My rough plans were to meet John Barry at Burke Saturday night (8th) and then go to Tibooburra to meet the Victorians on Sunday night (9th). From there to Stonehenge on Saturday night (15th) by whatever route people used as most interesting. From Stonehenge to Longreach then on to Cape York with some time at Laura to look at the Aboriginal paintings. John Barret expressed interest in the lower part of the cape trip. Then back home in time for work.
Left 11.30 am picked up $350 from an auto teller. Rain to Lithgow, then scattered cloud to Dubbo. Must spend a day here at the western plains zoo. Hostel manager told me that Burke has had 1 inch of rain, if so the roads will be closed.
Rain and head winds. Meet Steve & Ian going to Broken Hill. Checked the rainfall in Nyngan and found that 1 1/2 inches of rain has fallen at Burke! Decided to go on to Broken Hill as this may have had less rain. Traveled with Steve and Ian to Wilcannia where the Hill family turned up together with Greg Doubleday and John Cyril. Peter Hill (farther) and Anthony (son 14) were on a K100RS, Marion Hill was riding a MZ 250. Greg is piloting a Jawa 350 sidecar with John as passenger. They say the McArgles should meet them here. As the time was getting on and the prospect of an early meeting was offered I staid in Wilcannia, Steve and Ian went on to Broken Hill. Spent the night in a hotel, eat at the local golf club, not the best food.
PIAA (Winns) Safari passed through town , we watched as we waited for the McArgles. Many Jap riders, meet Mick Taylor of Condobolin acting as support crew, a friend of Vince Carhills. Changed my rear tire. Looked in the local museum. Road is open for them so we follow. No McArgles, but we left at 2.30pm. Some mud, but generally good. The mud builds up under my front mud guard and locks the front wheel when the going gets slow and slippery. I am used to this, so no real problem. The entertainment at White Cliffs was a Nissan with an over heated motor. The Nissan was parked at the end of the pub with water flowing out the bottom of it. The radiator was on the ground in front of it. Someone drove the spluttering thing around the pub to the car park at the back. We gave it the thumbs up as it passed by, the driver responded with his own thumbs up out of the window. They said it was a $100k entry, and if they had made Milparinka the engine would have been replaced that night. Rode west, about 30km out of town and wild camped in a clump of shrubs, lots of fire wood, as usual this burns fast with an oily flame. Marion has only ridden 2000km, and is having some difficulty in the conditions. With that amount of experience its no wonder, she is doing very well.
Went ahead to stop any one in Tibooburra from moving on before the rest got there. Left about 8am arrived 1pm, some long dirty water crossings where you couldn't see the bottom. As soon as I arrived, meet Russell & Trish walking back from the general store to the camping ground, Hamish then came along. They were staying in town as Sally is sick. Then Chris comes along and it's straight to the pub, well just the first one, saving the second for latter. Went to camping ground then staid in on site van with the Daniel's & Hamish. The dried mud under my front guard is making a noise on the front tire. Closer inspection shows that new front tire is worn more than the rear. The small stones embedded in the
dried mud is wearing the tire. Removing the mud is difficult because the heat from the rubbing has baked the mud rock hard. The rest arrived 6pm and went straight to the second pub, defiantly the tourist pub in the town.
Went to the general store and bought more supplies. left and waited just before the Warri Gate (NSW Queensland boarder). Had tea & biscuits with a small fire. Went on and took photos as people came past the Sturt National Park sign. This park is large, it was 4 cattle stations. Road gets worse in Queensland, but less mud holes. Large bees disappeared as I tried to take there photos. Just got the bush instead, thought they would come back after the photo, but still proved camera shy. Peter Hill's K100RS brakes down 13.6 km from town, I think its a universal joint, as you turn the rear wheel it meets resistance about 8 times per revolution. Doubled Peter to town. Went to ... the pub of course, by this time its dark. Went in and asked for transport for the bike, directed to 'Blue', who asked for a slab in payment. Hamish got him down to 12, so we then got Blue a slab. Blue, me Hamish & Peter went out and got the bike on the trailer, the difficult bit was finding the bike parked off the road. The tow car has no odometer, so muck for measuring the distance to town. Went to camp site, set up tent and gear, the Hills had diner organized. Others returned to pub to fix the bike, only a loose bolt in the rear drive! Very lucky, bolt replaced, problem fixed.
