Monday 19th January …Not my most glamorous look, but that’s what happens when your new husband is keen on documenting all aspect of the trip! After lining our panniers and top box with foam to protect the contents, we then had to pack the panniers and soft bags (according to our inventory – yep that’s Vince!). Then we had to bubble wrap them all ready to take to BMW to crate the bike ready for shipment to the UK.

 
Packing a pannier … my clothes WILL FIT!

Monday 19th January …. This is the way we wash the bike, wash the bike,wash the bike, this is the way we wash the bike so early in the evening!  Customs requires the bike to be spotless, both inside and out, so Karen and Vince took to it with toothbrushes – literally! We don’t want anything holding this baby’s travels up at either leaving Australia or arriving in the UK. Good as brand spanking new!

The trip has been a dream for Vince for around 5 or 6 years, Karen has shared the dream since early 2014. Like most people, it seemed so long away, with plenty of time, and although some very preliminary planning work had occurred and the ANIMAL had been purchased, it was not until late 2014 that they really knuckled down in earnest with their planning. Attendance at the Horizons Unlimited meeting in Perth, Western Australia in Oct 2014, along with the DVD collection they had been watching, served as both informative and inspirational. In early Jan 2015, this was the practice packing for the panniers, with only a couple of weeks before the bike was due to be shipped. Hmmm ….very impressive!!

ANIMAL: Does my bum look big in this?