Our first idea of using Canada 3000 and flying from Toronto via Vancouver, Hawaii, Fiji and landing in Sydney was fraught with difficulty in obtaining advance information on prices and flights during the Millenium period, then the extra costs to get to and from Melbourne plus the stop over.

Murray and Renate (Kiwi BikeShare members) came to the rescue, "by all means stop over and see us in New Zealand".

Other friends living in Melbourne had asked us to visit so the planning went ahead with emails flashing back and forth during the rest of the year.

Irené is the News letter Editor of BMW Club of Ontario, and on the advice from our Aussie members, Mike & Lynne Booker, we borrowed their Gear Sac Saddle Bags. And touched base with a friend of theirs before leaving.

Saturday Dec 11th 1999 we left Toronto via Air Canada to LAX; here we had a 4½-hour layover before our 16-hour direct flight to Melbourne on United.

Now some of you may not like to hear this, but we will not go through LAX again if we can possibly avoid it. As a gateway to the Orient it is sadly lacking in décor and facilities, contrast it with the airports of Melbourne or Auckland with their bright lounges, well-stocked shops plus a piano bar, and you will understand.

Our marathon flight went like a breeze due to the "No Jet Lag" pills (a product of New Zealand). We both slept 8 hours and awoke as breakfast was being served at the dawn of a new day (Monday, Sunday got lost some where over the Pacific)

We hit landfall over Sydney with a clear view of the Bridge, Opera house, and the Airport on Botany Bay way below, shining in the morning sun. After a further two hours flying over mountains and hills we arrived in Melbourne half an hour early all bright eyed and bushy tailed.

Customs & immigration was quick, and at about 8.30am we hailed a cab to take us to East Doncaster, and man, did he take us, $130.00AU. Our friends tried in vain to trace him so we put it down to experience.

Beth had worked with Irené at HSC in Toronto when she was a Post Doc. It must have been 8 years ago,

Now we had come to visit, and her son Christopher, born a month premature had been home for only one week.

Even with all the upheavals, Beth, Frank and their two-year-old Rachel made us really welcome, this was our first taste of the great Aussie hospitality awaiting us.

We started the usual round of phone calls and looking at local maps to get our bearings, our schedule allowed four days in Melbourne before starting our journey to Queensland on Friday. We planned an on route two night stopover in Sydney.

We located Tom Sackville and Andy, this couple is well known for their riding abilities and off road exploits. I guess they have been everywhere a motorcycle could possibly be ridden in Aussie.

I had called and spoken to Tom before we left Canada and found he already knew about us coming, via the BikeShare Bush Telegraph.

Tuesday everyone slept in and Frank decided he would put off his work schedule for the day and drive us around to see the sights of Melbourne. It was a beautiful warm day as we wandered through the Botanical Gardens looking at the sub tropical trees and getting to know the various new birds with their strange calls.

Wednesday Rod and Marg. Gallagher (web friends of Ted & Sue Gray our first BikeShare Buddies) called at the house early. They took us to The Healesville Sanctuary where many injured animals & birds are nursed back to health. It was a very hot day but also very relaxing.

On the way back we saw the view from Mount Dandenong looking out over the greater Melbourne area, then we went on to meet Peter & Gudrun at their Clinic.

Before picking up their bike, we spent the evening with them back at their home on the hillside in Upper Fern Tree Gully.

The "Suzie" as she is affectionately called was waiting in the garage along with their two new Aprillia Pegasos. We struggled a bit to fit the Gear Sack Saddlebag hardware but had it done as darkness fell. This meant finding our way back to East Doncaster in the dark on a completely strange bike, not to mention that Peters driveway looked to me like the start of an Olympic Grand Slalom Ski run.

Thursday morning was wet so we rested a little and started sorting things and packing. At home we usually travel with everything but the kitchen sink in the trailer, but this had to be different.

Friday morning I finally got everything strapped and bungied in place but the Inspection Department (Irené) would not buy off on the load or the loading and insisted I take something off. I'm sure Peter & Gudrun would have agreed with her. Gradually we were able to see the bike as I unloaded everything to start again. After some lengthy negotiations we struck a bargain, it would be a 50/50 download, 50% hers and 50% mine, it worked. We decided to ride out and say thanks and goodbye to Peter and Gudrun and arrived just before lunch.

