UPDATE 3 - THE FALKLANDS 29 APR 06

20 April - 29 April 2006
THE UNITED KINGDOM TO THE FALKLAND ISLANDS

20 Apr 06 (Thu). Today was our last day in the UK and it was a busy one. You’d have thought that we would be sitting drinking coffee with our feet up just waiting for the time to pass; not a chance. It was a hectic day from the start. Nicola Goodwin from BBC Hereford & Worcester arrived at 10 AM to do a piece with us for BBC H&W TV and BBC local Radio. It was an opportunity for us to promote the two charities that we are supporting, Macmillan Cancer Support and The Pirates Trust “Just for Kids” appeal. That was followed by the local press the Hereford Times. Because our bikes are onboard ship and hopefully just approaching the Falklands, Peter from Rydale BMW Cardiff brought two BMW Adventure to us so that we looked the part in front of the cameras! Many thanks for that help.

The remainder of the day was taken up getting copies of our document so we could leave copies at home as take spares with us. Then off to Royal Air Force Brize Norton for a midnight departure on an 18 hour flight to the Falklands via Ascension Island.

21 Apr 06 (Fri). We had a short refuelling stop at Ascension Island, a small British outpost sitting in the Atlantic off the west coast of Africa. It offered us an opportunity to stretch the legs and get a couple of photos of our rather aging 747 300 aircraft with Green Mountain as the backdrop; this is the highest hill/mountain
on the Island with a micro climate of its own; it seems to be constantly shrouded in mist, hence its name; Green Mountain.



When we were about 100 mile from the Falklands the aircraft captain announced that two Tornado fighter jets were inbound to escort us into Mount Pleasant Airbase (MPA), our destination. Whether, the threat is high enough to warrant an escort or it’s a useful exercise for the jets, it’s a spectacular event that is a rare photo opportunity. We arrived in the Falklands at midday in torrential rain. A friendly and swift passage through the formalities then onto a minibus for the ride to Stanley; which is not only the capital of the Falklands but can boast as being the most southerly capital in the world. We were told by the RAF Movers that the SKAFTAFELL had arrived arrive at the military port and the bikes were unloaded. A little premature, as the ship had still to arrive at Stanley Harbour, that would be where the bikes would be unloaded on Monday. Our home for the next eight days was the Upland Goose Hotel run by Dave Batty. A comfortable and friendly base that provided us with all the amenities and support that we needed to prep the bikes, when they arrived. Eva Jaffray, of the Darwin Shipping Company a subsidiary of the Falkland Island Company; popped in to see us; to put faces to the names on a constant stream of emails over the last few months and to let us know when we were likely to get our hand on the bikes! Early in the planning, Eva was our contact for shipping the bikes from the Falklands to Chile; but as the plans changed and we kept asking her more and more questions, she became our sole point of contact and so became not only our shipping agent, but also our holiday rep, guide, flight organiser and liaison office to any and every department on the Islands that we needed to deal with.

As the Falkland Islands are 5 hours behind UK time and we’d been traveling for more than 24 hours; the chance of seeing the night through in style was wishful thinking only.

22 & 23 Apr 06 (Sat & Sun). The weekend was a quiet time; getting to know the town and visiting the harbour to find the landing point for the bikes, take in a visit to the seaman’s mission for tea and a very good piece of home made cake. We didn’t have to walk far to get our first sight of a penguin; it was playing right along the harbour edge near the hotel.

24 Apr 06 (Mon). We get the bikes today. We knew that the ship had not arrived on Sunday and would be in on Monday morning. Like excited kids we went to the waters edge to see if we could see the SKAFTAFELL; no she had not arrived, disappointment! Then a cry from Mick S, she was approaching the harbour; on with the riding kit and off to get the paper work done. The first port of call was to the police station to register and tax the bikes, then to insure them. Again Eva had liaised with the police so they knew we were coming and generously permitted us to ride with our UK number plates; save us a tenner each! But it still cost £80 per bike to put them on the road for 4 days!! The rest of the day was spent waiting for the ship to off load her cargo before we could get to the bikes. It was the end of the afternoon when we got them, pouring rain and getting dark, but we were happy.

