The Touratech Travel Event

This entry is part 13 of 320 in the series Adventure Rider Issue #1

The hills around Bright in Victoria came alive recently, when some great people got together to make a dream ride a reality.

Having ridden with Brendon Roberts from Triumph in the past, I knew he was a handy bloke on a bike. So it was surprising to see him on his best behaviour, calmly punting the big 1200 Triumph Explorer through a series of Victorian high-country trails. I put it down to the proliferation of ruts and mud holes, keeping the bigger bike at bay while I tucked in behind on the more nimble 800XC.

I carried that illusion for a couple of kilometres, right up until he disappeared sideways around a tight corner and the air in front of me filled with an enormous shower of roost. The howl of an angry triple accompanied the cloud of airborne debris and it was evident Brendon was back to his usual self.

It was one of those times where you couldn’t help but grin in your helmet. It was great to be on a bike, filling in time with a lateafternoon trail ride while waiting for the Touratech Travel Event to kick off later that night.

Flat out

With 50 bikes surrounding the Bright Chalet on our return, and the promise of a smorgasbord the likes of which you don’t often see on an adventure ride, it was easy to settle into the swing of things. Mick McDonald from Compass Expeditions ran a presentation on his life-changing trip across the Road Of Bones and it only took a cursory glance around the room to see he had a captivated audience.

With images of untamed landscapes and Mick’s entertaining account of his travels, the time passed all too quickly. An inspired crew then set upon Pedro’s rear tyre because it was somewhat lacking in the inflation department. Full of enthusiasm, Pedro had ridden down from Sydney on his KLR with only the clothes he was wearing. He’d rung to say he was running late due to a flat tyre, so Glen ‘Huffy’ Hough grabbed the keys to the ute and headed out to pick him up. Ian Rider got stuck into the tyre change on his arrival while Glen made an additional stop at home to find a spare pair of riding boots and some warmer attire he could borrow. It was a good indication of the quality of the group and I was confident we were in for a great weekend.

Huffy and Miles on their way around Lake Buffalo.

Bright outlook

As the night was winding down at the Chalet, a courtesy bus appeared and I tagged along to see the sights of Bright. Later I looked above the bar in the foggy, strobe-lit surrounds of the local pub and saw a picture of Huffy on a speedway sidecar taking pride of place. Curious, I asked him about it later and he modestly mumbled something about a national title in years gone by. Typical of blokes that are genuinely fast, if I hadn’t seen the photo that night, I probably never would have known.

Toilet humour

After a buffet breakfast fit for kings on Saturday morning (a person could get used to this) it was time to head out for a riding clinic run by Miles Davis and Chris Urquhart from BMW. With a PA system wired to his helmet, Miles put the new 1200GS through its paces and ran through some great principles for riders of all experience levels.

The entertainment didn’t stop there. Property owner Ian McGillvray punted his ag bike up an impossibly steep hill for the enthralled onlookers.

Another talking point was the brief stumble at the end of a long line of parked bikes that created a domino effect. It was one of those things you only expect to see in the movies. Watching the bikes tip one by one, I grabbed a 1200GS to stop the procession, which numbered four by this stage, before it reached the portapotty and things really turned to bent shifters.

Map man

With bikes resurrected and new skills to test out, the group proceeded on a guided run over Mt Porepunkah before splitting up for the afternoon’s trail and road options.

Touratech importer Robin Box took a group to Mt Buffalo via the tar, while Miles led a ride up over Goldie Spur and around Lake Buffalo. A few of those on the trail section openly admitted to having limited dirt experience on the big bikes, so the rocky trails were enough of a challenge to keep them paying close attention. It was great to see them buzzing at their newfound dirt skills by the end of the day.

Brian from GPS Oz made his way down from Sydney for Saturday night’s GPS presentation. Once again, there were plenty of attentive listeners as he ran through the tricks and traps of navigating by satellites and an LCD screen.

Carked K9

A thick mist rolled in for the start of Sunday’s ride and it was a cautious start over the slick tar of the Great Alpine Road as it wound its way south past Harrietville. Brian had loaded the day’s route into riders’ GPS units so it was a nicely spaced group that hit the tractable dirt near Mt St Bernard for the start of the Dargo High Plains Road.

Clearing skies and unfolding high country vistas made for a memorable journey down to the adventure riding hub of Dargo. After a quick break in the small township, I was one of the last away as Robin pulled on his helmet to ride sweep. “You know what TK used to say,” he muffled, “more than one bike leaving at the same time and going the same place equals a race”.

I looked over as his daughter Lisa laughed on the pillion seat and figured he was mucking around. Just to be sure, I gave the Tiger a bit of throttle on the way out of town, but seeing the twin lights of the GSA drop back in the mirrors I thought nothing more of it. Cruising along at a respectable pace, I was enjoying life and the mountain scenery when the big BM swept past me on the outside of a corner, Lisa perched nonchalantly as though it’s a regular occurrence (it probably is).

Robin was beaming at the turnoff to the dirt a little further on, revelling in his short spell off the sweepriding leash.

Flowing forestry roads on a gorgeous autumn day followed, with terrain varying from muddy ruts to pockets of powdered bulldust. That may not be unusual, but the fact that they sometimes occurred within a 100m stretch of each other was enough to keep everyone on their toes.

We stopped for lunch at the Dogs Grave camping area and continued our way along a myriad of winding dirt roads until we reached the bitumen near Omeo for the run over Mt Hotham.

Special

Every now and then you strike a place at exactly the right time so it almost glows. Sitting high on a grassy knoll overlooking Mt Hotham was one of those times and it was hard not be content with the world. The afternoon sun scattered patches of light over the panorama below and fresh mountain air filled your lungs and made you feel alive. It was a fitting end to a great few days in the Victorian High Country, and one of those times where you wouldn’t swap adventure riding for any other pursuit.

Touratech Australia

Dealing with adventure riders from all walks of life on a daily basis, the team at Touratech Australia established the Travel Event in response to a growing interest in adventure travel and the requirements to successfully get out and explore the world.

It was clear from the outset a lot of work went into the event. The end result was a variety of riding options, spectacular scenery, practical presentations and, to top it off, everybody was well taken care of at a great venue. Stick a bunch of enthusiastic people into the mix and it is not surprising the event was a big success.

With plans already underway for next year’s event, I’m reserving my place now so I don’t miss out (on the comprehensive dessert buffet, among other things).

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