After 2 years of research, intermittent planning, bike buying, modifying and gear buying we are finally on the road. Starting in Brisbane we are heading south clockwise around Australia and on to the rest of the world.

Our bike is the new Honda Africa Twin with a few a few aftermarket and factory bits added. Hopefully the upgrades will help with the trip although everything, including the rider, is still pretty much untested.

The bike fresh out of the workshop


Once the build was almost completed we took the bike for a shake down ride west to the Bunya Mountains and Carnavon Gorge to see if we were on the right track with the bike and camping gear. So far so good. We just needed a full suspension upgrade, 6 more power sockets on the bike, another camp chair and to remember to bring fuel for the camp stove.

The wildlife approved


Fully loaded or is that Over loaded


So it was back in the garage for a few more weeks work but in the end we managed to get the bike and ourselves ready about 6 weeks ahead of schedule so instead of heading north to the Top End at the beginning of "the dry" we are heading south to Tasmania in the summer.

Cool. Will follow your trip with interest.

Ummm....if you are 2up, that looks about right
If you are solo, throw away half of that crap
Fuel & water Rotopax missing off the panniers too, depending on how & where you plan to travel.
Fantastic looking rig also. I will follow with interest
Safe travels

__________________
My memory is becoming that good, I should be able to organise my own surprise party soon

We managed to get away on a Monday morning in late January and even though there were still a few jobs to do we were keen to get on the road. After the last 2 months of pushing to get parts and supplies and to get work done on the bike we decided it would be nice to not try to cover too many miles straight up but to head down the coast to Byron Bay, book into a nice apartment by the beach and spend a week relaxing and finishing the last few jobs that hadn't been done.

Wategos Beach apartment. Home for our first week.


It was just a short walk to Cape Byron the most easterly point on the Australian mainland




The bike has been going well although the weight takes a bit of getting used to. Thankfully with the suspension upgrade it handles extremely well but stopping and parking are a constant challenge. I can only hope as we continue and I get more used to the weight things get easier.

Feeling the load


Our first day on the road saw our first mishap with the loaded bike bending the sidestand and falling over on top of us both. I'm guessing we looked like a couple of stranded turtles lying on our backs on the road trying to push the bike off us with our feet. A quick call to Honda confirmed my fears that there are no stands available in Australia however I managed to get it straightened locally and a 20mm thick alloy pad added to the bottom of it to get the bike on a more even keel and take some of the stress off the stand.

Happy with the stand repairs

Here are a couple of videos of the bike build and our summer in South East Queensland.

Great Videos looking forward to the rest of your trip, once your out of Oz and NZ also interested in your bike choose, why the Honda and not the Beemer.....

I chose the Africa Twin for a couple of reasons really. I have travelled a few of the countries in Asia, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia etc on rented XR & CRF 250s and parts always seemed readily available for the Hondas but the main reason was simply nostalgia. I have always loved the old Africa Twins but I was reluctant to plan a big trip on a bike that old. When the new one was released it was a no brainer for me.

In the end I don't think it matters a whole lot which bike you choose. You've just got to go with what makes you happy

5 nights in Byron gave us plenty of opportunity to finish most of the outstanding jobs that had been ignored during our Brisbane preparations. It also gave us plenty of time to drink at the Beach Hotel, eat pizza at the iconic "Earth and Sea" pizza and get up early most mornings for a swim. The time went way too fast and as nice as it had been it was time to hit the road south.

We had applied for an extension to Michelle's Australian visa and the government was now requiring a medical which meant 3 days in Coffs harbour which had the nearest approved clinic. While standing by for the appointment we spent some time riding the sensational roads in the Coffs Harbour hinterland. There is a great mix of twisty tarmac and good dirt with stunning scenery, pretty towns and good coffee.

Coffee break at Ulong, NSW.


With the medical done and the visa extension approved Michelle is good for another 6 months in Australia so we thought we would head to Tamworth (Australia's answer to Nashville) to take in a bit of country music

A quick drone video of the lovely town of Ulong, NSW

too true,,
I've been living and riding in Malaysia since 2005 - 2016, where ive also riden to and around those areas you've just mentioned.. either on my Modeanus 110 kriss or my Versys 650, both great bikes and great fun to ride.. Also have taken my friends 1200gsa for a spin to Koh Samui once or twice, also a great bike, however cosidering my size 6' plus it seem the right bike for me..
fake and enjoy, as i'll enjoy the armchair as I read about your exploits...thank you again..

With the visa extension approved and Michelle free to travel another 6 months in Australia we headed to Tamworth for some country music. Unfortunately we were just a little late for the music festival so we made do with a few of the acts that kick around the local bars.

Also we had been struggling with the overloading so we took the opportunity to post a few things home. I think this is a process that is destined to be repeated a few more time yet before we get truly organized. The bike is handling the load well with the new suspension but camping has been difficult as we haven't had any room for food

3 days in Tamworth was more than enough with a day trip to Manilla and a visit to the Landmark horse sales thrown in so we headed off early for a ride down "Thunderbolts Way". It's a great motorcycle ride but unfortunately as the day wore on the temperature climbed to nearly 50 degrees so we ended up pulling up early afternoon for a long swim in a convenient river.

The heat was enough to scuttle our plans for camping in the Barrington Tops and instead it saw us heading to the coast and 2 nights at Forster. My first visit to the area and it's a beautiful spot especially if you need to cool down.

A common mistake that people make.
I had to send 3 loads back on my recent 50.000 km trip
Stop me from constantly falling off my motorbike lol
Great report.
The use of the drone is truly without a doubt some of the best videos I have seen, and you are still in OZ.

Looking forward to the next post.

Well done guys and go for it. Have a load of fun & drive safe.

Look forward to following
Good luck Vince