STOP PRESS (but first …..how’s my hair???) Straight up it’s been a long time since my last post, I just want to say that I’m so disappointed in myself for not keeping my blog up to date. I’m sorry for [...]
The moment I crossed into Sudan I found myself in the middle of a revolution. The Sudanese people had been protesting against the government for months and as I arrived in the country the army removed the president. The situation [...]
When I planned my route to Egypt I wasn't really sure if I would be able to cross over at the Sinai peninsula to get to mainland Africa. Some people said it was doable, some said it was impossible, but [...]
Before I crossed the Jordanian border I quickly checked on Google if drones were legal in Jordan. The first article that pops up confirmed that it’s fine to bring drones into the country. Sweet! Nothing to worry about, I thought. [...]
The 7 days at sea on a Grimaldi Lines cargo vessel went very peacefully. There was no internet so I caught up on some writing, watched lots of movies and ate lots of pasta. Luckily there were two other passengers [...]
The overnight ferry from Durrës (Albania) to Bari (Italy) took 9 hours. There are a few companies that operate this route, but I decided to go with Ventouris Ferries. The total cost for the bike and ensuite cabin was 98 [...]
There aren’t many countries like Albania left in Europe, where you’re permitted to go off-road and camp anywhere you feel like it. Albania is an ADV rider’s heaven, which had been on my bucket list for a long time. I [...]
Ivan from Skopje had contacted me a few weeks back to offer me help and accommodation. Perfect! The best way to experience a country is to meet up with the locals. The moment I crossed the border a Honda Pan [...]
Although it's been 20 years since the Kosovo War, Kosovo's political and ethnic differences remain a sensitive subject even today. In 2018 Kosovo declared independence from Serbia which was recognised by the USA and most of the EU countries, but [...]
I only had 11 days left for the rest of the Balkan countries before I had to hop on the ferry to Italy. From there I would be catching a cargo ship to Israel, but for weeks now I had [...]
My polish mate Achum joined me for a few days riding in Montenegro. “You gotta see Kotor, it's an incredible place,” he said. “You know how to convince people! Let's go!” Kotor Bay is a part of the Adriatic Sea [...]
The Bosnian coast cuts into Croatia and is only 9km wide but still, I managed to find a magical place there. After being restricted by all the European rules for so long I was very determined to camp in the [...]
Finally I'll see the sea again! This was my first thought while I was crossing the Croatian border. I started analysing in my mind, when did I last see the sea... must’ve been the Black Sea in Ukraine, which felt [...]
My time in Slovenia was very short, I spent only two days there and the highlight was definitely Lake Bled. They say Lake Bled is one of the most picturesque spots to visit in Slovenia, with a castle on top [...]
And again, I didn't get a chance to hang around because of my tight time frame, this time in the Italian Alps. I stayed there for two nights and did two and a half riding days through the passes. The [...]
I entered Switzerland in October and I only had one month to explore my whole European route. There were 11 countries ahead of me before I reached Southern Italy to hop on the ship to Israel. So I had to [...]
After I said goodbye to the guys in Poland I headed to Germany and I had to go quite fast. I needed to be in Munich to get ready for the GS Trophy in Mongolia, to which I had been [...]
My first stop in Ukraine was Kiev where I stayed for around a week. After such an intensive social time in Belarus I desperately needed to have some time on my own and to catch up with my online work. [...]
On 26th April 1986 the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in northern Ukraine (former Soviet Union) became the scene of the worst manmade disaster in the history of mankind. An explosion at the plant was the result of a poorly designed [...]
Although I grew up in Eastern Poland I’d never had the chance to visit Belarus. During the 90's and 2000's there was the perception that Belarus was a closed country and that it wasn’t safe for Polish people to travel [...]
Four winter months in Poland sounds like a long time, but it actually went very fast. I finally got a chance to take a breath and think through how I should be managing On Her Bike. During the first 6 [...]
Budapest I had always wanted to see Budapest, although by this stage of my journey I was exhausted and couldn't wait to be with my family in Poland. But still, I couldn't miss the opportunity to finally see Budapest. I [...]
