We are currently making plans to attend the DLRA meet at Lake Gairdner March 6 -10, 2006. It is reported to be the best salt in the world 20miles wide and 100 miles long "white concrete" we plan to utilize a 15 mile course. We are currently making arrangements with Motorcycle Australia and Charlie Hennekam of the FIM to sanction it as a international event. Charlie told me he is sure the side car that set a FIM record in New Zealand and others in that region of the world will attend. Rod and Carol Hadfield of the DLRA are very supportive of our plans. Dennis Manning and Dick Williams have both run there and are helping with the planning. A number of motorcycle and car owners have indicated they would also like to attend. Following is a general list of steps required to get to Australia:
1. Load your vehicles into a 20 or 40 foot shipping container. Dick Williams was able to get the Al Teague and Ken Walkey liner, the roadster of Chuck Salman and John Goodman?s lakester into one 40 foot container along with a lot of other equipment. A 40 foot HC container would allow for 20 motorcycles and equipment to each fit within a 7?8? x 4? x 4? crate or 10 in a 20? container.
2. A carnet must be completed. This is a document which lists all items contained within the container. It allows one to import goods into another country temporarily without paying import duties or tax as long as the good are exported at the end of your visit. There are a number of customs agents who can provide this service.
3. It is possible to have the container delivered right to the salt . However Rod Hadfield has told me the company that provided this service has recently tripled the price. He tells me the most economical way now is to have the container delivered to Adelaide or Melbourne and rent a truck or van to drive to Lake Gairdner about 385 miles from Adelaide. This will also allow clearing customs and picking up supplies needed for the trip. There are many truck and car rental companies in Adelaide. We plan to rent motor homes to take to the salt however you may camp and limited very reasonable accommodations are available at Mt Ives 20 kilometers from the lake where breakfast, lunch and dinner are also available.
4. Rod Hadfield has told me that if any one needs crew members that many DLRA members would be glad to help. We will be bringing many tools a generator an air compressor and other support equipment and will make these available. I will have my satellite phone for emergency communications and possibility an aircraft available.
5. Round trip airfare to Adelaide from LA or SF is about $1,300.00 or you can go first class for $11,900.00 (better save your frequent flyer miles). The current exchange rate is $1US = $1.3 Australian.
6. Return consists of loading the container in Adelaide and clearing customs for the trip home.
Top Oil, our sponsor , ships about 20 40? containers a week from LA to Indonesia and can get some very good rates. We will be using one 40 foot container to transport our streamliner and equipment. If there is serious interest in others attending we would be willing to assist with the loading of the containers at our facility in San Jose CA and offer whatever discounted container rate we can secure through Top Oil. If enough people are going we may be able to a obtain discounted group airfare.
At this time it would be my guess, assuming that there would be a full container, the cost to take a motorcycle and two people including truck rental, accommodations and other costs would probably be
4-6K.
If you are seriously interested please contact me and I will follow up with more definite details as to cost and procedures as I learn more of them.
Mike Akatiff
MikeA@ackavionics.com
