Down to Down Under

MCN MotoGP reporter Matt Birt spends his days, nights and weekends getting to know the GP world better than anyone. Now he’s sharing the experiences of being a top GP reporter with a new blog.

THIRTEEEN down and four to go, and its on to the next one down in Phillip Island this weekend.

Well, its not quite straight on to the next one for me. There is never any need to be at the circuit until Thursday, which gives me a couple of days to recharge the batteries. For that reason Im not heading straight to Melbourne.

Ive got a short connection from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore and then fly down to Sydney at 8.30pm local time tonight. If my hazy memory serves me right its about a seven-hour flight so not too bad at all, and its certainly better than doing a slog down to Oz from England. I arrive in Sydney at 5.55am Tuesday morning and am really looking forward to getting down there to be honest for a couple of days.

Sydney is without doubt my favourite city in the world. Its just got this great vibe, the people are great and Ive been there every year since 1996 when I first encountered its magic while covering the race at Eastern Creek in what was my rookie year for MCN. Blimey, takes me back to when I was a young whipper snapper of a hack aged just 23.

Ive nothing but great memories of Sydney shared with special people down the years and I cant wait to get back. Ill be there with a good friend of mine from the paddock. Hes a Swedish photographer who works for Gold and Goose, the London-based agency that supply MCN pictures from MotoGP and World Superbikes.

Working for MCN has given me an unbelievable chance to explore the world but of all the fantastic places Ive been lucky enough to see, Sydney is one of the few places that I go to where I still get blown away.

I guess it stems from when I was a kid I always looked at pictures of the Sydney Opera House and never dreamt that one day Id get to go. I know my way around Sydney better than I do Peterborough really where our office is.

Nowadays I get down there and just chill out and relax, where on previous trips Ive done the tourist thing to death.

A few years ago did the walk over the Harbour Bridge, which was quite an achievement for me. Needed some coaxing at first because Ive got a shocking head for heights and get a bit worked up just climbing a step ladder.

Not too sure what to expect from the weather though as an Aussie friend in the paddock said it had been snowing in Sydney only a few days ago! Which brings me onto Phillip Island. It has a reputation for temperamental weather at the best of times, but everybody was saying in Sepang that temperatures wont get above 15-degrees. Now thats going to be a shock to the system having just spent six days in the Sepang sauna.

Its the back end of the winter down there and I think its safe to say the shorts and t-shirts can be packed at the bottom of the bag. I thought I might have overdone it packing winter jackets and fleeces. You name it I packed it. Looks like for once I made a wise move.

Later. M

To see more from Matt’s personal blog, and to ask him a question, click here (external site)