Janell Clarke And Stu Clarke

Shows

Driving You CrazyE304 - Taking the long, long, long way aroundWhat is the ultimate road trip? Going around the world of course but imagine taking 10 years to do it and picking up some rescue dogs along the way. That’s the story for Stuart and Janell Clarke and they share their traveling stories with us in this episode. All that and more on the Driving You Crazy Podcast. Contact: 303-832-0217 or DrivingYouCrazyPodcast@Gmail.com Jayson: twitter.com/Denver7Traffic or www.facebook.com/JaysonLuberTrafficGuy WhatsApp: https://wa.me/17204028248 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denver7traffic Stua...2023-09-0659 min

Adventure Rider RadioThe Pack Track - 9 Years Motorcycling The WorldJanell and Stuart Clarke are both engineers and both enjoyed travelling and exploring the Australian outback by four wheel drive having so much fun that they decided to explore the world. So they began dreaming and planning a trip, but it soon became apparent to them that the cost of using a four wheel drive would deeply cut in to their budget. Then the idea of using motorcycles came up and that seemed like a plan they could sink their teeth into. Soon they were on the road, two bikes and a dog on the trip of a lifetime...2023-03-171h 19

Motorcycle Vagabond ShowEp31: Motorcycle Vagabond Chronicles - Janell and Stuart ClarkeJanell and Stuart have been all over the world on their motorcycles with their dogs! They share many great stories of the road but also talk about the challenges they've faced with the dogs, how they started up their business, and where they're headed in the future. As always, please let me know how you like the show!2021-02-151h 42

Courageous Conversations with ShereeFree From Silence: 12 Success Stories of Overcoming Secrets, Sadness, and Shame"Thursday, June 11, 2020, 1-2 pm Courageous Conversations with Sheree welcomes returning guest Author Ayanna Mills Gallow and five fellow co-authors. Listen in as they share how to overcome secrets, sadness and shame successfully. Join us this Thursday on 107.5 FM or WRUU.org. American Evangelist and International #1 Best Selling Author, Ayanna Mills Gallow, has announced the launch of her book: "Free From Silence: 12 Success Stories of Overcoming Secrets, Sadness, and Shame". The book is an anthology co-authored by other gifted writers such as Amika Reynolds, M.D., Dr. Adrienne Michelle Horn, Brian E. Lewis, Pastor Cas...2020-06-251h 07

The Pack Track Adventuress2e19: EgyptEgypt was our 25th and final country in Africa. We arrived at the Wadi Halfa border to cross from Sudan into Egypt on the 14th November. We arrived with supplies because this time we knew for sure that we could be camping at the border.2017-12-0615 min

The Pack Track Adventuress2e18: SudanIt was by no means a secret to anyone that the thought of entering Sudan both excited Stu and made Janell quite uneasy. And even she would be the first to admit that there was no reasonable explanation for this feeling, other than a link to the war torn country of South Sudan. Stu had deployed for 6 months to South Sudan on a peacekeeping mission during his service in the Royal Australian Navy. As is so often the case on this adventure we were both surprised and delighted by what we saw and who we met. We left Sudan with...2017-11-1408 min

The Pack Track Adventuress2e17: Violent Riots in EthiopiaEthiopia proved to be unique amongst african nations from the get go. At the border crossing we were invited to have tea with the officials while they worked out how to import our bikes without us having a Carnet. The process was easy in the end, they just completed a customs declaration form, which included all our electronics (phones, laptops etc.) and added the bikes to this. There was no fee, we just had to show the items on the way out in order to get our passport exit stamp.2017-10-2916 min

The Pack Track Adventuress2e16: Uganda and KenyaUganda was the only country in Africa that we had both travelled to before The Pack Track. In February 2013 we spent a few days in Kampala, squeezing in a one day safari, before heading off on a cruise of the Canary Islands. Riding our motorbikes across the border and onto Ugandan territory felt poles apart from this past memory. How easy it is to fly in and out of a place, stay in a resort and then boast of having been there. If any country put our overland travels into perspective, to appreciate just how far away from Australia we...2017-10-0913 min

The Pack Track Adventuress2e15: A Modern Genocide, RwandaThe Rusumo One Stop Border Post Customs and Immigration as the name suggests, is a one-stop border crossing from Tanzania to Rwanda. This particular border crossing was mostly uneventful, but they did ask for the permit to bring live animals into Rwanda. We weren't aware of such a requirement, this was the first time anything like this had come up since the Southern African Customs Union. The customs official told us that he'd let us through this time but in future we were to visit the Department of Agriculture website and register with e-rabis. It would probably be unlikely that...2017-09-0608 min

