The Longest Friday, Overlander Chris Barnecut tells his stories of paragliding and motorcycle riding around the world.

Biker has bike again! February 5, 2010

Posted by Chris in : Journal , add a comment

An Tribute to Locky

Its been a pretty rough start for the Australia leg of my tour…but Locky turned things around for me and got me back on my feet…or wheels I should say.

Thanks to him I’ve got a motorcycle again. He took me in, gave me room, full access to his shop, and ultimately helped me accomplish in 3 days,. what would have taken me weeks. Locky dropped his current projects and spent his days with me tearing off the subframe, rewelding it, reinstalling it, fixing various components, fabricating parts, and attaching a new rear rack,…and installing a beautiful pair of tough-as-hell panniers. (will give full report on these as I tour)

This guy is a super cool dude, brilliant with motorbikes… and I can not communicate in words the gratitude feel for the amount of time, effort and materials he freely invested in me. Thank you Locky,…been real good knowing you!

Locky and his 1100gs (he’s not running his own panniers, because they are selling faster than he can keep a set long enough to mount to his own bike…thanks for putting another biker first…again)

Now that I’m a biker with bike again…its time to start turning the adventure touring back on. The Kaurara river Rally is definitely on. As long as I can keep at least one of Locky’s panniers between me and the grim reaper’s bulldozer,..I’ll make it there! I hear its gonna rain loads. I’m so thrilled to be back on a bike and camping after this whole recover ordeal,..that I couldn’t care less…rain,..sandstorms,..cyclones,, what ever. Hope to have the opportunity to meet some of you guys out that way.

After the rally I’m thinking about Sydney….since its there. I’m not a big city guy,..but I figure I should see it. (Brisbane was a pleasant surprise,..any place that has natural climbing walls in the middle of the city gets high marks in my book)

Following Sydney,,..I’m shoot’n for Alice. Then….if its open..the gunbarrel.

February 4, 2010

Posted by Chris in : Journal , add a comment

Tim always clues me in on the best Australian intel

vid comes from The Gruen Transfer episode 10. The section called “the pitch” where ad agencies come in to make funny ads.

OZ Map February 1, 2010

Posted by Chris in : Journal , add a comment

Just received this map of Australia over email from an Aussie friend,..had to share! Thanks Tim, only thing missing is the big rig with a D9 bulldozer on the back.

OZ,..Round Two January 31, 2010

Posted by Chris in : Journal , 2comments

28jan10 (Return to OZ after 4 month recovery from injuries)

At some point on the flight back to OZ, I opened up the shade thing covering the window, and took a gander expecting to see more water..or clouds ect…. But laid out under the wing was the Australian Outback…and it scared the sh*t out of me! you could really get your butt handed to you out there. Thats a whole lot of epic desert wilderness! It was hours until I spotted any sign of man..not to mention water or a tree. The Australians told me about it,..how it was the real deal,..but I didnt realize how remote and expansive it is until I saw for it myself. I guess flying over it isnt really seeing it….cant wait to ride it,..smell it,..and fry like bacon under that unforgiving sun.
Just got in to celebrate the national holiday(Australia Day)…good stuff,..these guys have a lot to celebrate,.good people, good country,..the culture reminds me of the American West, from what I’ve seen so far (which is limited I admit)
So now I’m sifting through parts at my buddy’s apartment in Forest Lake (Brisbane). Fortunately he doesnt have a car…cus I’ve commandeered the entire garage as the “operation room”. Essentially I did as you guys recommended,…scoured the US used parts market and shipped it all back.
and that my friends….is a perfectly strait subframe…oh yeah

This is going to sound a bit negligent on my part,..but I didnt actually locate my bike until today. I had arranged with some folks I’d met to have it removed from Morgan and Wacker BMW after the initial assesment many months ago,..but uh..er..shit happens., and I found out today that it was still there..oops,…Jason over there in the service department was very cool about it all. Initially, I was fortunate to have friends allowing me access to everything I needed (shop tools, welding, solid advice), but they’ve seem to have their hands full, and are out contact.. I understand that the world doesnt revolve around my motorcycle tour (but what a world that would be!)

