Croatia

By Mark

Getting into Croatia proved no problem at all. All we had to do was show our passports and I didn't even get a stamp in mine. We had worried a bit that they might want to check our motor insurance (which we didn't have) but they didn't so relieved we rode into Croatia.

The Croatian coast is definitely very beautiful but also very touristy and in my opinion the developments of tourist accommodation along the wayside is not done very tastefully. This might be slightly to due with the fact that we were disappointed not to find our usual 'bush camping' options.

The undeveloped parts of the coastline though are rugged and stunning and the roads are perfect for riding. What I am about to say next may offend some Australians but I am sure that this coastline especially from Rijeka to  Zadar beats the Great Australian Road for beautiful scenery. All along the coast you are constantly rewarded with gorgeous views of the stunning water to your right and tall rocky mountains to your left. Luckily this part also had the least amount of traffic in the whole country only downside that there was hardly anywhere to stop to take photos of the coastline.

Every now and then we would take small detours off the main road to head close to the coast trying for a bush camp but it never happened. What we did find was at each point of trying to find somewhere to camp we were taken back with having to find 'autocamps' which became ever more expensive the further south (and closer to Dubrovnik) you get. We got a bargain I guess for the first night but we did not really get anything for the money apart from a spot of grass by the seaside. At least they had cold beer for a reasonable price.

By the time we hit Dubrovnik we now knew why the roads in the north were so quiet. Everybody was here and it was only June, glad we were not here any later as we had heard you are lucky if you are able to find a room come the height of summer in August. The streets were buzzing with people everywhere and with 2 cruise liners in town it made it even busier. Our first port of call was to hit the ferry terminal and buy our tickets for the ferry for Bari, Italy the following evening. It was here that we were approached by a lovely gentleman asking us about where we were staying that night, when we answered the local campground he proposed we come stay at his place, he lived just 5 minutes away and he had cheap rooms. So we sorted our tickets out and followed him back to his home where we were introduced to his sweet and funny wife Marja. We took a quick look at the room and decided that with a safe place for the bikes, a great view of the harbour and close walking proximity to most places why not just stay here.

Dubrovnik was nice but very touristy. The Old Town is no doubt very beautiful, it's just a shame that you have to share it with thousands of other tourists! You can't really blame so many on wanting to go there though. The only downside was the cost, we had heard that it was not cheap in Croatia and we definitely found that out. Groceries where expensive, probably the highest we have come across through all of Europe thus far and with the average monthly salary as low as it is I don't know how the average income earner survives. Being so touristy you also find it hard to really get to know the real way of life in Croatia and with everything revolving around tourism you miss the finding out about the local way of life. In saying that we did however enjoy our short stay here. We got what we had come for and that was warm weather and sunshine.

 Not a bad campsite - of course it would have been better had we had it to ourselves and for free!

Some of the Croatian coastline

 Lunch by the sea

Arriving in Dubrovnik

Enjoying a cold one in the Old City

Not sure why, but there were padlocks all over this fence

The Fort in the Old City

South is the Word!

By Sanne

After freezing our butts off at Erzberg we had one thing on our mind and one thing only: SUN!
This meant the trip could only go south and weather reports were studied fiercely to pin down places with the biggest possibility for the sunshine we so badly needed. We hit the road and headed for Southern Austria aka East Tirol. Our destination was Lesachtal where we had been last year and loved it. It was a nice ride for the three of us (Frank was still traveling with us), and lucky for us Frank had lots of really detailed maps that navigated us on to some small and beautiful roads through the mountains.

Just before Lesachtal we stopped in at a Lidl supermarket to get some supplies (read: wine). When we came out to the bikes again Frank was standing and chatting to an older gentleman. Hmm, he did look a little familiar didn't he...? Turns out we met this guy last summer, in this same carpark, and he had given us all of his bananas which had earned him the nickname Banana Man. Now almost a year later he was riding past Lidl when he noticed our bikes. He even showed us the business card we had given him last year which he carried with him in his wallet. It certainly is a small world! This time he had no bananas with him, instead he gave us a box of cookies.

