- Lumix S9 - May 27, 2026
- South Korea Motorcycle Tour – continued - May 22, 2026
- South Korea Motorcycle Tour - May 15, 2026
It is already 8 years since I left Australia with the idea to ride my bucket list before I reach the age where we start making excuses.
I’ve written previously how I felt compelled to not wait until retirement to start the ‘one day’ things so I won’t repeat. Initially I wondered if I had done the dumbest thing ever leaving my career and it may yet turn out that is the case but I am on this path.
Along the way I stuffed up a few times but been very lucky to have had no major dramas apart from that close call in South Africa. You definitely can ride many places in the world solo, without any special bike, for a fraction of what bike tour operators charge.
My biggest regret is not places I put off riding before covid but not spending more time hanging out with my mate in the Philippines. The world will eventually reopen but he will have succumbed to cancer and I can’t even visit before it’s too late.
While travel remains difficult I took a look at the remaining items on my ride bucket list.
- Pakistan – I had this ride fully planned for September 2020 when covid struck.
- Morocco – I was going to combine Morocco and Portugal. Routes are done.
- Turkey (western half) – another ride I had fully planned and was going to include Georgia.
- Argentina – I want to tour out of Salta and combine with Chile and Peru, rough plan.
- Colombia – I actually was booked to go Jan 2019 then big mess with American Airlines, terrible company.
- Mexico – I would combine riding there perhaps with Colombia or other South America destination.
- The Stans – Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, etc. Perhaps a region where I’d join a tour.
- Russia – high on my list and I would choose a tour there also.
- USA – This was fully paid to go July 2020. Now I have lots of vouchers. US west and Canada.
- EU – I have a draft plan to ride from Poland on some of German motorcycle route and few other regions.
- UK and France – I’d like to finish my ride I started in Ireland and failed to complete.
- Iceland and Scandinavia – I’ve seen a bit already and will ride them last when I can afford.
Then the places I want to revisit:
- Indonesia – I was planning to ride from Bali to Sumbawa.
- Thailand – I’ve ridden there many times but love the place.
- Nepal – I have a ride mapped out which includes Mustang valley.
- Vietnam – A much bigger ride out of Da Nang.
- India – I would like to ride to Leh from Shimla via Spiti valley and more of the Himalaya’s.
- Australia and New Zealand – I have a big tour of Aus and of NZ waiting for when travel there is possible.
My target to complete my bucket list is 9 years off but 2021 is lost so 8 years remain. My original bucket list had 50 rides, starting that now would be impossible, achieving what I have left depends on if the world reopens and how I view things going forward as I am now doubting if I made the right choice to move to Japan.
Being vaccinated is a big step and hopefully other things will fall into place.
Good luck on completing your Bucket List! Let me know if I can help you plan your USA visit.
Thanks very much Kenneth, I am going to visit some places I have seen on your blog 🙂
I hope these rides will come to fruition one day soon. As always you are giving me ideas that Noriko will not necessarily approve of.
Thanks Richard, this break in travel has drained the energy and momentum I had slowly built up and I can see already that getting back in the saddle is going to take a pretty big push.
Ha-Ha, yes Noriko berated me when I queried what camera your photos were coming from so I stopped commenting lest I say something impolite 😀
G;day Wazza,
interesting list of rides you had when you wrote this blog 5 years ago and I know that you have complete some from reading your ride diary. Wonder how many you have now ticked off or are going to by the end of the year as I know you have a few in the oven for this year AND how many new ones have been added 🙂
Hope you had a chance to see your mate in the Philippines before he passed away.
Why DID you decide to live in Japan, how long did you live there and did you have a job there to make a buck ? And also what made you finally decide to leave and come back to Oz. I think you moved to Townsville or so ? Given you fondness for the New England area, Lismore would have been a better choice 🙂
Man that COVID crap was some mass hysteria I hope we will never see again. I only ever got the one shot that you had to have or they wouldn’t let you in the shops etc. Never got the 2nd as I realised right from the start that this was all BS.
Cheers Joe
Hi Joe,
First time I think I have revisited this post and yes interesting list I had then, many I have completed, some I no longer wish to ride and some I missed my chance.
The big one I missed out on was Russia. Wish I had gone when it was still open for tourism.
Unfortunately I never got to see my mate before he passed away. As the world was reopening I was diagnosed with cancer myself. He was my best friend and had left instructions for me in his will as to where he wanted his ashes scattered, a place in the Philippines only he and I knew and I was unable to attend his funeral or carry out his last wishes.
Japan – short version. My wife had secured good position there but that alone was not reason enough for me to follow which I did not do for couple of years. The main reason for my move was the cost of living in Japan was (and remains) far less than Australia. Example: Groceries and utilities 1/3 the cost of here; a meal out as little $5-6; Can of beer $1, bottle of Jim Beam $10. Can buy a decent house for $100K thus no mortgage. My FJR was 1/2 the AUS retail price. Set of Bridgestone tyres for $180. My FJR rego was $80 a year. So the far lower cost of living freed me from full time work to let me chase my dream.
I had part time online work until Covid which was modest income but when you factor in everything cost far less and I had no debts it is surprising how far money then goes.
I came back to Australia due to urgently needing Chemo and there being a 12 week wait in Japan as well as my wife chose to break up our marriage at the same time I was diagnosed with cancer which is the most cruel heartless thing I think anyone could choose to do.
Townsville is where my mother lives and where the cancer centre for north Queensland is. I was able to get on a chemo program quickly and that turned the tide at the last minute to stop the spread. Then the amazing doctors and staff operated on me for 10 hours and I owe my life to their efforts. I need regular ongoing checks so am tired to here but actually I like the friendly feel of living at the beach here and how country life is more relaxed. It’s like stepping back 30 years to a better time in Australia.
Man that IS the most heartless move your wife could have done. Talk about kicking a man when he’s down. There is a thing called KARMA you know.
Anyway, the good thing now is that you are completely free to pursue your dreams to the fullest and only limited by the cancer thing and money I guess.
I am still hoping we can ride Thailand together in Dec, but it would be good to met prior at least once.
Cheers Joe