So I’m standing by for a few more days to see if I can reach them, then I’ve got to find an alternative- ie renting ute, trailer,.finding some one kind enough to let me use their tools and keep the bike on location for a bit while I work on it.

my biggest project is swapping out the subframe after reinforcing it with welds. Locky a local rider and tour operator has really come through for me…upholding his original offer on panniers, looking forward to meeting him in person. The rest of the work should be relatively simple (never is,..but I like to be optimistic.

My goal is to get the old girl back on the road in time for that Karuah River Rallly.

Dec 31

I put a message out on the Australian forum of ADVrider.com,..asking for tools and shop space. In under an hour I had folks across Queensland offering their support. I was more than relieved to finaly have my hands on the bike again…I can still see my dream machine under all that bent metal. Things happen when you virtually abandon your bike for three months,…but all said things looked all right,.. the bike wasn’t cannablized or rusting outside. Key was gone…but what kinda advrider would I be if I didn’t have spare.

Lachlan and his family have been incredible hosts. I’ve got full access to what is every man’s dream shop(if you didn’t like this shop, there’s not an ounce of motor loving testorone in you body),..and Lachlan’s got serious skills in motorcycle everything.

And they’ve offered me a room ,…so I’ve can work on the bike as soon as I roll out of bed.

Pulling the frame turned out to be a relatively easy….thanks to good German engineering.

We showed up at Rob’s welding and engineering shop,.. he put aside his work and knocked out my frame reinforcements on the spot.

Rob and I had two things in common,.. we both wear oversized boots and shorts with no shame,…and we are both enourmas fans of the celestial pursuit of trout with a flyrod. Rob’s wife made some killer sandwhiches and conversed the finer points of things that matter…like bikes, travel..the outdoors,..and fishing.

Back in Lachlans shop we spent the day pushing,., pulling and wedging the new frame on. Fortunately Lachlan had the foresight to brace the bike in the right spots,.. so that the frame eventually lined up and bolted down.

Tomorrow, we’ll be fitting varios parts,..and ultimately a shiny new set of panniers. At some point, hopefully tomorrow,… I’ll fire it up and see if any surprises announce themselves. I’m not going to celebrate yet,..but its look’n real good!

Almost Back December 18, 2009

Posted by Chris in : Journal , 7comments

Its been over 3 months of regrowing bone and ligament, and every day I’d head out to the garage and test my hand on the clutch. This week, with a great deal of satisfaction I finally reeled in that stiff lever on my father’s R75. I new it was time to fire her up and I was thrilled to be back on two wheels. It wasn’t my beloved GS, but I made up for it in classic style on that beautiful airhead.

I’ve still got a little more therapy to do(cant fully close my left hand yet, and the ankle is still a bit swollen),..

Its not like they were pretty feet to begin with anyway

check this device out, it cranks your ankle into certain positions to try force extended range of motion…I’m pretty sure it was actually designed during the Spanish Inquisition… I certainly feel like confessing every time I turn one of those knobs.

….but I can smell the open road..and it wont be long. I’m giving myself another month, then I’m heading back to Australia. I don’t know how long its going to take to fix up that GS, but I suspect I’ll be rolling into the outback some time in February.

I can’t confirm a route until I get the bike repaired, but I’ve got an ambitious plan in mind. A couple possibilities. As of now I’m shoot’n for red.

Down but Not Done! October 19, 2009

Posted by Chris in : Journal , 6comments

always room for a few more screws!

A lot folks are curios about the circumstances involving my crash. So am I? I’ll be up front and tell you that I hit my head pretty hard and I don’t know exactly what happened. I don’t remember the collision, only an immediate transition from a beautiful Friday morning ride on a freeway…. to the dimly lit cavity of an ambulance, and the two medics fussing over me, announcing that I’d just been slammed by a bulldozer blade.

That being said, I can tell you all I know and what I’ve gathered since. But it would be prudent to back up a bit so I can at least post a few photos and maybe even pull together a ride report of sorts.

Two weeks before I set out from Brisbane- I had just got the bike out of quarantine, did all the easy maintenance myself, then dropped her at local shop for a throttle body synch, fd gaiter replacement, ect. I made the most of my down time scoping out the flying sites.

