Not the HD Tour, the Half Lap Around

[spacey1]

Per the usual arrangements, I got a phone call from JD…

“Wanna go for a ride? I have exactly 13 days. Gotta be back at work on Monday 29th May.”

“Sure” says I…

“What’s do you have in mind?”

“How about a lap up to Darwin and back.”

“Sure” says I. “Which way? Adelaide first? Or Darwin?”

“Hang on” says I. “I’ll check the wind map.”

“Definitely across the Nullabor first to get the cold part over early, then north into the warm.”

The Wind map indicated tail winds almost all the way, except for the lower NT when cross winds from the north-east were shown. In fact, tail winds all the way down the WA coast. Unheard of…

We were in no hurry to race up north in WA only to discover that Wilare Bridge and Fitzroy Crossing were still closed from the recent flooding. Give them time to sort that lot out.

So we had a plan.



The HD Road King was finally getting an outing with the Gold Wing. I had a fair idea where I would be riding… and that was nowhere near the rear that outrageously noisy HD.

[spacey1]

Day 1 (16th May)

The deal was to ride the 60 km out and meet up at The Lakes Roadhouse, fuel up and head off from there.

I arrived there to find no JD and no sign of the HD? Time is fleeting. Where’s he got to?

While I’m fuelling up I get a tap on the shoulder… It’s JD. I’m looking around and no HD, only a late model R1250 GSA Triple Black.



“Oh, I bought it two days ago from Jonas. Traded the old R1200 GS.”

He didn’t want to be the one running low on fuel all the time… Ha ha… So now it’s 30 litres in the tank vs 21 litres in the blue tank.

Comfort stop past Merridan...



We covered the 727 km to Norseman easily and ambled in after dark. Managed to avoid all the lunatics on the highway! Scored a room for a reasonable rate at the Bottlemart Express. Good food, beer and under-cover parking out back with the cats. A good start to the show.



The plan was to cruise a little and NOT HAVE REALLY BIG DAYS. Neither of us were really riding fit. It’s been a while.

[spacey1]

Day 2 (17th May)

Early start to the day beginning with kicking the cats off JD's GSA.

Remember this trip is about the ride, not sight-seeing...

A quick photo stop at the western end of the 90 Mile Straight.



Comfort stop east of Caiguna.

Looking west...



Looking east...



And so it was… Another ‘LITTLE’ day to Eucla, 709 km. The weather and the wind have been kind to us. Not too cold and tail winds.

[spacey1]

Day 3 (18th May)

Next ‘little’ day, another 801 km to Kimba.

Bikes and bodies taking on fuel at the Nullabor Roadhouse.





East of Yalata, we pulled over for the now regular comfort stop. You know eat the last of your fruit before the quarantine station.

We must have looked desperate, because this lovely couple in a massive 4WD / Caravan outfit pulled up in the middle of the highway and shouted out, “Do you want some bananas?” Sure we did.



I was surprised how a short break and a couple of bananas boosted me. On we went.

There were no hold-ups at the South Australia Ceduna Quarantine Station. Definitely no contraband on our bikes. Getting it wrong is just not worth the trouble.

JD was so impressed that I had to video his exit of the station. It was the first time that he had ever aced passage through the system!



Ceduna for lunch





We pulled into Kimba quite late...

And were lucky to find digs and a decent hot meal for the night. Fuelling up proved troublesome as the servo closed exactly as we pulled in.

[spacey1]

Day 4 (18th May)

Another early start, stopping at the Kimba Halfway Across Australia sign of course.



I had 12,000 km on the 1800 Boxer (Gold Wing) tyres by this time. I was planning on the usual. Do the Nullabor. Fit new tyres. Move on.

Wake up call there. The only Gold Wing tyres available in SA were in Adelaide. That wasn’t part of the plan. Actually only in Adelaide, Melbourne or Sydney. We did consider the eastern options, but it was getting bloody cold and wet over that way.

GC Motorcycles Adelaide would have to do. And due to our lack of riding fitness, a rest day was called for. It would be a Friday and the gentleman at GC Motorcycles said that they could fit the tyres as long as I arrived before 13.00 hrs.

That means it’s now a 12 day ride, plus an extra 620 km return trip to Adelaide and back to Port Augusta.



