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Flying over Kananaskis Country, west of Calgary
Roman picked us up and drove us to the warehouse where the motorbikes were ready for pick up
First ride in Australia is on the back of Doug's bike to get oil
Checking the transmission oil. It's good!
I am 1.93 metres tall, so I have been warned
Setting off from our AirBnB in Carindale
The Big Lap sticker applied, let's go!
Breakfast with a view
Good morning Rockhampton!
Breakfast on the deck of my cabin at Tasman Holiday Park
Delicious but expensive
Updating the website at a local cafe
Friday had us boarding a large catamaran for the two-hour ride out to the Great Barrier Reef. The seas were quite rough, and I was glad to have brought along some seasick pills as we pounded our way out in open water. We tied up at a large viewing platform and promptly went out in a semi-submersible (a glass bottom boat really) for a tour of the surrounding reef. The colours weren’t as vibrant as I was expecting but we were told this was normal. While this was interesting, I couldn’t help feeling that it was just like being at the aquarium where the fish were on the other side of the glass. After lunch aboard the platform, it was time for the highlight of the trip. Getting into the one-piece lycra suit! The suit protected from stingers (though not in season) as well as from the powerful, tropical sun. When I plunged into the ocean, I was immediately surrounded by fish. I swam away from the platform that was anchored on a sandy section of sea bottom and over to the reef. Wow, it was magical, every turn had fish that I had only seen in an aquarium. Then a Green Turtle swam by. We had three hours at the platform before having to board the cat for the two-hour ride back to Cairns. At the wharf I could see Dundee’s restaurant and thought that it was about time I had some Australian food. The Kangaroo Loin was tender and quite tasty. The perfect end to a great day.The Cairns Art Gallery is housed in three restored government buildings
Heading north on the Captain Cook Highway
Tracks for Brisbane to Cairns
Leaving Cairns
Heading out for a day trip out of Atherton
Home / A Lap of Australia | 2026
A Lap of Australia | 2026
After our planned retirement in 2021, Audrey and I had planned to spend a year riding around New Zealand and Australia. Of course that all changed in 2020 when Audrey passed away, just eight months shy of retirement. Now it is time to make that trip a reality. In 2025 I had purchased (and sold) a bike in New Zealand so that was the most logical choice for Australia as well. I guess logical never came up in my mind. At the end of 2025 I rode my R1200GSA from Munich to Dakar and then the same bike from Cape Town to Uganda and back to Cape Town. The "logical" thing to do then was to ship that bike to Australia. I mean it was half way there already. I had a look at the Australian climate and based on the temperatures I decided that starting in Brisbane at the end of August (winter) and then heading to the hottest parts of Australia (Alice Springs and Darwin) made sense. After a lap I would then end up in the coldest part of Australia (Tazmania) at the end of spring and then finish the lap back in Brisbane in December.
Chapter 1: Arrival in Brisbane
Tuesday, August 25 to Thursday, August 27 - YYC to BNE via YVR
What a great start to the adventure! It was a pleasant flight from Calgary to Vancouver, with nice views over the Rocky Mountains. After the layover it was another 14+ hours crossing the Pacific. The cabin crew had the lights dimmed for about 11 of those hours so it was nice to pretend to sleep. With so much pre-trip planning involving how strict Australia is about entry requirements (for both me and the bike) it was rather a shock how easy it was to enter. First a machine scanned my passport and then I went through a gate where another machine took my photo, all of 30 seconds later I was in Australia. Iulia and Doug greeted me at the exit where we took an Uber to our AirBnB. After I freshened up we walked down to a pie shop for second breakfast and then decided to take a bus downtown. Bus rides are only 50 cents per journey! We stopped off at the Department of Transport to ask what we needed to do in order to properly insure the motorcycles. It turns out that since we are on a Carnet des Passages we shouldn’t need to do anything, just buy the insurance. OK, we'll see how that goes tomorrow. Then to the Botanical Garden downtown for a wander along the Brisbane River and through the gardens. It was fun seeing animals that I would only normally see in a zoo just wandering around. What could be better than a catamaran cruise on the river for recovering from jet lag? Well, the ticket scanner could be broken so that you don’t have to pay the 50-cent fare (part of the public transit system). After our cruise (where a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen would have been a good idea) we popped into a cafe in the Rainforest Garden for a late lunch. A little more walking downtown and then it was time to catch the bus home. I managed to stay awake to about 8:00 and then collapsed into bed. What a fantastic first day!Flying over Kananaskis Country, west of Calgary
That's a lot of ocean between Vancouver and Brisbane and not a lot of land
Welcomed by Iulia and Doug in Brisbane
Winter isn't too bad
Truth in Advertising
Steak, bacon and cheese pie with a double espresso for second breakfast (the first was on the plane at 4:00 AM)
Let's head downtown!