I had the good fortune to meet some retired Aussie Soldiers,..top notch fellows, these guys hooked me up with their skilled welder, between the three of them my pannier rack was cut and rewelded into a super rack…suitable for both adventure motorcycle touring and combat operations! Thanks guys…didn’t know it at the time but that rack would save my leg a few days later.

I’m not a very superstitious person,.. but if we were to talk bad omens there’d be a few things worth mentioning. As the final weld set on the frame and I was ready to ride off…. the winds started picking up and the sky darkened over head. I’d witnessed over 30 days of near perfect weather in sunny Brisbane,…and now that I was finally ready to roll, nature decided to change course. The sky turned yellow and copious amounts of dust fell from the sky.

Here’s some wikipedia fun from (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_Australian_dust_storm)

“On 23 September, the dust plume measured more than 500 kilometres (310 mi) in width and 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) in length and covered dozens of towns and cities in two states.^[3] This concentration of dust broke records in many towns and cities.^[5] The CSIRO estimated that the storm carried some 16 million tonnes of dust from the deserts of Central Australia,^[6] and during the peak of the storm, the Australian continent was estimated to be losing 75,000 tonnes of dust per hour off the NSW coast north of Sydney.^[7] The dust storm coincided with other extreme weather conditions which affected the cities of Adelaide and Melbourne.

MODIS Terra satellite image of the dust storm over eastern Australia taken on 23 September 2009”

wikipedia-above

Another weird occurrence happened as I was loading up the bike. I damaged a talisman that I kept in my tank bag for luck. Before you start laughing at me, I’ll tell you the story. Back in Bolivia I had been wandering through some back streets of La Paz. I happened upon a sort of witches market. Actually,.. it was definitely a witches market, there was no “sort of” about it. You could buy all sorts of weird shit, like dried llama fetuses,.. and various bottled magic potions. More out of personal entertainment and curiosity than actual seriousness, I approached one of the old gals.

I’d been struggling through an unusual number of stomach illnesses and bike issues since leaving Peru and I figured it wouldn’t hurt my odds to score some local joss off a creepy Andean witch. I told her about myself, where I’d been , where I was going and then respectively asked for her recommendation. She grunted in acknowledgement and continued to stare at me while working over a ball of coca leaves from one side of her mouth to the other. I was feeling a little weird about it all and was about to make my retreat. Then abruptly she broke her stare and leaning over her table began rummaging through her wares. With a grunt of approval she withdrew a clay figurine and dangled it before me,,… “para viajar “she said. For about 50 cents US I scored a clay figurine of some deity meant to offer protection to the traveler. I guess you could call it third world travel insurance. Not being an adept in the arcane, I inquired on how to use it. The old weather beaten face just stared back at me. I got the hint and bugged off. The Talisman has graced my tank bag ever since.

It was with some disappointment when I broke a piece of it off. So a record dust storm hit and my talisman broke. No.. I don’t seriously think it had anything to do with the misfortune that lay ahead. But, its entertaining to consider all the mysterious possibilities.

The storm lifted and it was time it ride. I was on the verge of setting out on another great adventure.. The bureaucratic monster was appeased with taxes paid, forms filled and reviewed, … and I was legally free to hit open road.. The frame was further reinforced and all those chassis fractures from rough Bolivian roads were sealed. The boys at the shop got her up to show room operating condition. As 1130cc of German engineering cranked to life, she emitted that rhythmic purring, that only comes from a perfectly tuned machine After a month of tedious preparation in Brisbane, I was finally ready to break out and realize a dream of the great Australian Outback.

At the last minute I decided to swing through downtown Brisbane to pick up more brake pads. I got my new brakes from the BMW shop, but found myself trapped in Brisbane rush hour. I was sweating in the afternoon heat, cursing my futile attempts to beat the traffic, when a biker on a beautiful black Triumph pulled up next to me. “you got a lot kit!,” he called out. “I’ve been living off this kit for ten months, its like my house,” I replied defensively.