The Pack Track Adventuress2e14: Zambia and TanzaniaWe crossed from Zimbabwe on the seventh of August and no sooner were we in Zambia and Janells beloved GS was on a truck again, 250km to Lusaka where we could get assistance and parts. It was actually Stu who had broken down this time and after a few hours of tinkering on the roadside he discovered his fuel injector was broken. We decided to swap injectors around on the bikes and see if we could at least get to Lusaka. We probably got another 20km and then Janell's bike stopped (with Stu's faulty injector). Our travel angel sent us...2017-08-0711 min

The Pack Track Adventuress2e13: Facing Court in ZimbabweWe had honestly intended to spend more time in Botswana but looking at the map we noticed that we'd be crossing National Parks if we crossed too late. We thought it would be unlikely we'd be allowed to cross with dogs. We also felt that we weren't going to anything particularly new staying in Botswana and so we after only one night we decided to forfeit our 30 day vehicle tax and head for the border. We knew that there would be difficulties getting fuel in Zimbabwe so we filled all of our tanks, including the Touratech long range tanks which...2017-08-0226 min

The Pack Track Adventuress2e12: Pet Movement through Southern AfricaWe'd had issues entering South Africa from Namibia due to the dogs, but it was easy enough to overcome. What was needed was an animal import permit. Once issued this document could be used to import an animal into any of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) countries and was valid for 30 days.2017-07-2709 min

The Pack Track Adventuress2e11: Vineyards & Wildlife, South AfricaWe spent two fantastic months in South Africa. But it almost didn't happen, sorting out paperwork problems for the dogs took us three attempts to cross from Namibia into South Africa. Tensions were high for two very important reasons. Firstly, we'd sent Janell's motorbike ahead to Pretoria after its breakdown in northern Namibia. And secondly, Janell's mother (Pauline) was flying into Cape Town on 11 June to spend 5 weeks travelling with us. So we needed to cross into South Africa one way or another.2017-07-2513 min

The Pack Track Adventuress2e10: NamibiaThe Republic of Namibia reminded us of central Australia. There is so much untouched country, desert left to the animals that can survive there. It was the first time in Africa we really felt remote, away from people and infrastructure. Namibia is a large country but with only a small population of 3 million yet it's in a better economic situation than its northern neighbour Angola. I think what we enjoyed so much was the 'western' luxuries in towns and cities but then being able to leave those behind to be in the wild. The best of both worlds. We thoroughly...2017-05-2411 min

The Pack Track Adventuress2e09: Open Heart Surgery in Central AfricaThe first night in Mainland Angola was spent in Quibala, about 4 hours drive from Luanda. Quibala was inland and over 1,200m, so a little cooler than the coast. Luis had read something about the town being a tourist destination, but it didn't seem like much to us. We found a campground and pitched our tent before going for a drive into town for something to eat.2017-05-0713 min

The Pack Track Adventuress2e08: Hitchiking with the Angolan Air ForceMar and Luis, our new friends we'd made in Pointe Noire, where much more organised than we could ever be. They'd begun their journey with all the visa's they'd need through Africa so while we were often stuck waiting around for a consulate to produce our visa they were able to move on.2017-04-2715 min

The Pack Track Adventuress2e07: Bongo in the CongoWe arrived at the Gabon Immigation in Ndende nice and early to check out. Nobody was around so we opened the gate ourselves, this certainly drew attention and some military staff appeared and called us over. They were friendly enough, recorded our passport and motorbike details then we stamped out of Gabon. We left the sealed roads in Ndende, it was then 50km off-road riding to reach the Republic of the Congo Customs and Immigration. So far the road wasn't too bad, we only saw a couple of big puddles. Surely this would have to be the worst of the...2017-04-2410 min

The Pack Track Adventuress2e06: Shadow enters the Southern HemisphereWe passed through Cameroon rather quickly. The wet season was imminent (April through June is the heavy rain) and we needed to get at least to southern Angola soon to avoid the heavy rains. We crossed into Cameroon at Ekok and spent one night at the Azi Motel on route to the capital Yaounde where we needed to purchase our visa for Gabon.2017-04-1313 min

The Pack Track Adventuress2e05: Kidnapped in NigeriaA few days before leaving Benin we ran into a biker who told us about the motorcycle clubs in Nigeria and gave us the contact details of Queen, a prominent female biker. We contacted Queen to get some information about the border crossing into Nigeria and tried and organise a meetup. Queen was very responsive, but being located in the capital Abuja was well off the main route through Nigeria. However, she asked a friend and the president of the Lagos club, Paul, to reach out to us. Paul messaged us straight away and told us that he was unable...2017-03-2915 min