Chinese Hibiscus
Kookaburra
An Australian White Ibis wandering through the gardens
The Queensland Bottle Tree looks like a Bonsai version of a Baobab
Dusky Moorhen
Cool! An Australian Water Dragon!
Let's go for a cruise on the CityCat up the Brisbane River
Is there a better cure for jet lag? I think not.
The Australian flag with a red background is for merchant vessels (the blue flag is the normal flag)
Under the Kangaroo Point Bridge
Back at the AirBnB this Cockatoo reminded me of visitors at my home when they see a deer or squirrel. I was out snapping pictures while the neighbours looked bemused. (No, I didn’t feed it the biscuit it is eating)
Rainbow Lorikeets in the backyard
Friday, August 28 - Brisbane
I love days like this, where you have a real sense of accomplishment. First up was trying to get the Compulsory Third Party (CTP) liability insurance. This can be quite challenging to obtain for foreign riders on foreign bikes. Fortunately, the day before we had gone to the Department of Transport to confirm that we didn’t need to register the bikes in Australia since we have the Carnet des Passages en Duane. So at least we had some information as we called several insurance companies. Finally, we got through to someone in the CTP section of Allianz who was able to help us. It took a while but we both have the mandatory insurance now. And at only $220 for six months, it wasn’t terribly expensive. Note that it only covers if I injure someone, it doesn’t cover property damage. I guess I better not run into too many Ferraris. After printing the insurance document out at the local library, we got picked up by Roman of Bikes Abroad. He took us to the port where our bikes were in a warehouse, and we started the process of putting them back together. Since my gas tank had been purged for the flight from Cape Town, Roman popped over to the nearest gas station and filled a 3-litre Jerry can for me to start the bike. It took a couple of tries to prime the fuel pump but then the bike fired up. To the loudest knocking and rattling I have ever heard. Thinking that the oil just needed to pressurize and the fuel pump was noisy from being dry I rode down the driveway. The oil pressure light was flickering so I turned off the engine and looked at the sight glass. No f#*king oil!!! I couldn’t believe it, why didn’t they tell me they were going to purge the oil too? Doug gave me a lift to the gas station (obviously very keen on carrying a 115 kg passenger for his first ride in Australia) where I picked up a big jug of 20W50. Thankfully the bike was much, much quieter the second time I fired it up. I sure hope that didn’t cause any permanent damage. We rode back to the gas station, and I filled up my bike. The Adventure has a 33-litre gas tank. Considering Roman had already put in 3 litres I was a bit surprised to find I had put in 35 litres of Premium at the pump. For a total of 38 litres?!? The ride back to the AirBnB was, thankfully, uneventful. I was riding in Australia!!!Roman picked us up and drove us to the warehouse where the motorbikes were ready for pick up
All the safety gear on, let's go!
Hello! It's been a few months since I saw you in Africa
Pretty happy about it too
Installing the windshield is the trickiest part
In the meantime Roman has picked up 3 litres of gas
That doesn't sound good
First ride in Australia is on the back of Doug's bike to get oil
5 L jug of oil is $27 cheaper than 4 individual 1 L containters
Reset the GPS and let's ride!
I'm riding in Australia!
At the gas station. Again. This time for gas.
35 litres? Into a tank that is supposed to hold 33 litres and already has 3 litres in it.