Watched a Pelican doing fly byes passed the water hole. Walked to the pub 3 times. Found John Barry's name in the pubs visitors book. Noccundra means dirty water hole, Nockutundra, the next homestead, means stinking water hole. Beetle Bailey and Judy arrive, with a crock side car wheel bearing. This is replaced at the camp site.
13 th Thursday day 7 Noccundra to Windorah
Lunch at Eromanga, Beatles does front wheel bearings. No more spares so a bearing is organized from Quilpie at 2.30pm for delivery 6pm. Beetle & Judy stay for bearing, while we carry on to Windorah. First of the large bull dust holes, went around it but not enough room for a car. First of the brogals beside the road. Went to town for a pub stop. Back to camp beside the Cooper River, just on dusk with a full paper moon rising, all the moon's seas as clear as a bell. Just great.
Back to Windorah for stores, through camp and on to Yaraka. Only me and the McArgles go this way, the rest go straight to Stonehenge. Morning tea beside the Barcoo, near Retreat Homestead. Many flies make the restart of the ride a relief. I see the McArgles avoid a dead kangaroo about 2km in the distance. As I daydream up to it I think I can just hop around it. Approach speed 80 to 100km/h. The rocks are bigger and deeper here than further back down the road, I realize this as I go over the center hump over correcting to the second entry on to the rocks, back out for a moment then back in for the third time. Did not make the third correction! Stopped 200 meters past the roo, a dented hat, right hand header pipe half squashed and one water bottle holed. Knew I was all right as I saw $$ signs as my hat hit, no stars. Had to go off the beer, for 24 hours. Never the less good pubs at Yaraka and Isisford, 'Clancys Overflow Hotel'. Staid in 'Clancys', the first silver service outside Brisbane in Queensland. Also first with refrigeration, and lots of other history that the publican regales us with till the early hours of the morning. About 20 of us in the pub, for NSW, Victoria, Queensland and Switzerland. 18 BMWs out the front of the pub attracts the local cop who drives passed 3 times in 15 minutes. Pity is that the local cop is a well know enforcer of the letter of the law and not its spirit. We all expect the breatherliser as we leave town the next morning. The local journalist also comes for photos and talk about what is going on. The bikes look good out the front, 3 sidecars, 7 R80G/S and 8 others but we move them around the back and retire to the bar. The 3 Swiss make a special trip every 2 years to go on our meetings. I first meet them at Ayers rock 2 years ago, as Manfried was trying to fix an R80G/S that Regulator had fallen off out on the gunbarrel. She had damaged her right arm in the fall as well as damaging the bike. Go the bike fixed and they limped on by the main road to Mt Augusta.
Shop open 9am, buy stores as Stonehenge has no store. Short run, no cop?! Stonehenge for lunch, good to see all the gang again. The tennis was on together with the cricket. Bay 13 is a tin shed that a few people have taken over instead of putting up tents. Me and the rest of the cricket spectators take over bay 13 as the grand stand. We lost the cricket to the locals, they have an age advantage to say the least, as well as less beer! Good fun. Won second prize in the first raffle, a boulder opal, fairly heavy to carry on the motor cycle. One bike arrives towing another bike. The big ends are gone. I ask around about Lawn Hill and the cape. The plan changes to include Lawn Hill. The $10 BBQ (all you can eat) and the raffle go to the RFDS (Royal Flying Doctor Service, RFDS is commonly understood any where in the out back, and a few of the gang are in debt to it). The local cop arrives and causes much merriment by firstly selling the shirt off his back for the local school. That brought $150... not enough so we raffle is run on the blood/ beer content of the drunkest person we had. He scored 0.195, not high enough so another tinny put him straight up to 0.2 (legal limit for driving is 0.05). A really great night. About 100 bike riders in attendance.
