2009 BMW GS Safari to Tasmania. Are you coming off-road with us in April?

Bookings are now open for the 2009 GS Safari that will be taking place from the 29th of March until the 4th of April in Tasmania. If you are thinking of coming then don’t leave it too late, as the 2008 GS event was a sell out and we’d hate you to be disappointed. It’s important to remember that a BMW Safari is more than just a superb ride, it’s also a fantastic social occasion with a great bunch of people.

The 2009 venue for the GS Safari is the spectacular island of Tasmania. The routes, the scenery and the riding are amongst the best in the world and it’s an experience that’s not to be missed. Whatever your skill level everyone is encouraged to ride at their own pace and, given the geography of Tasmania, those fairly new to off-road riding will normally (but not always!) find a tarmac road not too far away if they need to take a break. The programme allows those who want to ride to do just that, but it also gives an opportunity for those who need a break to take one. See the day by day programme below.

To participate in a GS Safari you’ll need a GS or a G designated BMW motorcycle, which means a BMW bike that’s built with off-road capability. If you don’t yet have a GS, you’ll find your BMW Dealer will be absolutely delighted to rectify the situation. For those who haven’t had much off-road riding experience, the minimum requirement is participation in an off-road riding skills course which can be booked via this link on the BMW Motorrad website. A two day course will be running in Melbourne immediately prior to the GS Safari, Sunday ferry departure from Port Melbourne.

As you would expect the BMW GS Safari is fully supported by a very experienced crew. Tyre support will be provided by the team from Tyres for Bikes, including the switch to knobby tyres at Port Melbourne prior to the ferry crossing. Technical support will be provided by BMW Master Technicians on two wheels and with a back-up 4WD and trailer. Safari logistics including accommodation are handled by the BMW Safari Event Management Team based in Sydney, and a full on-the-ground team will be in Tasmania for the event.

BMW 2009 GS Safari Sunday March 29 to Saturday April 4 - 1,700 km of total Tasmania!

The 2009 BMW GS Safari to Tasmania will definitely be one to remember. Five days of superb, fully-supported riding at an average of around 350 km a day. Those taking part will see everything that Tasmania has to offer. You’ll be travelling along the beaches of the north coast and through the wilds of the west. You’ll ride through incredible scenic tracks to the most southerly bay where the dirt road ends, and from there up through the easterly tracks and eventually to the coast and an opportunity for lunch overlooking the Bay of Fires. The scenery and the sheer variety of riding are going to be truly outstanding. Whatever your level of riding skill this trip will provide everything the off-road GS rider could wish for... fun, excitement, a challenge for those who need it, and the friendship and camaraderie of a group who share the same passion.

Final routes and overnight stops were decided during our planning trip in October 2008. As usual with the best laid plans, things just happen to make changes on the run a necessity... the bridge washed away in floods, the parked truck completely blocking the track with no driver to be found, access denied because of logging activities, and... the list goes on. However, many things were working in our favour. The best of which was the Western Explorer, closed for several months because of massive fires, but which re-opened two days before we went down it!

Just a reminder about accommodation... we only disclose our overnight stops to registered participants, but you don’t normally need to be a rocket scientist to have an educated guess about where they are! So once you have registered and our accommodation logistics are complete you’ll receive an Accommodation Booking Form showing the overnight stops and the different standard and cost of available hotels, motels etc. What we can tell you is that you will be spending one night in the first night’s location, two nights in the second and two nights in the third.

So with the final recce trip completed here’s a summary of what you can expect when you either roll up in Melbourne on Sunday March 29 to take the Spirit of Tasmania, or join us in Devonport at 7.00am on Monday March 30.

Day 1 - Sunday 29 March: Overnight across Bass Strait
This is the day those from the mainland take the Spirit of Tasmania across the Bass Strait. Those of you who have been doing the two-day off-road riding course at Werribee in Victoria will have finished in time to make the port by the afternoon. Today will also be tyre changing day for those who will be taking our recommendation and riding the Safari on knobby tyres. Rob and his crew from Tyres for Bikes will have your pre-ordered tyres on their truck and will do the tyre change before ferry check-in at 7.30pm. Details of tyre ordering procedure etc will be given in later updates. Registration will take place on board the ferry along with a briefing on what you can expect on the first day’s ride.