I've been riding in Forma boots since the moment I switched from Road to ADV in 2013. At that time there wasn't as much choice in ADV gear as there is now. Since then the ADV gear market has exploded! [...]
I only spent 5 days in Romania as I was in a hurry to get to Poland. I rushed through it but I got to see the main attraction that riders all talk about… The Romanian Carpathian Mountains. But first [...]
Although it's already autumn and the weather has started to turn towards winter’s cold and rain, Bulgaria gave me the heart-warming opportunity to catch up with my old friend Gonzo who was waiting for me at the border in Mitnitsa [...]
I rushed on the way out of the border crossing - I quickly hopped on the bike and rode off without putting my helmet on, hoping there would be parking or a place to stop past the gate so I [...]
I'd been doing long days of riding for weeks and when I finally made it to Georgia I realised how exhausted I was. When you get to the point where nothing excites you any more and riding becomes a chore [...]
Crossing the Iranian / Azeri border in Astara was just something else and I'm not talking about the bureaucracy.. Astara is a city divided between Iran and Azerbaijan. Both sides are occupied by Azeris but they are so different. Iranian [...]
Crossing the Iranian border was a big concern of mine from the very beginning, way back when I first started planning this trip. The reason being, that officially motorcycles over 250cc are illegal in Iran and woman are not allowed [...]
So here we go again – now I need to smuggle my drone through two border crossings – the Uzbek and Turkmen ones! I was prepared for the worse on the Uzbek side as I had heard shocking stories of [...]
Trust me, I'm a smuggler With every kilometre I took towards the Uzbek border my anxiety levels rose... The reason being I was a smuggler! A drone smuggler. Drones are illegal in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan and I'd already heard so [...]
The road through the border crossing at the Kyzyl Art Pass reaches 4600m above sea level. In the previous weeks in Kyrgyzstan I’d ridden at over 3200m so I thought I would have adjusted to the altitude by now. But [...]
After the border crossing in Karkara I followed Xenia and Martin (from XT Adventures) to Karakol. They were already familiar with the region so they easily lead us through some scenic dirt roads. Riding with these two was so [...]
Once I crossed the Mongolian border and finally put my feet on Russian soil I felt so relieved. Mongolia had tested me mentally and physically in the extreme. But at this moment it felt like it had all been a [...]
Ulaanbaatar I left Ulan Ude early Sunday morning hoping that the border crossing wouldn’t be too busy and that the traffic to Ulaanbaatar would be light. I had 600km to do that day which would take me roughly eleven hours, [...]
24/04/2017-21/05/2017 The ferry from Korea to Vladivostok took 23 hours and it was a non-eventful and rather pleasant trip. There were a couple of other adventure riders on board – Paul from Australia and Robin from Korea and they were [...]
Once I found myself on the plane, I was going though a roller-coaster of emotions… but I guess it is a natural thing to experience before you start something so big. For the last 11 years I felt like half [...]
You always hear stories about how much effort people go to, to organise an overland trip… well, it's all true! The last few months prior to my departure have been absolutely crazy! I was still working full time and trying [...]
Australia has been my home for the last 11 years of my life and it's not easy to leave. I emigrated here in my mid twenties and my Aussie life was the greatest period of my life – I finished [...]
As I'm about to take off for my 'Are We There Yet?' Tour from Australia to Everywhere I'd like to say goodbye to you in my favourite way which involves motorcycles and camping! So if you’re in NSW on [...]
It’s a New Year and I have a head full of new ideas and new plans for life. This year I’m leaving the past and all the bad memories with it behind in 2016 and am going to have a [...]
The Adventure Rider Congregation is a non- profit event put together by Adventure Rider Magazine. This year the gathering was held in two different locations to cater for increased demand. The northern event was held near Tingha, NSW and the [...]
Od jakiegoś czasu nosiłam się z zamiarem wypróbowania motocykli trialowych i kiedy Akademia Enduro zaprosiła mnie do współpracy i wzięcia udziału w ich szkoleniu - nie wahałam się ani chwili. Kupując bilet lotniczy do Polski upewniłam się, że moje [...]
I’ve been meaning to try trial bikes for a while now, and when Akademia Enduro invited me to their training course I didn’t think twice about it! When I booked my flight to Poland I made sure I also booked [...]