The rest of the ride back to the AirBnB is uneventful
We'll have a thorough look at the bikes in the morning to make sure there was nothing else amiss
Saturday, August 29 to Sunday, August 30
Well, that was a lovely weekend. We picked the bikes up at the Port of Brisbane on Friday and you'll recall that the engine oil had been purged from my bike. Saturday then was spent doing a good inspection of the bike, ensuring nothing else untoward had happened. First up was confirming that the transmission oil hadn’t been drained too. Apparently, transmission oil must not be considered dangerous (like engine oil) as that was still there. The bike was steam cleaned after I had dropped it off (I had done a complete disassembly cleaning in Cape Town, but the shipping company insisted a steam cleaning was prudent when shipping to Australia). But the insides of the saddlebags were damp (I assume the pressure got past the seals) and so were the contents. For most items it was a simple matter of drying them out but the tankbag had become a mould farm and needed a good scrubbing with hot, soapy water. Sunday was the fun day of the weekend as we headed off to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. Yes, dozens of cute koalas were hanging about, munching on eucalyptus leaves. There were also a few other animals indigenous to Australia that I wanted to see since I probably wouldn’t see them in the wild, like the incredibly cute platypus and the Tasmanian devil. There was a kangaroo feeding area (like a petting zoo) with the laziest kangaroos imaginable laying around waiting for someone to feed them. A cute Swamp Wallaby earned his keep with our snack treats mainly by being awake. After the Koala Sanctuary we Ubered over to the Brisbane Botanical Gardens at Mount Coot-Tha. A stroll through the Australian Rainforest led us to a steep track that took us to the summit viewpoint and restaurant on Mount Coot-Tha. Dinner while enjoying the sunset over Brisbane was a great end to our fun day.Checking the transmission oil. It's good!
A fun fair at the Belmont School near our AirBnB
Good old Tilt-a-Whirl is alive and well in Australia
Nice to not be the tallest person around for a change
The platypus was in a dark aquarium so photos didn't turn out. Trust me, it was cute!
A Tasmanian Devil!
The wombat looks pretty sturdy (and cute). Wouldn't want to hit one on the road.
The Southern Cassowary looks vaguely like a dinosaur
Lazy kangaroos looking for handouts
Nap time
OK, the swamp wallaby is pretty darn cute (and not sleeping)
He deserves a treat
The Australian Rainforest in the Brisbane Botanical Garden at Mount Coot-Tha
We thought this was a viewing tower. But no, it is a vent for the automobile tunnel underneath the mountain
Rainbow Lorikeets in the garden
What a lovely view of Brisbane from Mount Coot-Tha (and the Brisbane River on the right)
Good night Brisbane
Monday, August 31 to Tuesday, September 1
Monday was another day of doing some bike prep for the upcoming Big Lap. The only thing of note that happened is when I set off seismograph alerts in the greater Brisbane area after banging my head on a beam in the garage. Tuesday was an altogether more pleasant day. It started with meeting up with a former colleague at the West Village shopping district. The district was revitalized from a former ice cream factory and filled with trendy shops and restaurants. I met Meera Kopp at a restaurant called Picnic, a brunch place. The Singapore Kaya French Toast was amazing. It was such a pleasure getting caught up and hearing of how her family moved to Brisbane 1.5 years ago. An hour or two later (time flies!) I walked about 15 minutes to Southbank and the Queensland Museum. It was certainly a nice enough museum but perhaps not what I was looking for. There were interesting exhibits on ceramics, dinosaurs, stuffed animals and a special exhibit on crocodiles but not much on the history of Brisbane, Australia or First Nations. There are a few museums and galleries in Brisbane so maybe I just need to find the right one. Next to the museum was the Queensland Art Gallery which I really enjoyed and spent quite a bit of time exploring. After a full day it was time to hop back on the bus (still 50 cents) for the ride home to the AirBnB in Carindale.I am 1.93 metres tall, so I have been warned
I think I may have bent a beam
The original ice cream factory
Turned into an area of trendy shops and restaurants