“follow me, I’m buying you a beer” he said. Its not like I was getting through Brisbane in this traffic anyway, …so I slid in behind him and we rolled out.

I had no idea what was in store for me. The Triumph rider, Michael, took me to a famous establishment called Regatta Inn, where I was treated to one finest steaks that I’ve had the good fortune to savor. Leave it to Australian hospitality to transport you from heavy traffic to fine dining and great company in matter of minutes. Thanks Michael, had a blast! Look forward to riding with you down the road.

Michael offered me his place to stay that evening, but after a month in Brisbane, I wanted desperately to ride. I put a few hours in on great roads…rolling west, then pulled off on a dirt road and made camp in a patch of woods.

It felt good to be camping, real good….. just to lay back in my sleeping bag, reading a bit and listening to critters rustling around out in the darkness. I was content as I drifted off to sleep. I poked my head out the in the morning to greet a beautiful day. A perfect day to start out on the Australian leg of my world tour. I was plotting my route for the day, smiling as I realized I’d be camping in the outback that evening.

I had just emerged from a gas station and was now on the freeway. Everything was cherry. I vividly remember noting to myself what an incredibly clear morning it was with light traffic and good tarmac ahead of me. I was riding west, living the dream.

What followed was obviously not the dream I had in mind. It felt like I was waking up in the middle of night. It was pitch dark, I could hear voices, and I knew something was amiss but couldn’t put my finger on it. I didn’t know where I was or what I was doing. Gradually the darkness gave way to the glowing lights from inside an ambulance.

I found myself gazing up at a couple medics hovering me. As my head cleared I looked around and began to piece it together. It all came flooding over me, the motorcycle tour, Australia, riding down the free way. I wasn’t in pain I was obviously injured since I had at some point swapped my beloved GS for an ambulance.

“So I take it I crashed my motorcycle?” I commented to the medics. “Uh, sort… of yeah, you got swiped from behind by a bull dozer blade” one of them said. “Lucky to still be around,” the other one chimed in. I recall thinking to myself.. when things go to shit…no matter how bad things are, guranteed..there’s always someone there to tell you how lucky you are!

I nodded as if it all made sense…..which it didn’t! How the hell do you make contact with a bulldozer blade wile riding on a four lane freeway. For the moment I didn’t care how it happened, I just wanted to know the damage. My idea of worst case scenario is not death but ending up paralyzed. After a run in with a bull dozer blade on the free way I was relieved to escape either tragedy….maybe there was some luck to it, but I’d say it was being decked out head to toe in the best riding gear on the market that saved my butt.

The BMW Rally II suit, Sidi riding boots, Thor gloves and Arai xd helmet take full credit for preventing further injuries and or saving my life. Its all ruined now, but it held together just long enough to get through.

The ambulance dropped me off at the nearest trauma center were I was diagnosed with a broken ankle, broken hand, and various road rash/burn. It was my first experience with public health care. From the moment I entered the hospital, I got a whole flood of questions concerning insurance, payments, and choices in hospitals. If you can imagine my disposition,…laying on a rolling stretcher with a bone sticking out of my hand, a busted ankle, a million thoughts and emotions running through my head,…I was a bit frustrated with all there questions. I had great insurance to cover just this sort of accident. I didn’t understand at the time why they couldn’t just dial the emergency number on the back of the card.

At this point a uniformed lady named Karen came to my rescue. She would be the first of a number of complete strangers that came to my aid. Karen advised me on my options and helped me sort things with billing agency and police. Even though I wasn’t in her ward, Karen continued to check in on me for entire time I was there.

It was my first experience with a public hospital. I waited 24hrs to get surgery on the compound fracture in my hand. Then another few days for surgery on the ankle.

I was in a room with six patients, all of them older folks. Over a week I had the opportunity to get to know each of the patients as they came and went. Only one guy was in that ward longer than I. His name was Brenden…. and he was crazy. No one slept in that ward unless Brenden was sleeping, cus when he was awake he made sure everyone knew it, by emitting a bizarre ruckus rivaling that of any Costa Rican howler monkey at dawn. As disturbing as it was, how could I blame him, locked down to his bed in a form of a strait jacket, and not having a clue of why he was there or what was going on. I got a 24hr exposure to the worst of Alzheimer’s for eight days. It was a disease I previously new nothing, and I now have enormous compassion for those affected by it. Its an experience I wont soon forget.