The Pack Track Adventuress2e04: Sindou Pics and Python TemplesWe crossed into Burkina Faso at Koloko. It was very quick and easy. We passed a Police checkpoint then in a few hundred meters we were outside the Mali Douane. The Police recorded our vehicle details, checked our visas and stamped our passports. No money requested. The Burkina Faso Douane we stamped in on our Passports and paid 5,000CFA per motorbike for the Temporary Import Permit (TIP) and a receipt.2017-02-2410 min

The Pack Track Adventuress2e03: Senegal and MaliMauritania to Senegal was another difficult border crossing. We chose the sleepy border crossing of Diama instead of the more popular Rosso border crossing. The road to Diama takes you through a national park. Its a dirt road, heavily corrugated, but fun to ride. There are plenty of warthogs to see and local birds. We lost a few screws, shaken loose from the corrugations, and Janell broke a fuel line about 15km from the Senegal border. She only realised because the fuel was pouring on to her foot and it got really cold and stopped to investigate.2017-02-0913 min

The Pack Track Adventuress2e02: Snow in the SaharaThe Pack Track entered Africa with great excitement and trepidation. There is so much to see in Africa, such different cultures to explore. But it is a challenging continent (roads, climate, poverty) and a volatile continent (conflict). We had rested enough in Europe and felt ready for the next adventure, not to mention warmer climates!2016-12-0908 min

Adventure Rider RadioMotorcycle Riding Dogs & Is It the End of the 650 Single Cylinder?Only a Rider Knows Why a Dog Sticks His Head Out of a Car Window Who doesn’t love their furry friend going everywhere with them? You take them in your vehicle, on hikes, for walks, they sleep in your bed (don’t deny it), and for many, they are simply one of your best friends, even like family. But, what if you aren’t taking the four wheeled transport, what if you are riding your bike to the store or on a trip? If you love your bike and you love your dog, there are options for bring...2016-09-231h 34

The Pack Track Adventuress2e01: United Kingdom 2016It was a big decision to take a break from travelling and to work in the UK. To this day we debate whether it was a good idea or not. Janell felt she needed some stability, to know where she was going to sleep every night, buy food for more than a few days and have some routine in our daily life. It could also be an opportunity to make some money for Africa and money to spend enjoying ourselves exploring the UK. Stu wasn't so sure about this plan, by his calculations we had enough money for Africa and...2016-08-2807 min

The Pack Track Adventuress1e56: Sex on the RoadStuart's vision blurred and dimmed, the room began to spin, he gasped for air in an attempt to fill his lungs with as much oxygen as possible given the elevation. His body had gone into autopilot, thrusting again and again in an animalistic fashion. Stuart finally climaxed and immediately after his body weakened and we both collapse on the bed. Earlier that day we had woken up at 800m (2,700ft) of elevation, we'd ended the day at 4200m (nearly 14,000ft) and it was our first experience at any substantial height. Lesson learnt; when you reach elevation for the first time...2016-02-1406 min

The Pack Track Adventuress1e55: Shipping the Motorbikes from North America to EuropeWe were to travel from New York to Southampton in the UK via Cunards Queen Mary 2 (QM2) cruise ship. Although Cunards had previously provided a vehicle transport service between New York and the UK, it had suspended this service with the decommissioning of the Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2), the last Cunard ship to boast an on board garage. We'd heard that luggage on the QM2 was unlimited but each piece could be no more than 20kg. We seriously considered breaking the bikes down into 20kg sections and taking them into our cabin, but knew this could end badly with us stuck...2016-01-1006 min

The Pack Track Adventuress1e54: Transatlantic Crossing on the QM2After nearly two years of exploring the America's, it was time to move on. We hadn't seen everything by a long shot but there was more of the world to see. So we needed to get two people, two dogs and two bikes from the US to somewhere, anywhere in Europe.2016-01-1014 min

The Pack Track Adventuress1e53: The Time Everything Went WrongThe dilemma was to move Stu's motorbike from Los Barriles in the south of Baja, 2,000km to Los Angeles where it would be shipped to Europe. However, after the accident Stu was unable to ride. In addition his bike had a serious oil leak and wasn't in a state for anyone else to ride it to California. So the decision was made to truck the bike to Tijuana where it would be ridden the last 200km to Long Beach. In theory it was simple, but events needed to line up for this plan to succeed. And by succeed we mean...2015-12-3117 min

The Pack Track Adventuress1e52: Coast to CoastMaybe it was an error, but it was booked and paid for online, one way car hire from California to New York for under $300. We were picking up from and dropping off at out of the way shops so maybe this has something to do with the cheap price but it was a bargain we couldn't pass, especially as the next best deal was well over a thousand dollars. When we walked into the car rental shop we fully expected to be told that an error had occurred and that we would need to pay substantially more. But this didn't...2015-12-2607 min

