Many of us have dreamed of taking our motorcycle (or car, or plane) and simply leaving to explore the world. At the age of 28, Grace McDonald did just that. In February 2017 she resigned from her career as a corporate lawyer and set off from Sydney, Australia, with a motorcycle, a dream and very little else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tell us how did you get into motorcycling?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n When I was a child when had small motorbikes to ride around my parents\u2019 200 acre property, but my family saw motorcycles more as a (hazardous) means of transport than a passion. At the age of 23 I got my road licence and commenced a beautiful obsession with speed, motorcycles and freedom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What made you decide to ride around the world? I spent ten years becoming a corporate lawyer in Sydney, and quickly discovered that this was not the way to a happy life. Eventually I reached the end of my tether and decided that I just wanted to ride away on my motorcycle and not come back. Six months later I\u2019d made that a reality as I rode out of town on my KTM 690 Enduro with all my worldly possessions strapped to the back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Did you have a schedule? I had no schedule; but I thought that I would ride to Paris from Australia and that it would take me 18 months. I was completely wrong. Along the way, I fell in love with people and places; someone would invite me to take a side trip and I\u2019d always say yes; someone would recommend meeting a person or seeing a place two or three thousand kilometres away, and I\u2019d always go. If you plan your trip and keep on schedule, you will only discover the things you already imagined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How long have you been on the road now? Do you get tired?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s been nearly five and half years on the road and yes, you do get tired sometimes. But that\u2019s the beauty of not being on a schedule. You can stop and rest and take in your surroundings whenever you need. I spent so long in Indonesia and Thailand that I now speaks some Indonesian and some Thai. Of course that\u2019s just a recipe for staying longer still \u2013 because once you speak the language, suddenly all of the nuances of a place become available to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What did you do during Covid?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I was in Thailand when the music stopped and the borders closed. About three years into my trip, I suddenly found myself unable to travel and unable to make my funds stretch any further. It was initially a low time for me, but then I discovered enduro. I\u2019d never ridden much serious off road before \u2013 just dirt and gravel tracks \u2013 and suddenly I was immersed in the glorious jungle single track of Northern Thailand. I made friends, learnt new skills and started a new business \u2013 HiVolt Moto Tours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So are you still riding around the world or have you found a home in Thailand?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Both. I\u2019ve got a home base and a business near Chiang Mai, where I run enduro and road tours mostly during the months of November to February. But during the other months of the year? That\u2019s for me to travel the world. I still have my KTM 690 Enduro and I\u2019m waiting for Myanmar to reopen so I can head through India, Pakistan and Iran.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Have you had any difficulties on the way?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n For sure. I\u2019ve had mechanical problems, money problems, and the odd crazy-machete-wielding man problem. What I\u2019ve learnt is that there\u2019s always a solution. Sometimes you have to find new skills and courage within yourself, other times you are set to be humbled and amazed by the generosity of ordinary people. And still other times \u2013 you just have to find another machete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s your advice to anyone wanting to travel around the world like this?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n There are a thousand ways to make your journey \u2013 everyone travels differently. Don\u2019t worry about what everyone else is doing, just start. Starting is the hardest part. You\u2019ll figure out the rest.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Many of us have dreamed of taking our motorcycle (or car, or plane) and simply leaving to explore the world. At the age of 28, Grace McDonald did just that. In February 2017 she resigned from her career as a corporate lawyer and set off from Sydney, Australia, with a motorcycle, a dream and very […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p95FsX-1B3","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":5848,"url":"https:\/\/flymall.org\/blog\/2022\/07\/flymall-wheels-wings-july-2022-newsletter\/","url_meta":{"origin":6141,"position":0},"title":"Flymall Wheels & Wings July 2022 Newsletter","date":"July 29, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Welcome to the Kraemer Aviation\/Flymall.org Wheels & Wings Newsletter. This month its all about the drive or the journey - getting there (the people, the machine, the journey)! Including scenic routes, awesome boating trips, flying to Oshkosh, rowing around the world, and more. You can view past newsletters here. This\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Newsletters"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/flymall.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/diane-to-OSH.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":604,"url":"https:\/\/flymall.org\/blog\/2012\/03\/rare-british-motorcycle-brough\/","url_meta":{"origin":6141,"position":1},"title":"Rare British Motorcycle – Brough","date":"March 6, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Brough Motorcycles were made by William E. Brough in Nottingham, England, from 1908 to 1926. Brough motorcycles were flat-tanked motorcycles that used a variety of engines. The first Brough motorcycles had single-cylinder engines but soon William Brough became devoted to the flat-twin engine design. \u00a0Originally William Brough's son, George Brough,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Newsletters"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":597,"url":"https:\/\/flymall.org\/blog\/2012\/03\/enclosed-self-balancing-motorcycle\/","url_meta":{"origin":6141,"position":2},"title":"Enclosed Self Balancing Motorcycle","date":"March 6, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"As any avid biker will tell you, motorcycles have a lot of advantages over cars - they use less fuel, accelerate faster, are more maneuverable, can be parked in more places, and don't incorporate the weight of extra seating for passengers who are non-existent on solo commutes. As many other\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Newsletters"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":907,"url":"https:\/\/flymall.org\/blog\/2013\/07\/motorcycle-graveyard-discovered\/","url_meta":{"origin":6141,"position":3},"title":"Motorcycle Graveyard Discovered","date":"July 23, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"In April 2010 pictures popped up on someone\u2019s flickr account showing a bunch of motorcycles abandoned in a warehouse. Internet rumors and guesses as to where the building was located flooded the motorcycle blogs. At some point the location was discovered or someone told. The topic showed up on a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Newsletters"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":752,"url":"https:\/\/flymall.org\/blog\/2012\/10\/panther-motorcycle\/","url_meta":{"origin":6141,"position":4},"title":"Panther Motorcycle","date":"October 3, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Tradition taxation and a certain determined insensitivity to the dour elements of the British climate has produced some idiosyncratic British vehicles. Among automobiles the Morgan in both its 3-wheeled and 4-wheeled versions is Exhibit A. Among motorcycles Morgans counterpart might be the Panther which from 1929 to 1966 concentrated on\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Newsletters"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/flymall.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/panter-300x225.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":110,"url":"https:\/\/flymall.org\/blog\/2010\/09\/automotive-appraisals-motorcycle-appraisals\/","url_meta":{"origin":6141,"position":5},"title":"Automotive Appraisals & Motorcycle Appraisals","date":"September 30, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"In addition to conducting aircraft appraisals Flymall is proud to offer automotive appraisals on: Classic cars Antique cars Custom cars Street Rods Hot Rods Historic cars Fire trucks Motorcycles Three Wheel vehicles Microcars And more. Our rates are as follows: Regular appraisal $150.00 \u2013 usually 4 to 6 pages including\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Newsletters"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/flymall.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6141"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/flymall.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/flymall.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flymall.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flymall.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6141"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/flymall.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6141\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6142,"href":"https:\/\/flymall.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6141\/revisions\/6142"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/flymall.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6141"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flymall.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6141"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flymall.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6141"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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