I still feel this ibis should be in a zoo, not just wandering around
Meeting up with Meera, a former colleague, for a lovely chat
Good to know, stay away from the horses
Goodbye downtown Brisbane, see you in December
Wednesday, September 2
One last shakedown cruise before departure tomorrow! The bikes seemed to be all set for departure, so we decided to go for a bit of a shakedown cruise on Wednesday. First, up a nice twisty road to Mt. Gravatt Lookout. There sure were a lot of signs warning to watch out for koalas on the road, so it was a bit of a disappointment to not see any. The bikes were riding nicely up the twisty road so after admiring the view, we rode out to Cleveland Point on the ocean for lunch. A delicious seafood chowder with a glorious view was just perfect. The mirror on Doug's bike had come loose on the ride over but that was the only casualty of the shakedown ride. Ready to start the Big Lap tomorrow!Setting off from our AirBnB in Carindale
Lots of signs for koalas but alas none were spotted
Heading to Cleveland Point
The Old Cleveland Lighthouse
The Lighthouse Restaurant has a prime location
Delicious sea food chowder with a view
Chapter 2: Start of the Big Lap
Chapter 2: Start of the Big Lap - Brisbane to Cairns
Thursday, September 3
The trip has started! Doug and I left our AirBnB in Carindale on Thursday morning and headed north on the M1 motorway. We wanted to clear greater Brisbane and get up to Coolum Beach so that we could meet Carol-Ann and Ken Duval for lunch. 120 kilometres of motorway later we pulled into Sunshine Coast and rode along the coast to the Coolum Surf Club where Carol was waiting for us outside. Carol and Ken have done some amazing “Round The World” travels on their R80G/S so you can imagine there were lots of great stories told over lunch. The Surf Club has a spectacular view over the beach and we were lucky enough to see a few whales breaching as they started their journey south to Antarctica for the summer. After we got some great tips for places to see on our ride north towards Cairns, Doug and I took smaller roads along the coast before rejoining the motorway at the Traverston Service Centre. The service centre is the home of Matilda, the 13 metre tall kangaroo that was part of the 1982 Commonwealth opening ceremonies. The motorway ended past Gympie and then it was a couple of hours to Gayndah where we had a motel booked. The smaller roads were nice (though it had warmed up to 32° when we turned inland) and it was a pleasant ride. It was a bit surprising that we arrived about ten minutes before sunset (at 5:37 PM) so that is something to keep in mind for the next month or so as we definitely do not want to ride after dark.The Big Lap sticker applied, let's go!
Doug locks up the house
We are off!
North towards Cairns
Motorway to get out of Brisbane
Meeting up with the Duvals at the Coolum Surf Club
What a spectacular spot
Great conversation over a delicious lunch
Off the motorway and taking some smaller roads
Meet Matilda, Australia's largest kangaroo
Brush fires in the distance
The best 1.2 kilometres of the trip so far
The shadows get long awfully early
Home for the night at the Country Roads Inn
Friday, September 4
Another beautiful ride in Australia! We had a tip that there was an amazing fish & chip place in Bundaberg so from Gayndah we made our way back to the coast. This wasn’t a main travel corridor so we had the opportunity to ride on small, one lane country roads. It was amazing that it felt so remote yet we were only an hour or two from the populated (and touristy) coast. We arrived at Grunske's just before lunch time and managed to get a table with a lovely view of the Burnett River. The fish (snapper) and chips was delicious and well worth the detour from our original route. As a bonus I was able to enjoy a Bundaberg ginger beer in Bundaberg. On to Rockhampton after lunch where we had booked a boutique hotel. The Denison Boutique Hotel was part of the railway history of the town but we didn’t realize how much so until the freight train running down the middle of the street (like a tram in other cities might) blew its whistle for the crossing next to the hotel. It could be a long night.Breakfast with a view
Doug leaving Gayndah
Small country roads
The occasional one lane bridge
Popular restaurant right on the Burnett River
The Burnett River
Worth the detour
35° so its important to take breaks and hydrate
Could this be a motorcycle passing lane? Probably not...