Did I mention that it was pretty chilly? 1 degC for the first hour. Very slow going and very spectacular though.

It's a land of rolling hillsides.
Down into the valleys and into the thick freezing morning fog, then up over the hills above the fog. Glorious. We did this for what seemed for hours. And took note of the road-side observers (kangaroos, donkeys, goats, etc).

Pulled over next to Iron Knob for comfort and photos







Fuelled up at Port Augusta.

A feature of the trip thus far is the amount of road works. Port Augusta was a construction trap.
The amount and length of roadworks south and into Adelaide. So much government money around upgrading roads and towns.

More fuel north of Adelaide.



We made it to GC Motorcycles in the nick of time. They are a very professional outfit. Supplied and fitted tyres efficiently and at a resonable price.

Leaving the bike with them, I mounted up on back of the R1250 GSA and we wobbled through the Adelaide suburban back streets. Pretty scary riding pillion with no control.

While waiting we discovered a small Greek café, Upside on Prospect, and had a go at their ‘Shakshuka’. It was a very late and welcome delicious breakfast.



On return to GC Motorcycles, a very interesting Harley Davidson was getting tyres fitted. It was a turbocharged trailer puller. A very professional installation!
From the left side, you couldn't pick it from standard. Very neat. When a job is done this well, it needs to be acknowledged, even on a HD...



The decision was already made to spend a rest day in Adelaide. An apartment was booked by JD's social secretary from Narrogin.
After a walk around Adelaide, eating and drinking, it was bed time for this rubber duck.

[spacey1]

Day 5 (19th May)

Rest day in Adelaide. What happens in Adelaide, stays in Adelaide...

Nothing to see here...

Now that our time was starting to get a little tighter, we did a fair bit of planning for the next leg.
In order to make good head way from here on, it was an absolute necessity to manage fuel stops.

So this was the plan.

[spacey1]

Day 6 (20th May)

A gentlemanly ride from Adelaide to Marla (1080 km). Port Augusta and Glendambo for fuel.

A brief look around Coober Pedy.





Where else in Australia could mining get away with destroying the land and leaving literally thousands of dangerous holes behind. Only in Coober Pedy…



And on to Marla for the overnight stop

[spacey1]

Day 7 (21st May)

An early start for another easy day. Only 962 km to Tennant Creek. Erldunda, Alice Springs and Ti Tree for fuel stops.

A comfort and photo opportunity stop was called for at the SA/NT border. Very nice camping / toilet facilities on the border.



Somehow due to the size of the place, we got separated.

I thought that he’d gone.



He thought that I’d gone. Thankfully rational thinking prevailed



And we’re in the NT. Speed limit 130 kph. So to quote that Johnny Cash song, ‘Rock Island Line’, "we’re picking up a little bit of speed."





Now this is where my research on the Wind Map came to mind. This section had the wind coming across our bow from the north east, gusting at 40 to 50 kph. We persevered through to Erldunda for fuel, then onto Alice Springs for lunch.

Another comfort stop at the Memorial for the Inaugural Northern Territory Cannonball Run where four men lost their lives in a tragic collision.





By Alice, we were buggered and fuel was disappearing at a great rate. I saw nearly 7.5 litres per 100 km. JD reckoned he saw over 8 litres per 100 km on the R1250 GSA.

As we arrived in Alice for lunch, JD had a chuckle commenting that he was glad for his non-descript Triple Black bike, unlike the attention my shiny blue Wing was garnering.



Needless to say we didn’t hang around.

After Alice Springs it was back to our usual GPS 108 kph. Most traffic, except heavy transports and caravans , zoomed past us. Two caravans even flipped over on this section.

But at the end of the day, it mattered little how fast or slow you travelled, the ‘Great Equalizer’ always equalised the distance… Road works… everywhere...



Traffic lights and long queues. 15 to 20 minutes or more. We simply idled to the front of the long queues past the speeders and waited like everybody else, but at the front. Then it was on again for the speedsters. And then another Great Equalizer… and on it went. At 108 kph, the fuel economy was fantastic (under 5 litres per 100 k). It offered a relaxing and low stress ride. We didn’t need to overtake vehicles often. Easy. And the gusting side winds had a negligible effect on our progress north.



