Motorcycle Touring
Up From Downunder (New Zealand to Ireland)
Contributed by Baden Brown
New Zealand to Ireland
Baden Brown's motorcycle journey from New Zealand towards Ireland, raising funds for a hospital in Chennai in honour of Colleen Redit; the ride crossed Australia, Southeast Asia, Tibet, Nepal and India before a crash in Albania interrupted it on the way through the Balkans.
Still under way
- Distance
- 35755
Fundraising for Christian Missions Charitable Trust (CMCT)
I planned to ride from New Zealand to Ireland, via Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, China, Tibet, Nepal, India, Georgia, Turkey, Greece, Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia, Croatia, Italy, Switzerland and the UK, a journey of around 35,000km on a 2003 Honda XL650V Transalp, an early adventure bike I'd modified somewhat but kept low tech: no electronics, no fuel injection, just a healthy will to eat up miles.
The ride was in honour of Colleen Redit, a remarkable woman from Whanganui who sailed to India in February 1964 following what she knew was a clear call from God. She learned Tamil and settled in Chennai, where she began equipping some of the poorest young women with skills to become self sufficient, giving them a chance of a better life. What she started sixty years ago grew into Christian Missions Charitable Trust (CMCT), and among other things she established a hospital where accessible healthcare was, and still is, badly needed. I set out to raise funds and awareness to help expand that hospital, Bethany Health Care Centre, and to help ensure Colleen's legacy continued. None of the funds raised went towards the ride itself, it all went to Bethany CMCT, the New Zealand entity supporting CMCT.
It took five years of planning to reach the start line, with a great deal of help from generous sponsors along the way: Chris and the team at Go Logistics, Seton and Karl at Brown Brothers Bikes, Richard and Elaine Emmett, Kerry and Merren Leslie, Ian and Heather MacCorkell, Warren and Bex Dunn, and 5Merchants.
Stage 1: New Zealand: Preparation and Departure
After five years of planning, I finally began Up From Downunder. I dropped the bike off at Go Air Land & Sea, and it was due to sail for Brisbane any day on the ANL Tasman Trader. I'd booked flights to depart Whanganui for Auckland then Brisbane on the 25th of February.
I completed the leg from Whanganui to Auckland, then had to hurry up and wait for the flight to Brisbane at 4:35pm. The bike was waiting for me at the Go Air Land & Sea depot in Brisbane, and I expected some fuel, oil and a few adjustments would have me heading north to visit family. The forecast for the week ahead was average at best, but enjoying the journey regardless was the secret.
Stage 2: Australia
I landed in Brisbane, hosted by the chaps at the Australian Adventure Riders Podcast, Rosco and Bruce, what fantastic blokes. They interviewed me for an upcoming podcast, then Rosco helped me collect the bike from the freight company and set it up. The first ride on Australian soil was just 85km, to visit family, before the journey proper began on the Sunday. Cousin Geoff arranged two radio interviews, and final prep happened on the Saturday before I headed south towards Sydney on backroads, thanks to Rosco for the route.
I was stoked that the donation total kept climbing, reaching $20k while I was in Brisbane. I went back to talk to a church group there, then headed south towards Sydney via backroads, the rain finally stopping.
Newcastle was a stunner, though I only covered 200km on the bike that day in 29 degree heat, within a stone's throw of Sydney by then. The bike with no name had a wash and I had my ears lowered, both badly needed.
I rode from Adelong in New South Wales to Bairnsdale in Victoria, 400km through the Omeo Road. Lake Hume had gone, leaving just the Murray River, and Mitta Mitta was gorgeous, with what felt like fifty thousand twists and turns in the day.
In Perth, the bike was crated and shrink wrapped ready for freighting to Malaysia, on a hot day at 36 degrees, thanks to Brendon at PTL Perth and the team at Go Logistics. That was the end of the Australian leg, a wonderful place with lovely people. I flew to Singapore to meet friends, then took a bus to Kuala Lumpur the following day; my bike had already arrived in KL.
Stage 3: Malaysia and Thailand
I spent two weeks in Malaysia waiting for my bike to be processed, so that I could ride it for two days in the country before crossing on. The Thai border was a mission of its own, met by a long queue.
I crossed into Thailand and rode 800km that day in very hot weather, staying that night with friends from Whanganui, Hamish and Pla.
Stage 4: China: Yunnan to the Tibet Border
Getting a Chinese driving licence sorted wasn't so easy once I'd hit sixty; it needed a cognitive test and an eye and ear test, but I got there. I rode north towards the group I was to move through China and Tibet with, reaching Dali, a beautiful city by a lake, and met fellow bikers along the way who did themselves and their country proud. My journey was the richer for it. The plan was to push on to Shangri La next.
I got up to 4100m on the roads through the region: amazing roads, beautiful scenery, wonderful people.
