After booking our next overseas holiday we have been waiting patiently for the time to come when we can actually get ready to go.

This time we are off to Europe - again!

We are shipping our Triumph Tiger 800 XRx in to Felixstowe, UK with Get Routed. This is not exactly something new for us as we have shipped our bike 5 times before. 2007 and 2013 we shipped in to Felixstowe, 2009 was to Portland Oregon, USA. In 2011 we shipped in to Ismir, Turkey and 2015 it was to Athens, Greece. Shipping our bike allows us the freedom to travel the way we enjoy best - 2 up on our own bike.

Sometimes we travel alone and other times we join up with friends. This time we will spend half of our 15 week trip with friends Chris Pearson and Craig and Marg d*** on.

As with any trip, a large part of the excitement is in the planning. We usually plan over breakfast at The Outpost Cafe at Canungra. We have also had several dinner planning meetings with our travelling companions at Club Helensvale and our BBQ area. Essential bookings have been made and deposits paid where necessary. We try not to book too much in advance but some bookings need to be done well in advance - accommodation for Isle Of Man TT, MotoGP's in Spain and Germany, and for The Dawn Service at Villers-Bretonneux in France. We have also booked a couple of Ferry crossings and a trip through the Chunnel. With airfares purchased, travel insurance and bike insurance organised we have done about as much as we can do.

We also usually design a t-shirt for our trips. The art work for this trip is ready but we are not happy with our first attempt at printing, so this is a work in progress.

Today was time to pack the gear to be shipped with the bike as it leaves next Friday, 23rd February.

The bike goes in to a shipping container and we are able to send our riding gear packed in the panniers. Panniers and top box need to be removed from the bike, packed and then wrapped in bubble wrap to protect them. Because the weather had been so hot, we decided to pack our stuff in the lounge room in front of the air conditioner - a very good decision.

It is always a challenge to fit the riding gear in the panniers as boots and jackets are quite bulky. We also send the bike cover, tool kit, wet weather gear (always hoping we don't need it), chain locks and miscellaneous bits and pieces that are needed for successful riding.

Now that all is packed, we need to take the bike and luggage to Brisbane to be put in the container.

The weather forecast for Greg to ride the bike to Brisbane to be put in the container was anything but promising - rain, torrential rain and more torrential rain! It was decided that Greg would leave home at 5:30 am to meet Craig and Marg and head to Brisbane at 6:00 am. Craig would also be riding his bike and Marg would follow behind with all the bubble wrapped luggage. The bike did not have to be at the depot until 9:00am but with the weather and M1 congestion an early start was needed.

It rained from the minute Greg left our garage in the dark until he arrived at the depot in Brisbane, but at least he made it safely. A bit of work was required to get the bikes clean and dry but eventually they were rolled on to the transport cradles to go in to the container.

Bike delivered safe and sound, all we have to do now is wait 6 weeks before we depart on April 9th - Darcy's (Kerrie's dad) 100th birthday if he were still alive. A good day to begin a new adventure we think!

If you enjoy reading our travel story, please feel free to leave a comment as they become part of the travel book we have printed at the end of our trip.