When does the ride leave Marree?

The ride leaves Marree SA on Monday the 15th of May 2023 and will be 6 days duration, returning to Marree on Saturday the 20th May 2023.

You will need to be in Marree one full day before the start of the event (Arrive no later – Midday 14th May 2023)

How much does it costs to register?

Registration Fees are $2520 per rider plus GST. (so, $2800 total)

Ride inclusions are:

  • 6 days fully supported ride across the Simpson desert. Each rider will be provided a small Frontline Safari branded 25ltr bag and tent with earth mat which will be the bag you will pack your personal belongings into (so pack light!) this bag will be transported by the support trucks – NO SWAGS OR LARGE PERSONAL BAGS WILL BE CARRIED.
  • Full Mechanical & recovery support, limited spare parts.
  • Medical Support
  • Fuel
  • Fully catered with exceptional meals, beverages and limited alcohol during set periods (Simpson Desert camps only)
  • Fully supported event with operational support by Australia’s leading adventure tour company supporting the 2023 Frontline Safari (Frontline Tours supporting Aussie veterans).

Important: see the FAQ note below about the Expression of Interest process.

What will riders need to supply?

Above all else, you’ll need to bring a good ‘can-do’ attitude and a willingness to roll with the punches. Adventure riding is exactly that “adventure”. This is a charity event operating under some pretty adverse & challenging conditions for all. You should ask for help if you need it and be prepared to give help when asked. You should be open and willing to take direction from event organisers, You should also proactively prepare yourself and your equipment well before the event. Be prepared for harsh desert sand riding.

The only accommodation paid for and provided by the event organisers will be in the form of paid camp grounds at each site. All other accommodation provided will be in the form of free camp grounds (as a group) during the Simpson Desert crossing. If you wish to book accommodation in Maree, Oodnadatta, Mount Dare or Birdsville please do so well in advance as rooms in these towns book out quickly. Timings for hotel bookings are as follows;

Maree – Arrive (at the latest) late afternoon on the 14th May 2023 – Leave Marree Monday the 15th May 2023 for Oodnadatta.

Oodnadatta – Arrive late afternoon on the 15th May 2023

Mount Dare – Arrive late afternoon/evening on the 16th May 2023

17th / 18th May 2023 crossing the desert (camping in the desert)

Birdsville – Arrive late afternoon on the 19th May 2023

Marree – Arrive late afternoon on the 20th May 2023 (Finish)

Fuel – Riders will need to pay for and ensure their bikes are refueled during the event except when crossing the Simpson Desert. We will provide fuel at no cost when crossing the Simpson Desert.

Food – Riders will need to pay for/supply their own dinner from the 15th, 16th of May between Maree, Oodnadatta and Mount Dare. Breakfast and lunch will be provided By the organisers on all event days in the form of fresh fruit and cereal and pub lunches and fresh meals for lunch. All meals (3 square meals a day) will be provided between the 17th up until lunch on the 19th May 2023 with three square meals a day concluding on the arrival back into Birdsville on the 19th May 2023.

Between Birdsville, Maree, Oodnadatta and Mount Dare we will have plenty of stops where riders can rest and relax and purchase a nice lunch/Dinner meal during the event.

The Frontline Safari organisers will gift you 1x 20ltr branded bag packed with goodies prior to the start of the event (night before), This bag will come with your one man tent and earth mat. You will need to pack all of your personal belongings you wish to bring on the trip within this 25ltr bag. No personal bags or swags will be carried by the support vehicles on this trip. You will need to bring and supply your own small sleeping bag and pillow which will need to fit within your 25ltr bag so think small and think light. Again. We will carry your Frontline Safari bags in our support trucks so you will not need to carry anything on your bikes.

Aside from that….

  • Your bike and spares (see the FAQ section “You & Your Bike”)
  • Camping Gear: whatever you can fit into your provided 25ltr bag remembering this bag will be the only bag we will carry within the trucks so pack light and pack smart. We will carry your bag in the trucks for the entirety of the trip.
  • On & off-bike clothing (Small amount – Do not bring your Bali surf trip suit case, only enough clothes to fit into your provided bag).
  • Accommodation before and after the event in Marree
  • Transport to and from Marree.
    • NOTE: It is the event attendees responsibility to organise accommodation, fuel, food, water prior to and after the event. On the morning of (event start) all attendees MUST arrive with a minimum of 5 litres of water on their person and fully fueled bikes-Fuel will be provided only whilst crossing the Simpson Desert (After Mount Dare).
  • A fully serviceable Enduro/Light Adventure bike, serviced motor, new air filter, new chain and sprockets with relatively new tyres, One spare tube for each tyre (spare tubes will be made available during the event).
  • An enduro bike/light adventure bike with a minimum range capacity of 300km’s (long range tanks and bladders a MUST)
  • A water carrying capacity (minimum) of 5 litres to be carried on your person each day and checked each morning by event staff. If you cannot carry 5 litres of water you will not be allowed to ride.

You and Your Bike

This will be a tough ride for tough people. Do not underestimate the challenge of crossing 1100 Outback dunes in unpredictable weather. So….