Hi Folks, I’m back online and finally ready to speak about one of the most challenging periods of my life. The last 12 months were very difficult, I had two bike accidents followed by the onset of post-traumatic depression, and [...]
Hi everyone. Just wanted to let you know that I’m taking a short break from ‘online life’ while I sort out some personal stuff. I’ll still be riding – as always using any excuse to take Chillie for a spin! [...]
My tank bag and I have been through a lot together … we've gone right around Australia – and beyond. We've endured torrential rains, braved extreme temperatures in the outback, copped the occasional fall, and even survived a head-on collision [...]
There comes a time in every rider's life when you think: right, I'm going to push myself. Roads were fun and all, but most of the world isn't roads. It was time to hit the dirt, and like any sensible [...]
There's a lot to be said for strong, spacious, aluminium panniers, especially for long-distance road trips, but they're much heavier than soft luggage. And as I've gained more experience tackling off-road tracks, dirt roads, steep climbs, and other challenges, I'm [...]
The BMW Motorrad Off-Road Training Level 1 Course is highly regarded as an essential for all adventure riders. Whether you've got years of experience under your belt, or are just starting to 'explore' this amazing way of seeing the world, [...]
When I bought my first GS, for my Tour De Oz, I knew I'd need to kit it out with all things tough and practical: if I were to make it all the way around this great continent. When it [...]
'March Moto Madness' – or just MMM – began with a few friends in the US packing up their bikes and going camping. Since 2006, it has been an annual event, held in Tennessee, and has grown to be hosted simultaneously worldwide! [...]
I've been using Outback Motortek guards for over 6 months and have tested them in all sorts of scenarios, including a head-on collision! Life before Outback Motortek Prior to partnering with Outback Motortek, my F 800 GS had the BMW [...]
If you're asking me (and you are!) the Great Ocean Road is one of the best motorcycle rides in Australia. It was built between 1919 and 1932 by over 3,000 returned Australian soldiers as a memorial to their fallen World [...]
The Academy of Off Road Riding was established in 1978 by Stephen Gall (multiple Australian Motorcross Champion) and has trained many elite dirt bike riders since. In 2001, Lyndon Heffernan (Australian Pro Class Winner) took over and has continued teaching [...]
As soon as the physio gave me the all clear to ride, I went to pick up my new bike from Procycles at St Peters, in Sydney. The rad new red frame caught my eye … it was love at [...]
It’s been a bit over 3 months since the accident and I finally feel ready to start writing again. And I must admit: the last few months have been amongst the toughest of my life; in fact, for the first [...]
Great to hang out at Bondi Beach with Petrolettes! Thank you In Venus Veritas for the photoshoot - fantastic photography by the talented Kate Disher-Quill. PS: Last pics with the old bikie!
A couple of years ago, before I set off for my trip around Australia, I had very little knowledge about adventure riding gear. All my riding life I only owned sport touring boots; they were solid and safe, but uncomfortable [...]
No more fuel bladders, no more frequent stops at the petrol station. This auxiliary 7 litre fuel tank (by my sponsor, Camel ADV Products) gave my F800GS a range of 485km! I wish I had it back when I circumnavigated Australia … [...]
I’ve been looking forward to this weekend for a long time: I finally get to go to the famed Scrapheap Adventure Ride, a brilliant event where participants restore an old motorbike and ride it from their sheds to a set [...]
And here's the video! ... Outback Motortek sent me Crash Bars and a Skid Plate to try out. And try them out I did: a car crashed straight into me! The engine was perfectly protected (very impressed) but unfortunately the [...]
It’s been a long 6 weeks since my crash. I developed acute MDS (Motorcycle Deficiency Syndrome). I was seriously down, as any rider taking time off will understand … … Back on the Bike I found out about the Adventure [...]
I’ve been living in Australia for 8 years and I love this country to bits, but I still miss Poland and try to pop in for a visit once every year or two. When I'm there, I try and fit [...]
As I detailed in my last article, I came off my bike at 100 km/h and rolled and slid on bitumen for about 70m, yet walked away with only a fractured wrist and a few bruises. I have no doubt [...]