Following Peter's instructions we took the Bass Hwy and got our first sight of the mighty pacific surf crashing on the beach at Kilcunda. This route took us along the south coast of Victoria and on to the South Gippsland Hwy where we spent our first night in Sale. In a local caravan park we rented a Cabin fully equipped to sleep 5, with fridge, stove, dishes, TV, Shower etc. This was also our first experience of a local Pub where we ate in the Bistro ordering a substantial meal for only about $8.00AU. Food stores were open 24 hours and having left a small space in the tank bag we were able to shop for breakfast groceries.

Saturday saw us up early, the temperature quite low at 16C. We joined the Princes Hwy (Main Hwy) in Sale, through Bairnsdale to Lakes Entrance, the spectacular beginning of the Coastal Road. From here the road undulates with big sweepers all the way up the coast, the scenery interspersed with bushland and small towns.

With the 4 into 1 pipes, the Susie howled by the slower vehicles as we cruised easily uphill in 3rd gear. At Cann River we gassed up then turned north on the Cann Valley Hwy where we almost hit a Wallaby ambling across the road. Lucky for us we were only doing about 80km/hr.

Crossing into New South Wales the Morano Hwy became less twisty with longer straight sections. At Bombala we turned back towards the West Coast, through Wyndham, Pambula and Merimbula to Tathra where we spent our 2nd night.

Sunday morning was another early start with our first stop at the Bega Cheese Factory for coffee and to pick up some goodies, just enough room left. The weather still quite cool for summer and with slight threat of rain we donned our outer gear to keep warm & dry. A little further on with rain still threatening and temperature dropping we stopped for our first taste of Aussie Fish & Chips.

The coastal road didn’t exactly hug the coast, it had few straight stretches, lots of rolling hills and great sweepers with light traffic, a motorcyclists heaven, just what we needed.

The approaches to Sydney took us up quite high over some wild looking countryside by passing Wollongong and onto the first stretch of real super slab.

It is not easy to negotiate a route through Sydney; we had already picked a Caravan Park on Botany Bay to the south of the City. The rather surly receptionist sat behind a locked door with a security buzzer to open. She first tried us with a cabin for $120AU per night then grudgingly agreed we could have a caravan at $55 per night if we stayed 2 nights. We were too tired to go looking elsewhere so reluctantly accepted. The bed was anything but comfortable. We ate a great meal in the local Service Mens Club with wine at $1.00 a glass.

Monday was spent exploring Sydney. The bus route was right outside the camp and we were able to take a bus and train right into the City Centre, the all day pass valid on bus train and ferry. It seemed strange to see a 60ft Christmas tree all decorated in the middle of "summer". The City and environs are quite spectacular, with numerous ferries connecting to the various bays and out lying areas. Only having one day, we went across to Manly then back to the downtown area. Service in restaurants was either do it yourself or extremely slow, and we finally sat down to a meal that was just awful. Now coming from me those are harsh words, as I will normally eat anything and everything in front of me, this coupled with the condition of the (public) wash rooms caused us to complain. The waitress being knew and from out of town listened attentively then took our bill and tore it in shreds; we left her a tip.

Tuesday morning we were on the road early taking the road towards the airport and over the Bridge in the rush hour traffic. We missed a vital direction sign and had to plough through the north Sydney traffic before joining our chosen route. We were now on another section of superslab, with no indication of distance to the next services. Seemingly low on gas we pulled off at the next town, again no indication of direction for gas, food or motels although turning right we soon came to a large Mall area but no sign of Gas. After cruising back and forth Irené yelled "I can see a BP through the trees over there". Sure enough there was and also a McDonalds. We filled the bike and ourselves, keeping the French Fries container as a souvenir.

Out on the Highway once more we hadn't gone more than 2Km before there was a sign announcing gas 2km further on. I muttered something under my breath, it wasn't nice. Approaching Coffs Harbour the traffic started to get thicker, we were getting closer to the Gold coast region. The Dorrigo rain forest area was over to our left. Just past Urunga we turned inland, it was nearing time to look for somewhere to stay as we headed east towards the Dorrigo National Park. The sky was heavy and the clouds over the mountains were low as we drove through Bellingen. If we kept going we were sure to get wet, then on a hill to the left we saw the Best Western. It was an idyllic setting with a grand view of the mountains. After the caravan in Sidney this was pure luxury so we paid the price and reveled in it, the pool, the hot tub and the laundry room. The dining room was warm and hospitable and the food magnificent.