You: must be medically fit to ride. We will have limited medical support from some of Australia’s supremely experienced field medics, but we’ll be a long way from any major hospital/medical facility. If you have an underlying medical condition that may limit your ability to participate in the ride, we suggest you give it a miss. That aside, you need to be in training, now.
(Note: It is a legal requirement that all prospective riders identify all possible medical conditions to the ride paramedic and event manager prior to signing up for the 2023 event. The ride first aider and event manager will determine whether you’re medically fit to attend the ride event prior to accepting your payment. The Ride/event organisers take no responsibility for attendees that hide underlying/known medical conditions and choose to attend the ride. If you have any type of heart condition, serious respiratory condition or epilepsy you will not be permitted to attend this event-This includes support personnel/attending family members)

COVID-19 border restrictions and the event! We are required to follow all state government (QLD/SA/NT) health advice and local public health orders.

Your Bike: All Enduro, register-able off-road and LIGHT adventure bike types are welcome. NO 2 strokes, NO Rec Registered bikes. Bikes and riders will need to have the ability to cover up to and over 300km’s per day without refuel. NO Exceptions will be made to this rule. The event organisers will run a thorough bike and rider scrutineering a day prior to event start, riders which attend without the correct bike/rider set up will be turned away (denied attendance) without refund. Sadly, recreational registered bikes cannot attend this ride. All riders MUST have a fully serviceable, state registered and insured ADR compliant motorcycle. All bikes must be road worthy during the event and all helmets that are worn during the ride must be undamaged and ADR compliant. Riders must be licensed to ride their specific motorcycle type and must carry their state specific license on their person at all times during the ride. All bikes must be serviced prior to the ride and carry a small tool bag and spares kit during the ride. Service type, tools and spares to bring come down to the rider and their specific preference. We will not provide specific information regarding what types of parts and bike specific spares to bring. Bikes will have tyres, chains and sprockets checked for serviceability during scrutineering, unserviceability’s will be turned away (No exceptions).

All riders will need to organise and pay for an SA Simpson Deserts Parks Pass prior to attendance. The SA Simpson Desert parks pass can be purchased online here. The current cost for a Simpson Desert parks pass (12 month) is $174
(Online bookings require four/six weeks notice before pass arrives in mail) Parks Passes can also be purchased at the Birdsville roadhouse prior to the ride event. Riders are strongly encouraged to pre-organise parks passes prior to attending. The road house does not always have Parks Passes available for differing reasons. Event riders are strongly encouraged to carry the SA Simpson Desert parks pass on their person at all times during the event-Large fines apply if caught without one- The event organisers will not police nor will we take responsibility for attendees caught without the SA Simpson Deserts Parks Pass YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.


What do You need to bring?

Your personal belongings will be placed in one of the provided 25Ltr carry bags (you get to keep), this bag will be carried for you in one of the support trucks, you do not need to carry your personal belongings (unless you really want to). You will be given a small one man tent and earth mat which you will keep after the event (A gift from us). Riders can bring and carry their own pannier bags and equipment and test their ability to ride the desert fully loaded. The support vehicles will be there to take panniers and bags from riders if needed (at the end of the ride day) if you find you cannot ride with the panniers and extra weight.

Note: for the 2023 Frontline Safari, riders caught by the sweep vehicles will have their day of riding ended and their bike and equipment collected and moved into the support sweep vehicles until we arrive at the next camp. Riders MUST maintain an adequate safe speed and keep up with the greater ride group. If an attending rider slows the Sweep vehicles down to the point the sweep vehicles catch the rider then the rider in question will be asked to stop and have their bike and gear loaded into the sweep vehicles for the rest of the day. Slow riders increase the risk to the greater riding group by slowing the sweep vehicles down and ultimately their emergency response times. All attending riders will be given plenty of opportunities to stop, take pictures and rest. Riders MUST ride to the sign posted speed limits and to the provisions of their state specific riders license.

Attending Riders will be provided a goodies bag a day prior to the event start, this goodies bag will be the only bag taken on the ride within the support vehicles. Whatever you can fit within the provided bag is all that you will be permitted to bring on the ride.

Small 1 man tents will be provided (for free) for you to pack within your goodies bag. Attendees may bring their own 1/2 man tent as long as the tent can fit within the provided riders 20ltr goodies bag. No exceptions will be made to this rule. Non compliance means “NO GO”. Space within the support vehicles is limited so pack smart and pack light.

If riders wish to ride slick (unloaded) they can. However, we will not carry saddle bags from the get go. If attending riders start the event with saddle bags on they MUST carry them until the next camp site (At minimum). If a rider finds themselves overwhelmed by the weight (saddle bags) we can carry the saddle bags within the support vehicles on completion of the days riding.

You must keep a minimum of 5 litres of water on your person during the ride. This will be topped up every day during the event. Water will be available during the day from the support vehicles. You will have no shortage of water. Every rider will be checked each day to ensure they start the day fully loaded with the required 5 litres of water (minimum) No exceptions. Non Compliance means no ride. How event attendees (riders) choose to carry said water is up to the individual rider. A combination of water bladders and bottles can work.