The rain wouldn’t stop all night at the Hat Rally. As we were packing up in the morning, I had my ‘rainy-cold-day conversation’ with Greame: “it could be much worse” “yeah it could hail or snow, pffffffft this is nothing” [...]
Winter shminter! Despite the cool weather, we finally got together for the first GS Girls (and boys!) overnight ride. Destination? Moonan Flat. But not before a little bit of drama … you see, everyone was to meet at Kulnura for [...]
The Loaded Dog Rally is a popular motorcycling tradition with a rich, 26 year history. For the past 8 years, Jim Wadsy has [...]
Why Tiddlers? Why Windeyer? Dave was travelling through Windeyer on his Tenere when he stopped for lunch at Windeyer pub. After some chit chat to locals he found out that the local school had closed and they were trying to [...]
Australia is famous for ‘Big Things’ … The Big Apple, The Big Banana, The Big Merino, and so on ... but did you know we also have some of the widest things in the world? Capertee Valley I found out [...]
Thank you Ninetynineco - a site dedicated to Australian motorcycle culture - for taking an interest in my story, and for the great photoshoot.
Thank you Helana Genaus for sharing my story on In Venus Veritas - a site dedicated to showcasing and supporting women in gasoline cultures. Also, a big thank you to Cam Elkins (Stories of Bike) for the great pictures!
Jo Rust from South Africa created the GS Girls forum on Facebook in 2014. Inspired by this, Andrea Walloschek, a Sydney-sider, set about creating a female riding group in NSW, and what a better way to start a riding group [...]
Sydney to Brisbane Any reason is a good reason to go riding – and the further the better! This time I had to be in Brisbane for work-related training so I couldn’t miss the opportunity to take the long way [...]
I found out about the “Australian Adventure Travel Film Festival ” via their Facebook page, and was then kindly invited along by organiser Rupert Shaw. And I didn’t even think twice about going … why? Well, any excuse to [...]
Let's go surfing ... I’ve been meaning to go to the 'Goulburn Blues Fest' for years … and I finally did! Having made the decision at the the last moment meant that all accommodation in town was booked out, and with all thecamping options way out of town, I decided [...]
So I kicked off episode 1 of my “Sydney & Surrounds” series on a Friday afternoon: I’d packed my swag, but wasn’t sure where I’d go … enter ‘word of mouth tip-off’ to the rescue! I was promised good [...]
And so I found myself boarding the plane from WA one last time. After 1½ years of FIFO life it was time to go back home for good. Back to the big smoke, back to vibrant Sydney and its [...]
Finally – spring in the homeland! It’s warmer and not so wet, so finally on my week off back in NSW I kicked off for a ride with my mate Greame. The destination was as our preferred South Cost [...]
“In the end the rain comes down Washes clean, the streets of the Blue Sky town” So say the lyrics of the Midnight Oil classic. But 50 years later, not everything has washed away. Wittenoom is a ghost town located [...]
End of Tour De Oz “It’s over. I made it.” … these were the first thoughts that went through my mind as I stopped to set up a photo of my bike with the world famous Sydney Opera House in [...]
Kosciuszko National Park Well, by this stage I can say that “I've been around the block” - well, if that block is the Australian continent, anyway. And if you were to ask my favourite ride, I'd say that it's the [...]
After Adelaide, I made my way through the nice, twisty roads of Adelaide Hills (another great wine region) to Birdwood, SA where I met Neil (a fellow adventurer) and my close friend Graeme. I was looking forward to checking out [...]
Wine Regions It rained the whole time from Port Lincoln to Clare. Completely soaked, and with side-cases full of water, I decided to stay the night in a motel in Clare, as did 3 other BMW riders going from Sydney [...]
The Nullarbor The ride from Norseman (WA) to Ceduna (SA) took me through 90 Mile Straight (Australia’s longest straight road at 145.6km) and the Nullarbor Plain, which has the distinction of being the world’s biggest, flattest piece of limestone. It [...]
Heaven on Earth There is a heaven on earth, and Le Grand National Park is its name. For the first time during the second part of Tour de Oz, I stopped for two nights somewhere … and I didn’t want [...]
