Podcasts by The Pack Track Adventures
We've been on the road since Feb 2014 riding our motorbikes with our dogs, breaking down the barriers of world wide pet travel. Starting in Australia then moving through North and South America, Europe, Africa and Asia. We cross oceans, mountains, deserts and jungles in search of adventure. Share in our highs and lows as we tackle life on the road.
Further podcasts by Janell Clarke and Stu Clarke
Podcast on the topic Reisen und Orte
All episodes
s2e19: Egypt from 2017-12-06T00:00
Egypt was our 25th and final country in Africa. We arrived at the Wadi Halfa border to cross from Sudan into Egypt on the 14th November. We arrived with supplies because this time we knew for sure ...
Listens2e18: Sudan from 2017-11-14T13:52
It was by no means a secret to anyone that the thought of entering Sudan both excited Stu and made Janell quite uneasy. And even she would be the first to admit that there was no reasonable explana...
Listens2e17: Violent Riots in Ethiopia from 2017-10-29T13:35
Ethiopia proved to be unique amongst african nations from the get go. At the border crossing we were invited to have tea with the officials while they worked out how to import our bikes without us ...
Listens2e16: Uganda and Kenya from 2017-10-09T13:25
Uganda was the only country in Africa that we had both travelled to before The Pack Track. In February 2013 we spent a few days in Kampala, squeezing in a one day safari, before heading off on a cr...
Listens2e15: A Modern Genocide, Rwanda from 2017-09-06T11:30
The Rusumo One Stop Border Post Customs and Immigration as the name suggests, is a one-stop border crossing from Tanzania to Rwanda. This particular border crossing was mostly uneventful, but they ...
Listens2e14: Zambia and Tanzania from 2017-08-07T11:00
We crossed from Zimbabwe on the seventh of August and no sooner were we in Zambia and Janells beloved GS was on a truck again, 250km to Lusaka where we could get assistance and parts. It was actual...
Listens2e13: Facing Court in Zimbabwe from 2017-08-02T00:00
We had honestly intended to spend more time in Botswana but looking at the map we noticed that we'd be crossing National Parks if we crossed too late. We thought it would be unlikely we'd be allowe...
Listens2e12: Pet Movement through Southern Africa from 2017-07-27T17:18
We'd had issues entering South Africa from Namibia due to the dogs, but it was easy enough to overcome. What was needed was an animal import permit. Once issued this document could be used to impor...
Listens2e11: Vineyards&Wildlife, South Africa from 2017-07-25T16:33
We spent two fantastic months in South Africa. But it almost didn't happen, sorting out paperwork problems for the dogs took us three attempts to cross from Namibia into South Africa. Tensions were...
Listens2e10: Namibia from 2017-05-24T16:21
The Republic of Namibia reminded us of central Australia. There is so much untouched country, desert left to the animals that can survive there. It was the first time in Africa we really felt remot...
Listens2e09: Open Heart Surgery in Central Africa from 2017-05-07T00:00
The first night in Mainland Angola was spent in Quibala, about 4 hours drive from Luanda. Quibala was inland and over 1,200m, so a little cooler than the coast. Luis had read something about the to...
Listens2e09: Open Heart Surgery in Central Africa from 2017-05-07T00:00
The first night in Mainland Angola was spent in Quibala, about 4 hours drive from Luanda. Quibala was inland and over 1,200m, so a little cooler than the coast. Luis had read something about the to...
Listens2e08: Hitchiking with the Angolan Air Force from 2017-04-27T15:22
Mar and Luis, our new friends we'd made in Pointe Noire, where much more organised than we could ever be. They'd begun their journey with all the visa's they'd need through Africa so while we were ...
Listens2e07: Bongo in the Congo from 2017-04-24T15:05
We arrived at the Gabon Immigation in Ndende nice and early to check out. Nobody was around so we opened the gate ourselves, this certainly drew attention and some military staff appeared and calle...
Listens2e06: Shadow enters the Southern Hemisphere from 2017-04-13T00:00
We passed through Cameroon rather quickly. The wet season was imminent (April through June is the heavy rain) and we needed to get at least to southern Angola soon to avoid the heavy rains. We cros...
Listens2e05: Kidnapped in Nigeria from 2017-03-29T13:20
A few days before leaving Benin we ran into a biker who told us about the motorcycle clubs in Nigeria and gave us the contact details of Queen, a prominent female biker. We contacted Queen to get s...
Listens2e04: Sindou Pics and Python Temples from 2017-02-24T00:00
We crossed into Burkina Faso at Koloko. It was very quick and easy. We passed a Police checkpoint then in a few hundred meters we were outside the Mali Douane. The Police recorded our vehicle detai...
