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  #1  
Old 27 Sep 2007
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Australia to Europe - Requesting advice
This is my first post on the HUB. I will be retiring from the Queensland Police Service in 2008 and want ride to the UK either late 2008 or early 2009. I would welcome any advice I can get regarding all aspects of such a journey. I have not travelled any considerable distance before. I have in mind a joint venture with a like minded person on a similar bike. I have recently bought an old R80 which I really enjoy riding. I guess the things that I would like to know at the outset relate to whether or not to transport a bike from Australia to somewhere in SE Asia, or alternaterly perhaps fly to the UK and purchase a bike there and ride home. I would appreciate any corresponence and suggestions that Hubb subscribers may have.
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  #2  
Old 27 Sep 2007
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Aus- Europe
G'day Terry,

It'll will cost a great deal upward of 4000 dollars to ship your bike to England or at least thats what it cost to get mine from the UK to the Gold Coast. Then you have the whole carnet saga etc etc

I'd be more inclinded to purchase a bike in Europe and take each day as it comes. When you find your feet riding around Europe you can always get more adventerous. European bike mags and bike stores have a vast array of winter/ warming devices, i.e glove warmers etc etc.

Maybe just take some nice thermals with you. Hope this helps

take care
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  #3  
Old 27 Sep 2007
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Originally Posted by metta View Post
G'day Terry,

It'll will cost a great deal upward of 4000 dollars to ship your bike to England or at least thats what it cost to get mine from the UK to the Gold Coast. Then you have the whole carnet saga etc etc

I'd be more inclinded to purchase a bike in Europe and take each day as it comes. When you find your feet riding around Europe you can always get more adventerous. European bike mags and bike stores have a vast array of winter/ warming devices, i.e glove warmers etc etc.

Maybe just take some nice thermals with you. Hope this helps

take care
Dealing with the European winter weather is one thing, but you would have no more than about 7-8 hours of daylight at that time; IMO, this is the limiting factor of riding in any winter. Riding in the dark is not a great thing to do for all of the obvious reasons.
When you read the various threads and forums in here, you will see the pattern - northern hemisphere riding in the northern summer and vice versa for your current neck of the woods!
Tropics; all year round, 12 hours of dark and light.

As for preparing bikes for winter riding, this has some interesting pics!
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...e-winter-29561

Hope this helps.
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Last edited by Walkabout; 27 Sep 2007 at 09:40.
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  #4  
Old 27 Sep 2007
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Hiya Terry,

I am in the middle of planning my trip. I am shipping my bike to the UK then riding back mainly because of the seasons. I figured I can follow the warmer weather better by doing it that way. Also, I will be able to miss the monsoon season in Asia. I am shipping my bike with Get Routed, a firm based in Melbourne- all up cost $2150 one way from Brisbane to Felixstowe.

If you can, get a copy of Shirley Hardy-Rix and Brian Rix' book "Two for the Road". They did the trip and the book provides some useful information even if it gets a little boring at times. And Brian Rix is a fellow policeman in the Victorian Police! It seemed to help him a bit on their travels.

There are also a few blogs in the Travellers Stories section. John and Alana Skillington( Brisbane couple) have just returned from their trip. I found their blog pretty useful as well.

Keep asking questions though mate- This site is great for gleaning information.
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  #5  
Old 27 Sep 2007
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Yes, that's good advice: read some of the travellers' stories right here on HU.

Then ask some specific questions. This route gets done all the time in both directions. E.g., I'm coming your way, about to enter Tibet.

When you feel confident you will have read about Perkins shipping in Darwin, who will ship your bike to Dili and you can ride most of the way reasonably easily, except for Burma and China. You will probably fly from Bangkok to Kathmandu.
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  #6  
Old 27 Sep 2007
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Terry
I'm also using Get Routed; costing about $3,200 return.
Starting in May 08. Bike gets shipped in March and pick it up on 5 May then hooking up with some others and doing a loop around Europe, Turkey, the Stans, Russia and back to the Uk to ship home by August.
When exactly are you pulling the plug?
You might want to keep in mind the HUBB meeting on the VIC border next Feb. You'll get some valuable info.
Also if you're heading down to Canberra, look me up for a and some war stories (NSWP '75 - '87).
Cheers
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  #7  
Old 3 Oct 2007
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Thanks for all your replies
Thanks to everyone who replied to my post and the offers of advice ect. I really appreciate you all taking the time to respond. I am still a year or so away from realizing my dream, and, health prevailing, God willing, I will 'do it' In the mean time I will keep asking questions through the HUB and hopefully talk to some of you individually about specifics. Thanks again!
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  #8  
Old 17 Oct 2007
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Tintaldra meeting in Feb 08
Terry,

Have a look elsewhere on Horizons Unlimited there is a gathering of like minded people at Tintalda, Vic border near Albury near Feb, well worth the effort if you can make it. We went this year and met some very helpful overlanders.

Cheers
Chris
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  #9  
Old 18 Oct 2007
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HUB Meeting Tintalda
Chris
Thanks for the advice re: the HUB meeting at Tintalda, Vic. Unfortunately at this time I can't see myself being there, this time, but hopefully in the second half of 08 I will be able to attend a meeting. Do you know the schedule of meetings?
Anyway thanks for you reply. Regards
Terry
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  #10  
Old 19 Oct 2007
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One a year... even teh UK one is one a year .. and they get over 500 people attending...

Join the Brisy community and hope for a mini meeting ... but I'd try for more of an effort to get to the national meeting .. more people and more talking. And more time. And it is a nice area of the world.

As for the mini meetings .. you could try to orgainise that yourself, think about what you want to know/ask and put them up as talks/conversations?
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  #11  
Old 19 Oct 2007
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Originally Posted by Terryp View Post
Chris
Thanks for the advice re: the HUB meeting at Tintalda, Vic. Unfortunately at this time I can't see myself being there, this time, but hopefully in the second half of 08 I will be able to attend a meeting. Do you know the schedule of meetings? ...............
Hubb meetings are listed on this site.
List on left side of the screen - Events, meetings.
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  #12  
Old 29 Oct 2007
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Hi Terry, I'm planning a similar a similar trip but not until northern hemisphere summer in 2010. Let me know how your trip planning goes, i'm going to have to start doing some more serious planning soon.

This meeting in Vic sounds good for Feb, I should have picked up my new bike by then too. Getting time off a new job will be interesting though.
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