After this funny encounter we rode into Lesachtal which is a valley that runs along the border with Italy. It has got to be one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. I could go back there time and time again. The road is tiny and windy and makes for great motorbike riding. This time there was still snow on the mountains which made it even more spectacular.
We stayed at the same pension as last year: Gasthof Luggau in the village Maria Luggau. The couple who runs it are both ex pro-skiers and are absolutely lovely. Frank didn't hesitate to take a room for the night where as for Mark and I, although we really wanted a room too after doing it tough at Erzberg didn't think our budget could stretch to the 58 Euros it cost for 1 night. So, we were back in the tent again! At leas tit didn't rain...or snow! It was still really cold at night though although the days were beautiful. We were both longing for nights where we didn't have to sleep with 5 layers of clothes on us.
We met some funny types at the Gasthof. One of them an older Dutchman on a motorbike who told us how back in the 70s he had driven a truck from Pakistan to Holland. What were you carrying, we asked him? "Three-and-a-half tons of hashish" he said matter of factly.

The day arrived when we had to say bye bye birdy to Mr BJ...eh I mean Frank! His three weeks of holiday was almost up and he had to be back in Berlin to return to the dreaded notion of Work! He was trying to calculate which route to take as some mountain passes were still closed and some areas still flooded. Some summer holiday! I do hope though that he had had a good time (we certainly did) and at least it should make for an experience he won't forget any time soon. Frank, start training - we'll see you at Erzberg 2015 - and this time we're racing! Get the Orange Diva ready and your bike too :) Seriously mate, we had an awesome time with you, thanks for lending us your great company on the road.

After Frank had gone we were meant to leave too, but we were too lazy so we ended up staying an extra day at Maria Luggau before heading into Italy the next day. The day before I had managed to get hold of my friend Nadia whose dad Bruno (also a good family friend) lives in Trieste. We arranged to go stay with him in Trieste for a few days so that was our destination. We crossed into Italy via the Plockenpass and then took small roads through Slovenia via Passo di Nevea which neither of us had ever heard about but which provided some of the best riding and scenery of the trip! It's kind of out of the way and hence does not see a lot of traffic which makes it even better. There was a bit of a storm brewing when we were there and we got a little wet but it was so cool to hear the thunder roaring through the mountains. The storm stayed at our tails the whole way to Trieste. Then when we hit the coast it was all sunny blue skies.

We found the Piazza D'Unita and Bruno came and picked us up from here. It was great to see Bruno again after seeing him last year in Lignano. He made us feel completely at home and was the best host we could have asked for. The first night he took us out for dinner and beer which was all we wanted! The next few days he took us around showing us sight of the city such as the Castello di San Giusto which is a castle situated on a hill above Trieste from where you get a great panoramic view of the entire city and to Grotto Gigante which is as the name suggest a Giant Grotto! All very cool and in very good company. He also helped us determine where to go next. By now, we had started playing with the thought of going down through Croatia and taking a ferry from Dubrovnik to Bari, Italy. Which was exactly what we did. The only worry was that since Croatia is not yet in the EU, our European vehicle insurance wouldn't cover us were we to have an accident. Well, we decided to take the chance. After some very enjoyable days in Trieste we said goodbye to Bruno and headed for the Slovenian, then the Croatian border.

Banana/Cookie Man at the Lidl carpark

Maria Luggau lamas + goat who thinks he's a lama

Maria Luggau

Still a bit chilly

Passo di Stalle

Still quite a bit of snow around

Mark and Frank

Frank getting ready for take-off

Some Swiss bikers who flagged us down to help them with their flat tyre. 

After we helped them by giving them some glue they gave us 20 Euros!

On the Slovenian side of Passo di Nevea

The rivers here are flowing fast with the bluest of blue water from the mountains

Piazza D'Unita, Trieste

Trieste

Bruno and Mark at Castello di San Giusto

Me and Mark

Me and Bruno

Grotto Gigante

Erzberg Rodeo

By Mark

We made it into Eisenerz, Austria for the big race on Wednesday afternoon and luckily we had some decent weather to set up camp. While setting up we were approached by a guy asking about our bikes, he had recognised the registration plates. Turns out he was from Perth, Australia. Adrian as he was called was quite surprised by this and being a fellow biker we struck up a conversation and found ourselves hanging out with him for the next 4 days.

