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Welcome to the Compass Expeditions Blog where we share our most unforgettable experiences from the road. Relive some of the most exhilarating moments that we’ve had out on tour. Read stories from past European motorcycle tours, adventure riding in Australia, motorcycle tours through Tasmania, African Safaris, and more! Feel the vibrations from our on-road and off-road motorbikes blazing through the most rugged and wild terrain on earth!
Asian Overland 2020 Road Report – Week #3 – Myanmar – “Mingalabar” (Hello)
By Jerry Cook Arriving at the Thailand / Myanmar border, I was excited to bring the group into the fourth country of the Asian Overland expedition. There is a tangible excitement to brining a motorcycle tour group into a new country and the unknown adventures that lay ahead. The border procedures were surprisingly efficient, thanks to the …
Asian Overland 2020 Road Report – Week #2 – Thailand
By Jerry Cook When I looked ahead at the tour itinerary and saw that my birthday was going to be in Krabi, Thailand I knew it was going to be a good one. I was right! I woke up in our beautiful hotel, the Anyavee Resort to many messages from friends and family all around the …
Asian Overland 2020 Road Report – Week #1
By Jerry Cook Singapore & Malaysia When I was growing up, I was fortunate to spend many a Christmas and school holiday in Singapore. Being only a relatively short flight from my hometown of Perth and with my relatives living there, it was the ideal family getaway. I have many fond memories of carefree teenage days …
Oktoberfest in November Sale
October is done and we have been too busy to fit in an Oktoberfest indulgence to celebrate our ongoing love affair with BMW motorcycles. German engineering at its best as far as we Compass expeditions are concerned! So, to celebrate, we purchased a couple of the new GS models, did the math, and realised that, …
Celebrating 100 BMWs
by Mick McDonald It’s been over a decade in the making however Compass Expeditions has just received the keys to its 100thBMW motorcycle, the vast majority purchased from BMW Southbank. Established in 2007, after a successful charity ride across Russia, the owners, Mick McDonald, Jerry “Truman” Cook, Ryan Heath & Brendan Barbetti have morphed what …
The Inaugural Spain Portugal and Morocco Tour 2019
By Jerry Cook Part #1 The Inaugural Spain Portugal and Morocco Tour 2019 The inaugural Compass Expeditions Spain, Portugal and Morocco tour commenced in the beautiful Portuguese capital of Lisbon. With over half of the group being previous Compass Expeditions tour participants, it is surely a testament to their enjoyment and success of their previous tours …
Strikes & Politics (a tour of South America)
Words and Images by Tony Collins Both of these words are guaranteed to strike fear into the most seasoned tour operator because all carefully made plans go out the window. Countrywide strikes blocking roads to major tourist destinations, and your guests’ accommodation Having a Government change the rules at the last minute so you cannot …
Under African skies – Cape Town to Victoria Falls Part 2
Words and Images by Mick McDonald We dragged ourselves away from the stunning Dead Valley Resort, scoffed home-made apple pies at Solitaire, crossed the Tropic of Capricorn, and reached the wild Atlantic coast by mid-afternoon, allowing us time to explore the “big smoke” again after so many nights of utter isolation. Riding further north, we …
Under African skies – Cape Town to Victoria Falls
Words and Images by Mick McDonald Finally, after too many hours on a plane we touched down in Cape Town, South Africa; those first steps down the ramp onto African soil are always ones filled with anticipation and excitement, more so as I knew exactly what we were in for, being my 3rdCharley Boorman ride …
Photo Bombe Alaska, Flogging It to Deadhorse and Dropping The Anchorage – The True North: Alaska tour by the Travelling Bennetts
Duncan and Cindy Bennett are regular riders with Compass Expeditions having ridden with us in Australia, South America and on the epic Cairo to Cape Town Expedition. Recently they partook in our inaugural True North: Alaska tour and have very generously allowed us to reproduce their musings from that tour from their fantastic Blog page …
The Asian Overland Research Trip – Week 11 – The Final Week
By Mick McDonald We started our final week off by visiting one of the world’s greatest archaeological discoveries, the Terracotta Warriors, it truly is an immense sight to be gazing over 1000s of warriors tasked with standing guard over Emperor Qin for eternity, from 2000 years ago. The site was only discovered in 1974 by …
Simon Pavey’s Off-Road Skills Adventure Maintenance Course – For when there is no recovery truck!
