As a famous Aussie singer once wrote, from little things, big things grow. In the case of Cairns-based Portas Bikes and Power owner Andrew Porta, a small kernel of an idea had the potential to introduce Aussie and overseas adventure riders to some big country up in Northern Queensland and they called it Savannah Motorcycle Tours.
You see, the thing about running a motorcycle dealership up here in Far North Queensland is that every once in a while you have to load up and head out to outlying regions to service and repair bikes on cattle stations, some as big as small European countries.
Getting to these far flung locations took Andrew Porta through some outstanding country on some very challenging country roads. Well, challenging if you’re not in love with Outback adventure riding, that is.
Andrew’s off-the-beaten-track travels also put him in contact with some of that genuine Aussie homestead outback hospitality, not to mention some good ol’ Aussie pubs. I dare say the Andrew thought it would be rude not to stop in for a frosty one on the way through.
This combination of sensational riding opportunities, genuine country hospitality wrapped around a landscape soaked in both beauty and historical significance could only add up to one big question for Andrew: Would others be interested in experiencing this often untouched part of Northern Australia?
To quote yet another famous line, it really was a case of ‘if you build it they will come’. So that is what Andrew and his team did, in the form of Savannah Motorcycle Tours.
With much plotting and planning, they linked together a number of very cool tours taking adventure riders out of Cairns and out into the north westerly regions as opposed to the more traditional Cape York motorcycle tours .
Hey, I’m not saying that Cape York trips aren’t the duck’s guts, but if you are looking for a different kind of multi-day adventure with your mates, these tours could be right up your alley.
A day in the saddle with these guys will make sure you know you have spent a full day behind ’bars, so to speak. Talking to Andrew about his crew and who their tours are aimed at, he responded, “Our Savannah Tour team is made up of highly experienced motorcross and off-road riders and they are happy to share their experience with either new riders or the older guest who wants to add this experience to their bucket list.”
Depending on the tour, you can find yourself mounted on a Honda XL 750 Transalp or a CRF300 Rally, weaving your way up the Gillies Range which I will add is classed as one of the top 10 riding locations in Australia. Having around 263 turns woven in and out of a stunning forest will earn you that title .
Tours are a mix of very cool natural and historic stopovers. One minute you’re munching down a well-prepared early lunch at a water-filled volcanic crater at Lake Barrine, then the next you’re blasting along dirt roads towards either the historic tin mining towns of Herberton and Watsonville, or heading up towards the Balancing Rock near Chillagoe.
Your day can either end either back in Cairns or around a fire in an outback pub, sharing tales with your riding mates. It’s your call.
Of course it’s all dependent on how much time you have and what tour you choose; whether it’s a one-, two- or four-day exploratory tour with these guys will pretty much dictate how much they can pack in to the day, and they pack in a lot.
Cooler still, if you rode into Cairns aboard your own bike and want to tag along, by all means do.
Doing a tour like this takes out all the guess work out of riding in remote areas and the guides are on point with their local knowledge. Going with a local is aways good voodoo… and it’s better when that voodoo includes meals and accommodation in the two- and four-day tours .
When it comes to accommodation, I’m embarrassed to admit that my days of swagging it are pretty much over. Let’s put it this way, after a day in the saddle, if I lie down on a swag I’m not getting back up in a hurry thanks to old-guy back and knee issues. Watching me get out of a swag has been nominated for an interpretive-dance award. And while adventure bikes don’t yet come fitted with small aftermarket electric winches, if they did I would absolutely be the reason for their deployment in the field.
Talking to tour coordinator Candice, I was quickly assured that all overnight accommodation is is in classic, dyed in the wool local pubs, so a good night’s rest in a comfy bed is assured. So is a good supply of cold beer, which I’m pretty sure my doctor recommended for all aches and pains .
Besides the opportunity to get to know your fellow riding companions a little better at these overnight pub stopovers, they also provide a good opportunity to have a yarn with the locals.
If mining history is your thing, these tours have it in spades, with most of them leading you through historic locations, albeit some with a grim past such as Mount Mulligan, which was the scene of Australia’s largest and deadliest mining disaster.
Without taking too much away from the Savannah Motorcycle Tours guides, a massive gas explosion took place in the mine here in 1923 and many families across Australia were effected by the resulting loss of life. So intense was the blast that it was heard around 30km away and it rocked the near by township of Mount Mulligan .
A little less dramatic is the opportunity to bring out your inner Indiana Jones and explore the Undara Lava Tubes on the four-day tour. Morte than 190,000-years old, these massive volcanic lava vents are truly something to examine if you’re ever in the area. Better still, you’ll also be taken to the Innot Hot Springs on this tour, and needless to say, they are everything it says on the box and are a welcome end to a big day’s riding.
Any of these tours can be dialled up or down to suit individual tastes. One-day tours are popular, with a recent tour group winding their way up the Kuranda Range, then swinging inland across the Black Mountain Road. This is absolute jungle riding at it’s finest, and a personal favourite location of mine. It’s not uncommon to motor around a corner to find a Murder Bird (as Cassowaries are sometimes called here) strutting along in the middle of the road along with other wildlife.
If you’re just starting out as a learner and want a small taste of adventure touring in northwest Queensland, make sure you put Savannah Motorcycle Tours on your shortlist, particularly if you want to build up your riding skills, as they also offer pre-ride training on either the CRF300 the Transalp.
An example of the flexibility offered by Savannah Motorcycle Tours is when a couple came up to Cairns to watch their son compete in the recent Ironman event.
As they knew they had some time to kill, they packed their moto gear, flew into Cairns, booked a one-day tour and the Savannah Motorcycle Tours team looked after the rest. The following day they were cheering on their young bloke back in Cairns.
Most good motorcycle tours have a support vehicles and these guys are no different; you know you are surrounded by experience should something not go your way mechanically .
