Category: Tourism & Travel

1. Hear The Road Motorcycle Tours Italy

   Posted on 8:53am Tuesday 26th Nov 2013

   An Italian tour operator dedicated exclusively to those who want to know Italy while riding a motorcycle.

   Hear The Road offers great motorcycle road-trips to choose from depending on the time you have available, and the type of road experience you are looking for. All trips start and end in Rome.

   The guided tours run from May to September. Experienced motorcyclists will take you along the most beautiful and breathtaking scenic drives of Italy. Ride along quiet back country roads in the gentle morning breeze; discover the charm, history, and traditions of this marvelous land; ride through cool, pristine mountains as the day gets warmer; stop for a taste of local food or wine in one of the many small less-known villages; visit famous art cities such as Rome, Siena, Orvieto, Assisi, and Florence. Stop overnight in welcoming, family-run hotels; taste delicious local cuisine in the typical “trattorie”; explore the friendly Italian summer nightlife. Participants can be set up by us with our motorcycles, or – if they are coming from another European country – they can bring their own bike! Hear The Road: a wonderful way to explore Italy on a motorcycle, with gas, heart, and eyes wide open!

   www.motorcycletoursitaly.com

2. Compass Expeditions to join forces with Triumph

   Posted on 7:01am Wednesday 20th Nov 2013

   Compass Expeditions is pleased to announce that it has joined forces with Triumph Australia to run motorcycle adventures in Australia each year. The inaugural event known as the Triumph Otway Dirty RATS weekend will take place late March 2014 while the second event known as the Triumph Flinders Ranges Dirty Rats Adventure takes place early August 2014.

   “We are thrilled that Triumph reached out to us to run these fantastic events” says Compass Expeditions co-founder Mick McDonald, “ both events are open to non Triumph riders as long as they are accompanied by a Triumph riding mate” continues Mick.

   “The Triumph Tiger is a wonderful bike and this will give us a great opportunity to test this bike out”, says Mick

   The Otway’s weekend is a 2-day event focusing on the many and varied dirt tracks in and around Victoria’s Otway’s National Park and offers riders some superb temperate rainforest riding coupled with stunning Great Ocean Road views.

   The Flinders adventure is a 5-day ride that takes place in and around the beautiful Flinders and Gammon Rangers National Parks in South Australia. This ride will offer clients a chance to experience wonderful outback riding through immense landscapes or gorges and ranges.

   Triumph FLINDERS RANGES DIRTY RATS ADVENTURE

   Triumph OTWAYS DIRTY RATS WEEKEND

3. Drive safely in the coming storms‏

   Posted on 10:17am Friday 25th Oct 2013

   Road safety charity the IAM is offering tips from Britain’s top advanced driver, Peter Rodger.

   Following severe weather warnings of storms over the coming weekend, the IAM is advising on how to drive in windy weather.

   • Plan your journey – is there a route with less exposure to the weather and less risk of fallen trees? Choose a sheltered route if you have the option.
   • Strong winds are not constant, they are usually gusty so ensure you hold the steering wheel firmly.
   • Overtaking high sided vehicles or driving past buildings can result in a sudden gust from the side as you clear.
   • Give cyclists, motorcyclists, lorries and buses more room than usual. They get blown around by side winds easily. Even pedestrians can be blown about.
   • Watch trees and bushes on the roadside - their branches can show you how strong the wind is.  Look well ahead, that way you don’t need to take your eye off the road and you can see any windy patches before you get to them.
   • Go slow enough to cope with the gusts.  Wind can get under a car and reduce its handling and braking significantly.
   • Keep an eye on what is happening to other vehicles – where they are affected will give you a pre warning.
   • Go slowly enough to cope with the tree that has fallen right across the road, just round the bend where you can’t see it.
   • Be careful of debris, try and have space beside you in case you need to dodge it.

   Rodger said: "If the weather is really bad, consider whether you could postpone your journey until it settles down."

   www.iam.org.uk

4. COMPASS EXPEDITIONS LAUNCHES NEW TOUR TO MONGOLIA

   Posted on 11:15am Thursday 3rd Oct 2013

   Compass Expeditions is pleased to announce its latest offering of superb tours from around the world. The 38-day Europe to the Mongol Steppe offers a taste of riding one of the worlds most epic riding destinations of Mongolia.

   “Traditionally it has been all but impossible to ride into Mongolia without it being part of a major expedition”, says Mick McDonald co-founder of Compass Expeditions.  We have developed this tour to satisfy demand for those who cant join our 105 day Road of Bones Expedition; the Europe to the Mongol Steppe includes flights and shipping of clients bikes back to Europe or we can supply a BMW if desired, this is a unique ride offering” continues Mick.

   The ride shall depart July 2014 from the amazing BMW Days held in Garmisch – Partenkirchen, Germany where clients will be some of the 35,000 BMW enthusiasts to attend. Visiting the Ukraine the ride enters Russia and travel the mighty Trans Siberian Highway via the legendary Ural factory and Lake Baikal before dropping into biking nirvana, Mongolia, terminating in Ulaan Bataar.

   For more info on this ride visit here:

   www.compassexpeditions.com

5. Healthy growth ahead for the Isle of Man

   Posted on 6:57am Monday 9th Sep 2013

   The Isle of Man's economy is heading for a healthy real growth rate of between three and four per cent in 2013/14, according to the Government's latest quarterly economic report, continuing it's success of 28 years of economic growth.

   The report, produced for the Council of Ministers by the Treasury's Economic Affairs Division, covers the three months up to the end of June this year. It provides positive updates and outlooks for various sectors including manufacturing, e-business, shipping, aircraft registration, clean tech and tourism. Welcoming the report, Chief Minister Allan Bell MHK commented:

   "The continuing growth of the Isle of Man economy is the result of a number of factors, including our policy of diversification, the partnership approach between Government and the private sector, and our competitive, reputable business environment. It is a testament to the professionalism and quality of service that the Island offers to customers around the world.

   To read the Chief Minister's full comments, please view the recent news release.