26 .5.2010


As we only had a hundred miles or so to ride to Anchorage, we were all a bit tardy about getting out of bed. The day presented itself calmly and beautifully, and the 19 or 20 hour daylight was bright and beckoning us up. I had put blankets over the windows, to act as thick curtains, the previous evening, because the night stays bright so long, it's difficult to sleep through.

There had been a bear sighting near the Trapper Inn and there were warning signs on the laundry wall for all to be vigilant. We loaded the bikes and rode out of the Denali Ranges, it was another wonderful ride.

Over the last few days the realization that the ride was nearly over, started to hit me, but this morning it was really strong. This would be the last day’s ride. Instead of feeling elated as I would have three or four months ago, I felt devastated, let down and over whelmed that all the excitement and adventure was nearly at an end . I was torn between wanting to go home and not wanting the trip to end, it was an odd feeling.

Lynn had booked the Motel 6 in Anchorage on the internet from Hotel North Pole two days ago, and Lou had programmed it into his Zumo, so we rode straight there without any complications or wrong turns. We lined the bikes up in the Motel 6 car park and hugged and congratulated each other for reaching our goal of riding from South to North of the world, it was a truly awesome accomplishment. We were all a little elated and also flat and stunned because it was all over. The important thing was, that we were all safe and healthy.

This page is by far, the most difficult to write.

The adventure had given us so many mixed emotions and experiences and the rewards were many. We had persevered through some setbacks, the worst of which was my broken arm. Some of the road conditions were not to be believed and more than a little challenging . The injuries we incurred along the way have healed now, though at the time, getting onto the motorbike and riding with sprained ankles and swollen wrists, from falls, was painful for many of us, to say the least. The difficulty of making ourselves understood in the Spanish and Portuguese speaking countries presented its own frustrations, and we are grateful the people of South and Central America were patient with us. My own sadness at being away from home and family, I had to deal with alone.

The rewards include some of the wonderful people we have met on the journey. We can never thank them enough for the kindness they showed to us, as strangers when we met, they became our friends. They helped make our journey a success.

It’s been a good experience riding with Lou and Lynn and we thank them for agreeing to come with us. We’ve grown closer during our time together and we’ve enjoyed their company.

Our children Josh, Hamish and Harmony and their families have been looking after things at home for us . I’m sure they’ve had their hands full with the business and extended family matters. We really can’t thank them enough for everything they have done to facilitate our adventure and indulge us.

My dad can finally stop worrying, as we will be home soon. We’re looking forward to a coffee and belated birthday cake with mum and dad, as we’ve missed a few birthdays.  

Thanks to our pod readers and supporters, we hope you’ve received a modicum of enjoyment from our journey, our ramblings and our photographs.

It’s sad to wind up this adventure, but plans are already underway to crate our bikes here in Anchorage, and freight them, by sea, back to Australia. Everything has to be washed down so we don’t introduce any bugs into our homeland.

We now have something else wonderful to look forward to…… seeing everyone we love again.






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