Some left before dawn! Keen to get back to work Mondays. Said good bye to all, John Barry left for Sydney to be home on Tuesday night. Bay 13 is taken over for big end repairs on the immobile bike. Yes we have new big ends, but how brought the special tool for bearing removal? Are there it is, takes a while to ask 100 people. I have the firm opinion that if we assembled all the spares we carry, at least one working bike would result. I carry the complete ignition system, some of the charging system . It looks Most people are going to or through Longreach today or tomorrow. Hot ride through 180km of boring territory. Did the washing and some more postcards, sent my camera and the rock I won in the raffle back home. Jol, Greg, John Cyril, John Barret and the lone Tasmanian rider in camp today. New plan, go to Lawn Hill National Park then on to cape York. Hamish turns up late... the McArgles sneak into an onsite van.
The Stockmans Hall of Fame is excellent despite the $14 entry fee. Best part was a stage set up as an outback camp. A system projected on to a white plaster cast of a stockmans face is extremely life like. Everything mover except the nose! He gives a talk-you listen the second time around- his eyes look at you and others, then right through you, unreal! The talk is on the old droving days. Bought postcards of Lawn Hill for 60 cents each, should have bought more as the price was the cheapest found. The big end replacement has been successful, the bike is receiving more e care at the back of one of the pubs in town, we sit drinking while the repairs go on. One new cam chain, fresh oil and an oil filter! Gunners side car has broken down so it also is receiving care. The Hills and Danials turn up at camp. We have a fair well diner on site, others arrive from the other camp and pubs in town. About 20 in all.
Cold wind. Left 10am .. tea & croissant with Anthony, with a fresh hair cut, and Hamish, less some cash for the hair cut. 1pm Winton Lunch sandwich and chips. My farther did some jackarooing around here from 14 to 16.Tea in Mckinlay, next to pub 'Walkabout Creek' as seen in crocodile dundee. Concurry 6pm, still cold wind, but a nice sunset (3 pubs).
Cold! Cloudy Oil top up, John Barret over fills and must drain the excess out. This is not a nice job. Did some shopping, bought a jaffel iron, temperature 13 to 15 degrees. About 11am finally left. Dramatic change of scenery about 50km north of Concurry. Lots of trees large rock out crops, boab tree small hills but many of them. Weather described as 'unusual' few drops of rain on the visor that's all, but rather threatening. Arrived Gregory Downs 5pm. Tents up 6pm, John goes to do washing in the spring.
John takes 2 hours to pack up. Very slow on the dirt - went back @40km - he has dropped it on both sides. 10.45am 4wd stops to inform me that John has dropped it again - running out of puff to pick up his bike. At this rate it will take all day to get there. Very cloudy and its not moving, which is a worry. Struck part time ranger going out on his motor cycle for 4 days off. Got to Adele Grove at 1 pm, John bought eggs! Arrived 2pm at the park. Did the middle gorge 'Runnuma' walk before getting the camp site.
Up at 7. Walked Upper Gorge 'Jalyawala' then to waterfall 'Indarri'. Back for shower and lunch and laundry. Off by myself for walk on top of the island stack 'Garra' nice views of camp site 'Duwadarri' waterhole, lower gorge 'Luluwda' then walked the base to 'Sleeping Dog' aborigine paintings. Back at 4pm, John is going for an early start tomorrow - starts prepacking 4.30 pm. We start dinner at 5.30pm so that we finish before dusk when the flies and mosies arrive. The bird life here is incredible, a flock of birds under the sprinkler are having fun possibly eating worms that come up with the 'rain'. They come right up to you if you sit still. Must bring a tape recorder next time to record the bird calls. Must finish eggs, 6 off for diner, the road out is rough as the gunbarrel but no where near the sand content.