Listens2e03: Senegal and Mali from 2017-02-09T17:15
Mauritania to Senegal was another difficult border crossing. We chose the sleepy border crossing of Diama instead of the more popular Rosso border crossing. The road to Diama takes you through a na...
Listens2e02: Snow in the Sahara from 2016-12-09T18:37
The Pack Track entered Africa with great excitement and trepidation. There is so much to see in Africa, such different cultures to explore. But it is a challenging continent (roads, climate, povert...
Listens2e01: United Kingdom 2016 from 2016-08-28T19:41
It was a big decision to take a break from travelling and to work in the UK. To this day we debate whether it was a good idea or not. Janell felt she needed some stability, to know where she was go...
Listens1e56: Sex on the Road from 2016-02-14T18:23
Stuart's vision blurred and dimmed, the room began to spin, he gasped for air in an attempt to fill his lungs with as much oxygen as possible given the elevation. His body had gone into autopilot, ...
Listens1e55: Shipping the Motorbikes from North America to Europe from 2016-01-10T16:59
We were to travel from New York to Southampton in the UK via Cunards Queen Mary 2 (QM2) cruise ship. Although Cunards had previously provided a vehicle transport service between New York and the UK...
Listens1e54: Transatlantic Crossing on the QM2 from 2016-01-10T16:10
After nearly two years of exploring the America's, it was time to move on. We hadn't seen everything by a long shot but there was more of the world to see. So we needed to get two people, two dogs ...
Listens1e53: The Time Everything Went Wrong from 2015-12-31T19:01
The dilemma was to move Stu's motorbike from Los Barriles in the south of Baja, 2,000km to Los Angeles where it would be shipped to Europe. However, after the accident Stu was unable to ride. In ad...
Listens1e52: Coast to Coast from 2015-12-26T15:12
Maybe it was an error, but it was booked and paid for online, one way car hire from California to New York for under $300. We were picking up from and dropping off at out of the way shops so maybe ...
Listens1e51: Janells Solo Ride through Baja from 2015-12-09T17:20
I left Los Barrilles on the 04 December, with my girls on board, nervous and thrilled. The alternative had been driving or flying out with Stu but I really didn't want either of those options, I wa...
Listens1e50: Head On Collision in Mexico from 2015-11-26T13:53
Throughout the USA we had been using a forum thread called TentSpace on ADVrider.com to find hosts that would let us set up a tent in their yard for a few nights at no cost. The reality was, howeve...
Listens1e49: I left my bone in San Francisco from 2015-11-10T19:02
We arrived in San Francisco the day before Halloween and intended to stay just two nights before heading south but instead hung around for six days. Who can resist San Francisco, right? A great cit...
Listens1e48: The Wild West from 2015-10-25T13:42
Our route was to take us along the northern states to Seattle and then head south along the coast. We still had a lot of ground to cover and it would start with The Great Plains of the Dakota's.
Listens1e47: Maple Leaf Drive from 2015-10-11T14:15
We were feeling very positive about the future of The Pack Track. Weeti was recovering well from her seizures and was slowly getting back to her old self again. It was only a few months now until w...
Listens1e46: Brain on Fire from 2015-10-09T09:54
Our next stop was visiting Door County which we had been looking forward to since Patagonia eight months earlier. Back then we had a great time in Ushuaia, a two week wait for a replacement sleepin...
Listens1e45: Canada from 2015-09-29T15:59
We hadn't seen Stu's brother since he flew down to Cancun right at the start of our trip. We'd also never met his new girlfriend Diana or seen him in his new life in Ottawa. So after spending a lov...
Listens1e44: East Coast USA from 2015-09-08T19:09
We were back in the US in a new state for us, Florida. After the eventful departure from Botoga it was nice to enjoy a relaxing flight and collect our babies on the other side, safe and sound. We m...
Listens1e43: Leaving South America from 2015-08-09T15:32
When will someone bite the bullet and build a road between Panama and Colombia! For now, adventure riders can either fly (by aeroplane) or ship (typically sail boat or ferry) themselves and their m...
Listens1e42: Return to Venezuela from 2015-07-31T09:17
After a productive visit in Bogota sorting our shipping quotes and getting Weeti's paperwork in order for flying to the US, we decided to take a 3 week trip back into Venezuela to visit some friend...
Listens1e41: Salinas, Ecuador from 2015-07-01T13:32
From the mountains of Cuenca we traveled a few hours to Salinas on the coast of Ecuador. The distance wasn't far, 350km, but the journey took most of the day. From Cuenca we climbed up further in t...
Listens1e40: Cuenca, Ecuador from 2015-06-22T15:00
Cuenca is a small city with a lot of history and set between two fast flowing rivers. It has a cool, wet climate being elevated at 2,500m. We stayed in Cuenca for 10 nights, a long time for The Pac...