The Pack Track Adventuress1e51: Janells Solo Ride through BajaI left Los Barrilles on the 04 December, with my girls on board, nervous and thrilled. The alternative had been driving or flying out with Stu but I really didn't want either of those options, I wanted to continue riding in Mexico for as long as possible, even if it was more or less back the same 2000km we'd arrived from Tijuana. Mexico is a beautiful country where I always felt safe and welcome. I had a really nice send off from everyone staying at Chris's place then I was off with my dogs. It was a beautiful sunny day and...2015-12-0904 min

The Pack Track Adventuress1e50: Head On Collision in MexicoThroughout the USA we had been using a forum thread called TentSpace on ADVrider.com to find hosts that would let us set up a tent in their yard for a few nights at no cost. The reality was, however, that we never once used our tent, the hosts were very welcoming and always had a spare bedroom for us and the girls to use. In San Francisco we stayed with Paige, a very experienced rider and very interesting person. She didn't have a spare room, but she did have a 3-storey haunted house next door that was ours for...2015-11-2617 min

The Pack Track Adventuress1e49: I left my bone in San FranciscoWe arrived in San Francisco the day before Halloween and intended to stay just two nights before heading south but instead hung around for six days. Who can resist San Francisco, right? A great city is one thing, but what makes a stay "frantastic" is the company. We'd contacted Paige through TentSpace a few days before arriving, Paige had a no bullshit attitude, you wanted to stay with her you picked up the phone and called. We knew from the outset we were going to like Paige. Calling a TentSpace host is actually unusual, most contact to hosts is made...2015-11-1004 min

The Pack Track Adventuress1e48: The Wild WestOur route was to take us along the northern states to Seattle and then head south along the coast. We still had a lot of ground to cover and it would start with The Great Plains of the Dakota's.2015-10-2510 min

The Pack Track Adventuress1e47: Maple Leaf DriveWe were feeling very positive about the future of The Pack Track. Weeti was recovering well from her seizures and was slowly getting back to her old self again. It was only a few months now until we were to depart the America's bound for Europe and we still had so much to see. Our voyage across the Atlantic would be in the Queen Mary 2, the only cruise ship in the world with kennels on board. We had so far booked a single kennel for both Weeti and Shadow, but having lost Cinnamon just after her birth and seeing how...2015-10-1103 min

The Pack Track Adventuress1e46: Brain on FireOur next stop was visiting Door County which we had been looking forward to since Patagonia eight months earlier. Back then we had a great time in Ushuaia, a two week wait for a replacement sleeping bag meant a forced break from the riding. What better place to wait than the end of the road, a place of daily celebrations as someone new arrived having endured the long road by car or by bike, motored and human powered, or arriving by sea. Not only was the city full of adventurers but there was usually a cruise ship or two docked...2015-10-0914 min

The Pack Track Adventuress1e45: CanadaWe hadn't seen Stu's brother since he flew down to Cancun right at the start of our trip. We'd also never met his new girlfriend Diana or seen him in his new life in Ottawa. So after spending a lovely time with Janell's family in New York, we felt spoilt to be riding to Greg and Diana for more family time. We had planned to spend a few nights with them and then ride up to see Montreal, Quebec City and some more to the east before making our way west, but Shadow had something else in mind.2015-09-2907 min

The Pack Track Adventuress1e44: East Coast USAWe were back in the US in a new state for us, Florida. After the eventful departure from Botoga it was nice to enjoy a relaxing flight and collect our babies on the other side, safe and sound. We must admit, the LAN staff at the airport in Bogota were very helpful, we were really messed around with the dogs flights so they waived their pet freight fee ($50 per dog) so the girls got a free ride. Thanks LAN.2015-09-0806 min

The Pack Track Adventuress1e43: Leaving South AmericaWhen will someone bite the bullet and build a road between Panama and Colombia! For now, adventure riders can either fly (by aeroplane) or ship (typically sail boat or ferry) themselves and their motorbikes between North and South America. Of course this depends on the politics of the time and how well Colombia and Panama are getting on. On our way to South America we chose the seven day sailing option from the San Blass Islands off Panama which proved to be an adventure and overall fun experience. This time, returning north with time against us, we decided to fly...2015-08-0907 min

The Pack Track Adventuress1e42: Return to VenezuelaAfter a productive visit in Bogota sorting our shipping quotes and getting Weeti's paperwork in order for flying to the US, we decided to take a 3 week trip back into Venezuela to visit some friends and attend a Moto Event in the state of Falcon. This would be our last chance before leaving South America and who knows when our path would bring us back here.2015-07-3112 min