The last hour (4:30 to 5:30) is riding into the setting sun
Arrive at our boutique hotel just as the sun sets
Fancy
Saturday and Sunday, September 5 & 6
What a nice weekend. We left Rockhampton on Saturday morning for the longish ride of almost 500 kilometres to Airlie Beach. But since it was mostly near the coast the temperatures were very pleasant, making the ride much easier. We arrived at the Tasman Holiday Park, where we had cabins booked, just before sunset. At the entrance was a Thai food truck! I love Thai food so it was nice not having to go out to find a place to eat. We booked a Whitsunday Island half-day cruise online and the next morning walked down to the Port of Airlie. The big catamaran left at 11:30 and after a couple of stops plus a transfer we arrived at Whitehaven Beach just before 2:00 PM. Whitehaven Beach is rated as one of the best beaches in Australia (if not the world) and is famous for its pure silica sand and turquoise waters. We disembarked from the cat and onto a landing craft that beached itself on shore. Our first experience was jumping into the ankle-deep crystal-clear waters for the short wade to shore. 7 kilometres of the softest, powdery sand lay before us. Cruise Whitsundays had a shelter set up where you could have an Australian sausage. After the sausage snack, Doug and I walked down the beach, strolling in the clear water watching small fish dart close to shore. Not really being sit-on-the-beach kind of people, we elected to go for a hike up to a viewpoint overlooking the beach and the other side of the island. It was less than a kilometre, but it was mostly stairs so we had a good workout. Fortunately, the hike was under the tree canopy and the temperature was in the mid-twenties, perfect hiking conditions really. And the view was worth it. We returned to the beach and relaxed for a few more minutes before boarding our catamaran and enjoying the two-hour cruise back to Airlie Beach, arriving at sunset, and then the 20-minute walk to the holiday park. Today's food truck was spiral, deep-fried potatoes (much less healthy and not as tasty as Thai if you ask me) but he had a plate of nachos with chilli con carne available.Good morning Rockhampton!
Unfortunately, no live kangaroos yet
Lots of rest areas along the road and plenty of reminders to take a break
Sugar cane fields and sugar refineries
My cabin at the Tasman Holiday Park
Thai food for supper!
Boarding the big catamaran
Oh my, that looks spectacular
Aboard the landing craft
Then wade ashore
An Australian welcome sausage
Pure white powdery sand
Fishes in the crystal clear waters near shore
Enough beach time, let's hike!
Made it to the top
Wow, 7 kilometres of perfect beach
Heading back to Airlie Beach
They look to be heeled over a ways
Good night from the Whitsundays
Monday, September 7
A relatively short ride from Airlie Beach to Townsville on Monday meant that we could afford to take a few leisurely breaks. Our first stop was at The Big Mango. After seeing Matilda, the biggest kangaroo in Australia (and presumably then the world?), and now the Big Mango I am starting to think I need to do a bit of research on all the Big Things to see in Australia. Your suggestions are welcome. Lots of sugar cane plantations along the ride today with lots of fertile farmland. We arrived in Townsville and checked into the Palmerston Collective. At the front desk was a plate of delicious chewy cookies which I promptly enjoyed. I told the desk clerk that these would be perfect with an ice cold glass of milk. She then gave us a voucher for a drink at the bar where I promptly ordered a glass of milk (and grabbed another cookie). What a great welcome! After freshening up, Doug and I walked into town, past beautiful 19th century buildings to the Strand. We were there at around sunset and the esplanade was busy with people enjoying a stroll and even more people out for a run. Despite passing many fine restaurants we ended up back at the hotel for dinner. As we were sitting there the front desk clerk came by and handed me a couple of cookies and an ice-cold glass of milk, wishing me a good night.Breakfast on the deck of my cabin at Tasman Holiday Park
Well, that's... interesting
Sheep dogs heading off to work?
Passing through sugar cane plantations
Harvest time
Now that's a mango!
Perfect snacks
Coffee break in Bowen
A tour around Bowen reveals a lovely seaside
Plenty of farm fields
The Burdekin Bridge, one of the longest multi-span bridges in Australia
Brush fires seem quite common. Maybe prescribed burning?
