Before we headed off on our Go Dirty Tours quad biking adventure our guide Bill leaned in to share his tip for the ride, “Don’t miss any puddles.” He clearly believed we should live up to the company name. And get dirty we did!
When we planned our holiday to Fiji I researched all the obvious activities like day trips to islands, but we wanted to do more. BJ loves being active and sitting by a pool or lying on the beach for a week wasn’t going to satisfy his active nature. We made contact with a few tour operators ahead of our departure and arranged to pop in to see which activities we could make work. Go Dirty Tours quad biking was the first on our list.
We were thrilled to find their quad bikes have a back rest. It’s something we haven’t found in our travels before and was the difference between BJ being able to participate or not. Given the activities we were interested in we had taken a luggage strap we hoped to use to secure BJ to the chair. Fish from Go Dirty was happy for us to sit BJ on the bike and trial the set up. When it was apparent it would work we booked in for a tour the next day. BJ’s excited reaction told us it was going to be quite a memorable day and it certainly was.
Our tour started with a safety briefing and a drive through Nadi before heading off road. AJ has her learner’s permit so she was allowed to drive her own quad bike but wasn’t able to take a passenger. I chose to ride behind Bill our guide and Hubby and BJ rode together.
I’d be lying if I didn’t say my heart was racing seeing AJ negotiating the traffic and wondering if the belt would be sufficient to keep BJ safe. But Bill was amazing and kept an eye on everything and made sure the gaps in the traffic were large enough for us all to get through.
It was wonderful to get off road and head up the mountain. The road was bumpy, muddy and the pot holes were filled with muddy water but the smile didn’t leave BJ’s face the whole trip.
I imagine it was hard work on his muscles because I was certainly a bit stiff and sore afterwards. Hubby tells me it was because I was tense but I thoroughly enjoyed the ride and felt quite relaxed. I didn’t want Bill to think I was hitting on him so I did hold on with all my might so I didn’t get too up close and personal during the ride.
I didn’t find it easy hanging on to the bike and juggling my camera, phone and a bag to put them in when I saw a puddle up ahead but that’s my own fault. I couldn’t help but capture the action.
I marvelled seeing BJ sitting so well on the quad bike. Yes he had a belt keeping him on but his ability to sit is something I’ll never take for granted. He worked so hard for that skill and we did so much therapy to get there.
AJ is fantastic on a quad bike. She found her hands got a bit stiff at times from holding the accelerator down for so long but when Bill saw her looking sore he’d remind her to shake it out and at one stage gave her a hand massage. Nothing was too much trouble.
At the top of the mountain we stopped for a break. Bill pointed out the islands in the distance and produced sandwiches, fruit and water for us all. It was good to get off the bikes and have a stretch and appreciate the views.
It was good to get off the bikes, have a stretch and appreciate the views, before doing it all again on the way back down the mountain.
Although typical photos of Fiji show palm trees on islands surrounded by clear blue waters, we think it’s good to head to the mountains to enjoy the contrast of the vibrant green countryside. The ride gave us plenty of time to take it in while having fun splashing in muddy puddles.
When we arrived back at Go Dirty headquarters Fish and his staff had freshly cut pineapple, water and a survey ready for us to share our experience. It was a lovely end to the trip.
What you need to know
Fish and his staff are keen to make this accessible to anyone who can manage to ride safely on the quad bikes.
We packed our own luggage strap which held BJ on the bike and Fish put another around for extra safety. I suggest taking your own.
A bathroom is available at the Go Dirty Tours headquarters but it isn’t accessible.
Pack your sunscreen. It was raining when we left for the tour and the weather cleared by the time we got to the top of the mountain. The weather in Fiji is unpredictable.
Use mosquito repellent.
Pack old shoes (I saw a girl heading out with her beautiful white Converse shoes which wasn’t going to end well). We all travel with an old pair of shoes for just such an occasion.
Go Dirty don’t charge for a person with a disability.
We had a hire car so made our own way to Go Dirty Tours. Mini bus transfers are provided but the van is not wheelchair accessible.
You can read all about Go Dirty Tours on their website.
A big thanks to Fish for his willingness to make our tour work for us, Bill for looking after us and the rest of the team for welcoming us to Go Dirty Tours. We had a blast!
So fantastic to have you on tour. We hope to see you all back for another go dIrty adventure soon!
We had such a fantastic time. Thanks Go dirty tours.