After nearly 3 weeks of erratic weather, wild territory, ups and downs, I am in Darwin, Australia–my gateway to SE Asia.

Now 3,000 miles from where I picked up the Green Hornet, most of the items that require adjustment on a trip like this have been remedied. The bike is running well and I have established a daily routine for everything from how/when I get fuel to where I stash various items (cameras, passport, etc).

It was originally my intent to head to Singapore straight away from Darwin, but with the monumental series of mistakes by the freight forwarder in Los Angeles (noted in earlier posts), I am nearly 5 weeks behind schedule and facing the Southwest Monsoon in Malaysia and Thailand. Last year 851 people died in this weather, albeit heavier than usual. Also, the soonest I could get the bike shipped would be June 22, arriving no earlier then July 1.

Consequently, I have decided to head home for the summer and pick back up over Christmas break when the setting is a little more amenable. Central Asia and Europe are still on tap for summer 2013.

Not an ideal situation, but you have to play the cards you are dealt.

The bike is stored with the capable folks at Cyclone Motorcycles in Darwin for now–ready for stage 2 in the coming months. Keep an eye out for updates (including the addition of maps to all posts) this summer. Thanks for following, and feel free to check out the Boise Weekly and backroadmag.com for the continuation of the regular Idaho Motojournal.