Easter ride to Gwalia / Leonora

[Cookie]

I am planning a ride, leaving metro around 8am Good Friday, heading out via mixture of black top and dirt roads, camp out overnight, Saturday make my way to Leonora, camp overnight, Sunday visit Lake Ballard and other scenic sites on the way back, camp overnight, last leg of trip home via lesser country roads, reaching metro mid to late afternoon.

Let me know if you are wanting to tag along and I can keep you updated with route options as they come together.

[Kots]

It looks like I'm in.

[paulknight]

Shifting into a new house the weekend before but feel I may need a diversion from all the stress of moving. So hope to be able to attend.

[Ashlee]

love to come along /count me in
eddy

[BillB]

I will be a definite for the ride. Will dust off the GSA
BILL

[Cookie]

Hello fellow adventurers

Details are slowly coming together, outline as follows:
Good Friday - meet somewhere East of the metro around 7am, ready for a mixture of back roads and dirt, headed for Sandstone overnight camp ~700km
Easter Saturday - leisurely ride around to Leonora (Gwalia) site seeing,dirt all the way, camp overnight at caravan park? ~300km
Easter Sunday - leisurely ride taking in the local sites - Granite Creek, Lake Ballard and more before heading South for Bullfinch / Koolyanobbing area, camp the night, dirt all the way ~400km
Easter Monday - leisurely ride home via back roads, mainly black top ~400km

Exact route will depend on weather conditions each day, the aim is to put in a big day up front, then take it easy for the next 3 days.

Catch up with me at breakfast or the meeting next week to let me know you are planning on coming along

[BillB]

Cookie.Have you checked fuel availability keeping in mind holiday period and maybe scarce out in the sticks.

[_Wilks]

Fuel. Hope this helps...

Sandstone & Menzies have unmanned card operated fuel bowsers (24hr).
No fuel at Bullfinch or Koolyanobbing. Southern Cross or Yellowdine are the nearest fuel outlets in that area

[Cookie]

Thanks Wilks

Yes, that confirms my googling efforts, riders will need to budget for up to 400km between fuel supplies, just in case there is an issue with fuel supplies along the way.

[Cookie]

Hello fellow adventurers

Something has come up at work, I will not be able to partake in the Easter ride, my services are required in the city.

There is no reason why you cannot continue without me - I can pass on my ideas for the route.

I will be at tuning day this saturday, we can get together to discuss options.

[jls]

hi Guys
As you know Cookie is not able to attend the ride over Easter
There fore ill be taking the reins sort of for this ride
We will be meeting at gingers road house which is at 1383 great northern hwy upper swan good Friday 730 am for a 800am departure taking a mixture of blacktop and well formed gravel/dirt roads to Mouroubra road
Mouroubra road follows the eastern side of Lake Moore to Paynes Find ,and then onto the dirt road to Sandstone ,from Sandstone ,there are plenty of options
This route is as always quite fluid and will depend on weather and track conditions ,and of course what the group as a whole is comfortable with
You will need to be reasonably self sufficient ,even though we will pass through some small towns I will be carrying enough food for the four days and enough water for at least a couple of days
Will be bush camping along the way ,which means around 4 00pm we will pulling over to find a good spot for the night ,this generally gives everyone a chance to relax and get sorted before dark
looking forward to a great weekend and ill see all attending Friday at Gingers

[BillB]

Hate to put a damper on the ride...Weather forcast doesn't look so good......................................
Paynes Find and Sandstone will be having Thunder storms Fri, Sat and Sun with heavy rain and also with rain on Mon. Roads particularly unsealed will be muddy and slippery as a result.
Bugger went and put new tyres on the bike for the trip
Any suggestions regarding the ride.
https://www.google.com.au/?gws_rd=ssl#q ... r+forecast

Bill

[boomer61]

I came through that stretch just after a thunderstorm (Sandstone - Payne's Find) after Desert Raid and the road was a water channel, I was riding in rain and water held in by the spoon drains. Fantastic riding conditions with the road wetted down by the storm.
Storm only lasted about 20 minutes and its about a 2 hour ride.
Had no problems.
Road drys quick with a little wind or sunshine.
You can skirt it on the tar if you like.
The whole trip can be reset to tar if need be, so can take it day by day if you want.

Have a look at this site, it lists possible thunderstorms.

http://www.weatherzone.com.au/wa/gascoyne/paynes-find

5-10 mm should not be a problem, at those temperatures probably don't even need wet weather gear.
Thunderstorms tend to be very local so to be in them for the whole trip would be unlikely, you should be able to skirt them or wait them out while having a break.

[Big al]

just a note there has been a lot of rain up that way over the last week and a lot of the dirt roads are closed

[boomer61]

http://www.sandstone.wa.gov.au/documents/?categoryid=17
http://www.leonora.wa.gov.au/road-condition-report.aspx
http://www.menzies.wa.gov.au/road-condition-report.aspx
Looks like a daily proposition for some roads or the tar