Diary

10 October 2003

Dominic has recently returned to the Uk to join Damian and Gary. He managed to circumnavigate Australia over the 9 months he spent there. He joined up with a German guy on a similar trip but using a 4x4. They managed to join forces and skills! to successfully complete the round trip back to Perth, not without mechanical fun and games though...

The 4x4's steering column became detached from the main steering assembly so Dom made a plan and bound it together with some heavy duty farming wire and this allowed them to make it back to service. Dom's luggage was carried in the 4x4 as the terrain, being some of the most extreme for motorbiking on the planet, was tough. River crossings, dessert dunes and riding on the beach among some of the things accomplished. Dom was towed on a few occasions when the terrain was simply too soft and impossible to ride without burning out the clutch!

Since returning to the UK Dom is living temporarily with Damian and Karen, who have now relocated to Peterborough, about 2 hours north of London. Dom spent a few weeks cleaning the red earth off Maggie and had some more important work to do on her once she was cleaned. Her clutch had to be replaced along with a good service and all the necessary paperwork completed to get her back onto the UK roads as legal. He had submitted a SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification), due to the fact that the UK authorities would not accept his bike being out of the UK for more than 12 months. 

Damian is working at an IT contractor again up in Peterborough and has been doing some mountain biking again. He and Karen have recently bought a house in central Peterborough and will be moving in shortly.

Gary is just about to pack up and head out to Australia and New Zealand to complete his working holiday opportunity, only available to British citizens below the age of 31. As he's 30 and will be 31 in May 04, it's a "use it or lose it" situation. Shalastic, his faithful AT, will be going into storage next week for the duration of his trip. It's going to be quite difficult to adapt to Australian life with having her around this time round...