Wednesday morning breakfast was served outside our room overlooking the mountains. Soon we were on our way up the twisty mountain road to Dorrigo under a clear sky. We stayed just long enough to walk out on the bridge and take some pictures. In my haste to reload my camera I didn't take care to check the film was winding and came home to find I had two blank films. Of course one of them was from Dorrigo to Queensland. The road across to Armidale was on a high plateau so it was quite cold even for summer. We heard later that -3C was recorded in Guyra just two days before. At Glencoe we stopped for lunch and a warm-up, yes there was a fire going in the "Scottish" Pub so we first warmed our butts then tucked in to Pie & Chips. We were now on the New England Hwy, about 120Km. inland and running parallel to the coastal road, with hardly any traffic in sight, heading north to Queensland.

On entering Queensland the scenery changed dramatically. The rolling hills giving way to long stretches of straight road, all the way from Warwick to Toowoomba where the hills returned. Great if you are a speed freak, apart from the occasional large pot holes.

Quick stop to warm-up again and chat to a couple of local bikers and we were on the last leg of the first half of our journey. I asked about a short cut and they agreed, thinking it would take only about two hours to our destination. We took the minor road, through Ravensbourne National Park across to Esk. It turned out to be a ribbon of blacktop edged with sand about 50Km through the forest, most of it just wide enough for one car. Several motorcycles passed us coming from Esk, but thankfully no larger vehicles. We made it through on fumes and tanked up in Esk still having 100km to go. I saw another short cut but was curtly directed to stay on the major road, which of course I did. We arrived in Wamauran at about 7pm just as it was getting dusk, and made some enquiries as to the whereabouts of our friends. Wouldn't you know it they were down some little back road about 15-min drive and it was fast becoming dark. Lucky for us someone knew about us coming and phoned them to say we had arrived. (A day or two ahead of schedule).

While in Sydney we had called to say we were on track and were told we had to get there before 6pm Friday, Xmas Eve as a Party had been arranged. After waiting on the corner for at least 20-min. Russell arrived, looking much as we remembered him from 27 years ago.

He was driving a typical vehicle for the area, an old pickup with no rear window, which ran on either Gas or propane. Irené quickly hopped in looking for the seat belt. I followed down this dark winding road which of course inevitably turned to gravel. Not withstanding there were naturally potholes, wild horses and cattle plus the occasional grid and narrow bridge over the creeks, which we found later, flood over quite quickly.

The final right turn over a cattle grid and up a very steep hill led to their Log house where Both the Suzie and I heaved a big sigh of relief. Home at last.

It was a cool evening as we unloaded and hauled all our gear up the staircase to the little bedroom in the apex of the roof.

No screens, no air conditioning, how on earth will we survive? The bed was heaven and the view across the hills even more so; this Xmas would be different.

Thursday, having arrived early there was time to relax before the festivities began. I draped the cover over Suzie and gave her a well-deserved rest; she had served us well. We had time to go shopping, which car shall we take; they all ran.

At the Shopping Centre I left my Organizer to have new batteries fitted. I should have done it myself; you guessed it they wiped out all the data. I didn't know that at the same time all the pictures I was taking were duds too. It was a good job we had 4 cameras.

Friday was spent with helping Russell put the finishing touches on his Mini Cooper S Barbecue. We still had to pick up two alloy wheels and fit them. (polish them as well)

I thought only those of English extract like myself were eccentric, not so, when Russell knew for certain we were coming, he got out his tractor and re landscaped the whole back yard. Then decided to build a barbecue. If anyone wants to see what a Mini Cooper S Barbecue looks like, I have pictures.

That evening, as planned we all went out to a Christmas Eve party. It was an Australian semi formal affair so we wore our foam Deer Antlers to add some real class.

Starting with cold Beet Soup, which I promptly upset into my lap and found myself sitting in rather than sipping at. You guessed right, the original colour of my pants was a light beige. I kept seated most of the evening until most people had enough to drink that they wouldn't notice. As luck would have it after a good soak in the laundry tub the pants were as good as new.