A little over a month ago, approximately 80 riders and 30 crew and support staff from Husqvarna descended on the small coastal town of Huskisson, on the NSW South Coast, for the fifth annual “Husky Trek”.
A five day enduro event like no other, it’s only open to riders of the Husqvarna’s Norden 901 and 701 Enduro. First held in the Victorian high country in 2019, where it attracted just 38 riders, the Husky Trek has kind of exploded from there.
With numbers growing rapidly past 60, 80 and then 100 in subsequent years (taking in northern NSW, Queensland and Tasmania along the way), the 2024 event was capped at 90 participants (with a handful less than that making it to the start line).
Somewhere in there, the event went global, with New Zealand adding its own ride, alongside news Spain will host its first in November of this year. As for our Australia’s 2024 edition, it sold out within a few hours of the opening of registrations.
The latest incarnation would see a mix of seasoned veterans, and some first timers, with the latter set for a baptism by fire thanks to gale force winds that brought down hundreds of trees in the days preceding the event.
Chain saws in the hands of the support crews made quick work of ensuring the trails were open when rider check in and scrutineering began on day one. From there, a briefing explained the plans for what was to come, for this writer, and the other 79 taking part.
Day 1: With the day’s route downloaded onto either a GPS or a mobile phone, we left in 15-minute intervals, heading for the first lot of trails. Our group consisted of six mates riding together (sort of), but the sheer amount of dust made it difficult to stay that way.
Several ‘Breakout’ routes were also available along the way, offering various levels of difficult terrain, designed to challenge your skills. They were generally well worth the effort to explore.
That initial journey took us from Huskisson and into the Conjola National Park, and onwards to the small coastal town of Milton for lunch. Then it was back on the bike and into the forest for a variety of trails and scenery.
From there, we snaked our way back down to the coast via The King’s Highway and into Batemans Bay. A total of 283km was a good test of what was to come. It proved to be the easiest day of the entire event, and a great initiation.
After a quick shower and freshen up, it was off to the pub for dinner, tales of adventure and a briefing for the next day.
Day 2: Kicking off from Batemans Bay, we headed into the Monga National Park to trek our way to Moruya for lunch. Dust levels were again high, and visibility was limited in parts. Faster, more talented riders on 901’s left yours truly behind a few times.
Post-feed, we headed for the hills – literally, and into the Moruya State Forest. Some of the descents and hill climbs were simply awesome, and seemed to go on and on. Just when you thought you’d reach the peak, you’d round a corner and head up again.
Attaining a maximum elevation of 871m and a minimum elevation of -108m for the day, it was certainly a load of fun. The next part of the journey took us back to the coastline, to Bermagui.
A fabulous feast of smoked brisket, pulled pork, mac and cheese and slaw was had at the local surf club. All washed down with a few cold beers to finish another sensational day, putting a further 250km under our belt.
Day 3: Biaminga National Park was our destination for some incredible lookouts and challenging trails, in a day that featured a mix of dirt and tarmac. As we descended into Merimbula, this rider decided to tackle what was meant to be an easy ‘breakout’.
With steep climbs, even steeper descents, and a splash of large log hopping thrown in for good measure, it was anything but a walk in the park. That was followed by a loop back to Bermagui via Tathra (another 302km down, with a high point of 890m elevation).
Day 4: Sticking relatively close to the coastline didn’t mean any less excitement, as we headed back into the Biamanga National Park and across into the Kooraban National Park, and down into Narooma, before returning via the Bodalla State Forest.
It’s here yours truly was caught out. After smugly passing many other trekkers in the past few days fixing punctures, it was this writer’s turn. Luckily, a fellow teammate was carrying a spare tube and there was plenty of assistance to get back up and running.
It was a good thing too, with extremely high winds threatening to bring a large tree crashing down on us. Next time I’ll remember to bring my own spare tubes. Dinner and beers were back in Batemans Bay, with a total of 240km for the day.
Day 5: The final day saw us head back up towards the King’s Highway. We came tearing out of a trail to reconnect with the roadway, only to discover an unmarked HWP hiding at the top of the hill. Lucky for us his radar gun was pointed in the other direction.
From there, it was down to Bodalla and back into the Moruya State Forest, with some challenging river and creek crossings, ahead of our arrival back into Huskisson for an awards night. Fortunately, this rider avoided taking out the hotly contested Muppet gong.
All-in-all the Husqvarna Trek is a fun filled event and we reckon you’d be hard pressed to find a better way to enjoy yourself on an adventure bike. The only caveat is that you need to have either a 701 Enduro (which this writer owns, and rode) or a Norden 901.
Next year’s version is set for the Flinders Ranges in South Australia. If we were you, we’d re-mortgage the house or sell the kids to do it. Whatever it takes, make it happen. We’d also add, that the 2024 Husky Trek was delivered with flawless professionalism.
From registration, to payments, trek updates, accommodation, meals, navigation, luggage transportation, photographers, videographers, and support, everything ran like clockwork, and for a five day event, that’s hard to fault.
Images courtesy of WilkoPhoto.
