DAVE'S VIEWPOINT

Perspective of a motorcyclist – A travel diary

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01/01/201806/01/2018davesviewpoint

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Officially no longer in the outback as I proceed from Port Augusta to Orroroo.

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Published inAfrica Twin Across The Outback 2017: Day 12 – Coober Pedy to Peterborough

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  • Africa Twin Across The Australian Outback 2017 (15)
  • Bike Life (18)
  • Europe 2018 on the R NineT (16)
  • Panigale ADV – A Divergent Italian – 2015 Summer Road Trip (6)
  • Panigale ADV – A Divergent Italian – 2015 Winter Road Trip (8)
  • Panigale Around Australia 2016 (28)
  • The Everyday Italian (2)
  • The Grom Tourer (9)
Bowser with a view ⛽🏞️ Went riding through some mountainous roads in Albania for a few hours with a Norwegian guy I met at a camp site. He expressed how unremarkable the scenery in Albania was and that the mountains are nicer in Norway. Me, muttering to my uncultured Australian self... Dude, this place looks amazing...! Our mountains down under are just insignificant hills in comparison 😩 #bmw #bmwmotorrad #rninet #rninetracer #caferacer #roadtrip #motorcycle #travel #scenery #adventure #landscape #mountains #makelifearide #albania #vlorë #europe
Sitting on a park bench in Montenegro, downloading routes on Google Maps from a random Wi-Fi hotspot. The local mosque chimes the evening's Adhan through the town's loudspeaker; The Islamic call to prayer. Spent around 10 megabytes worth of mobile data in Montenegro and Albania because that was just as much as I wanted to pay on roaming charges via the German SIM that I had at the time. Don't remember how much exactly the fees were but, typically being a cheapskate, I didn't want to spend more on data than I did for food during my stay in those two nations. #bmw #bmwmotorrad #rninet #rninetracer #caferacer #makelifearide #roadtrip #motorcycle #travel #adventure #scenery #night #landscape #camping #montenegro #europe
Climb mountains not so the world can see you, but so you can see the world 🇦🇱🌍 - not my quote sadly. I stole it off the net 😒... Pretty crazy that these huge mountains in Albania are bordered directly by the coast of the Mediterranean seas! #bmw #bmwmotorrad #rninetracer #rninet #caferacer #motorcycle #roadtrip #camping #travel #scenery #nature #landscape #mountain #adventure #albania #europe #makelifearide
Paint me... Like one of your Albanian girls?? 🇦🇱 #bmw #rninetracer #rninet #caferacer #motorcycle #roadtrip #camping #travel #adventure #roadtrip #nature #vlorë #albania #europe #makelifearide
I'm disappointed in myself. I was supposed to be completely finished with my Europe 2018 blog by Xmas. That didn't eventuate, so I pushed the deadline to Australia Day. That was two weeks ago now, and I'm still stuck halfway through this seemingly mammoth task of recounting everything that I had done last year. I've had many plans for the first half of this year. But previous content that has not yet been published has got to take priority, and other stuff must take a back seat for now. This is absolute social media Groundhog Day, seemingly regurgitating yesterday's news as the present leaves me behind 😅 It's hard to refocus on my social media when real life is what actually matters. I do hope that I make it through all that needs to be done before too long, because it will be worth it in the end. Preparation towards the road back to Germany 2019 resumes... #bmw #rninetracer #rninet #caferacer #motorcycle #roadtrip #adventure #travel #camping #makelifearide #nature #landscape #scenery #bosnia #bosniaandherzegovina #republikasrpska #europe
Kaunas, Lithuania. Old meets new. Much like the R nineT. #bmw #rninetracer #racer #rninet #caferacer #retro #motorcycle #roadtrip #travel #adventure #night #scenery #city #kaunas #lithuania #europe
