Bennett wins East Coast Supermoto Finale

Safari in style with West Coast
By, Trevor Hedge

Money rich and time poor. This is heard all too often these days as we work more and more and have less time to get out and enjoy the finer things in life. And what can possibly be finer than exploring the highlights of our great south-west than onboard a dirtbike!

Is your dirtbike gathering dust in the shed because you can’t find time to ride it or are you bored with the areas you ride in? Or do you no longer have the luxury of owning a dirtbike but still yearn for sliding around the peaks and valleys of the south-west? Or perhaps you are new to riding or have only ever ridden on the road but would like to get a taste for what dirt riding has to offer? West Coast Trail Bike Safaris can cater to your needs.

Why spend money to go riding with a tour operator rather than just heading to the hills with your mates?

I have found the main attractions to be that I can explore terrain that I have never before traversed without having to map a route, wonder where to turn or worry about getting lost, plan for fuel stops, worry about taking tools or fixing punctures. It is also a nice peace of mind to know that if a really bad injury was to occur a satellite phone and GPS is on hand to request immediate assistance. West Coast are quite proud that in their many years of operation they have not once had to make one of those satellite emergency calls.

I have been on various dirt safaris over the years that include the Gippsland Ranges (VIC), the Snowy Mountains (NSW) and the Brindabella Ranges (ACT). Exploring our own bottom paddock around Balingup, Nannup and Pemberton always ranks equally highly on the enjoyment scale and a recent West Coast Trail Safaris two-day Blackwood Valley Tour goes down as one of my most memorable.

Tour participants spent most of their time onboard West Coasts’ TT-R Yamaha machines while I spent day one on their premium option KTM 250 EXC-F before switching to my own Honda CRF450X for day two. After leaving from a meeting point in Boyanup we headed straight out in the dirt and rode a wide variety of terrain before enjoying lunch at the wonderful Tathra Winery. The only thing we had to carry was our own water and a camera if we wanted to. Our gear for the overnight stop at the historic Exchange Hotel was transported down by vehicle ahead of our arrival in Greenbushes later that afternoon where we enjoyed a BBQ and beers over many tales around the open fireplace. The riding on day two included some amazing forests with a couple of water crossings thrown in for amusement before we all arrived back safely in Boyanup for our respective journeys home.

Overall the experience was plenty of stress free fun and I’ll certainly be heading out with West Coast Trail Bike Safaris again very shortly.

Pictorial - Some images from the tour