Tag Archives: Adventure Motorcycling

News: Presenting at Overland Expo 2014

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Commandeering a boda boda in Uganda

Commandeering a boda boda in Southwest Uganda

I’m excited to announce that I’m going to be a Presenter at this year’s Overland Expo in Flagstaff, Arizona, 16th-18th May 2014.

As many of you know, I was there last year manning the Charley Boorman stand with my friend Billy Ward. I had a great time meeting lots of fellow overlanders, adventure motorcyclists and 4×4 enthusiasts, and really loved the adventurous spirit and camaraderie that filled the air over those three days at Mormon Lake, about 2 hours’ ride from Phoenix.

This time round, I’ll be doing a one-hour session about my recent three-month African Film Adventure in southwest Uganda, down by the border with the Congo and Rwanda. I’ll be showing some clips and photos from the trip, talking about some of the challenges of travelling and filming in this remote part of Africa, and fielding questions about how to combine overlanding adventures with volunteering. 

I’m a big advocate of doing good while travelling and have done a number of trips now which have combined adventure with “giving something back”, including my big Sahara trek with UNICEF Ambassador Russ Malkin in 2010. This year I’ve been lucky enough to travel to Africa (most recently Ghana) as a Journalist with Comic Relief to film and report on the many charity projects that are being funded by them there.

Exploring the Grand Canyon after the 2013 Overland Expo

Exploring the Grand Canyon after the 2013 Overland Expo

I’m really looking forward to sharing my experiences with the OX14 audience, not to mention hearing about everyone else’s adventures. It will be great to be back at the Expo, which is now one of the biggest overlanding/adventure events of the year. I can’t wait to be back in Arizona – last time, I borrowed a motorbike and toured Route 66 and the Grand Canyon; this time, well, let’s just say I’m going to be having another good look around!

Details about session times and venue for my talk at OX14 are still being firmed up by the organisers, but keep an eye on the Overland Expo website: http://www.overlandexpo.com. Hope to see you there!

Biking The Mediterranean

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Jeanie Davison

Motorcycling the Mediterranean coast from Naples round through Italy, France and then into Spain was my first overseas biking trip – and it didn’t disappoint! Whilst trepidatious about riding on the “wrong” side of the road – and whether I’d taken too much stuff to carry on a bike! – my desire to head off on two wheels through Europe for a month propelled me along on an exhilarating journey.

Hiring small 250cc bikes in each country I went through, the only rule of the trip was to follow the Mediterranean coastline as closely as possible. And with the sea breeze in my hair – well ok, whipping through my helmet! – and scenery to die for, a new sense of freedom took hold in the way that only life on two wheels can provide.

Stopping over in small villages and towns along the way, overnighting in hostels and pensions (next time I’ll camp), I could have carried on forever! With nowhere to be at any particular time, this two-wheeled adventure truly cemented the joy of the open road – and in particular, the joy of long-distance motorcycling in foreign lands. Italy, France and then Spain are all countries I’ve travelled through before – but never like this. And I can truly say, two-wheeled touring beats everything else hands down.

By the time I reached Malaga, I’d run out of money. If it hadn’t been for that, I swear I’d still be on the road now, heading perhaps down to Algeciras, Morocco and beyond…

I did the trip on a whim, suddenly yearning for the freedom of the open road. This was my first taste of bigger two-wheeled adventures. So watch this space, there’ll be more to come!