15 Jan. 2024

Jemma Wilson's Post-Husky Trek Expedition

It’s always a toss-up. Do you do the adventure solo? Or take a mate? Or in my case a family member… and then a mate?

Having completely fallen in love with adventure riding very quickly after my first Husky Trek in 2021, since then I have done rather a few kms. Some solo, some on organised rides and plenty with my husband and friends.

This year the Husky Trek gave me the opportunity to ride somewhere new! 2000+ kms around Tasmania (in perfect weather might I add) and then why have my Norden sit in a trailer for the drive back to Queensland when I could ride it instead? I had a plan to ride home and the time to do it. I just had to work out whether it would be a solo adventure or something I shared? My husband answered the question for me and told Dad about my plan and he was in, instantly!

You may know me, or know of me, from my years spent racing World and Aussie Enduro’s but chances are you don’t remember my dad, Ted. I’d like to now introduce him. He was the entire reason that I got into bikes and then he was the facilitator of racing for the first 6 years. If it weren’t for Dad, I would not have had the life, the experiences or the great times I’ve had because of bikes. The thing is though, this little adventure ride from the Victorian High Country to Gympie in Queensland, made me realise how much I did without Dad, once he handed over the reins in 2012. You see, our deal was that he would assist with my racing until I finished Uni, and in 2011 I graduated with a Law Degree and a desire to continue on with racing without old Pappy.

To get back to the adventure at hand, we spent the first few days with my good mates the McGillivray’s at their home near Bright, Vic. Magoo had a couple of days off work and toured us around the Victorian High Country. Dad had never met the Magoo’s and I have spent so much time with the family at their beautiful property. It was so wonderful to share the adventure in the High Country and the friendship I have with the Magoo’s with my Dad!

After a lovely few days of riding and hanging with the fam we set off! We set off into 7 degree temps and sideways winds atop Mount Hotham and down into Omeo. We saw a few rays of Sunshine and thought we were in luck until we got to Barry Way, couldn’t get across a VERY flooded creek and then rode for the next five hours in never ending rain, literally shaking with cold (although Dad had warm hands and bum on the Norden Expedition with the grip and seat warmers) and finally rode into Jindabyne at 7pm. 11 hours in the seat, soooo cold, sooo wet and I nearly fell asleep in my dinner.

Anyone else would have decided to pull the pin on Day 1 earlier. But not Dad! He is 63, had just spent 2 months on the couch with a broken and very badly infected leg (it required a skin graft and everything) and then he was having the time of his life. Not tired. Not cranky. Just happy to be adventuring.

Day two we woke up to rain. We had a slightly later start after a brilliant lil breaky date with my old pal from racing, James Taylor. A few locals told us some alternative routes in case of flooding and then off we went. We of course did hit flooding, washed out roads, more flooding and were wet, wet, wet and cold again. I thought rolling into Jindabyne at 7pm was a tad late but we didn’t get into Huskisson until 8pm on Day 2. Dad is a proud owner of a 701 but for this adventure Husqvarna leant Pappy an Expedition. By the end of Day 2 he was gelling with the big gal and despite the water issues, we again had a marvellous time.

Day three saw sun and even a little bit of dust. You would think that getting around Sydney would be a bit of a drag but with the Blue Mountains to ride through, it is so pretty. I had done this leg before on another organised ride and was happy to get to experience some of those roads again. I did run out of fuel 1km from Oberon (it’s kind of my thing… wish it wasn’t) but Dad towed me easily with the M8Saver on his bars and we lost no time at all which meant… early arrival into Katoomba and enough time to be tourists. Dad had never been to the Blue Mountains and we saw the sights and ate a wonderfully fancy dinner together. It had been a long time since I spent time alone with Dad. I have a 7-year-old sister and although I spend lots of time with the family, it was so nice to just hang with Dad.

We rolled out of Katoomba nice and early on Day 4. We were heading across to Cessnock to stay with some more mates and I wanted to get there early enough to actually spend some time with them. These two I met because of my Ladies Camp Outs. Alyssa was a blast at one of my first events back in 2016 and then I ended up staying at hers for a few days the following week and have become wonderful friends with her and her partner, Steve. We did, however, not have smooth sailing to get there.

Half an hour into the ride we pulled over for a quick break and upon taking off again, Dad didn’t see a rock in the early morning sunshine. He fell off and broke his ankle. Dad is tough. Dad is optimistic! Dad rode all day thinking ‘she’ll be right’. Back on the coast side of the Great Dividing Range, we stumbled across a guy on the ground. He had just come off, at rather a high speed, and was not in a good way. His mates were new to adventure riding and weren’t super confident contacting emergency services without service. So, my iPhone and I saved the day and used satellite messaging to get Greg some help. There’s Dad, who clearly had a broken ankle, sitting next to Greg, who clearly had a broken leg – his foot was not sitting in line with his knee. We spent a few pleasant hours (maybe not for Dad and Greg) making some new mates and then skedaddled once the ambo’s arrived.

Day 5 became a day of new tyres on the bikes, chauffeuring Dad around to X-Rays and Doctors and organising a new rider for the Norden Expedition. Steve and Alyssa were exceptional hosts and I honestly could not think of a better place to be with an injured Father.

Day 6, Dad flew home from Newcastle and my mate Fabian flew in. We jumped on the bikes and in soaring temperatures we rode for the next 4 days and 1750 km home. The second leg of the ride was certainly less eventful. Fabian had an incredible introduction to adventure riding! And I still got my adventure. I got to share it with my Dad, with a Pal and caught up with mates along the way. I am so grateful for the experience that was. From the freezing and wet to the 44-degree heat and dust. Broken bones, empty fuel tanks, washed out roads and sightseeing. There is no better way to see Australia then on a Norden. We covered 3300 kms and no terrain is too much for the Nordy’s.