John gets up at 6am off at 7.30 am, me off at 8.30am, caught him 1/2 way. He travels too slowly through the sand, no momentum to carry him through. High idea, RH carby throttle stop is on the limit, the butterfly valve seams stuck causing high idle. Will wait for degrease before attempting repair. John took off as soon as he hit the tar- though he would stop and kiss it! Burke and Will Roadhouse for lunch. Made it to Karumba through to Normanton 3pubs shire office is nice but the merchants at the end of the street is the real prize. Meet a Kiwi couple traveling by BMW R100GS Paris Dakar with trailer. Diner in the animal bar, sea food platter and 3 beers
Another bright sunny day The Kiwis say stop in Croydon 1 hour and stay in Innot Hot Springs. Croydon is now a small country town smaller than Mudgee. A pub, has a good artist that draws on hessian bags very large ones 4meters high by 10 meters long. Lots of small places with plenty of history. Rode straight through to Innot hot springs, $5.50 with spar, hot and cold springs. John says I travel too fast , not enough time in any one place.
Awoke by the Kookaburras . John complains that the hot springs have removed all the oil from his skin, mine feels fine. Left about 10 via scenic route to Yuagaburra then on to the Curtain Fig tree. Into Atherton for banking then Kuranda John say that the hostel is very popular, so we get there early and find plenty of room.
Went to aborigine dances very good. About Hairy man and leader to be. Hairy man takes shape of roo, leader to be throws spear at roo, hairy man catches spear and throws it back, killing leader to be 's brother. Leader to be realizes that tribe will outcast him so runs away. Hoary man now steal s the tribes fire sticks, so tribe cannot make fire. Tribe blames leader to be, finds leader to be and start stabbing him but he escapes. The tribe follows and they all find the hairy man and attack him., kill him and this revives the leader to be 's brother . The fire sticks also come with the brother. John goes to Kmart in Cairns, we both do oil change, my turn to over fill the bike! Wash bike, go to pub.
Went to markets bought 2 books, did rain forest walk to baron falls. Replaced RH choke gasket on carby with BMW club membership card. Works better now still not perfect. All in all a nice relaxing day.
left about 11am, good windy road down to the plain. Looked around Cairns, like Coffs Harbor, slightly larger. Bought clothesline, at last, left it behind as it is usually in my tent. Went out, not much night life only one disco at midnight. Business very quite, very few tourists around.
John wakes with fever. More good coast line and good road (windy) up to Port Douglas. You really see lots of nice coast but always mists. The eye removers the mist but the camera puts it back. John is sick twice on way up. The beach is white sand till waters edge then goes gray, the rest is shallow for a long way out.
Did a bit of the walk up the Mossman George. $2 to cross the Daintree Rv. then a narrow dirt road to Cow Bay. Crodadylas Village is a great site and fits in well under forest canopy. Booked on night walk and morning paddle. Stay tomorrow night then onwards. John still crock. He'll go back to Cairns Monday. Canceled out of the night walk tonight as the morning paddle starts at 6am!
Up at 5.45am. Left 6.15am, 7 of us paddling at 6.45am from Cow Bay to Robinson Crusoe Bay then on to Coral Cove. Snorkled around the coral, then paddled on to Shipwreck Bay for morning tea. More paddling, out to Black Rock where I sighted something, I call a dugong, thought it was part of black rock but it moved off. Sue saw it too but further south. Snorkled with ski, found it best to keep the ski parallel and along side by using the grab handle. Paddled back to coral cove, more snorkling, then back to cow bay. Must learn scuba diving in order to see the real reek next time. Back for lunch and rest. Found the tides were 5pm and 6.30 am today so tomorrow should be 7am and 1pm. Went to the environment center (privately run $8-$6 for YHA). Ok but orange rope walk about the same. On to shop, only biscuits and noodles. Then to the lookout - ok but the usual mist on this coast again makes photos not turnout. Tonight menu $7 guess I'll have the apple crumble and ice cream $2.50 and meat lasagna and veg. Went on the night walk. Saw 4 birds and 2 mammals not a good night. Oh and one frog, are frogs mammals? . Interesting to see the birds asleep, feathers all fluff up, head under wing. Sat on side of track for 3/4 of an hour in the dark - not a sausage.
