rode it down through Central and South America. After 450 km of bumper to bumper holiday traffic we had managed to arrive on a saturday at the start of the school holidays, wall to wall caravans and kiddie packed cars. Still we arrived on time, having been welcomed back to Europe with rain on our first ride.
 

Move with us to Denmark or go to our next visit to the Netherlands
 

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