The Pack Track Adventuress1e41: Salinas, EcuadorFrom the mountains of Cuenca we traveled a few hours to Salinas on the coast of Ecuador. The distance wasn't far, 350km, but the journey took most of the day. From Cuenca we climbed up further in to the mountains on a narrow, twisty road through thick cloud cover and very wet, cold conditions. Our visibility was dangerously low, sitting in second gear with hazard lights and high beams on trying to increase our visibility to other drivers as much as possible. The locals power around those mountains, perhaps they know them like the back of their hands, we certainly...2015-07-0107 min

The Pack Track Adventuress1e40: Cuenca, EcuadorCuenca is a small city with a lot of history and set between two fast flowing rivers. It has a cool, wet climate being elevated at 2,500m. We stayed in Cuenca for 10 nights, a long time for The Pack Track to stay in one place, and learnt a lot about this bustling city for example in 1999 its historic centre reached UNESCO World Heritage Site status.2015-06-2206 min

The Pack Track Adventuress1e39: Entering EcuadorAfter three long days crossing the Sechura Desert of north western Peru, we finally arrived at the Ecuadorean border late in the afternoon. This would conclude our tour of all the main land Spanish speaking countries within the Americas. Note, I didn't say Latin American countries as we hadn't yet visited Canada, considered by some to be a Latin American country due to its French speaking parts or French Guiana although not a country on its own.2015-06-1104 min

The Pack Track Adventuress1e38: Sand boarding at NazcaTravelling from south to north Peru you realise what a big country it is and how many incredible sites there are to visit and explore. After the pinnacle of Machu Pichu it was hard to imagine anything could be quite as cool but then we pulled in to the town of Nazca, about 450 km South of Lima (the Capital) to see the ancient Nazca lines and a very barren landscape.2015-06-1006 min

The Pack Track Adventuress1e37: Mini Inca Trail to Machu PicchuIn case you're not aware, there are many different ways of getting to Machu Picchu, the 15th century built Inca city situated in the Andes mountain range, Peru. We had researched a few options including trains, buses, trails and hikes but our sense of adventure drew us to the Inca trail hikes. The hikes usually take 4 days, the fourth day being the day you arrive at Machu Picchu, take all your photos then get a train back to Cusco in the evening. What you'll often find with these tours is that they book out months in advance. We couldn't afford...2015-06-0408 min

The Pack Track Adventuress1e36: Cochabamba to La Paz, BoliviaWhy do men transform into giant babies when they get sick? All their manliness is consumed by the illness and what is left is the shell of a man with the temperament of a 5 year old boy. Stuart is no exception to the rule. It had been a while since his last bout of sickness but it struck again the day we left Sucre, Bolivia, headed for Cochabamba.2015-05-2109 min

The Pack Track Adventuress1e35: Potosi to Sucre, BoliviaBolivia is a landlocked country bordered by 5 countries - Peru, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile and Brazil - with diverse topography and climate from mountains and deserts to rainforest. Up until we reached Potosi we had only experienced a very isolated and desert region at the southern tip of Bolivia. Potosi was our first city stop and a big surprise to us, dispelling all the backward expectations we had for this beautiful country.2015-05-1607 min

The Pack Track Adventuress1e34: Bolivian Altiplano Southwest CircuitWe entered Bolivia from San Pedro de Atacama, Chile, on the 1st of May 2015. At this entrance to Bolivia there's no town, no shops and not even a sealed road. There is only a small brick hut that services as the migration or border control office. So we spent a few nights in San Pedro, a big tourist town with all the essentials, to stock up on supplies for the road ahead and for Janell, to squeeze in as many hot showers as she could to build up 'cleanliness credit'.2015-05-0908 min

The Pack Track Adventuress1e33: Concepcion, ChileConcepcion is the second largest city in Chile, situated on the coast about five hours south of Santiago. Concepcion gets a blog of its own because the most incredible thing happened on our arrival in this big city and we had so much fun the three nights we stayed.2015-03-2605 min

The Pack Track Adventuress1e32: Lago Puelo to MalalcahuelloWe were back in Argentina and back on sealed roads in Trevelin. Its a pretty town with strong ties to Wales, just like Gaiman directly to the east on the coast of Argentina where we had stayed a few months earlier. We found a nice campsite for the one night we stayed in Trevelin before riding 190km to Lago Puelo where our friends Lucas and Florencia were visiting family.2015-03-2309 min

