We spent most weekends of 2010 riding and planning the 2011 trip. We headed off armed with our maps, draft itinerary, lap top and a keen sense of adventure. Planning usually involved a ride, followed by breakfast and then pouring over maps and drafting & redrafting our ever changing itinerary. Our two favourite breakfast spots are The Outpost Cafe, Canungra (Gold Coast Hinterland) and The Rainforest Cafe on Mount Glorious (west of Brisbane). Both venues have good food and are popular spots for social rider's so there is always plenty of bikes to look at and people to talk to (often about our trip).

We will be travelling through Europe on our 2007 red Triumph Sprint ST. We affectionately call it "The Pommie Ducati" as it has Casey Stoner's number 27 on it and at first glance (OK, a very quick first glance) it could be mistaken for a Ducati. We have added a couple of extra storage pipes to the bike (storage is always a problem as we are 2-up on the bike) for our wet weather gear - working well so far on trial rides.

We have booked the bike transport with Dave MILLIGAN from Get Routed (our third trip with Dave) and purchased airfares to Turkey where we will pick up the bike on Monday the March 28, 2011. We packed the panniers and top box on Saturday 22nd January 2011 with our riding gear (riding suits, helmets, tool kit etc), ready to transport to Sydney for shipping. After packing the panniers and top box, they were put snuggly into cardboard boxes and then bubble wrapped. On Saturday 29th January,2011, Greg rode "The Pommie Ducati" and Kerrie followed in the car with the bubble wrapped boxes to Nambucca Heads where we met our friend Chris PEARSON who lives there. Chris had agreed to transport our bike to Sydney in his van for us.

Chris is also shipping with Get Routed, riding his classical Suzuki RG500, and we will meet up with him in the UK and head to the Isle of Man together where we will share digs. Our bike was packed in the van and surrounded by the bubble wrapped boxes. On Sunday 30th, Kerrie returned home to the Gold Coast and Chris and Greg ventured on to Sydney where they overnighted in a hotel close to the shipping company. At 9am Monday morning the 31st January 2011 Greg & Chris delivered our bike to the freight depot for packing in a 40 foot shipping container together 16 other bikes. Of the other 16 bikes, with a selection of BMW's (mostly GS 1150s & 1200s) and assortment of other road and adventure style bikes. All the bikes are off to Izmir, Turkey where the excited and adventurous owners will collect them on Monday 28th March 2011 to start off on their own individual odysseys of self dscovery.

We now just have to wait for our departure on Saturday the 26th March 2011 from Brisbane.

Let the adventure begin!