The Erzberg Enduro is held over 4 days inside a huge Iron Ore Mine which is shut down once a year and it is for this enduro only, now in it's 19th year. The first day of racing is the Rocket Race which puts man and machine up against a series of very steep slopes of the mine covered by rocks of all sizes and some seriously soft dirt. Fastest to the top wins. This was great to watch as there was carnage from the moment we had arrived, the ascents are so steep that if the riders do not have enough speed, they find themselves flipping their bikes trying to reach the top of each tier some hoping that if they just give it one more handful of throttle they can flip the bike on to the ledge above saving them from turning around and going to the bottom again. Some are successful but only to the detriment of the bike. Boy do these guys have spirit though, many of them struggling over and over with the enormity of the task at hand. They just kept having a crack at it with the support from the vocal crowd cheering them on time after time until they made it. We are talking 6 plus times for some riders to make it up just one section, meanwhile you have guys flying by at warp speed making it look all so easy. This was a good bench mark for what to expect for the coming days racing.

Sadly the weather did not hold out very long and before the end of the day's racing the heavens had opened up and the downpour started. It was cold and wet but we had been expecting it to turn bad anyway. At least we were not having to race in this weather and we all had joy in watching the riders deal with the bad conditions. By that evening we returned to camp to see our tents surrounded by a lake, formally a football ground! That wasn't pleasant but we did manage to stay dry for most of the night huddled inside in the freezing conditions, oh how nice a warm dry bed would have been. 

The following morning I was happy to hear the rain had stopped but the noise of pitta patter on top of the tent had changed to a strange sound that I have not heard before. Our worst fears had come true, the rain had now turned to snow and the ground around us was freezing and covered in snow. All around us people were packing up and leaving. Many tents and shelters had collapsed under the weight of the snow but some how our little summer tent was still holding up. Only thing was the inside of the tent which was now very wet, so was our mattresses and sleeping bags. It was "The Hell" as our friend Frank would put it and we had no options really as what to do or where to go. We already knew that every guest house within a 50km radius was booked out. Luckily the locals running the make shift campground at the local football club had an offer for us. We could use a tent they were using for people to eat in when the inside of the club was full; since the amount of people had dwindled due to the terrible weather they found they would probably not be needing it. So we set upon the task of moving out of our frozen lake to a tent right beside the club with even a heater inside which was much needed to dry out all our belongings. In total there were 4 tents within the tent. Franks, ours, Adrian's and another bike rider from Germany, Ollie. With the day passing by quickly we decided not to head up the mountain to watch the first heat for the prologue which sees 1800 competitors race against the clock up the iron ore mountain roads to make the top 500 for Sundays main race, the Hare Scramble. The conditions were atrocious and overnight there had been land slides on the race track and the track needed to be shortened also due to snow on the track. Visibility was poor as were the riding conditions so we thought it better to sort out our gear and dry everything for hopefully a warmer nights sleep. We also thought that a pair of gumboots would come in handy so we shopped for some gum boots and beer to get through the night. Early in the evening we headed down town to watch the Raid on Eisenerz which sees all competitors ride through town on their race bikes running amok doing burnouts and wheelies etc. It was such a great atmosphere to be amongst and it was here that I started to get this crazy idea that maybe, just maybe I should come back and be part of it all again. Next time though as a competitor.

