CRAIG JACKSON ( 1971 - 2021 )
Ratty ’ s arse caved in , literally .
Ten kilos of rear subframe , jerry can and assorted gear had sagged onto the rear wheel of the BMW R1100GS , leaving Craig staring at his Ratboxer .
I looked at Craig . Craig looked at me . We both stared at Ratty .
“ I thought about stuffing it onto the back of the next truck ,” he said later .
“ I considered a few other options . I think the word ‘ arson ’ may have been relevant .”
When David found us , we were well into the MacGyvering stage . Bits of string , hose clamps and tyre lever splints kept Craig and his Ratboxer with us for the remainder of the trip , north to Birdsville and looping down to Tibooburra .
We scratched our heads and laughed . We laughed a lot , we drank beer . We rode bikes . Precious memories , good times .
It was Craig ’ s first serious offroad jaunt and he fell off a few times . We added more bits of string and even a rubber band to nurse the Ratboxer along . Craig cracked a couple of ribs , but he barely mentioned it and kept riding anyway . We laughed . I don ’ t think I ’ ve ever known a person so completely unflustered by the trials of life than our friend Craig . It wasn ’ t a show , it wasn ’ t a put-on ; he genuinely didn ’ t seem daunted by adversity .
We did a few more crazy rides and Craig ’ s skills improved . He picked up his dream job with Compass Expeditions . And , like the Birdsville ride , he soaked up everything that threw at him from marketing , to leading rides , to ferrying parts . It was perfect for him , with his unusual blend of people and technical skills . Jerry Cook from Compass described how Craig had become much more than a valued employee . He was a friend .
When Craig bought a BMW F800GS , the Ratboxer became a project bike and , the last time I saw it , bits were sticking out everywhere . It was a slightly quirky , long term project , just like Craig .
Then on 14 June near Wagga Wagga , it came to a horrible end when Craig was hit by an out of control car .
We went to his funeral and saw just how many people thought so much about Craig .
We wept . We laughed and shared stories about some of his capers . We thought about his long time partner , Lizzy and what this would mean to her .
I haven ’ t been back on the bike since then and , seriously , I know it will be difficult .
I ’ ll think about the joy of riding , the beautiful country and friendships .
I ’ ll think about what it means to share times with great people .
I ’ ll think about our friend , Craig .
ROD TAYLOR
Craig was a friend of Traverse , and although we only met a couple of times and for the briefest of moments , conversations via email and phone demonstrated just what a wondeful human Craig was .
His passing was a great shock to all involved in the motorcycle travel industry , our thoughts are with Craig ' s family and his friends , even if only touched by Craig for the briefest of moments .
NEWS MAGAZINE
143
TRAVERSE 143