We would like to take this opportunity to say a big ‘Thank You’ too everyone who has supported us and helped us with the mammoth task of preparing for this trip.

Joanne and Rachael thanks for putting us up on our last night in Oz, and for being there for us all the time.
Lynn Quinn, who is not Chinese, for supporting us and buying our crap from the our garage sale. We hope to see you in Mexico!
Ruthie, who is having a bit of a rough time at the moment - you will shine through, thanks for your thoughts and wishes.
Christine for helping Jules learn as much Spanish as she possibly could (even if the grandmother wore short mangoes) and for Eric who shared his class time with her.
Especially big thank you to Hanka and Erik Fockert for the inspiration while they stayed with us (and painted our house)!
To Brenda and Kevin and Marilyn a huge thank you for thier help, ideas, information and kind offers of accommodation in Canada... when we get there.

Sunset on Barron River, Cairns

The bike left our company on the 4th of April and we have just had word that it arrives in Vancouver on the 1st of June. One problem with sending goods from Cairns is that it has to go to a major port first, Brisbane, prior to leaving Australia. So we have been without a bike for some time now and are really looking forward to seeing it soon.

The last few weeks have been taken up with all the final fiddley bits and pieces that seem to take up endless lists. Now instead of writing lists and crossing one thing off and adding another two, we are at the stage where two get crossed off and not very often do we add another.

Julie finished work on the 13th of May, and would like to thanks all her friends and colleagues who organised to send us to a flash hotel on the esplanade of Cairns for our final night in Australia. Especially big thanks to Mumma Bear Tiffin for organising it!

The 1st of June sees us fly from Cairns to Sydney and Sydney to Taipei where we will stop the night before heading to Vancouver. We are hoping that we can cope with the Canadian summer, coming from the wet tropics and all!

To answer some of the most Frequently Asked Questions

· We are travelling light!
· Yes, ‘One On One Off One In the Wash’ is our clothing allowance.
· We sold our house and our apartment to finance the trip.
· We buy food as we need it, we can carry up to 2 days worth of food and no we are not taking enough vegemite to last the entire trip…. However long it will be!

Packing List

This is a consolidated list of the things we are taking. Surprisingly it all packs into 2 panniers, 1 top box (well the top box is barely half full) and a tank bag with two side bags.

Living
· Tent – Citadel by Macpac– Thank you to Mark at Adventure Equipment in Cairns for letting us play with all the tents in the store
· 2 sleeping bags – Roman by Palm Passport – comfort to 0, low -5
· 2 Kookaburra 6 tube air mattresses
· 2 silk mattress covers – home made
· 1 silk sheet – home made
· First Aid Kit
· Sewing Kit
· 2 Foot Prints Travel Guides – Central America and South America
· Small Spanish dictionary

Cooking
· Trangia – kitchen kit with methylated spirits burner and MSR whisper light petrol burner – we decided on the two burners to allow more flexibility with fuel supply
· 2 stainless cups
· 1 neoprene bottle 250ml
· 2 plates plastic
· 3 spice containers
· 2 cutting boards plastic thin
· Small collapsible esky
· Tea towel

Bike Bits
· spare oil filter
· wd40 can
· 5 litre petrol can (empty)
· DL 1000 service manual
· Tyre pressure gauge
· Mini foot pump and CO2 cartridge pump
· Chain lubing kit
· 2 spare 1 litre oil containers
· Tyre levers and repair kit
· Most bike spares we will be taking will be purchased in the US and Canada so that we don’t have to take them from AUS.

Plus our clothes and riding gear……

We are certain that some things packed are not needed and others we have forgotten, but sometimes you cant tell until you start moving.

Will talk to you from Canada next!

This is the beginning of our Journey.... well the beginning bit after the more than 12 months planning anyway!

Freight to Date

Freight cost for DL 1000 Suzuki V Strom ex Cairns Australia to Vancouver AUS$885.00 plus discharge and handling fees at arrival to be advised.

Crate size, 750 wide, 2400 long, 1250high. Steel Crate modified in length only and covered with strong cardboard and secured by cable ties, simple and relatively effective, thanks to Erik for the idea.

Bike set-up:
Aluminium panniers and top box designed and fabricated by yours truly.

Top box size based roughly on the ZEGA –XL by Touretech. Rear modified to flip down for use as kitchen whilst on the road.

Top box is mounted directly to a GIVI top box frame which came with the bike. It takes 4 bolts and 5 min to remove and a little longer to remount.

Panniers design is loosely based on an old fibreglass set however are slightly larger.

These panniers were assembled 8 years ago and have a proven record over many thousands of kilometres on another bike.

They are fitted to GIVI pannier frame. Pannier modification includes re -drilling of mount holes and strengthening of the inside mounting area. Panniers were grit blasted to freshen them up.

Removal takes 5 mins and remount again a little longer. One person can easily do it. Although not as practical as quick release systems we are happy with the system.

Bash plate is my own design and doubles as a storage system for all the tools, security chain and other heavy items. It can be removed and remounted in 20 mins.

I found it necessary to assemble PVC tubes and mount directly under exhausts to provide space for workshop manual etc.

We have a Touratech tank bag and side bags and this completes the ensemble for the two of us.