Left Crodadylas 10am, stopped off at the bouncing rock beach, but the tide was high so not much beach to try the stones on. But you can see the bounce, and feel the weight. On the first steep rise needed first gear due to the corrugations as much as the slope. Then on the down side a cat is digging a trench across the road for drainage. Had to stop on a very steep slope - first gear would not hold it! Great scene though, but no photo as I could not hold the bike and do the photo thing. Pass 3 4wds on the way in Got to Bromfield river at 12 - high tide- waited about 3/4 hours for the tide to go down enough for me to cross. 2 of the 4wds I passed went straight across, a local also went across, water at bonnet height. The river went down about 0.9 meters in that time leaving 0.2 meters on the crossing. I got wet feet but the bike was fine. Loose bolt on flaring tightened, other wise ok. Had a late lunch at the Lions Den pub. Rather over rated, prefer Noccundra. Passed Black mountain, fine black rocks. Joined main road, many more corrugations the coast road is much better. Cooktown Backpackers is nice, guy here on mountain bike came up coast road returning tomorrow by third road between the main road and coast road very steep 300m in 3/4 of a km! Says it will take 5 days.
Bike rider left early. Went out and saw cooks landing site, statue, botanic gardens and cooks museum. Back to the backpackers for lunch and planing, must see grave yard. Weather is high cloud, complete coverage but still humid. Looked in graveyard, said to see 7 day olds from the old days, saw Jardines and Norman Woman graves. Found in the Aborigines tribe 'Norman' did not survive in white society. Went out to Mount Cook base but did not have enough day light to climb to the top. Went shopping- again. Got a Cairns tide timetable. Should add 1.5 hours to this and also allow that I crossed at a tide height of .5 meters. That means I could cross between 4.22 am and 1.30 pm on Friday the 4th ! Tightened nuts on flaring, mirror bolts checked engine bolts, suspension bolts - all ok.
Left Cooktown at 9.30am good road to Lakefield + 10km then bull dust holes. Stopped at split rock about 11.30 am too hot for the climb, went in to Laura. 2 beers 1 pie 1 hamburger then? 3 bananas + 2 oranges . A Swagman bus (Den air) with trailer stops with air bag trouble, they left about 2 pm. The passengers divide into 2 sections, the Yanks wait over the road under the trees, the Early rise = walking by 7.10am. The Gngu Yelangl are mainly hands, in one place 6m up the rock face. How did they get them up that height? The walk way is not clear. Disturbed 3 rock wallabies in the Gngu Yelangl area, one large, one medium, one small. Saw Turtle Rock, Tall Spirits, Flying Foxes and Split Rock sites. Left about 11am back to Cooktown. Found rear subframe cracked through, will have to redesign luggage system, AGAIN. Packed by 7.20am off to the welder. Removed luggage from bike to find subframe broken both sides all the way through. Finished and repacked by 9.3- made Bromfield river with tide still going out. no problems. Stopped at Cape Tribulation for a walk. Checked accounts in Cairns not much money. Went in to Mission Beach Tree House. Some rain about 15 minutes. cloth washing, shopping - twice - forgot the soap rest of time spent reading book in hammock, drinking beer. 6th Sunday day 31 another rest day anther book, same hammock, more beer. Struck 2 BP petrol tankers last one a semi the leading one a B double sitting on 110km/h. Sat behind them until some hills came up. Nice to have them as a buffer between me any anything coming up. Got into Townsville about 1pm, paid a combined price of $18 for the Omni theater, museum and aquarium. Museum ok, but not worth the money. Saw the