The Build Up Bastard 2024
It will be hot, and some of the riding will be hard. In short, it’s a bit of a Bastard.
Just $100 for this iconic NT annual ride. Meeting at a secret location on the 8th of December.
Heaps of fun and lots of cool people. You will probably ride some trails you haven’t before, and you’ll see some pretty cool country. We will have guide support and a 4×4 should you need assistance. We will have a BBQ lunch and plenty of stops to cool off in the fresh spring water of the Adelaide River.
A small number of rental bikes are available.
It’s unlikely that we’ll have a crocodile attack this year.
Route to suit anyone
1 Day and 3 Day tours
1 Day Tour
There are hundreds of kilometers of trails and days worth of riding right in our back yard.
The Base Camp is within the Gunn Point riding area so we can hit the trails immediately. If we’re riding further afield it’s just a short drive with our bikes on the trailer to where we’ll set up camp for the day.
Our guides carry snacks for the ride, so we only need to drop off the trail for a light lunch, either at a local pub, bakery, or our day camp if we’re remote.
Riding can finish up between 3 pm and 4 pm depending on your endurance where it’s back to base camp for a couple of well-earned beers.
3 Day tours
Hundreds of kilometres of single-track, 4x4 trails and some incredible scenery amongst the most challenging riding the Northern Territory has to offer. The hills aren’t huge, but they’re steep, rocky, and loose. This tour is recommended for intermediate riders and above. Only those that enjoy harder and more technical terrain will truly enjoy what Darwin has to offer.
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You’ll arrive at Base Camp in Howard Springs, nice and early. The team will be loading bikes, getting you fit with gear and cooking up a breakfast.
We’ll all hop in the car for a quick 45 minute drive out to Sand Palms where we’ll start off for the day. Tour guide Tim will outline the day for us and tell us everything we need to know.
Leaving from Sand Palms, we go to the most incredible flowing trails that carve through some insane floodplains. You’ll slalom through termite mounds, epic ridgelines and yes – wild horses. Cracking hills and very technical ridge riding are available if you’re up for it, but unlike some other areas, we can avoid the hard stuff if you prefer.
Lunch will be at a river crossing half way through the day. We’ll refresh, catch our breath and continue the journey to Mt Bundy Station, an old cattle station now turned accommodation. A beautiful part of the country and the best “wild west” vibes you could ask for in Darwin.
Make sure to say hello to Sue and hear a few of the stories she can tell about the place. It truly is as “Darwin” as you can get.
We’ll have dinner and a few cold ones around the fire and settle in for the night before day 2.
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Rise from you slumber to the peacocks and wallabies hopping across camp. Mika will be cooking breakfast and prepping lunches. It’s lunch in your backpacks today as we’re about to head out into the Adelaide River Hills where Mika’s 4x4 driving skills aren’t quite up to par for a lunch delivery.
We’ll head out with guide Glenn, who's lived in Adelaide River his whole life and knows the hills better than anyone. There are hundreds of kilometres of single tracks, wicked 4x4 tracks and incredible scenery amongst the most challenging riding the Northern Territory has to offer. The hills aren’t huge, but they’re steep, rocky, and loose. This tour is recommended for intermediate riders and above. Only those that enjoy harder and more technical terrain will truly enjoy the Adelaide River Hills.
Lunch will be at Hilux Crossing. A river crossing that gets it’s name from the long abandoned overturned Hilux that has made its home in the river.
During lunch there’s an opportunity for those extra keen to do an extra loop while others can sit back, cool off in the river and have a well earned break.
Back at camp the pool will be waiting for us after a grueling day. Dinner back at the station will be some of the country's best pizzas. No seriously… the pizzas might be the highlight of the trip.
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Once again we wake at the station and head off. We’ll potter through the hills just a little bit longer until we reach the famous Reynold River 4x4 track. Mika meets us for lunch again and then it’s a couple hours of absolute madness through the Reynold River track. This tracks nice and wide, so go for your life and blast through it. Some fun water crossing and sand to keep you on your toes.
About half way through we come across Surprise Creek Falls, an awesome waterhole. Jump off the rocks or just bask in the coolness. It’s hot up in the NT!
Ride away from the creek nice and refreshed and we’ll soon reach the end of track to meet Mika and the car. She’s sure to have a few cold ones on hand.
Then it’s about an hour back to Base Camp where we’ll sit, tell stories about the tour.
We’ll take you to your hotel or send you on your way, surely to keep in touch, as you make the best friends on two wheels.
Insurance
Our Tours are MA Events, which means they’re covered by MA’s public liability insurance.
All our bikes are registered for road use, which comes with a level of personal accident insurance. So no matter where you’re from, if you have a license to ride a motorbike in Australia, you’re covered for medical and ambulance.