Horizons Unlimited Travellers Meetings

Fifth Annual Western Canada Travellers Meeting

Held in Nelson, BC - August 25-27, 2006

in co-operation with:

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Why Come to a Horizons Unlimited Motorcycle Travellers Meeting?

You can meet people who don't think you're crazy for wanting to ride your bike to South America or Africa or across Asia, or even around the world! Admit it, all your 'normal' friends and most of your family fears for your sanity! So, this is your opportunity to meet the people who will encourage you in that craziness, share their experiences and advice on how to do it, and maybe you'll meet them again in Mongolia or Timbuktu!

We want to say a big THANK YOU to all the presenters, and those who came to watch them too!

Photos below...

What happened: (just so you know what you missed if you weren't there )

Thursday night

We showed Austin Vince's "Terra Circa" video about motorcycling the Zilov Gap – Well attended, everyone stayed till the end. (2 hours +) (The video is available, listed on our books pages)

Friday

6:00 – 7:00 Excellent catered supper
7:00 PM Speakers (actually started closer to 8pm due to the tent arriving late, and some technical difficultes) finished at 10:30
George & Margo Coppus, Canada, “Between Mordor and Marai – Motorcycle Touring in New Zealand”
Bernie, Linda and Jenny Hide, Canada, "Bikes, Beans and Borders, Arizona to Panama City and back"
Werner Bausenhart, Canada: a pictorial summary of his many trips followed by a game of ‘name that famous site’

Saturday

8:00 – 9:30 Catered breakfast
9:30 – 12:00 Susan and Grant Johnson video: “The Achievable Dream” moderated by Ekke Kok
12:00 – 1:00 Catered Lunch
1:00 – 2:00 For Women Only, “Chatting about motorcycle travel issues specific to women”
2:00 – 3:00 Touratech Canada session with Dave Anderson
3:00 – 4:00 Tire changing
5:30 – 6:30 Catered supper
6:30 – 6:45 David Breedon – Demonstration of the amazingly packable ‘Alpacka’ inflatable raft
6:45 – 7:00 50-50 draw and door prizes
7:00 PM Speakers
Klaus Exner, Canada, “From the Rio Grande to the Arctic Circle”, “To Inuvik by boat and back by motorcycle.”
Ramona Eichhorn, Germany "around the world" with Uwe Krauss, Germany, on two KTM 640 Adventures”
Wolfgang Simmert “Wolfgang’s Australia”
Werner Bausenhart, Canada, "The Amazon - Guyana's loop: South America with a difference"
Alec Bialski, Canada, "Central Europe, the good, the bad and the ugly"
10:30 Wrap up, feedback and questions

Sunday

8:00 – 9:30 Catered breakfast, and head for home!

Your HU Meeting Organizers were:
Ekke Kok - Registrations, general
Audrey Kok - Registrations, general
Chad Stocking - Registrations, general
Timo Scheiber – MC, general questions

And from Susan and Grant - a special thanks to Timo, Ekke, Audrey and Chad - your help is much appreciated, by us - and those who attended the meeting - I hear you did a great job!

Campsite owners: Steve Ramsbottom & Mary Laird - Thanks Steve and Mary!

Vendors

Dave Andersen of Anderwerks is the new Touratech Canada distributor, and he was there with catalogs and goodies, and loads of information!

Touratech Canada for all your travel needs! Check us out now!

Send in YOUR photos!

Check out the Books pages for Travel books and videos.

Translate page

Photos by Ekke Kok and Audrey Allensbach-Kok

Entry sign

Women only meeting

Photos by Ekke Kok and Audrey Allensbach-Kok

Seminars

Seminars - intense concentration!

sidecar rig

Photos by Ekke Kok and Audrey Allensbach-Kok

Fabulous camping area in the deep in the forest of British Columbia.

Check out hte licence plate!

Send your photos in! See the Contact HU below, or just email Grant.

You can help with next years meeting!

If you have a few minutes, please download the poster in Adobe pdf format) and print off a few and hand them round your club or your local bike shop or anywhere seems like a good place.

(You may need to right click and choose "save target as...")

2006 Poster in pdf format (884kb) full colour. 2007 poster to come!

Thanks for the help!

The Meeting Location

Nelson BC, Canada.

Getting There -

Distances from Nelson

City

Castlegar
Creston
Spokane, Washington
Osoyoos
Penticton
Kelowna
Kamloops
Banff, Alberta
Calgary, Alberta
Vancouver, BC

Distance

41 km
114 km
237 km
261 km
321 km
338 km
454 km
496 km
624 km
657 km

25 miles
68 miles
142 miles
157 miles
193 miles
203 miles
272 miles
298 miles
374 miles
394 miles

The "Official" Campground / Meeting spot:

Toad Rock Motorcycle Campground,

865 Toad Rock Road on Highway 31
British Columbia, Canada

(Between Balfour and Ainsworth – 5 miles either direction)

Facilities:

Covered picnic shelters available

Shady, grassy tent sites

Pavilion with Pool Table

Wet bar and cooking facilities

Excellent riding, all paved roads

Fire wood cut & almost stacked

5 minutes to Ainsworth Hot Springs

Excellent restaurants & pubs nearby

Swimming nearby

Wash house with new showers and toilets

Other Accommodation Possibilities

Plenty within 5 minutes.

Information about the area

Attractions include national parks all around, fantastic roads, lakes and more, so plan to spend a few days!

DiscoverNelson.com has weather, facilities, accommodation, dining and shopping info.

Local Hosts

can answer Registration questions, and on presenters and local questions, meeting logistics etc.

Contact Toad Rock Campground folks for local details.

Short History of the Horizons Unlimited Travellers Meetings

Susan and I started the Horizons Unlimited Motorcycle Travellers Meetings in May of 2001 while we were living in the UK, with an event held in our backyard in Slough. That first event had almost 40 people show up, and we were especially pleased that some came from as far away as Norway!

In 2002 we had moved back to Canada, so we organized a meeting in Nairn Falls, British Columbia, and also asked Chris Bright and Glynn Roberts if they would organize a second UK meeting since we couldn't be there. We had a small but enthusiastic turnout for the Canadian meeting, with folks coming from as far away as Missouri (almost 3,000 kilometres!), Alberta and California, as well as two round the world travellers, from Switzerland and the UK.

But the Brits really exceeded our wildest expectations. Almost 100 people came to the HU UK 2002 event, and had a great time. No rock bands or beer bashes, just motorcycle travellers and would-be travellers getting together to share experiences and tips - what a concept! For the HU UK 2003 event, almost 200 enthusiastic folks came together over several days and this is now well established as an annual event, with Glynn and Chris continuing to provide superb organizing, and a host of volunteers.

Ken and Carol Duval hosted Australia's first HU travellers event in 2003, and they had almost 60 people. The meetings in New Zealand, Argentina, Mexico and Portugal in 2003 were also big successes, and we look forward to many more in the years to come. It's wonderful for us to come to the meetings and visit with the many friends we've only met over the internet, and of course for everyone meeting up and sharing stories - and planning to meet in Ushuaia next year!

See you at a meeting this year!

Grant and Susan

Editors note:
We accept no responsibility for any of the above information in any way whatsoever. You are reminded to do your own research. Any commentary is strictly a personal opinion of the person supplying the information and is not to be construed as an endorsement of any kind.

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All text and photographs are copyright © Grant and Susan Johnson, 1987-2008, or their respective authors. All Rights Reserved.