Stage 5: Tibet
- High point
- 5230
We entered Tibet, technically still part of China but with a border check of its own. The day started with rain and low temperatures, drying up around midday. We hit another high pass, 4480m, with amazing scenery, food and people, and spent that night in Markham.
I woke to snow on the ground and on the bike one morning. It wasn't a big day for kilometres, but we went over two passes. The first, just out of town, was around 4400m, and the bike went well after I adjusted the air mixture needle; I met another biker who wanted to buy me lunch. The second pass took about 40km to climb to 5100m, and it started snowing and turned bitterly cold before the summit. I couldn't put my visor down or I couldn't see, so I rode with snow in my face. The bike struggled again at 5100m but recovered quickly on the descent.
Another day in Tibet brought beautiful scenery, twisty roads and crazy drivers, and we stayed that night in a cabin.
We camped one night in Tsering's car rather than a tent. I don't think I'd ever camped at 4700m and minus six degrees Celsius before. The scenery kept getting better, and I was travelling with great people.
We rode over two massive passes in a single day: the first, straight after our camp spot, took us to 5200m at the entrance to Mount Everest National Park, and the second was incredible, with views of Everest and her neighbours from 5230m. That night we parked within striking distance of Everest Base Camp.
Everest stayed shy the next day, the peak just above my head but hidden behind cloud; I had to use my imagination.
It had been a busy few days. I travelled the last kilometres in Tibet on an incredible road from Nyalam, which translates as 'hell', through the reconstruction of the town of Dalaima, destroyed by the 2025 earthquake, to the Tibet/Nepal border. The map shows multiple switchbacks and a huge descent. I crossed into Nepal onto very rough road, to a delightful campground for the night at Borderlands Resort. The following day I pushed on to Bhaktapur near Kathmandu, 80km that took 3.5 hours; the road really was that bad. Bhaktapur is the old town, with temples and a bustling market atmosphere, and the coffee was amazing.
Stage 6: Nepal
I got some work done on the bike at Kathmandu Motorcycle Services: a new front tyre, a Mitas E07, not easy to find in Asia, an oil change with Liquid Moly, the carbs adjusted for altitude, the loose steering head sorted, and a can of chain lube, including labour, all for less than $230, which might buy just the tyre back in New Zealand. Thanks to the father and sons at KMCS for a great job.
I stayed with a lovely family in Chitwan, who fed me up, gave me rest, showed me their beautiful national park and safari, and treated me to traditional Nepali cuisine, before I crossed the border into India the following morning.
Stage 7: India
I entered India from Nepal on the 16th of May, and since then rode almost to Chennai. That may not sound like much, but if you've ever ridden a motorcycle in India it's no mean feat: the roads are challenging, the traffic really heavy, and the drivers, while mostly considerate, crazy. You could never assume the lane you were in was yours; vehicles came from either side regardless of how close you might be, animals wandered across in each direction (cows have no sense of danger there, as they're revered), vehicles came towards me because they didn't want to go to the next gap in the median, and worst of all cars cut bikes off without warning. All of that, plus temperatures of 44 degrees Celsius, made the going tough. Even so, I was glad to be entering Chennai and reconnecting with Colleen Redit and the team at CMCT, the reason I was doing this ride.
In Varanasi, a bustling hub of human activity, I navigated narrow alleys down to the Ghats, many barely wider than my handlebars, and despite feeling like an intruder I was met with warmth by the local residents. The Ganges holds great spiritual significance there, with bathing, laundry and cremation ceremonies all taking place at once. The temperature reached 44 degrees Celsius that day, hot enough that phones kept shutting down. The heat off my exhaust was so intense I couldn't keep my feet on the pegs. A near miss with an oncoming scooter tore my forward right hand pannier off its mounting, a sobering reminder that while I could escape the heat with a dip in a cool pool, the local population couldn't.
It was a special week with friends in Chennai. I was reminded again of the incredible work the people at CMCT do daily, spurred on by the memory of founder and president Dr Colleen Redit, who was by then sadly confined to bed. It was a humbling honour to be part of opening two new rooms at the Bethany Health Care Centre, and to encourage the teachers at Bethany school as they prepared for another academic year. I was guest speaker at two well attended events promoting Up From Downunder at the YWCA, where I'd stayed back in 2009. I rode with a group of friendly Chennai motorcycle enthusiasts, all on Hondas of various models, and visited the Madras Off Road Academy hosted by Dr Rinku, thanks to Honda BigWing Chennai. I had the pleasure of visiting the East Coast Road with friends, the crocodile park, a beautiful beach via the Sheraton resort, ice cream and fish and chips. I was interviewed by Jennifer Arul of Goodnews Television, a lovely person.
I travelled to Coimbatore and made new friendships there, and met a spritely former Indian Olympic pole vaulter, now in her 90s. On to Bangalore, where I rode with the largest group of riders yet and shared my experiences with Up From Downunder with many. I was hosted by a wonderfully generous and hospitable family there, kindness I'll never forget.