What about Accommodation prior to and after the event? in Marree?

Accommodation Before and after the ride in Marree is not included. It being desert tour season, you should expect Marree and the region to be busy. Don’t delay booking accommodation! Free Campsites are everywhere.

During the event the only accommodation provided will be assigned paid for and free camp sites with the greater riding group. If you wish to book hotel rooms in Maree, Oodnadatta, Mount Dare and Birdsville you must do so at your own cost, we will be in Maree on the 14th of May, Oodnadatta on the 15th of May, Mount Dare on the 16th of May and Birdsville on the evening of the 19th May 2023 (late afternoon all days).

Please plan well ahead of the event. If you are planning on booking hotel rooms/caravan sites you should be planning to book them well in advance. Most accommodation is booked out 12 months prior to the Birdsville races. During our previous events riders carpooled and shared the cost of large caravan/camp sites and camped in groups.
NOTE: On completion of the event we will arrive back in Marree on Saturday (20th May 2023) We will all meet directly out the front of the Marree Pub (That could change due to traffic and operational issues). Our support service and catering stops the minute we arrive back in Marree on Saturday the 20th May 2023 so plan ahead with regards to your food and accommodation from Saturday afternoon (20th May) onwards.

Is fundraising compulsory?

No. It’s not; but we strongly encourage you to reach out to family and friends to seek sponsorships. What you’re considering doing is pretty extraordinary and you should be rewarded for it by family and friends. All funds raised through your GiveEasy Campaign will go directly to Soldier On. check out fundraising options here. The rider with the highest amount raised will win a massive MXStore gift prize.

The Expressions of Interest process

This is important. Please read and understand

Submitting an expression of interest doesn’t guarantee you a spot on the ride. We have already had a lot of interest and rider spots are limited to strictly 40 spots.

The process will be as follows:

  1. Expressions of Interest opened on 15th June 2022 and will remain open until midnight on 10th May 2023.
  2. Due to increased sponsorship in 2022 we no longer need to enforce strict (early) expression of interest and ticket purchase dates. Expressions of interest (EOI’s) will remain open to all riders until 10th May 2023. EOI and ticket purchases will close at midnight on the 10th May 2023. Riders that have sent in their EOI’s will need to pay a $2800 within 7 days of EOI. Entry fee will be non-refundable after the 03rd April 2023.
  3. If payment is not received within 24 hours of ticket/EOI closure your position will be forfeited.

Payment is to be remitted to:

ACCOUNT DETAILS:

Bank : National Australia Bank (NAB),

Account Name: Frontline Safaris

Account BSB: 082-356

Account No. 87-659-6179

Payees to reference “Full Name” when making payments.

For issues with payment, or special circumstances please contact Clay at [email protected] (0435 919 214) to discuss.

Yes, you can pay off the entry fee just notify “Clay” via email ([email protected]) that you will be making multiple payments of ……… time period.

NOTE: Frontline Safari is not a registered Non for profit. You cannot claim the entry fee as a tax deduction. All fundraising however (through Soldier On or the GiveEasy profile) is 100% tax deductible. (You will be provided tax receipts for these donations)

Due to issues with tax refunds after the 2019 event, specifically around us providing receipts to businesses not individuals all 2023 event entry fee receipts will be made out to the paying individuals only, NOT businesses. (NO EXCEPTIONS)

This event is non refundable after the 03rd April 2023.

Tell me about the refunds policy

We’ve had heaps of questions about the refunds policy. Fair enough….Good question.

Due to the early booking and order requirements for fuel, medical teams and equipment and catering no refunds can be made within 6 weeks of the event starting. That means from the 03rd April 2023 no refunds of the total entry price ($2800) will be given.

That being the case, before you accept a ride spot, make sure you’ve got leave from work sorted, your spouse & kids are squared away, you’ve got the funds to pay your registration and your bike is (or will be ) sorted and ready to go by the 14th of May 2023.
Full and final entry Fee ($2800) becomes non refundable from 03rd April 2023. No exceptions can be made.

WARNING: Prior to signing on and accepting our challenge and taking into account the current COVID19 pandemic, you understand you may lose a large portion, possibly all of your registration fee if due to unforeseen border closures/stay at home orders outside of our control that the organisers of this event may have to cancel/postpone the event. You understand that you may lose a portion, possibly all of your registration fee if you are unable to attend due to localised/state imposed border closures outside of our control precluding you from attending our event.

Taking into account regional severe weather conditions and flooding outside of the event organisers control that you (the participant) understand you may lose a portion, possibly all of your entry/registration fee if we (the organisers) due to localised/state wide severe weather conditions may need to cancel/postpone the event.

You are reminded and warned that motorcycle riding is a dangerous hobby and sport. By agreeing to these terms and conditions and the terms and conditions outlined within the entry reply email, you (the entrant) agree that all associated risk, ambulance and rescue costs and cover remain under your control (the entrant) and solely your responsibility prior to, during and after the event! You will be riding on gazetted, sign posted and speed limited roads during the event which are all managed and covered under local state road laws.

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.