The Pack Track Adventuress1e31: Navimag Ferry through ChileSouthern Chile consists of a narrow mainland interspersed with many islands. Therefore it makes sense that there are lots of ferry's connecting islands and mainland in southern Chile. The Pack Track had been on a few of these ferry's but all had been relatively short, lasting a few hours at most. Navimag is a company that contracts ferry routes in southern Chile including a 3 night voyage from Puerto Natales to Puerto Montt. To ride this distance, depending on the route you take, can be around 1,800km with a mixture of good and bad roads. It's actually a really popular section...2015-03-1308 min

The Pack Track Adventuress1e30: Heading NorthPunta Arenas is one of the largest cities in Patagonia. It was historically established as a strategic military stronghold over the surrounding waters. The port grew in size and eventually a free zone was established; this can mean a few things, but to us it meant tax free shopping. We needed to service the motorbikes and hoped we could get the parts and materials we needed in the free zone at a reasonable price.2015-03-0106 min

The Pack Track Adventuress1e29: The End of the WorldAfter the dramas of finding accommodation in Ushuaia, we were finally free to relax. It's pretty exciting being at the 'end of the world' and it marks a certain achievement or milestone on the journey. However, we weren't without drama. We'd lost one of our sleeping bags in Venezuela (it fell off the bike when it wasn't put away properly) and until now we had been getting by with just the one sleeping bag because the climate had been warm to hot. Now we were camping at the end of the world amongst snow capped mountains with all three of...2015-02-2105 min

The Pack Track Adventuress1e28: Journey to UshuaiaWe departed Puerto Deseado on a near perfect day, very much by design, light winds as predicted by Wind Guru , a cool temperature for riding and no rain clouds. Our plan would be to make it to Rio Gallegos but we weren't in any great rush. Passing through the province of Santa Cruz we decided to pull in to a town called Puerto San Julian and see what we could find in the way of accommodation.2015-02-0312 min

The Pack Track Adventuress1e27: Penguins & Sea LionsPuerto Deseado is a little coastal town located 125km off the main highway south, Ruta 3, on the east coast of Argentina. It has a latitude of 47 South so gets quite cold and of coarse windy like most of Argentina. The town itself is situated on the north bank of the Ria Deseado at the mouth of the river. The rivers name is interesting in Spanish in that its called a "Ria" and not a "Rio", in other words, it is a female river. To be completely accurate its not even a river but a tidal estuary taking the form of...2015-01-3005 min

The Pack Track Adventuress1e26: Comodoro Rivadavia, ArgentinaAfter our 3 nights camping in Gaiman, we were up early and ready for a big ride to Comodoro Rivadavia. We had a contact in Comodoro, through our friend Pablo from Buenos Aires, and had advised them that we would be arriving that day. We decided to take a short cut from Gaiman to Ruta 3, the national highway down the east coast of Argentina. This shortcut was about 60km long and probably saved us the same distance again. Unfortunately the road was slow going, it had been a long time since wehad been on gravel and this section was throwing us...2015-01-2708 min

The Pack Track Adventuress1e25: Welsh PatagoniaNearly 150 years ago a ship load of immigrants from Wales landed in Puerto Madryn, Argentina. Their intention was to set up a welsh community with no English influence. In fact they ended up establishing a number of these communities but today, the most notable is a place called Gaiman where there is still a strong Welsh culture and the Welsh language is commonly spoken. Stuarts boss in Australia, Dave, was of proud Welsh decent. So when Stu talked about his upcoming world-wide adventure, Dave mentioned the Welsh history in Argentina so The Pack Track starred the towns of Trelew, Gaiman...2015-01-2205 min

The Pack Track Adventuress1e24: Incredible Encounters in Puerto MadrynEven travellers need inspiration and motivation from time to time. It can come in a range of forms from a chat with a stranger, to marvelling at nature, to grand designs. Travelling as two (or two and half with our little friend) we often draw on each other for strength during frustrating situations and when we feel weary from simply long days of riding. The Pack Track had been on the road for nearly 11 months by this stage and found inspiration in the form of a young couple living in Puerto Madryn.2015-01-1906 min

The Pack Track Adventuress1e23: Tango TownBuenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, is home to the tango and it's no wonder when you walk the streets of this romantic city. The Pack Track arrived in Buenos Aires on the 30th of December 2014. What an amazing year 2014 had been and what a fantastic place to say goodbye to the old and bring in the new year.2015-01-1206 min

The Pack Track Adventuress1e22: Changing Money in Buenos AiresEntering Argentina meant returning to a country with a black market exchange rate significantly different to the government official rate. We had learned a lot from our experience with parallel rates in Venezuela so there were no feelings of apprehension this time and we did our research online to find out what we should be getting.2015-01-1009 min