I did manage to discover a form of temporary relief for Brenden and his condition by slipping him a magazine that had been passed off to me.

I can see it now…leading headlines for next months medical journal… “Sleezy Magazines Used Effectively In Treating Alzheimer’s”…”side effects from viewing pictures of scantily clad women are still under testing”

It wasn’t Boulder community hospital back home in Colorado, but given the circumstances and all the good samaritans that came to my aid. I’ve no right to complain. The food was great, and there where a few nurses that really went out of there way for me.

News of an American biker spread through the hospital reaching one of medical operators down in the operations room. Barbara visited my ward and introduced herself as a member of the local BMW club. She and her partner Justin were an enormous help. They explained to me that I was struck by the blade of a D9 bulldozer that was being hauled by a semi truck,..the blade was wider than the truck, so it clipped me as the truck passed. The accident is bizarre and I’m still piecing it together. It doesn’t help that I’ve got amnesia spanning the event. I always figured it would be a Boilivian bus on a mountain road that got me. It just goes to show you, its never what you expect, its that thing that blindsides you on a sunny Sunday afternoon…or in my case a sunny Friday morning.

Barbara and Justin visited the crash site, secured my bike, trailered it to their house, and provided me with a number of pictures to help me asses the damage. I felt humbled by the great lengths they went to help out a stranger.

In addition to those kind folks who helped me at the hospital, The Queensland Adventure riders frequenting the ADVrider.com website continued a 5 page thread about me, giving encouragement and offering me assistance. I had bikers coming in all the way from Brisbane to offer their assistance. I was extremely grateful to have these guys showing to say hello

me and the surgeon (Phil -an advrider)

and break up the monotony of long depressing days in the hospital.

With help from the local BMW chapter and ADVrider boys I was in really good hands. I have a serious beer debt to pay in Australia!

I finally received the long awaited release authorization from the physical therapist. David had already made the long commute to Tawoomba and had tailored my bike back to Brisbane. Phil was going to come all the way out to give me a ride, but a nice couple visiting hospital offered to drive me back. The friendly couple took me on scenic drive through the county, fed me lunch and invited me for visit once I got back on my feet.

The folks of Queensland, Australia made an enormous impression on me. As foreigner in a strange land,(yes Oz is a strange land!) I never expected so many people who didn’t know me, to rush to my aid. It is with sincere gratitude that I thank all those folks who offered there support and assisted me through this ordeal.

So where does all this leave me in regards to a world motorcycle tour. Its pretty grim. I’ve lost copious amounts of time and funding over this. I dare not ponder where I’d be right now if I hadn’t crashed..its desperately disappointing. Regrettably my plan of riding both India and Africa is no longer feasible. I’m still waiting on the damage assessment from BMW, that will be a huge factor. But I’ve got a few things going for me, like a knack for being stubborn and sticking it out,..and lot of folks cheering me on.

I didn’t plan on finishing the tour until the end of summer 2010,..and I’m going to do whatever it takes to keep touring internationally until then. I’ve got a holiday work visa for Australia that’s my wild card. I’ll get that bike back on the road and then go work for some coin to bump me off the island to the next continent.

For now base camp is in South Carolina. I’m taking advantage of good home cook’n, jamming to bluegrass and enjoying the company of my folks as I heal up. Doc says it’ll be a good 3 months till I can bump that 600lb bike through the bush again. So I’ve got some time to do my homework and figure out how to get back on the road. At any rate I’ll be back in OZ in a few months to give her another go. (will be returning with a special respect for bulldozers)

Its true that this site will slow down a bit since I’m not riding for three months. However, I’ve got a ton of vid footage to edit, so I’ll be posting vids. I’ll also be posting updates on my recovery and future plans as well. The tour continues!