Day 2 - Monday 30 March: 375 km West, South West and South
The Spirit of Tasmania docks at 7.00am so there will be time for breakfast before you hit the road. A coffee and a bacon roll will set you up for an exciting morning's ride! The luggage truck will be sitting at the terminal to collect the bags of those who have opted to pay the extra $25 to use this service. Then it’s off on an initially relaxing trip along the north coast... time to wake up and settle down before you hit that first bit of loose, down-hill twisty dirt.

These tracks heading over to the west are going to be great fun as long as it is dry! Most of them have a good grippable surface but some sections will be very interesting with some moisture on them. We found a few nice muddy patches and one in particular with water-filled ruts that covered the track... nothing the confident shouldn’t be able to handle. If you would rather leave the challenging bits until later there’s a nice tarmac detour that will bring you in past the mildly difficult sections... so there’s no pressure! Then it’s south on an all-weather dirt road that’s fast and reasonably straight at first, before becoming tight and twisty through the hills. The scenery is absolutely stunning. Before we reach our overnight destination beside the water there’s a great little diversion through some forestry tracks that pops you out just before the 60km/h limit. Once we get onto the first bit of dirt there’s no fuel, and not much else either for 245 km, so those with a limited fuel range will need to make sure they are carrying enough extra to get them to the fuel stop. And bring your lunch from Devonport as it’s along way between civilisations!

Day 3 - Tuesday 31 March: 335 km East
Not too early a start, so time for a relaxing breakfast before you set off. The first kays today are on one of the best tarmac roads Tasmania has to offer... bends and more bends as you start the climb from the coast. Later when you hit the dirt you’ll experience the kaleidoscope of off-road riding that this spectacular island state has to offer. And all the time you’re accompanied by the most breath-taking scenery. About halfway you rejoin the main road east for a lunch and a well-earned rest before heading back off-road into the hills and the final descent to one of Tasmania’s major cities where you’ll be spending two nights. Fast, technical, rough, smooth, dirt, gravel... today you’ll get it all.

Day 4 - Wednesday 1 April: 320 km South West, South and then North
If you have the stamina and the inclination then today will see you travel the furthest navigable dirt road south in Tasmania. It’s a tarmac start with incredible views down to the coast. Then you disappear up a dirt side road and into a labyrinth of logging tracks... so make sure you follow those orange arrows that we use to mark the route. The ride will be enormous fun and after a relatively quick and rewarding section you’ll find yourself at a scenic site by the majestic Huon River. Time for a coffee and to stretch those legs. Then it’s back into those logging trails with a wide variety of surfaces, twists and turns and ups and downs. A left down a little used, steep and twisty, descending track heralds yet another relatively civilized coffee stop and an opportunity to soak that aching body in some thermal springs... so make sure you take your swimmers! If the last few days have exhausted you, then from here you can start heading back, otherwise it’s down to a bay with the purest white sand, in Tasmania’s far south before you start the return journey. On the way back you’ll be riding along the coast with its many beautiful beaches. Then you’re across the Huon and up into the hills for your final off-road section. It all looks too easy but that last track just keeps getting narrower and rougher... amazing fun and a nice surprise.

Day 5 - Thursday 2 April: 380 km East, North East and North West
Time to pack up and head out for our final two night stop. Today is a big ride on a combination of fast flowing dirt roads and some little used tracks. Not much in the way of major centres of habitation on today’s ride but a fuel and lunch stop will bring a welcome break. It’s also the day when the really good riders amongst the group can choose to do something a little more challenging (see below). If it’s been dry the morning tracks could be dusty so be sure to stay well out of it. The good riders who choose the hard option will split from the group after about 40 km and rejoin the main route about 50 km later. The sensible (those who prefer to throw rocks rather than ride on them!) will be having a ball belting through the early section of twisty forested track. Then there’s a tarmac link to the next off-road section where you’ll head north and then north-east on roads that become quite narrow tracks. Then it’s a left up a twisty, climbing 20 km section to the main road for lunch and fuel. After that it’s even more fun on a rewarding track that spits you out at an acclaimed alpine area before you head through sparsely populated areas for a well-earned drink and a nice hot shower at your final Safari hotel.