Listens1e39: Entering Ecuador from 2015-06-11T15:00
After three long days crossing the Sechura Desert of north western Peru, we finally arrived at the Ecuadorean border late in the afternoon. This would conclude our tour of all the main land Spanish...
Listens1e38: Sand boarding at Nazca from 2015-06-10T16:36
Travelling from south to north Peru you realise what a big country it is and how many incredible sites there are to visit and explore. After the pinnacle of Machu Pichu it was hard to imagine anyth...
Listens1e37: Mini Inca Trail to Machu Picchu from 2015-06-04T05:00
In case you're not aware, there are many different ways of getting to Machu Picchu, the 15th century built Inca city situated in the Andes mountain range, Peru. We had researched a few options incl...
Listens1e36: Cochabamba to La Paz, Bolivia from 2015-05-21T17:26
Why do men transform into giant babies when they get sick? All their manliness is consumed by the illness and what is left is the shell of a man with the temperament of a 5 year old boy. Stuart is ...
Listens1e35: Potosi to Sucre, Bolivia from 2015-05-16T18:47
Bolivia is a landlocked country bordered by 5 countries - Peru, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile and Brazil - with diverse topography and climate from mountains and deserts to rainforest. Up until we rea...
Listens1e34: Bolivian Altiplano Southwest Circuit from 2015-05-08T23:48
We entered Bolivia from San Pedro de Atacama, Chile, on the 1st of May 2015. At this entrance to Bolivia there's no town, no shops and not even a sealed road. There is only a small brick hut that s...
Listens1e33: Concepcion, Chile from 2015-03-26T04:00
Concepcion is the second largest city in Chile, situated on the coast about five hours south of Santiago. Concepcion gets a blog of its own because the most incredible thing happened on our arrival...
Listens1e32: Lago Puelo to Malalcahuello from 2015-03-23T22:46
We were back in Argentina and back on sealed roads in Trevelin. Its a pretty town with strong ties to Wales, just like Gaiman directly to the east on the coast of Argentina where we had stayed a fe...
Listens1e31: Navimag Ferry through Chile from 2015-03-13T22:44
Southern Chile consists of a narrow mainland interspersed with many islands. Therefore it makes sense that there are lots of ferry's connecting islands and mainland in southern Chile. The Pack Trac...
Listens1e30: Heading North from 2015-02-28T23:43
Punta Arenas is one of the largest cities in Patagonia. It was historically established as a strategic military stronghold over the surrounding waters. The port grew in size and eventually a free z...
Listens1e29: The End of the World from 2015-02-20T23:42
After the dramas of finding accommodation in Ushuaia, we were finally free to relax. It's pretty exciting being at the 'end of the world' and it marks a certain achievement or milestone on the jour...
Listens1e28: Journey to Ushuaia from 2015-02-02T23:41
We departed Puerto Deseado on a near perfect day, very much by design, light winds as predicted by Wind Guru , a cool temperature for riding and no rain clouds. Our plan would be to make it to Rio ...
Listens1e27: Penguins&Sea Lions from 2015-01-29T23:39
Puerto Deseado is a little coastal town located 125km off the main highway south, Ruta 3, on the east coast of Argentina. It has a latitude of 47 South so gets quite cold and of coarse windy like m...
Listens1e26: Comodoro Rivadavia, Argentina from 2015-01-26T23:38
After our 3 nights camping in Gaiman, we were up early and ready for a big ride to Comodoro Rivadavia. We had a contact in Comodoro, through our friend Pablo from Buenos Aires, and had advised them...
Listens1e25: Welsh Patagonia from 2015-01-21T23:36
Nearly 150 years ago a ship load of immigrants from Wales landed in Puerto Madryn, Argentina. Their intention was to set up a welsh community with no English influence. In fact they ended up establ...
Listens1e24: Incredible Encounters in Puerto Madryn from 2015-01-18T23:35
Even travellers need inspiration and motivation from time to time. It can come in a range of forms from a chat with a stranger, to marvelling at nature, to grand designs. Travelling as two (or two ...
Listens1e23: Tango Town from 2015-01-11T23:33
Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, is home to the tango and it's no wonder when you walk the streets of this romantic city. The Pack Track arrived in Buenos Aires on the 30th of December 2014....
Listens1e22: Changing Money in Buenos Aires from 2015-01-10T00:00
Entering Argentina meant returning to a country with a black market exchange rate significantly different to the government official rate. We had learned a lot from our experience with parallel rat...
Listens1e21: Fall at Speed in Paraguay from 2014-12-27T23:32
Paraguay is one of the smaller countries in South America. The capital of Paraguay is Asuncion which is located near the western border of the country. It is a small region but is home to the vast ...