The Adventure Maintenance course is held on the Friday before the Simon Pavey, Off Road Skills training weekend – for dates and details visit the event webpage at: http://www.compassexpeditions.com/tours/simon-paveys-off-road-skills-course/ • Learn essential bike repair skills • Prepare your bike • Ideal for anyone planning a big adventure • Relevant to all makes of bike This …
The Asian Overland Research Trip – Week 10 – Almost Done
By Mick McDonald We woke to a virtual blizzard that only seemed to intensify as the day wore on, it was our last day in Tibet and we were descending nearly 2000mt from the, now snow covered, Tibetan Plateau to what is known as the Mongolian Prefecture, and the town of Golmud, however Tibet had …
The Asian Overland Research Trip – Week 9 – In the land of the Gods
By Mick McDonald The drive out of Lhasa was the usual, epic mountain panoramas, glaciers, high altitude turquoise lakes and posing Mastiff dogs the size of Serengeti lions! We had hit the tourist trail and saw at least 5 other tourists on the route. On top of lofty mountain passes our car seemed to attract …
The Asian Overland Research Trip – Week 8 – Oh my God!
By Mick McDonald Oh My God! These were the words most uttered as we drove an unbelievable fairy-tale landscape of snow-capped peaks, narrow canyonlands dissected by a raging torrent far far below, pine forests, Impossibly scenic monasteries located on a knife edge ridge and a landscape dotted with Tibetan style farmhouses that would command a …
7 good reasons to ride in Australia with Compass Expeditions
We often forget that adventure begins when you leave your own front door and since at Compass Expeditions, we often refer to Australia as our very large and spectacular back yard we wanted to point out some good reasons to come and ride in “Oz” with us.
The Asian Overland Research Trip – Week 7 – From China with love
By Mick McDonald We have forgotten what week it is as we farewelled the wonderful Laos, the 3 hour ride to the border, with the obligatory flat tyre, was a fitting way to end our time in Laos as it was yet another scenic overload over the final mountain ranges into China The border itself …
The Asian Overland Expedition- Research trip – Week 6 – A history that no one wants.
Our first day in Laos and the wonderful leafy capital city that is Vientiane, with its French influenced cafes and coffee shops selling wonderful patisseries and serving refreshing lemon smoothies. We visited the Laos version of the Arc de Triumph, made out of cement donated by the US, for the airport!! We also visited what became an eye opener and yet another example of man’s capacity to inflict suffering upon each other. During the Vietnam war Laos had a B52 planeload of bombs dropped on it every 8 minutes 24/7 for 9 years straight, that’s 580,000 tonnes or ordinance of which 30% remained unexploded, making Laos the most bombed country in human history!
Compass Expeditions and GS Africa – a new partnership for African Adventures
Compass Expeditions are pleased to announce our new partnership with South Africa’s premier BMW Motorcycle rental agencies – GS Africa.
The Asian Overland Expedition- Research trip – Week 5 – Land of the Longnecks
We hit the for what must surely be Thailand’s most legendary motorcycle road, the Mae Hong Son loop, even in a Hilux we were excited to get onto this road famous for its 1864 curves.
The Asian Overland Expedition- Research trip – Week 4 – The Road to Mandalay
Our 4th week on the Asian Overland saw us hit the “Road to Mandalay”, the very name conjures up images of wooden wheeled carts being pulled by Brahmans and steered by a family wearing bamboo hats along a track that winds its way through endless rice fields, and that’s exactly the scene that greeted us we wound our way north. We reached the incredible Bagan, a 25 square mile plain on the mighty Irrawaddy River in central Myanmar. Bagan is a maelstrom of temples with up to 4000 Buddhist temples from the 12th & 13th Century AD, its often referred to as Ankor Wat on steroids but minus the crowds.
On the trail of the Incas
This is what happens when you have the good fortune to be able to take a motorcycle tour of Peru, Northern Chile and Bolivia with a bunch of riders and pillion passengers who all share a passion for travel, fun, good food, libations and of course riding motorcycles. Riders who are not afraid to love life and live it to its full.
The Asian Overland Expedition- Research trip – Week 3
Moving into our third week on the road, we look towards exploring our fourth country within south-east Asia. Myanmar is within reach, but not before discovering Thailand’s ancient history in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Sukhothai Historical Park. Here lie the ruins of the 13th century Sukhothai Kingdom, which is alleged to be the …
The Asian Overland Expedition- Research trip – Weeks 1-2
Week One: And so, it begins, one of the most extensive research trips that we have ever undertaken. Lucky enough to be doing this trip is myself, founder of Compass Expeditions, Mick McDonald and our resident paramedic who has worked on many of our rides, including our Simon Pavey and Charley Boorman events, Sarah Taylor. …