Day 5 - Thursday 2 April: Very good riders optional detour
Only do this option if you really know what you are doing, because once you are committed there is only one way out. The really excellent GS Safari riders will be meeting at a pre-arranged spot to fuel up and pack away a sandwich before they head up into the hills along some great but not too demanding tracks on the way to their 10 km of hard yakka. There will be a lead rider and a sweep to make sure everyone makes it out to the road to rejoin the rest of the group. The track is too narrow and rough to get the support vehicle and trailer through so there will be no time for second thoughts! You’ll know you’re nearly at the start of the rough stuff as the track starts deteriorating as you leave the last cattle station on your left. Then it’s through a gate and the fun really starts. This track hasn’t been graded for years and is rutted and rocky. It starts off easy enough... but don’t they all... then you start to descend and it’s a sharp right down through the, hopefully, dry creek bottom... as the bridge is down. Then the steep climb out and up the other side of the mountain begins. The track is narrow, very rough and covered in loose rocks but only in places... most places! Commitment and looking ahead to pick your route is key to a very bumpy but relatively smooth passage out of here. And then the end of that long 10 km is signalled by an improving road and signs of civilisation. Well done... you have made it!

Day 6 - Friday 3 April: 295 km East and then West
Another day that has everything including some very interesting surprises! After riding small roads, big roads, twisty roads and straight roads 3 or 4 hours should see you sitting at a table overlooking a sparkling ocean having lunch on the east coast. Make sure you don’t have too much to eat as you’ll need all your concentration to stay on track on the way back. It’s lefts, rights, fork here, turn there before an exhilarating section that has you disappearing down an overgrown track with just enough room through the bushes to see where you are going. Take a compass if you can’t read maps or don’t recognize the colour orange, because if you miss a directional arrow it could be some time before you emerge from the wilderness. Then it’s a very steep descent down a narrow track back into the valley and home for the GS Safari farewell Party.

Day 7 - Saturday 4 April: Eventually North
Today’s the day that you choose to do what you want to do before the mainlanders head for the evening sailing out of Devonport. One of our suggestions is that you head over to Ben Lomond and climb Jacob’s Ladder. It’s an incredible ascent with some spectacular views from the top. But it’s one way up and the same way down so maximum care is needed to stay safely out of the path of other riders and drivers.

So there we are, that’s what the 2009 GS Safari to Tasmania has in store for you, although it will be far more exciting than reading about it! If you are already registered then congratulations, and you will be receiving your Accommodation Booking Form in the not too distant future. If you haven’t registered, then there is no time like the present, as the booking allocation is filling very fast. Yes, as at mid-November 2008 we had close to 100 registrations!

More pics and more monthly updates will follow to keep you in touch with the 2009 GS Safari progress. If you have any questions or any inquiries then you can contact the BMW Safari management team at info@bmwsafari.com or during NSW business hours on 02 9552 3600.
We look forward to seeing you in Tasmania next March... yes you!

Click here to download the Registration Form, fill it in and fax it off to reserve your space (subject to availability) on another trip of a life-time!

2008 GS Safari Roundup

Judging by the many positive comments received during the event and via the Research Questionnaire the 2008 GS Safari can be judged a great success. The Bureau of Meteorology had booked yet another perfect week of weather conditions for the Safari in the NSW and VIC High Country... sunshine, blue skies and a little afternoon shower on the final day to damp down the dust... doesn’t get much better than that!