Denmark As I started cruising south, the temperatures started to drop down, and in the space of a week I found myself going from riding in 45°C averages down to 15°C - a drop of 30°C! Should’ve seen it coming, [...]
Pemberton As I got closer to the Pemberton, my jaw dropped - I found myself riding through an amazing forests of enormous karri trees! Unfortunately, I was soaked to the bone and every time I was passing a turnoff for [...]
I’ve visited Perth a few times in the past, so this time I made it quick: a tyre change, a catch up with friends, and back on the road again! After leaving the ‘concrete jungle’ for the actual 'jungle jungle' [...]
Kalbarri National Park On the way to Kalbarri the temperature dropped to a cool 30 degrees and riding became much more pleasant. You need at least a couple of days to explore this magnificent park with its gorges and seaside [...]
On the way to Shark Bay I swung past the Satellite Earth Station in Carnarvon – a 13m wide satellite dish built back in the 60’s to support NASA’s Apollo moon missions. On the day of the landing, it played [...]
Running away from the heat … Well I’ve finally left the North-West and even though I was kind of used to Pilbara temperatures, riding in 44 degree heat and near 100% humidity was really exhausting – it’s like someone sticks [...]
My planned stopover for 6 months in iron ore country stretched into 10 months … and I enjoyed every minute of it. Also, I was working on a Fly-In Fly-Out roster, which gave me a chance to go back home [...]
It was coming to the end of the week and I already had some riding plans with my buddy Greame when I got a message from some local Polish riders asking if we were up for a trip out to [...]
Bumpy Road to Heaven To get to Millstream National Park from Karratha, I went the Tom Price way, which involved 60km of rocky, corrugated dirt road. I seriously thought I would end up with brain damage from all the bumps [...]
Perfect Camping in Pilbara I’m in still in Pilbara and still in love with this region. I recently went back to Cleaverville, but this time I was lucky with the weather and picked the most perfect spot … right next [...]
Karratha – the place to be… For the next six months I’ll be working in North–West WA. I’m based in Karratha at the moment – a small mining town and the place where the story (and movie) of “Red Dog” take [...]
Kakadu National Park After a night of partying in Darwin with my new friend Luke (and his friends), we decided to ride together through Kakadu. They say you need at least three days to explore this park – we practically [...]
The Ride Across Crossing the border of Queensland and Northern Territory was an absolutely epic moment for me – one that I’ve waited for a very long time. After living in NSW for almost 7 years, the real outback was [...]
Unfortunately, my posts can’t be more frequent than once a week due to the lack of telephone reception, so here's a weekly update: Leaving Magnetic Island I truly enjoyed my time on Magnetic Island. It was nice just to chill [...]
With the first week of travelling and over 2700 km behind me, I must say: the time has passed so quickly! And the bike is so comfortable that it didn’t even feel like I’ve done so many k's. So, let’s [...]
Here we go... Thank you everyone for all the suppport - I'll blog and post some pics soon. Stay classy Sydney!
So, I'm about to set off on this solo ride around Australia and I’ve had an idea: why not put the ‘hard yards’ to good use by making it a ‘charity ride’ – and so I am: to raise funds and [...]
The ‘Red Scarf Rally,’ organised by Shirley and Lloyd from Illawarra Classic Motorcycle Club, was held for the 17th time. It was a pleasure participating again in the event and the perfect weather made it all the more enjoyable. The rally [...]
Well, it’s been raining for almost 3 weeks straight, but my mate Graeme and I decided not to postpone our riding weekend anymore: so off we went to Wombeyan Caves! The ‘dirt-road way’ from Sydney was flooded so we met [...]
My name is Kinga and bikes are my passion; I started riding in my teens and I’ve never looked back! I’ve been mostly on road bikes, but since I moved to Australia (I’m originally from Poland) I’ve acquired a taste [...]
On Her Bike Solo Around The World Since 2017 ★ Adventure Is Out There ★ If You Never Go, You’ll Never Know ★ Life Is Short So Grip It And Rip It ★ On Her Bike Solo Around The World Since 2017 ★ Adventure Is Out There ★ If You Never Go, You’ll Never Know ★ Life Is Short So Grip It And Rip It ★
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