The Pack Track Adventuress1e21: Fall at Speed in ParaguayParaguay is one of the smaller countries in South America. The capital of Paraguay is Asuncion which is located near the western border of the country. It is a small region but is home to the vast majority of Paraguays population. To the Northwest of Asuncion is a different story however, this region is known as Chaco and is a hot, arid land. In contrast, the eastern portion of Paraguay is full of agricultural lands.2014-12-2805 min

The Pack Track Adventuress1e20: Moto Clubs of BrazilBrazil is a beautiful country with a passionate motorcycle community under the banner of AME-BR. The members of the clubs that make up this community are all extremely friendly and welcoming, regardless of how well you speak Portuguese. We had intended to travel quickly through Brazil on our way south due to the high prices of absolutely everything. But the lovely people in the motoclubs not only made it more affordable with their generosity but made us want to spend more time with them so it took us a little longer to reach Paraguay that anticipated.2014-12-1815 min

The Pack Track Adventuress1e19: Manaus to Porto Velho by RiverboatWhat can you expect from a boat trip in this part of the world? This wasn't our first and was likely not our last. Our experience on the MV Kimbia in Guyana was still fresh in our mind, and if the 5 nights spent in the Brazilian Amazon river system on riverboat Dois Irmaos-I between Manaus and Port Velho was going to be anything like the Kimbia then we were in for 5 days of hell.2014-12-0113 min

The Pack Track Adventuress1e18: Postal Nightmare in VenezuelaStuart sat in the back of a taxi travelling four hours across the country, having now spent a total of three months in Venezuela. His hope was that this little adventure would allow The Pack Track to continue their journey exploring more of South America.2014-10-1511 min

The Pack Track Adventuress1e17: Introducing Negrita (A.K.A. Weeti)This is Negrita, or more affectionately known as Weeti...2014-10-0903 min

The Pack Track Adventuress1e16: Hiking Mount RoraimaNothing clears the mind like physical activity and spending time with nature. What better for The Pack Track to recover from the recent loss of Skyla than a 6 day 5 night trek in the Gran Sabana, destination Mount Roraima.2014-09-2506 min

The Pack Track Adventuress1e15: Farewell SkylaOn the 10th of September 2014, in the small town of El Callao, Venezuela, our hearts broke as we said goodbye to The Pack Track's most popular member. Skyla lost her long fight with cancer.2014-09-1004 min

The Pack Track Adventuress1e14: Guyana to Venezuela by boatThe MV Kimbia, a 70 year old dilapidated ocean going passenger and cargo transport ferry, is said to be one of the oldest ships in the maritime public transport industry. It services the communities in the Northwest region of Guyana, a region only accessible by boat due to the whole area being a marshy swamp land interspersed with river systems. The ferry ride is usually around 25 hours but inclement weather can extend this voyage to 30-36 hours. The trip is very much a third world transportation experience; grossly overcrowded, terrible sanitation, all kinds of animals and next to no consideration for...2014-08-1608 min

The Pack Track Adventuress1e13: Guyana - Land of WaterAfter the intensity of the World Cup we were looking forward to a slower pace. From Brazil we were free to travel wherever the road would take us. A few days in Boa Vista, Brazil, gave us some time to discuss our overall plan for South America and we decided that it would be best to travel anti-clockwise around South America, reaching the bottom (Ushuaia) around the end of November. It gets very cold down there so for riders its recommended to head there in the warmer months, December to February.2014-08-1107 min

The Pack Track Adventuress1e12: Lethem to Linden, GuyanaThis is the route report for the road from Lethem on the Guyanese side of the Guyana/Brazil border to Linden near Georgetown in Guyana (the road from Linden to Georgetown is sealed). Our travel occurred at the end of July, towards the end of the wet season and so includes some of the worse conditions you could face along this route. We were advised at the border that this route could be done in a day. we are sure this is possible for someone experienced and knowledgeable of the road, but we were neither and had plenty of time.2014-08-1111 min

The Pack Track Adventuress1e11: RemissionIn September 2013, back in Australia, we had noticed that Skyla's lymph nodes on her neck had significantly enlarged. It occurred at the same time a rash appeared on her belly. Skyla often gets a rash on her belly when she gets in to long grass so we treated the rash and thought the enlarged lymph nodes was due to her body fighting the rash. After a few days the rash went away and instead of the lumps decreasing they got bigger so we took her to the vet.2014-08-1004 min

The Pack Track Adventuress1e10: FIFA World Cup BrazilWe did the hard yards to get to Brazil and it was definitely worth it. Being in a football nation such as Brazil, following world cup games with people from all over the world and to top it off attending games in top class stadiums was an extraordinary experience that we will never forget.2014-08-0807 min