If any one sees any deals on the following please let me know, its my first step in refitting

BMW Rally II Pro Suit size 52

BMW Rally Glove size10

Arai XD size L

Biker Down October 6, 2009

Posted by Chris in : Journal , 7comments

1^st off, thanks guys for all your comments and words of support. Even if I had lost everything, I’d at least find solace in having made so many friends along the way.

The only thing worse than wrecking your bike, is wrecking your bike and your body. To say it’s a low point in the tour is an understatement, but the show’s not over…and that’s my saving grace. Broken bones heal, bike parts will be replaced and that throaty growl from the Remus pipe will once again ring along those dusty back roads.

Just got released from the hospital and I’m holed up with my buddy Ian in Brisbane. So I’ve got a bit of ride report to catch up on,..but with one operable hand its gonna take some time. However, laid up as I am,,..I’ve got time.. so will post soon.

Quick update on Chris September 27, 2009

Posted by Shaun Kuppe in : Journal , 10comments

Unfortunately, from time to time some bad news needs to be delivered. Chris was rear ended by a sod truck a couple of days ago in Toowoomba, Australia. He’s in the hospital with a broken hand and ankle. Could be much worse! The extent of the damage to his bike is currently unknown.

Chris does not have access to a computer at the moment, but will post an update as soon as possible!

Until then, here’s an epic picture from many years ago.

Shipping to Australia-Complete! September 13, 2009

Posted by Chris in : Journal , 4comments

Wow,.. shipping is quite an ordeal! Who would have thought it take so much time, dough, and effort to get to Australia. Well, probably everybody but me. Even with good shipping agents on both sides of the ocean, it was a real struggle….and a learning process. After two weeks of waiting around in Australia I was seriously wondering if my bike was getting parted out to the highest bidder in some Sao Paulo backstreet.

Much to my relief, the bike(my other half) is currently in Brisbane Australia at the local BMW shop. Between the BMW shop and my buddy’s garage, she’s getting full spa treatment before we take on the outback.

There’s a few bikers out there that read this blog, so I’ll go ahead and post the details of the shipment,..maybe you can make more informed decisions then I on your world tour.

I spent two weeks in Rio de Janeiro hunting down a shipping agent. As I may have mentioned previously in the blog, quotes started at over 9,000usd from United -flying out of Rio. The cheapest air freight I found out of Rio was 6,000usd. I also got a hold of the major Argentinian airline- Aerolineas Argentina,..they also quoted 6,000,..for flying out of Buenos Aires. Finaly, an agent at Qantas airlines, told me to contact B&M logistics in Buenos Aires. These guys got me a reasonable quote of around 2,500usd from Argentina. After a frustrating two weeks, I was thrilled to have this quote. At whim I asked them if they had an office in Brazil- which they did! I was fortunate to make contact with a certain Felipe Carneiro of BM Logistica of Sao Paulo who gave me a quote of 2000usd and stood by it to the end.

This guy is one of the few, if not the only guy who now knows how to ship a private bike out of Brazil at a good rate. I highly recommend him.

FILIPE CARNEIRO
Account Executive
B&M LOGISTICA INT‘L
Santa Catarina / Parana / Sao Paulo – BRAZIL
Phone: +55 11 3589 9429

Nextel: 55*11*14913
Mobile +55 47 8804 5419

It took us about a week to get the bike to the loading dock with all approved paperwork. Felipe went to great lengths to assist me, far more than I would expect from a shipping agent. He drove me to various Motorcycle stores to find a crate and then strapped the full size crate to the top of his compact car and drove it to the airport.

He accompanied me to a number of government agencies to get all the stamps and notarized copies. I’d have been lost with out him and I’d have paid about 5 times as much in transport fees.

Naturally, you need a crate to ship your bike! you can have the crate built and fumigated for about 500 or 600 realis (essentially 300$). Ironicly, its not the bike that gets fumigated, it’s the wood of the crate. You need that paperwork stating the wood was fumigated to ensure it is accepted by any 1^st world country.