Our hotel is in the Palmer Street Precinct in Townsville
Out for a stroll
Graffiti as art
Gorgeous 19th Century architecture
Waterfalls tucked away
Along the Strand
Ocean Siren
Milk and cookies before bed
Tuesday, September 8
We have reached our first major destination on the Big Lap, Cairns. I usually have granola for breakfast but thought I would have the hotel breakfast today. While it was delicious, $42 was a bit more than I was wanting to spend so I will be sticking with granola in the future. On the road, we left Townsville for another easy ride, with only 350 km to go to Cairns. Again, we passed by large sugar cane fields and the occasional banana plantation. Tea and scones were delicious at a florist/cafe in Ingham. As we rode further north the humidity seemed to increase so that it was sweaty in the motorcycle suit even though the temperature wasn’t very high. We stopped at an information booth in Babinda and chatted with the friendly woman there. She said that they normally get about 4 metres of rain per year, sometimes as much as 7 metres. We were entering the tropical rainforest of northern Queensland. Calgary gets about 500 mm (combined rain and snow) so that explains why it was feeling a bit humid. After doing a spot of laundry at the hotel in Cairns I went for a stroll down to the Promenade. Wow, did it feel different from the Esplanade in Townsville. In Townsville it was mostly locals out for a walk or run. Here it seemed to be almost entirely tourists. We are here for a couple of nights and then are planning to head up to Port Douglas for a little quieter experience and to organize a Great Barrier Reef tour.Delicious but expensive
Good morning Townsville!
This couple on a Harley are set for some camping
Lots of rest areas and reminders to use them
Doug rolls into Ingham
Pumpkin scone and a pot of Earl Grey tea, yum
Banana plantations as we head further north into the tropical rainforest
Along the promanade in Cairns
Good night from Cairns
Wednesday, September 9
A day “off” in Cairns. In the morning I spent some time updating the website. The afternoon was spent at the fascinating Cairns Aquarium and in the evening there was a special treat in store. I was invited over to Patrick and Belinda Peck's house to meet Isabel and Carl Abrams and Uta Gerlach. World travellers all. Our common connection was through Ken and Carol-Ann Duval as well as Horizons Unlimited Motorcycle Travel. What a great evening swapping stories!Updating the website at a local cafe
Welcome to the Cairns Aquarium
Hmmm, what's that creature on the right?
The Shark Tunnel
The Citizens Gateway to the Great Barrier Reef symbolises the continuum of life on the Great Barrier Reef
World Travellers Meeting! Patrick, Carl, Uta, Isabel, Ekke and Belinda on the floor
Thursday and Friday, September 10 and 11
Thursday our plan was to go to the Mossman Gorge Cultural Centre on a daytrip and then book a half-day Great Barrier Reef tour. But the tours for the cultural centre were already booked for the day and the options for a reef tour were also very limited. We juggled our plans around a bit and arranged a reef snorkelling tour for Friday and booked the cultural tour for Saturday. After confirming with the hotel that we could stay an extra couple of days we then had some free time in the afternoon. I popped down to the Cairns Art Gallery, housed in a beautifully restored 1936 government building. The main exhibition was Brush: Women Painters, which featured paintings by indigenous women and their powerful stories.Friday had us boarding a large catamaran for the two-hour ride out to the Great Barrier Reef. The seas were quite rough, and I was glad to have brought along some seasick pills as we pounded our way out in open water. We tied up at a large viewing platform and promptly went out in a semi-submersible (a glass bottom boat really) for a tour of the surrounding reef. The colours weren’t as vibrant as I was expecting but we were told this was normal. While this was interesting, I couldn’t help feeling that it was just like being at the aquarium where the fish were on the other side of the glass. After lunch aboard the platform, it was time for the highlight of the trip. Getting into the one-piece lycra suit! The suit protected from stingers (though not in season) as well as from the powerful, tropical sun. When I plunged into the ocean, I was immediately surrounded by fish. I swam away from the platform that was anchored on a sandy section of sea bottom and over to the reef. Wow, it was magical, every turn had fish that I had only seen in an aquarium. Then a Green Turtle swam by. We had three hours at the platform before having to board the cat for the two-hour ride back to Cairns. At the wharf I could see Dundee’s restaurant and thought that it was about time I had some Australian food. The Kangaroo Loin was tender and quite tasty. The perfect end to a great day.