Listens1e20: Moto Clubs of Brazil from 2014-12-17T23:30
Brazil is a beautiful country with a passionate motorcycle community under the banner of AME-BR. The members of the clubs that make up this community are all extremely friendly and welcoming, regar...
Listens1e19: Manaus to Porto Velho by Riverboat from 2014-11-30T23:29
What can you expect from a boat trip in this part of the world? This wasn't our first and was likely not our last. Our experience on the MV Kimbia in Guyana was still fresh in our mind, and if the ...
Listens1e18: Postal Nightmare in Venezuela from 2014-10-15T21:06
Stuart sat in the back of a taxi travelling four hours across the country, having now spent a total of three months in Venezuela. His hope was that this little adventure would allow The Pack Track ...
Listens1e17: Introducing Negrita (A.K.A. Weeti) from 2014-10-09T21:11
This is Negrita, or more affectionately known as Weeti...
Listens1e16: Hiking Mount Roraima from 2014-09-25T21:10
Nothing clears the mind like physical activity and spending time with nature. What better for The Pack Track to recover from the recent loss of Skyla than a 6 day 5 night trek in the Gran Sabana, d...
Listens1e15: Farewell Skyla from 2014-09-10T21:08
On the 10th of September 2014, in the small town of El Callao, Venezuela, our hearts broke as we said goodbye to The Pack Track's most popular member. Skyla lost her long fight with cancer.
Listens1e14: Guyana to Venezuela by boat from 2014-08-16T21:04
The MV Kimbia, a 70 year old dilapidated ocean going passenger and cargo transport ferry, is said to be one of the oldest ships in the maritime public transport industry. It services the communitie...
Listens1e13: Guyana - Land of Water from 2014-08-11T21:02
After the intensity of the World Cup we were looking forward to a slower pace. From Brazil we were free to travel wherever the road would take us. A few days in Boa Vista, Brazil, gave us some time...
Listens1e12: Lethem to Linden, Guyana from 2014-08-11T05:30
This is the route report for the road from Lethem on the Guyanese side of the Guyana/Brazil border to Linden near Georgetown in Guyana (the road from Linden to Georgetown is sealed). Our travel occ...
Listens1e11: Remission from 2014-08-10T20:56
In September 2013, back in Australia, we had noticed that Skyla's lymph nodes on her neck had significantly enlarged. It occurred at the same time a rash appeared on her belly. Skyla often gets a r...
Listens1e10: FIFA World Cup Brazil from 2014-08-08T21:00
We did the hard yards to get to Brazil and it was definitely worth it. Being in a football nation such as Brazil, following world cup games with people from all over the world and to top it off att...
Listens1e09: Adventure Riders Wonderland from 2014-07-26T20:57
Imagine if you will, a land where petrol is free, a night in a luxury hotel costs $5 while $10 gets you a room in a fully equipped resort. A good meal is under a dollar and a first class road netwo...
Listens1e08: Sunburnt&Seasick from 2014-07-22T05:00
The Darien Gap! A 50km stretch of jungle separating Panama in North America from Colombia in South America. The jungle is so thick that it isolated the Mayan civilisation from the Inca's. Although ...
Listens1e07: Panamania from 2014-06-10T20:42
By the time we reached Costa Rica we had put around 6,000 miles (10,000km) on our bikes since leaving Texas. That means it was time for a service. Luckily, back in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, we...
Listens1e06: Border Deluge from 2014-05-17T14:55
Never do a border crossing on an empty stomach. We'd done it a few times now and it makes a hot and slow process so much worse. Crossing in to Mexico we were lucky to have two experienced traveller...
Listens1e05: Chicken Pizza from 2014-04-30T03:15
Three sore bottoms pulled in to a tropical Cancun at 4:30pm. The Pack Track left the bustling city of Oaxaca on Wednesday, with the goal of checking in to our accommodation in Cancun by 5pm on Frid...
Listens1e04: Fall at 3,000m from 2014-04-21T05:00
Janell lay there upside-down calling for help, head resting on a concrete beam which ran along the bottom of the deep gutter, her legs sticking up the steep incline holding up 250kg of bike. The bi...
Listens1e03: Let Loose in Mexico from 2014-04-17T00:00
From Real de Catorce we were on our own and headed for San Miguel de Allende. It was our first leg in Mexico without support (Hank and Jochen). We were perhaps overwhelmed for the first two days tr...
Listens1e02: Geared Up and Riding from 2014-04-07T00:00
We had said a fond farewell to Dallas, our home for the previous three weeks. The departure was not quite as we planned and were thankful for no great send off. The checkout from the hotel was midd...
Listens1e01: The Journey Begins from 2014-02-28T00:00
Had everything gone to plan, us (Janell and Stu) and our 7 year old Bull Terrier mix Skyla would be riding through Central America right about now. So what went wrong? Skyla was diagnosed with canc...
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