The following day the conditions were better, well there was no rain. So we headed on up to the mine to check out the second heat of the prologue. On the start line there was a huge number of different bikes lined up to race against the clock. There was everything from Vespas  to KTM Adventure 990's. I think some people just came to race to say that they have had a go at Erzberg and this was where my mind was leading me. I just wanted to be part of all this craziness and action. After checking out the racing we walked around the mine to check out everyone else training for the following day's big race. It seemed to be that there were no rules and that anything goes. There were bikes cartwheeling here there and everywhere while riders dodged them to make their way up the steep mountain sides. One poor guy who failed on his way up returned down the hill to only lose control and end up with his bike in the bottom of the lake. I still have no idea if he was able to retrieve it. With the conditions starting to worsen we made a retreat back to camp to get warm and have a shower. From there we headed back up later to see the freestyle motocross but due to the conditions it had been put on earlier so we watched some freestyle jet ski action in the lake. It was pretty impressive but in no time we were a little bored with it and found ourselves heading back to the beer tent. Every night up around the riders camp is a party and we found ourselves getting a little carried away, especially me. The next morning I awoke late with no recollection of how I returned back to camp. Thanks Adrian for helping me home.

Feeling only slightly worse for wear we made a quick trip to the lake and the start line of the main race. It was insane. It had rained all night yet again and the start line was now an actual lake. We made it with only minutes to spare and the first 50 riders were off. Only 5% made it out trouble free, the rest stalling in the deep water and some even had problems with flooding their engines. Not only did they have this to deal with but then pick a line up a steep incline straight out of the lake to get onto the iron roads. It was carnage and I was loving it, rain and all. We were moved on by officials as we were in a dangerous area I suppose, but we were herded into a another viewing area that was no safer but was full of even more action with bikes crashing down steep descents then getting stuck and bogged into deep sludge pits. Only way out was by the help of the spectators. Adrian manned up and jumped in to help a few people out. Some riders come prepared with their own rope to get the help when needed - when allowed as there are only 6 points in the race where it is allowed to receive outside help or you will be disqualified. 

We wanted more action so we headed up the mountain side to the forest to see the top riders make their way down hillsides with slopes over 45 degrees, some shorter sections being near vertical! Being in this location you see only a handful of riders as only the top riders will finish. We saw only about 7 riders come through before heading to the finish to hopefully see some riders make it across the finish line. We were lucky and saw a couple come through to the finish. There was talk leading up to the main event that maybe this year because of the terrible weather conditions would see no riders finishing at all. But the riders proved the organisers wrong and out of 500 riders 14 people finished within the 4 hour time limit, sadly for one French rider he came in only around a minute late and was disqualified due to being outside the time. To me he is a winner, anyone who enters this race and is able to finish is a champion with plenty of heart and and a huge amount of riding skill.

After all the highs and lows of 5 days of crazy weather, crazy riding and good times I vow that one day I will return to this circus they call a race and hopefully next time as a competitor. I know I have no chance of making it to the finish line but to be there and giving it a go is what it is all about. Hats off to all of this years competitors.

The iron giant in all it's glory

A rider racing up the mountain in the Prologue

We arrived to good weather leading up to the race

But after 24 hours this is what we woke up to!

Frank was ecstatic about it

The poor bikes didn't enjoy it

Our tents within a tent

Luckily there was a heater so we could dry everything out

We also scored some car seats to chill out on 

One of the riders camps within the mine

One of the many out there bikes on the mountain

There were even guys there having a crack on their Vespas!

Or on road bikes fitted with knobbies

Then there was the carnage of practice

This poor guy rode straight into some sludge so I helped him out

And once they have gone up, they have to get back down

Flat out up the hill side was the only way to go

What's a motorbike race without a pink elephant?

More carnage

Stopping for a quick breather!

So close but yet so far

One guy even lost his bike into the lake below during hill climb practice,
and yes the riders have to go up all those tiers

All smiles even though the weather was horrible

Of course with the help of beer, cheers Adrian

Then started the fun of the raid on the town

This guy would have been freezing!

As I said before the race attracts all sorts

Then the burnouts started

And ended in quite a smoke show

Had to have at least one wheelie in there

This bike was actually signed on to race the prologue!

Then there was a condom on a Vespa

Enjoying the fun with even more beer, pointy fingers and traffic light colours!

The start of the main race on Sunday = Carnage

We were setup in a good place to see many spills into this sludge

This photo does not show how steep this hill really was

The poor owner of this bike could get no help to get his bike out
which meant the race was over for him!

One of the few who made it back down the mountain

Then only to tackle the steep descents of the forest

And what would a hard core race be without just a few more obstacles on the finish line