The 1st of January, 2019. A ride out to a campsite in Hornsby, and testing out the accessories fitted on the CRF250 Rally. Featuring Adventure Moto Australia's Rotopax-compatible side pannier set, developed with Outback Motortek, equipped with the same RotopaX tanks that I had used since my Panigale days in 2016, DRIRIDER Explorer Tail Pack bought back when I owned the Multistrada in 2014, and Barkbuster hand guards taken off a recently-acquired CB125E (yes, I bought another one, but in white!). Cycle, recycle, sending my old accessories round n round. I hope that the year 2019 progresses slowly, because I'll need all the time that I could harness to my advantage. You'll be seeing much more of this bike later in the year. Terror, exasperation, fear, melancholia, exhilaration, euphoria, plain simple happiness; I hope to experience the full spectrum of attainable emotions. For now, I must build up bank to be able to access this whole new world of adventure, a journey that will challenge my comfort zone and everything that I thought I knew about travelling on a motorcycle. Crossing my fingers that things go to plan. . . . #honda #crf250 #crf250rally #dualsport #motorcycle #camping #biker #travel #adventure #nature #scenery #landscape #river #ferry #crossing #sydney #australia
So I guess that's it for 2018. Spent most of that time at work but, thanks to the world of Instagram, the real Dave is able to live vicariously through the world portrayed by his social media persona! 😄 Here's to another year lived acceptably moderately. #bmw #rninet #rninetracer #honda #africatwin #crf1000 #motorcycle #adventure #travel #scenery #biker #camping #roadtrip #australia #europe
Fully-loaded R nineT Racer... My old Ducati 1199 and Honda Grom had taught me that you can travel on any bike you wish. Your best adventure bike is the one you have right now. When should we go for a road trip? Does it still work? Got some spare time? Great! Pack up your bags... let's go now! 👊✊ . . . #bmw #bmwmotorrad #rninet #rninetracer #caferacer #roadtrip #motorcycle #makelifearide #travel #motorrad #adventure #scenery #landscape #nature #greece #europe #ducati #panigale #honda #grom #msx125
More often than not, when my mind is totally fixated on an amazing set of tarmac, the presence of beautiful scenery is lost on me. As momentum increases, so does the level of riding involvement. Satisfaction is the result, but doesn't end there. A perpetual desire for more becomes inevitable; an addiction that only those who have experienced the joy of riding can fully understand. When I eventually force myself to take a break, and pull over at an epic lookout, the realisation occurs. In a world in which chaos exists in many forms, there is still a place where your own space can be exercised. The joy of riding has given me a new lease on life; a reason to live to explore the world and the cultures within. A motorcycle is a modern symbol of the open road transformed into your own personal space. Man does not live by bread alone, but by every drop of gas that passes through the pistons of a motorcycle. As long as you have a full tank of gas and a valid licence in your wallet, your very own world of freedom and salvation is just a throttle away.. 👊✊ #bmw #bmwmotorrad #rninet #rninetracer #caferacer #roadtrip #motorcycle #makelifearide #motorrad #travel #adventure #biker #camping #scenery #nature #landscape #mountains #sunset #road #greece #europe
Dreaming about those soothing sunsets on the splendid coasts of Greece 🌅🇬🇷 #bmw #bmwmotorrad #rninet #rninetracer #caferacer #motorcycle #roadtrip #makelifearide #motorrad #travel #adventure #scenery #biker #camping #nature #sunset #landscape #volos #pelion #greece #europe
Glancing up towards Zeus 🌩️ Mount Olympus is considered to be the home of the twelve Olympians, or Greek gods and goddesses, in Ancient Greek religion. The summit, known as Mytikas, rises to 2917 metres. Much of the elevated sections remained unexplored until 1918 when three climbers reached the peak, which now is a popular tourist attraction. Not attractive enough at this point for me to climb though.. maybe next time. Bye for now, Zeus! 😄 #bmw #bmwmotorrad #rninet #rninetracer #caferacer #roadtrip #motorcycle #makelifearide #motorrad #adventure #travel #scenery #biker #camping #nature #mountains #landscape #mountolympus #greece #zeus #europe
Up high on the mountains of Pelion! The peninsula's peak, Pourianos Stavros, stands at 1624 metres, overlooking the Aegean Sea. Unfortunately, the area at the very top is a restricted military zone, so I had to turn back around, but the views weren't too shabby on the way back down! #bmw #bmwmotorrad #rninet #rninetracer #caferacer #roadtrip #motorcycle #makelifearide #motorrad #adventure #travel #scenery #biker #camping #nature #landscape #mountains #aegeansea #aegean #pelion #greece #europe
