The Croc-Infested Swamp Ride

Episode Transcript

Speaker (00:32):
The crock infested swamp run.
The sound of three dirt bikesroared through the hot air near
Darwin, Australia.
Jack's Bonnie and Mitch were offfor a crazy ride through a crock
infested swamp that was full ofdeep sticky, icky mud.
Jack stood up on his foot, pegsgripping tight with his knees.
He's riding gear covered in reddust from the last ride.

(00:54):
Bonnie was just behind him.
Her pink and black helmetshining in the morning.
Sun covered in her usualstickers.
Mitch riding up front yelledback over the roar of his bike.
Alright, you little legends.
Today's ride's gonna be wild.
We're heading straight through.
Crock Hollow.
Crock Hollow.
Bonnie shouted, half laughing,half nervous.

(01:15):
You better not be joking.
Jack's grin.
Bring it on.
Let's see a crop.
Keep up with us.
Had spent the early morningprepping their bikes for was to
be known as the swamp ride ofdoom.
This wasn't a trail forbeginners.
It was wet, wild, and full oftrouble before leaving base
camp.
Mitch ran through the rules,right?

(01:36):
First things first.
Air boxes taped up tight.
Alright, don't want any watergetting in.
Jack's grabbed his roll of ducttape and carefully sealed the
airbox holes.
Done.
Seals and bearings greased.
Mitch asked.
Bonnie nodded, tightening a bolton her swing arm.
Yep.
And I sprayed all my wiring withwaterproof stuff.

(01:57):
She said Mitch gave them both athumbs up.
Nice.
Remember, don't stop in thewater unless you have to.
If it looks deep, go around.
If it's too late, just pin itand hope for the best.
Let's do it.
Jack shouted as he fired up.
He's two straight ring with abrain.
Bonnie's bike gave a high pitchas she blipped the throttle

(02:20):
standing up and wiggling herelbows like a real pro.
They rode through the twistysingle track that led into thick
mangrove forests.
The air was humid, the kind thatmade your jersey stick to your
back before you even startedsweating.
Squelch.
Jack's Tire sank into some thickmud, flinging mud all through
the air.

(02:40):
Bonnie laughed.
You just chucked a mud pie intomy goggles.
You looked hungry.
Jack shouted, clicking up a gearand laughing, gunning it through
the next puddle with a loudsplash.
Mitch stood tall on the pegs ashis bike weaved through roots
and runs.
Keep your weight back throughthis stuff if you feel the front
tire sink.
Just pinned the throttle.

(03:01):
Bonnie nodded and moved her bodyback just in time to keep from
going over the bars.
She just missed a low branchcovered in vines and something
else.
Mitch, she shouted.
I swear I just saw a snake inthe tree.
Mitch pulled up beside her.
Yeah, you probably did a python.

(03:21):
Don't stop under any trees justin case one drops in for a ride.
There are pythons everywhere uphere in the Northern Territory,
and they'll eat a whole cow ifthey're hungry enough.
Jack zipped past laughing.
I'm not scared of a snake unlessit's hiding in my helmet.
They all had a laugh.
The trail led into a swampyclearing and the sound of frogs.

(03:42):
Insects, and birds filled theair.
But there was another sound too.
A deep roar.
Shh, Mitch said Pulling up hisbike out of the reeds came a
massive crocodile.
Its tails swishing slowlythrough the swamp water, not 10
meters away.
Holy moly.
Jack's whispered that thing.
Huge.
What do we do?

(04:04):
Back up quiet, Mitch said.
They tiptoed their bikes inreverse engines off.
Once they were back out of sightand couldn't see the crocodile
anymore.
Jack's whispered, whateverchases us, Mitch winked.
Then we find out who's got thefastest bike jack's gulp.
I hope it's mine.

(04:24):
The track narrowed again andturned a thick, stinky, dark
mud.
Just to get through this, you'vegotta go wide and fast.
Don't go through the middlewhere it's deep and thick.
Pin it around the edge and keepthe revs up.
Jacks went first, Rob.
He hit the rut with speed, butfrom he's back, tire sank and he
spun the throttle, but he wasbogged.

(04:47):
I'm stuck, he said, and I can'tgo anywhere, and I'm afraid that
crocodile's coming.
Bonnie and Mitch rolled to astop on a dry patch.
Hang tight.
Bonnie called, she looped hertoe strap to her bike and tossed
the other end of Jack's.
When I say go give it heaps ofthrottle and I'll pull, Bonnie
said, alright.

(05:07):
Jack's yelled back, rocking hisbike side to side to try and
loosen the suction.
Just as they were about to go,they noticed something sneaking
up behind Jack's.
It was massive, it was roaring,and its teeth were huge.
The Croc had found them.
Jack started to panic.
Go, go, go bond.
The Croc's coming, the croccharged into the mud, but it got

(05:30):
stuck as well, just as thecrocodile was at the back wheel
of Jack's bike and it was aboutto snap its jaws Jack's.
Pinned it and got out of the mudwith Bonnie pulling him from
Bonnie.
Launched forward while Jack'stwisted the throttle, the bike
shot free with a giant SPLspraying mud all over his chest
and face.

(05:51):
Ooh, that was close.
Jack shouted, looking back atthe crocodile that was stuck in
the mud and also gross.
Let's get the hell outta here.
Mitch laughed.
That's swamp life.
They continued deeper into thewild.
The trail climbed slightly, thendropped fast into a gutty full
of Rocky Creek beds.
Jack's bounced from rock to rockusing his legs like shock

(06:12):
absorbers.
Stay loose.
Let the bike dance on the rocks.
Mitch called out.
Bonnie's front wheel tapped arock, but she kept her weight up
front and yelled Woo as shebounced through the Rocky Creek
bed.
The trail climbed again right upa dune that dropped into a
hidden swamp.
Okay, another swamp.
Hopefully there's no crocodilesin this one.

(06:34):
You need speed and flow here.
Mitch said, don't stop halfway.
Bonnie clicked up a gear.
Let's go.
And charged first into the mud,bro.
Her bike Her bike roared as shecharged through this mud, bog
sand.
Flying jack's followed leaningback and letting the front tire
float.
They surged forward through thesticky mud, the sun reflecting

(06:55):
off all the water surroundingthem, and just then they noticed
a few water buffalo stuck in thebog right next to where they
were riding, looking, veryunimpressed.
Oh, don't go near them.
Mitch warned.
They're strong and they'regrumpy.
If they want, they'll juststampede and crush you.
Jackson.
Bonnie turned their heads awayfrom the water buffalo and kept

(07:17):
their bikes pinned to get awayfrom them.
They didn't want to get caughtin a stampede.
Fortunately, the buffalo werealso stuck just like the
crocodile and Jackson.
Bonnie were able to escape latersitting on some dry grass.
They took off their helmets.
All three of them were caked inmud.
Their boots squelching withevery step.
That was insane.
Jack said, I've never seen aCroc that big..

(07:39):
I've never been that stuckbefore.
Thanks for towing me out anytimeMitch said, sipping from his
hydration pack.
You both did awesome.
Riding out here teaches you alot.
You gotta be ready for anything.
Even Crocs and water.
Buffalo Jack's looked at hismoney bike.
Next time I'm bringing more tapeto make sure no water gets in.

(08:00):
Bonnie giggled.
Next time I'm riding on yourbike, if we see another crock,
it's so fast They packed up androde back through the mangroves,
dodging roots, birds, snakes,and mud holes like pros as they
reached the dry dirt road again.
Mitch turned and shouted.
Well, we made it out of the mud.
And while the next section's abit dusty, just remember any day

(08:22):
on a dirt bike is a good day.