Hokkaido Motorcycle Trip
27 July ~ 10 August
Please enjoy the more or less detailled report as well
as the pictures as much as I enjoyed the trip!
version!! I am still
working on it and hope
to be finished by
latest end of this
month!! So please
check back
ocassionally!!
Last update 29 August
to get a larger image!!
27 July Leaving Toon City on Shikoku early in the morning (to be safe and make it in
time) using the highway leading to Takamatsu. Getting on the Seto Bridge (first rest
time) connecting Shikoku with Honshu after Kawanoe and continuing to Okayama-ken.
Sanyo Jidoshado to Kita Kobe (second rest time), From there to Nishinomiya-kita and
on to Maizuru City. Arriving at the port around noon. I did not have any "navigation"
problems, signs everywhere. Little shopping some lunch (sushi - very expensive) and
waiting for the ferry to leave at 23:15.Maizuru is definitely not worth a sight-seeing
trip!!
Talking to some fellow bikers and getting first hand Hokkaido information from
Hokkaido veteran bikers. On the ferry I had my own bunk bed, but very little sleep.
Spending most of the time outside. Arriving at Ohtaru 21 hours later (28 July) and my
friend Dan-chan is waiting to escort me to his house. An almost one hour ride takes
me to nature pure!! He owns a great log house and I spent the night in a smaller (but
very cute) one.
29 July waking up in my little cabin after a good night of sleep! Great breakfast
prepared by Dan-chan's wife, "oishikatayo"!!!! After taking a short car ride to deliver
some farm products it was time to say good-bye, getting on my Honda TransAlp. Using
Route 337 to Ishikari and from there the very windy Routes 231, 232 and 40 to
Wakkanai, the most northern tip of Hokkaido.
I set up my tent at the "Red Baron" camp ground, after having been greeted by the
more than professional and always helpful staff. Visiting the Hokkaido Souya Fureai
Park and looking at Sakhalin, only 43 kilometers away. Enjoying the nature, the food
and most of all meeting other bikers and talking to them. In the distance the island of
Rishiri with the so-called "Rishiri-Fuji". Checking out the town of Wakkanai, but
besides many signs written in cyrillic (Russian signs) there is not really too much to
see. So I stayed on the countryside roads which gave me much more pleasure. The
camp ground at Wakkanai is highly recommendable, free laundry, dryer and shower!!
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dinner, speaking with other bikers,
enjoying the nature and sunsets and off
we go - along Route 238, Lake Saroma,
then Route 244 and 334 to the
Shiretoko Pass and Shiretoko Nature
park. Setting up my tent after quite
some searching at the Raussu Community
Camp Ground, a nice place and I was the
only one!! Shiretoko Pass rewarded me
with a great view of the surrounding
area. And at the camp ground I was
lucky to get some pictures of deers!
(31 July ~ 2 August)
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on the agenda. And yes, I took a dip at Aidomari.
The water - darned hot, but feeling GREAT!!
Another visit to Shiretoko Pass, because I wanted
to see the 5-Lakes, but it would have been too much
of a walk for the short time I had. By the way, camp
areas and rider houses - the rider house at
Shiretoko looked half-way decent, the camp areas
right after the pass were just too over-crowded.
The camp ground I used (right next to Route 335)
was nice, even though it didn't have any showers!
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Leaving Raussu using Routes 335, 244, 243 and 44 -
going to Nemuro and Cape Nosappu, the place where on
a fine day you can see the so-called "4 disputed islands"
now under the control of the Russian Federation. I
wasn't that lucky, lots of clouds. So I continued to
Lake Akan, using again Route 44 taking me back to
Route 243 and 242. Lake Akan is famous for Marimo
and also the Ainu population. In my opinion it is a big
tourist center, with the appropriate marketing
concept. I still enjoyed talking to the people out
there, the view and had to stay in a rider house due to
an approaching taifun (the camp ground was closed).
The rider house - well, another learning
experience......not recommendable! The next day, after
a very early wake-up I departed the Lake Akan area
following Route 240 all the way to Kushiro. Luckily I
was able to get a room at the Red Baron place, the
taifun showed its first results. Meeting old bike
friends, making new ones and experiencing the "delis"
of Kushiro were some of the main events, besides
taking care of my dirty laundry and getting the bike
checked.
(Kushiro 3 ~ 5 August)
Hokkaido Motorcycle Touring
page
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not be published or used without my
permission!