The obvious solution was to go to BMW of Sao Paulo and beg for a crate. Unlike most of the BMW shops I’d been to, both the one in Sao Paulo and the Rio had very little interest in BMW riders visiting from afar. I don’t know, maybe you’ve got to buy a bike from them, or maybe their just into polishing the pretty bikes instead of bashing them across the continents. The lady at the reception desk actually asked me to repark my bike off to the side of the parking lot- so its rough unshiny appearance wouldn’t detract from all the pristine new bikes parked on display. If I had a bike shop, the bike that had been proven would be the bike on display,..but that’s just me. Its not cosmetic damage,…its a tale recorded in hard won dents and scratches from remote and intriguing places.

At any rate I can’t complain, because they said they had a bike coming in that afternoon and that I could come pick up the crate. As we ran other errands, it came across Felipe’s mind to check the Harly Davidson shop. These guys were great! And they had about a twenty aluminum crates on hand. For 25 bucks I scored a crate off them, and because it was aluminum I escaped the fumigation fee (150$).

We rushed off to the airport to pack up the bike and get it on the loading dock. I had about 45 minutes to disassemble the bike, drain the gas, and package it up on the crate. I rushed it and got the thing packed up,..but I didn’t have time to reclean the bike. I’d spent about 5 hours cleaning the bike with a toothbrush(literally) while in Rio, in an attempt to escape quarantine fees in Australia,..however, it had rained a bit since I had cleaned it, leaving some residual dirt here and there on the bike. I wiped down the bike best that I could, and crossed my fingers.

Strangely enough, the crated bike was placed among boxes of live penguins. I cant explain it, but there were definitely a bunch of live penguins at the loading dock. One of the curios little critters stuck his head out of his box and made eye contact with me. He was clearly as confused as I was.

Two days later I flew to Australia in order to get into country before my holiday work visa expired. From this point, it was over 2 weeks of wondering what the hell the problem was. The bike continued to sit at the airport. Over a week passed and Brazilian customs finally cleared it for export. Then, some way or another, my bike was repeatedly bumped from one flight to another. You can imagine my frustration in this. I sent all sorts of nasty grams to Felipe, as if he was personally responsible for the Brazilian Bureaucracy. (sorry Felipe)

It did in fact arrive in Australia…all in one piece,. no damage…nothing stolen.,.nothing parted out,..and without penguin shit on the crate.

My Aussie shipping agent-Vanessa in middle

Felipe hooked me up with an AWESOME shipping agent in Brisbane-

Vanessa Richards
COMPLETE GLOBAL SOLUTIONS
Tel: +617 3606 4000

Fax: +617 3606 4091
Email: vanessa@cgs.net.au
Web: www.cgs.net.au

Vanessa went to great lengths for me. Her associates drove all the way out to my buddy’s place to pick up documents. I was given rides into the airport. She even went to the gas station in high heals and skirt to fill a gas can for my bike! Working with Vanessa and her team was a great experience. I can’t recommend them enough for anyone importing to Australia.

Despite Vanessa’s best efforts to keep my costs down,..the Aussie government took a huge chunk of my budget. The biggest fine coming from the Quarantine boys, who identified dirt residue between the bashplate and sump plate, as well as dirt on the tail pipe. I explained that the dirt on the tailpipe was actually burned on, but I couldn’t make excuses for dirt residue under the sump plate.( the rain in Sao Paulo after I cleaned the bike) They got me! This opened up a real financial nightmare! Between Quarantine and airport fees, I was billed over $1,100 just to get my hands on the bike.

Gross Cost of get’n to Oz

Passenger flight (Qantas) $1400

Airfreight +handling $2,000

Import charges $1,114

Total- $4,514

time costs follow for air freighting bike to Australia

planning, paperwork, customs, travel, quarantine=30days

I had initially thought(based on dated internet information) to make the transition for 3,000usd and lose about a week of touring. It’s a learning process. There’s not a lot of information on this sort of thing,..hopefully this blog will help some else make an informed decision.

So I spent a lot of time, energy and money, getting to Australia,..now I know why most world tourers from my end of the world…don’t go to Australia. However, now that I’m here, I’m going to make sure I take advantage of as much of this great country as possible. I’m hoping to be riding on Wednesday….due west for the outback!

here’s some photos I’ve taken so far,..and a few I’ve collected from friends

My buddy Ian took me for a tour of XXXX brewery..good times!