Next was Salem, then on to Ooty. In Ooty I rode with 22 other riders through the Nilgiri Hills, amazing scenery with tea plantations and forests.
Stage 8: Shipping the Bike: India to Turkey via Sri Lanka
A crate was made for the bike in Bombay, ready for it to sail, though there was still all the paperwork to do first. The process of shipping the motorcycle from Mumbai was finally completed; the bike would travel to Turkey to avoid the troubled areas between India and Turkey. I had to return to the crate to extract the battery, since what's acceptable in most other countries wasn't acceptable in India: it was a new battery bought in Mumbai, but Indian rules said it couldn't accompany the bike to Turkey.
I had a short stopover in Sri Lanka with a friend while the bike was shipped. As I transited from Sri Lanka to Istanbul to reconnect with the bike and start the European leg of the journey, I flew right next to one of the world's hot spots. The terrain looked incredible and I'd have loved to ride it, but it was off limits. I hoped to get the bike back in early August and head west from there.
Stage 9: Turkey
The journey was back on track. I received the bike after seven hours of deliberation with Turkish customs and 8500 steps to and from the various departments at the port, thanks to the logistics team in Istanbul arranged by Chris at Go Air Land & Sea. Because I'd had to purge the bike of all fuel and oil before shipping it from Mumbai, I had to replenish the liquids and fit a new battery, the previous new one bought in Mumbai wasn't allowed to travel on the bike. In Turkey it's illegal to fill a container with petrol, so the bike had to be loaded into a lorry and taken to a petrol station, where we manhandled it out, filled it with fuel, fitted an oil filter, added oil, fitted the battery, and were off. I was very grateful to be back on the road.
I visited the places where New Zealand and Australian soldiers had sacrificed much in an attempt to prevent the enemy succeeding at Gallipoli. Despite incredible bravery and the temporary taking of the high ground at Chunuk Bair, the battle was lost, and the Turks regained Chunuk Bair two days later. It was a bittersweet reminder that battles may be won and lost, but there is an ultimate victory won in advance.
Stage 10: Albania
I pressed on to Albania. I had a hiccup to the journey there on the Saturday. I have no recollection of the event at all, but the evidence would suggest I came mildly unstuck. I was being kindly cared for by a wonderful family in Tirana after being discharged from hospital with no major injuries. I'd need some parts to repair the bike, and hopefully then be on my way.
Closing thoughts
Thank you for reading. More stages to follow!
Highlights
- Views of Everest and her neighbouring peaks from a 5230m pass in Tibet, with a night parked within striking distance of Everest Base Camp
- Riding through the Nilgiri Hills to Ooty with 22 other riders, past tea plantations and forests
- The Ghats at Varanasi and the Ganges at the heart of the city's daily life
- Visiting Gallipoli and Chunuk Bair in Turkey
- The hospitality of families and riding groups all along the route, from Chitwan to Chennai to Tirana
Whereabouts
- Route ran from New Zealand across Australia, then Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand into China, Tibet, Nepal and India
- The bike was shipped separately from Mumbai to Turkey to avoid the troubled areas between India and Turkey, with a stopover in Sri Lanka
- From Turkey the plan continued through Greece, Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia, Croatia, Italy, Switzerland and the UK
Must-Know
- A Chinese driver's licence is required to ride in China, including a cognitive test and eye and ear test, not easy to arrange once past sixty
- Shipping a bike out of India came with restrictions: a newly bought battery could not travel with the bike to Turkey and had to be removed from the crate
- It is illegal in Turkey to fill a container with petrol, so a freshly imported bike has to be taken to a station by lorry to be refuelled
Costs & Finances
- A full service in Kathmandu, new front tyre, oil change, carb adjustment and chain lube, came to under NZ$230
- The fundraising target for Bethany CMCT was NZ$1 million, with none of it spent on the ride itself
Gear
- Mitas E07 front tyre, not easy to source in Asia, fitted in Kathmandu
- Liquid Moly oil for servicing
- Carburettor adjustment needed at altitude in Nepal and Tibet
Permits
- A Chinese driving licence is needed before riding into China and Tibet
- Entering Tibet involves a separate border check even though it remains part of China
- Shipping a bike between countries (Mumbai to Istanbul) required significant paperwork and a purge of all fuel and oil beforehand
Hazards
- Indian roads and traffic were the toughest of the whole trip: heavy traffic, unpredictable overtaking, wandering animals and cars that cut bikes off without warning
- High passes in Tibet brought snow, near zero visibility and bitter cold above 5000m
- A crash in Albania led to hospital treatment, with no memory of the event itself
Weather Window
- Snow and sub zero temperatures were encountered on passes above 4400m in China and Tibet in April
- India brought extreme heat, up to 44 degrees Celsius, hot enough to shut phones down and to make the pegs too hot for bare feet