The Pack Track Adventuress1e09: Adventure Riders WonderlandImagine if you will, a land where petrol is free, a night in a luxury hotel costs $5 while $10 gets you a room in a fully equipped resort. A good meal is under a dollar and a first class road network connects cities with practically no traffic. Wouldn't this be an adventure riders heaven. Would you believe us if we told you that such a place does exist? Well it does and it really is a riders paradise. As well as costing peanuts to live, it has some of the most amazing scenery and ecological sights in the world; prehistoric plateaus...2014-07-2615 min

The Pack Track Adventuress1e08: Sunburnt & SeasickThe Darien Gap! A 50km stretch of jungle separating Panama in North America from Colombia in South America. The jungle is so thick that it isolated the Mayan civilisation from the Inca's. Although a few well equipped adventurers have had success in navigating through the harsh environment, most attempts have failed. Plans to join Panama to Colombia by road through the Darien Gap have never eventuated, mainly because of the terrain but also because of the poor relations between the two countries.2014-07-2212 min

The Pack Track Adventuress1e07: PanamaniaBy the time we reached Costa Rica we had put around 6,000 miles (10,000km) on our bikes since leaving Texas. That means it was time for a service. Luckily, back in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, we met Ricardo by chance. Janell was standing on the balcony of our hostel in San Miguel checking out the view with Skyla when a gentlemen yelled from bellow "Are you going to Manaus?" Followed by "come downstairs", so we did and introduced ourselves to Ricardo. Ricardo had been told about us by someone following our journey and made it his business to come and...2014-06-1009 min

The Pack Track Adventuress1e06: Border DelugeNever do a border crossing on an empty stomach. We'd done it a few times now and it makes a hot and slow process so much worse. Crossing in to Mexico we were lucky to have two experienced travellers with us, who both spoke Spanish. The countries that were to follow Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua progressively got hotter and slower, taking anywhere between 1.5 hours to 5.5 hours.2014-05-1712 min

The Pack Track Adventuress1e05: Chicken PizzaThree sore bottoms pulled in to a tropical Cancun at 4:30pm. The Pack Track left the bustling city of Oaxaca on Wednesday, with the goal of checking in to our accommodation in Cancun by 5pm on Friday. That's approximately 1400km in three days. Why the hurry? Glad you asked! Stu's younger brother (Greg) who moved to Canada about 18 months earlier was flying down to spend 4 nights with us. It had been a very eventful, exhausting and at times stressful three days but definitely worth it to see two brothers reunited!!2014-04-3007 min

The Pack Track Adventuress1e04: Fall at 3,000mJanell lay there upside-down calling for help, head resting on a concrete beam which ran along the bottom of the deep gutter, her legs sticking up the steep incline holding up 250kg of bike. The bike was also upside-down with fuel pouring out of the breathing tube. Stuart quickly pulled his bike up and ran to her assistance. He took the weight, enough for Janell to slip out from under the bike and then allow it to fall about 1.5m to the bottom of the gutter. Luckily there was no signs of injury, although Janell was in a bit of...2014-04-2111 min

The Pack Track Adventuress1e03: Let Loose in MexicoFrom Real de Catorce we were on our own and headed for San Miguel de Allende. It was our first leg in Mexico without support (Hank and Jochen). We were perhaps overwhelmed for the first two days trying to find our feet. Our Spanish was non existent so we quickly discovered 'street' food. It's cheap, tasty and you can point at the pots of food you want, just make sure you smile and say 'por favor' (Spanish for please) so it doesn't come across as rude. If you prefer somewhere to sit and relax for a while, the rooftop restaurants...2014-04-1708 min

The Pack Track Adventuress1e02: Geared Up and RidingWe had said a fond farewell to Dallas, our home for the previous three weeks. The departure was not quite as we planned and were thankful for no great send off. The checkout from the hotel was midday, we handed over our room keys at 12:01pm but then spent the next three hours in the hotel car park loading up the bikes. It wasn't the plan of course, we had hoped to be on the road at midday to take the scenic four hour ride to Austin, the capital of Texas, set up camp and explore the city the next...2014-04-0715 min

The Pack Track Adventuress1e01: The Journey BeginsHad everything gone to plan, us (Janell and Stu) and our 7 year old Bull Terrier mix Skyla would be riding through Central America right about now. So what went wrong? Skyla was diagnosed with cancer (Lymphoma) in October 2013, only weeks after booking our flights to Dallas. We were rapidly packing up our life in Sydney in preparation for a two year motorbike adventure across four and half continents.2014-02-2808 min