Antarctic film, great theater with the wrap around view. Good film too. Aquarium is also good. Though about staying on to see the reef film but time is too short, besides have to leave something for next time. Just traveling home from now on to work and money. Up at 6 am off by 7.20 am Reached rocky by 3.40pm including lunch stop 8hours 10 for 730km, 89km/h average including lunch A hot day with the occasional cool breeze from the sea, but mostly a hot tail wind. Shopped at woolies, figured out the food and had a BBQ at the YHA tonight. Planing for home journey - to Brisbane 645km, then to Sydney 807km Cloudy, fog out of rocky. Rain at lunch stop - Gympie. Nice twisty up hill bit before Warick just a bit damp in the corners. Had a cop with radar go the other way so I thought I was fine, but there was another - he did a U in front of me to catch a car going the other way. Phew! This is the most cop activity I've seen all trip, the others have been 4wds and only ever one per day. Made Warick by 5pm started 7.20am 9 hours 40 for 807km 83km/h average speed Good road not much traffic. Would be nice up here in summer as its too cool at the moment, the wattle is coming out. 7th Friday Day 1 Sydney to Dubbo 406km 25.55l $19.14 15.9k/l 8th Saturday Day 2 Dubbo to Wilcannia 167.8km 11.82l $9.44 14.2k/l Nyngan 402.2km 26.8l $21.92 15k/l 10th Monday day 4 White Cliffs to Tibooburra 358.3k 24.2l $19.82 14.8k/l 12 th Wednesday day 6 Rest Day 13 th Thursday day 7 Noccundra to Windorah 416.1k 2.72l $17.86 15.3k/l 19th Friday day 8 Windorah to Isisford 15th Saturday day 9 Isisford to Stonehenge 284.4k 16.5l $12.50 17.2k/l 16th Sunday day 10 Stonehenge to Longreach 17th Monday day 11 Rest Day 18th Tuesday day 12 Longreach to Concurry 301.7km 13.37l $13.01 22.6k/l 182.1km 7.9l $6.05 23k/l 19th Wednesday day 13 Concurry to Gregory Downs 353.3 km 19.68l $15 17.9k/l 332.2km 16.7l $14.20 19.8k/l 21st Friday day 15 Rest? 22nd Saturday day 16 Lawn Hill to Karumba 352.2km $16.20 21.34l 21.7k/l 23rd Sunday day 17 Karumba to Innot Hot Springs 349.6km 17.98l $14.01 19.4k/l some slow work to Georgetown 305.6km 15.82l $12 19.3k/l not filled and some speed work 24th Monday day 18 Innot Hot Springs to Kuranda 233.1km 18.4l $12.50 12.7k/l ???? combine with previous figure? 25th Tuesday day 19 Rest 26th Wednesday day 20 27th Thursday day 21 to Cairns 28th Friday day 22 Cairns to Port Douglas 218.3km 13.38l $9.35 12.7k/l 29th Saturday day 23 Port Douglas to Cow Bay 155.8km 9.87l $7 15.8k/l 30th Sunday day 24 31st Monday day 25 Cow Bay to Cooktown 1st Sept Tuesday day 26 2nd Wednesday day 27 Cooktown to Laura 294.6km 17.7l $15 16.6k/l not quite full 3rd Thursday day 28 Split rock to Cooktown 4th Friday day 29 Cooktown to Mission Beach 498.3km 30.1l $21.04 16.5k/l 5th Saturday day 30 rest day 6th Sunday day 31 another rest day 7th Monday day 32 Mission Beach to Townsville 8th Tuesday day 33 to Rockhampton 415.4 km 23.91l $16.00 17.4k/l 443.2km 25.58l $16.86 17.3k/l 9th Wednesday day 34 10th Thursday day 35 HOME 149.5km 9.28l $6.20 16.1k/l 582.8km 33.93l $25.10 17.2k/l I don't believe the 13 k/l figures .. must be a mistake ! More than 22k/l is also not quite right Less than 16k/l indicates high speed work > 100k/h More than 18k/l indicates slow easy work < 80k/h below 14k/l indicates heavy slow sand - none of that this trip Costs $323.43 petrol + what ever I've missed + food + accommodation + beer + $409 for a new hat + $181 for a new RH header pipe + $221 set of tires + oil + filter etc 3rd Thursday day 28 Split rock to Cooktown
4th Friday day 29 Cooktown to Mission Beach
5th Saturday day 30 rest day
7th Monday day 32 Mission Beach to Townsville
8th Tuesday day 33 to Rockhampton
9th Wednesday day 34
10th Thursday day 35 HOME
Petrol costs/consumption