With 180 participants, the 2008 GS was the biggest off-road group to take to the dirt since the BMW Safari events started in 1994. And it is a credit to the participants, that despite a dust cloud that on many days could have been seen from outer space they all (well, mostly all!) rode within their capabilities and in-tune with the conditions

Click here to view a preview of the 2008 GS Safari DVD

Day 1 - Sunday 2 March saw some frantic activity, in the underground car park, at the Quality Resort Horizons in Jindabyne as Rob and his crew from Tyres For Bikes switched most of the group onto knobby tyres for the 5 days of riding. Registration went very smoothly, followed by the Welcome Event in the bistro and then it was off to bed to prepare for the first day’s ride on Monday to Lakes Entrance.

Day 2 – Monday 3 March was a beautiful mountain morning. A few riders managed to get lost in the first 500 metres by following the wrong arrows in the direction of the Alpine Way. A look at their route map confirmed the error of their ways and they were soon back on track. The Barry Way was a good warm-up for riders of all skill levels, and although the spectacular scenery was tempting to look at, the enormous drop-offs kept most people’s eyes glued firmly on the road. It was off on some back tracks before a stop at Buchan, where Carla at the Caves Café did more business in 3 hours than she does in 3 months. Thankfully impatience does not feature highly on the list of Safari participants characteristics as the wait was sometimes very loooooooooooong! After the stop it was all off-road to Lakes Entrance on a variety of interesting tracks. With that many bikes some small sections became quite broken up which caused a few people a few problems. There were a few retirements at Lakes Entrance but for 99% the show was very much going on.

Day 3 – Tuesday 4 March and the destination was Mansfield. The first part of the day was tarmac on the way to reach the tracks over the mountains. Then it was up Marathon Rd and around the Avon Widerness Park, through Arbuckle Junction and then the twisty descent down Tamboritha Rd to lunch at Licola. It was after lunch that things went a little pear-shaped with someone, unconnected with the Safari, thinking it would be very amusing to move one of the directional arrows and send the majority of the group down the very dangerous South Rd to Heyfield rather than the Jamieson Rd to Jamieson. Confusion and talcum powder dust reigned with a few logging trucks thrown in for good measure. Fuel became an issue for a few but after some orientation exercises most realized they had been thrown a dummy and all eventually arrived in Mansfield, in surprisingly good humour with some having ridden an extra 200 kms!

Day 4 – Wednesday 5 March was a short day straight over the mountains to Bright. Many found the rough sections, east of Lake Buffalo and before the mountain climb, a challenge while others just lapped it up. The scenery was fantastic but probably not if you found yourself lying on the ground!

Day 5 – Thursday 6 March we headed for the Victorian ski resort of Falls Creek. Early in the day the lead riders spent some time pulling fallen trees from the track so that the group would be able to get through. Where is that chain-saw when you need it?! The general store at Mitta Mitta was overwhelmed by the demand for food and drink, prior to the ascent up the Omeo Highway. More than a few came undone on this day with a few nursing bruises and some even worse for wear when the sun finally set on the revellers in the Man Hotel at Falls Creek.

Day 6 – Friday 7 March... the final day and the return trip to Jindabyne. Concentrating on where you were going, judging the surfaces and anticipating the bends were the order of the day as everyone wanted to arrive in one piece for the Farewell Dinner. Omeo was the morning tea stop and the track from there was quick in places but with some slippery surfaces and the odd surprise corner catching out those who had thrown caution to the wind. Then it was back up the Barry Way to a well-earned beer, the mechanical bull and the final night of dinner, prize awards and tall stories in the company of old and many new friends.

For those of you have ordered a DVD of the event our latest production update sees the DVD being ready to send out by mid-April. You can see a preview of the 2008 BMW GS Safari DVD by clicking here.

We are currently analysing the completed Research Questionnaires that many GS Safari participants have kindly sent in and we will let you have the results shortly. Our sincere thanks for your input, which is very much appreciated.

Dates and venue for the next GS Safari will be announced when available. However, as usual, we’ll be sitting down to review the 2008 event before looking at the options, format and locations for the next one.