In contrast to the single-lane national roads of Bulgaria that I had encountered, the dual-lane carriageways that began from the Greek border were a welcome feature in the dead of night. Those Greek highways come at a cost though. Sneeze, and you’ll approach a toll gate, one after another and another... So many of them! Unfortunately, I almost buggered up the first toll payment as I thought that card payments were also accepted. I was wrong. Only cash was acceptable, but I had spent all my Euro coins many days ago as I hated carrying cash on me. The only Euro currency I had in hand was a €500 note. You know, cos I'm all minimalistic like that. I pulled the note out of the wallet and presented it to the toll gate attendant as payment, as you would for any service that requires payment. Legit, the chick in the booth throws her hands up and exclaims "are you serious??" as though I had offered dog droppings. Turns out that €500 notes are a dying breed, and many shops have started to decline it as tender since 2014 when printing for the highest Euro note had stopped for good. I was required to provide ID and go through paperwork before being allowed to proceed with the payment.. 💶💶💶 #bmw #bmwmotorrad #rninet #rninetracer #caferacer #roadtrip #motorcycle #makelifearide #motorrad #adventure #travel #biker #camping #scenery #city #night #highway #landscape #greece #europe
The northernmost coastline of the Thermaic Gulf. This is Thessaloniki. This is Greece 🇬🇷🇬🇷🇬🇷 How rad is my selfie?? 😂 .. I slept an hour to reach this city by dawn, just so that I didn't need to battle against pedestrians. Was it worth it? 😅 #bmw #bmwmotorrad #rninet #rninetracer #caferacer #roadtrip #motorcycle #makelifearide #motorrad #travel #adventure #biker #camping #scenery #nature #landscape #thessaloniki #greece #europe
Shout out to @motocampbg accommodation for motorcyclists, located conveniently in the geographic heart of Bulgaria. Insanely affordable cabins and grassed camping areas cater to the traveller who require a home base to unpack their luggage and explore the enchanting sceneries nearby such as the Buzludzha peak and fantastic roads like the Shipka Pass. A direct midpoint between the Romanian and Bulgarian capital cities, Bucharest and Sofia, there's no need for obscure detours to reach this place. You will also be in the company of other motorcyclists, which presents an opportunity to learn from their experiences that can be of your benefit. If you need some maintenance work done on your bike, where else would you want to go with an equipped workshop on site, and a bar with a selection of local brews just a few steps away after you're done. It's a no-brainer: when in Bulgaria, visit MotoCamp! 🇧🇬 #bmw #bmwmotorrad #rninet #rninetracer #caferacer #roadtrip #motorcycle #makelifearide #motorrad #adventure #travel #biker #camping #scenery #landscape #bulgaria #europe
A night on asphalt. Wild camping is not allowed in Greece and is reportedly strictly enforced. Power naps aren't a crime though, right?? 😴 #bmw #bmwmotorrad #rninet #rninetracer #caferacer #roadtrip #motorcycle #makelifearide #motorrad #travel #adventure #scenery #landscape #biker #camping #homeless #greece #europe
One of the more beautiful, peaceful and relaxing moments of my otherwise physically taxing journey towards Athens. I have had to race against the constraints of time, all the whilst attempting to prolong the life of the rear tyre, to make it to Athens on time for my tyre replacement. Sunsets generally signal the end of most outdoor activities for many travellers, but in this instance it was the start of the second chapter of what was to turn out as my second consecutive all-nighter on the road. In spite of the huge challenge that awaited, I allowed time to pass by without a worry, for over an hour, simply immersing myself upon the beauty that was laid out in front of me. The theatrical stage of expansive mountain ranges and glimmering city lights that were gradually being switched on, under pink skies of the land of the Hellenes, were all too pretty to ignore. A moment to remember... 🇬🇷🇬🇷🇬🇷 #bmw #bmwmotorrad #rninet #rninetracer #caferacer #roadtrip #motorcycle #makelifearide #motorrad #travel #adventure #biker #camping #scenery #nature #landscape #sunset #mountains #volos #pelion #greece #europe
Afternoon siesta in rural Bulgaria 🇧🇬 Taking refuge away from the Balkan summer warmth under the shade of the R nineT 🏍️ #bmw #bmwmotorrad #rninet #rninetracer #caferacer #motorcycle #roadtrip #makelifearide #motorrad #adventure #travel #scenery #landscape #nature #biker #camping #bulgaria #europe
Two wheels by choice. Adventure by default.. 👌 #bmw #bmwmotorrad #rninet #rninetracer #racer #caferacer #roadtrip #motorcycle #makelifearide #motorrad #travel #adventure #biker #camping #scenery #nature #landscape #mountains #snow #roads #romania #europe
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