It is a few days now since the brilliant Australian MXGP round and I have to say something about what was a huge surprise and I mean that in a positive way. Now, we all know that Australia is one of the major tourist’s destinations in the world and while Darwin might not be on everyone’s wish list, the MXGP paddock had a brilliant time in the far north of Australia.

Now, I am an Aussie and being that I come from the beautiful area of Manly in Sydney, which is a beach suburb (where I am writing this from), I was very sceptical of heading to Darwin, as it doesn’t have the best name when it comes to holiday destinations.

I am not going to tell people that Darwin is better than Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane or many other parts of Australia, because it isn't but what I will tell you, it’s a lot better than people think. A nice small city on the water, plenty of great places to eat and drink, and a very lay-back vibe.

When we arrived on the Thursday (many arrived earlier), the weather was very nice, not the 37 degrees and ridiculous humidity I had expected. More like 28 and very nice. Sure, it was warm, as Australia always should be, but it was more than bearable.

What I did notice on my Thursday night out with David Bulmer from HRC and Bavo Swijgers from Fullspectrum photography, was that there were a lot of motocross people around. Of course, on social media, a lot of people expected a small crowd and bad track, but we should have learnt by now, people on social media don't have a life, so of course they will be negative.

Darwin loves their motorsport, but the place was packed with MX t-shirts, and it was obvious, a lot of people had flown to Darwin for this race. It was everything a GP should be and more.

When arriving at the circuit, I was blown away at how good the track was. You cannot really give it the full credit from watching on television, you really had to be there to appreciate it and no doubt, all the riders loved not only the design, but also how it was prepared. I think Infront learnt a lot from this experience, and I feel we might see some changes in 2026, as to how tracks are prepared. It got a little dusty on the Saturday morning and I was a little worried, but there wasn’t a moment dust was a problem.

The biggest thing for me, was the organization. Everything was very, very professional, from the paddock area, the special rooms made for the riders, with ice baths, massage tables, exercise equipment, and so much more. For the media, the best facilities you could ask, plenty of water, food and even a coffee shop, where you could get your cappuccino, lata or whatever else you might have wanted.

Everything in Darwin was 10 minutes away, be it the airport, the city centre, our hotel, the track, just a breeze to enjoy the complete experience. The organizers made sure the riders were taken care of, with crocodile tours and many other amazing tourists spots.

And what about the racing, huge drama, three championships decided, and the end of the Herlings/KTM era and Gajser/HRC era. Not to mention maybe the end of the Glen Coldenhoff MXGP era. It was nice to see Romain Febvre pick up another title, good to see Lucas Coenen being such a good loser.

Boy, I am excited to see the Coenen brothers continue to improve, and I sure hope they stay in Europe, because they are special, and I would hate to see them suffer the same fate as Jorge Prado, or some of the other GP riders from the past who headed across the Atlantic, just to realize it isn’t what they had hoped.

The ending to the MX2 moto was, while amazing to watch (I have never in my 50 years in the sport, seen anything like it), but it was disappointing. Obviously, it was chaos and you cannot blame anyone for that. Not the riders, the FIM, Infront. Nobody could have prepared for what happened. It did make for an exciting and drama filled 30 minutes. Just feel for the riders involved, because it would have been like living a nightmare.

Flyaway events are fun, because we get to hang our, be it with the riders, or your fellow media and I enjoyed it a lot. Be it dinner with some of my media friends, or just chilling in the sun, life is all about enjoying the experience and many got to do that. Thanks to everyone I chatting with in the media and shared some nice moments with.

I didn’t see a lot of old faces from when I worked in the sport in Australia, in the 1980s but was very fortunate to run into Hans Appelgren at the airport on my way to Sydney. Hans was one of the leading Aussie racer in the 1970s during the legendary Mister Motocross series and also a major supplier of Husqvarna machines into Australia.

I had actually met Hans at a huge Husky event in Sweden more than 20 years ago, but always a pleasure to catch up with him. A true gentleman and he mentioned he will be getting the Order of Australia next year, which is an honour that recognizes outstanding service and exceptional achievement by Australian citizens. Very well deserved and thanks again Hans for chatting. An avid MXlarge reader, but more importantly, a true Australian, with great values and good company.

With amazing sunsets, great spots to eat, and a very diverse city, I would tell anyone to make the trip in 2026. I flew to Bali and from Bali, the flight to Darwin was just 60euro. So, go enjoy Bali, or somewhere else in Asia and then make the step over to Australia. You will not regret it.

Infront and Ray Archer images