[Kombisaurus]

I'm back home!
I had a indescribable, life-changing, amazing time on my travels, but I'm also really happy to be home. I was really quite run down by the end of it. The thought of exchanging snow and sickness for an Australian summer and sleeping in my own bed again was too tempting.

I also particularly missed the open spaces of Australia. I love that it's so easy to get away from all civilisation here, and I craved that at times while in other countries.


But because I came home a little earlier than expected, I still want to do something interesting with my time.
So I bought myself another motorcycle and am now in the process of fitting it out as a touring bike to ride across Australia from Perth to Hobart, leaving sometime in April.
More details to follow...

I'm also still trying to update my blog with the backlog of photos and stories I have from the remainder of my trip. I still have a few countries to cover (Austria, Slovakia, and Czech Republic), and of course I'll cover my Trans-Australia bike ride on my blog too.

[nia]

You are welcome to your home dear Adrian! To be at home is the most beautiful thing after all travelling days These are wonderful photographs.
Good Luck for your travelling life, and also for your motorcycle. Sounds that it would be so enjoyable and exciting. Just be in safe and drive carefully
Thank you,
Blessing and Happiness,
with my love,
nia

[matthew]

Welcome back! I'm glad to see that you've resurfaced safely.

Some 'life advice' that I picked up is that it's important to have a plan, but it's just as important to be willing to change it. So good on you for being ready to switch gears when the circumstances needed it.

[Kombisaurus]

Thanks for the warm welcome.

You're right Nia. No matter where you're from, there's nothing like coming home when you've been away for a while.

And Matthew, thanks for your support. I think you're right on the money there. It certainly didn't turn out to be the trip I expected, but I got an amazing amount from it in some unexpected ways.
Although the challenges I faced weren't always fun, I learned many valuable lessons and feel like I'm better equipped to deal with things that life throws up in the future. I might have come home physically run-down and sick, but mentally I feel much stronger than when I left.

[Wedding Shooter]

Great to hear from you Adrian and to know you are back. Maybe we can catch up before you take off again

[NT73]

They say travel broadens the mind, and also the waistline.

I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[EnglishBob]

No Matter how good my travels are, I am always glad to get home.... and I have never spent anywhere the length of time on the road you did

Here's to hoping you feel better soon and back to full strength soon. A trip across the country by bike makes me real jealous..I have wanted to cross the US on a bike for a LONG time.

[Kombisaurus]

Thanks guys.
Yeah NT... it did broaden the waistline by about 5kg. Nevermind, it was worth it.

Craig, I'm already back to feeling 100% again. It didn't take long at all, I just needed to get out of a European winter and sleep at home for a week.

I'm really looking forward to this next trip. I drove my kombi around Australia for 6 months back in 1997 and had an incredible time, and the thought of doing it on a bike is really cool. I'd also LOVE to ride across the US Craig... I think that would be one of those epic once-in-a-lifetime journeys. You guys have a lot more interesting stuff in the middle of your country compared to us.

This new trip will probably only be about 4 weeks long though (with a chunk of that time riding around Tasmania), but I intend to leave this bike in Tasmania when I'm done (most of my family live there still) so I'll always have something to ride over there when I go back. Then I'll fly back to Perth.
Because I intend leaving the bike in Tasmania and it will rarely be ridden after I leave, I wanted the cheapest bike I could find. I don't want to be too precious about it. Obviously it still needs to be reliable and comfortable enough to get me across the country and then be ridden intermittently with the least amount of maintenance, and I also want something I can have a little bit of fun with on Tasmania's twisty roads after I get there. So I wanted cheap, but not too cheap. I didn't want a cruiser, but I didn't want a full-on sports bike either. I also wanted something fairly light and nimble, but not small and gutless.
So after keeping a close eye on the Perth classifieds (before I even left Europe), I found a 1998 Yamaha FZS600 Fazer in great condition for a fantastic price.
It's got the same 600cc inline-4 cyl motor as used in the Yamaha Thundercat (the predecessor to the R6), it has the same front brakes as the early R1, but it is all wrapped up in a much less agressive frame with a nice comfortable, upright seating position. Back in 1998 it was trying to combine almost-sports-bike performance with the practicality of a general-purpose bike. With 95hp and a weight of 180kg it's quick and flickable enough to keep me entertained and to eat up the miles without complaining, but not so much power that it's frustrating riding it at regular speeds. It's a million times more comfortable than a sports bike, but it still feels a bit sporty when you give it a handful of throttle and lean it over in a bend. It's absolutely perfect for my needs.
So now I'm in the process of turning it into a touring bike and getting it ready for the trip.


This is what it looked like when I picked it up.

[Toad]

Sounds like your life it taking some interesting turns. I'm jealous...

[shuttertalk]

Welcome back, Adrian! Always great to read about your adventures... you lead a most adventurous life... D