25 Apr 06 (Tue). The morning was spent fitting the top box that had not arrived before bikes were shipped. So much for accurate instructions! We fitted the interface plate in the UK, drill and screw, would they fit the bikes without having to remove the grab rail, no? Anyway, all amendments and adjustments complete, time to take them for a ride. But first it a photo call with Sharon Jaffray from the Penguin News, then try and get some miles covered. Ironically we could not seem to get too far as each road we took had road works and appeared closed. We managed 50 mile over some interesting ground, a bit of tarmac and quite a bit of rough track.

26 Apr 06 (Wed). We had a prompt start to the day as we were flying to Port Howard on West Falkland courtesy of the RAF and British International Helicopters. A 35 mile ride in a stiff breeze on a mixture of tarmac, compacted made-up surface and then a surface equivalent to marbles! In the dry it was an easy ride (marbles requiring a bit more concentration). The flight to the West Island gave us and opportunity get a good view of the terrain; “it’s a desolate place”, some very isolate settlements with little infrastructure and limited routes of communications. But also a place of contrasts, areas of steep hills and flat moorlands with the hinterland and coastline rich in wildlife that would satisfy even the most reluctant ornithologist.

Port Howard is in comparison to other settlements, large; there are some 15 homes but only about 15 people who live there. In the centre of the settlement is the Port Howard Lodge; a large guest house that serves as a base for those visiting the area. We joined a couple for coffee and cake who were on a two week island hopping holiday and although late in the season they had seen a vast array of wildlife on their travels.

Before the helicopter arrived for the return flight to MPA we were in heavy rain but also bright sunshine which produces a spectacular rainbow that arced out of a small settlement across the Port Howard inlet south for a mile. When we returned to MPA the heli crew invited us into their bar (coke only) as one them was a keen motorcyclist. It transpires that British International Helicopters also has an operation running from Penzance Cornwall in the area of Mick S home to the Isles of Sicily.

The ride home in the dark in heavy rain was filthy, not only did we have wet marbles to deal with now but also a flock of Upland geese decided to take off into the road just as Mick S approached them. As they are about the size of swans you can imagine that it’s not a good idea to make contact with them!!

27 Apr 06 (Thu). A bright sunny day but cold day; must get some miles in today. We rode to North Arm Farm, the most southerly settlement on East Falklands about 100 miles from Stanley on graded and stone tracks that were in ideal conditions for a test ride! The route takes you through Goose Green and past the Argentine War Cemetery; we visited both location on the way. As we approach North Arm there was in increase in the number of sheep on or around the track; and as if they know, they lull you into a false sense of security by crossing the track, you think that they have gone; they change their mind and run back in front of you! There was also a repeat of the Upland goose incident of the night before; we were kicking on at a good rate when 3 geese left the ditch without warning, it was head down below the screen and hope they don’t make contact! We were met at North Arm by Eileen and Ian Jaffray along with young Grandson “Mad Max” with tea and cakes and a donation to both of our charities. Thank you. We might even meet them again in Calgary, Canada as we are all likely to be there at the same time.

28 Apr 06 (Fri). Today is our final day with the bikes on the Falklands as we had to return them to the Harbour for loading on the Elisabeth Boye for shipping to Punta Arenas early next week. A day of final packing and double checking that what we have with us is what we need! And to complete the week we had our final supper with Eva and her husband Gerard, to thank her for all the work she had put-in to make the start of our adventure smooth and successful.

29 Apr 06 (Sat). All that was left for us to do was go to MPA for the flight with LAN Chile to Punta Arenas. It was an uneventful day that went smoothly. We now wait for our bike to arrive, again!

Conclusion on the Falklands. The Falklands Islands do not necessarily spring to mind as a natural start point for a long haul motorcycle adventure. It is a remote set of islands in the South Atlantic. But having the right support in the form of the RAF and those who authorised our flights and particularly Eva who took control of all aspects of our requirements prior to our arrival and continued to look after us all the way through our stay on beyond. We cannot give Eve enough praise and thanks for all her work through the Darwin Shipping Company and the Falkland Island Company. The Falkland Islands gave us the ideal opportunity to do final preparations and shake-out before starting the ride in earnest. Even without our service background and the support from the RAF it is still an achievable and cost effective route to take if you wish to start in the South.

It was also an opportunity for us to visit a part of the world that was new to us and in doing so meet people on their own terms; unlike the opportunities usually available to serving personnel who can have a jaundice view of a community that they cannot get close to due to the operational, training and barrack conditions. We are grateful to have had the opportunity to be part of your community albeit for only a week, we thoroughly enjoyed it.