And these roadworks don’t mean that you can’t have a little bit of fun. While waiting at one stop, the paddle pop wielder, a young Irish lass, did a photo shoot for us. Her father in Ireland rode bikes. So we offered a photo opportunity on our bikes. She climbed up onto the GSA for a quick shot. Remember that road works traffic light was still red. I offered a seat on the Gold Wing. What a transformation! The STOP sign was dropped. The hi-vis disappeared. The hat and fly disappeared. Her long blonde hair freed. It was a great laugh to while-away the waiting.



Sunset is getting closer and we're nowhere near Tennant Creek...

Perfect time to arrive at Devil's Marbles.







As the sun setting, we were now beginning to appreciate the power of our driving lights. JD's LED spots are much more powerful than the standard but brilliant headlights and fog lamps on the blue Gold Wing.

So JD and his LED driving lamps rode out front. This was not without incident...

Due to the large number of roadworks with the posted 40 kph speed signs being questionable and with no personnel about, we were becoming a little ambivalent.

On one section, there was no indication of the need for caution. I could see JD in the distance. He didn't slow or deviate.
When I got to this particular section, I discovered a large hole across the width of the road filled with uncompacted blue metal... The blue Wing wriggled and shook at the speed I was going...

But I lived...

After surviving this bit of excitement, I couldn't help but wonder that if I was doing 40 kph and encountered that loose and deep uncompacted blue metal in the dark, I would probably have been on the ground.

Not long after that, a similar incident... JD didn't slow or deviate. I came around a corner and there in the middle of the highway was a live cow laying on it's haunches staring into my bright headlights... with one of it's front legs about a metre away, separate from the cow. I missed that one too... and lived...

Not long after that we arrived in Tennant Creek. Found digs at the caravan park, fuel, food and lubrication for the night.

Sleep came easily

[spacey1]

Day 7 (22nd May)

More changing plans... JD has a ride to Cape York planned for July from Mackay.

So we discussed options about bikes on this ride. The Kato (back in Narrogin)? or the 2022 GSA (perhaps Brisbane + flying over and back)?
Due to the Adelaide diversion, we were a day behind. Probably another rest day before Perth. Time was getting on. JD decided to fall back to proper gentleman's hours.
Late start, short days... Longreach first stop, then dawdle down to Brisbane and fly back to Perth. The Cape York route was going to be a challenge on the big GSA.
He jokingly told me that he'd beat me back to Perth...

So it was. Up early, I headed 675 km north to Katherine. A short ride really.



JD, Longreach, pushing into one mutha of a head wind. I received phone calls during the day talking about how leisurely his ride was...

Arriving early in Katherine, I was looking forward to soaking in the famous Hot Springs. It's probably been 35 years since I was last in Katherine and really enjoyed the hot springs immensely.

I scored a donga at the Riverview Tourist Village 3 km from the town centre. Walking distance to the Hot Springs it said on the label. The label also said 'Hot'...
After settling in, I grabbed a towel and wandered off to find said Hot Springs. Walking distance, yes. No need for a towel, as you'll be dry by the time you get back. It's quite a walk. The Hot Springs label was a bit of a furphy... Warm Springs, a more appropriate label... Still well worth the effort and the soothing warm spring water.

Arriving back at my donga, I was getting a little peckish, again. So wandered over to the Riverview restaurant with the big 'Open' sign out front, only to discover that it had closed a year ago. Very de rigueur NT. Any way, I found food at NT prices and age. Didn't die. Slept soundly.

[spacey1]

Day 8 (23rd May)

Rest Day pour moi in Katherine. Slept in. Late brekky at the Coffee Club.

First phone call from JD plus pix... I'll leave that to him to recount that one. Pix published with his permission...





That's the Dakar legend Rod Faggoter piloting JD's BMW R1250 GSA away as viewed from the Longreach Hospital window.



On a previous lap around the country, I had need of help in Longreach. Rod and the boys at CentreTune Motorcycles readily came to my aid. Rod actually closed the front shop to help JD. Legend!



Utter disbelief? So much damage from a 40 km/hr get-off. Probably the slowest one he's ever had.

I hung out at the air conditioned Katherine Visitor Information Centre for most of the day. They had a great information and display section on Road Trains that one could expect encounter in the NT.



And very friendly and informative staff. I needed to plan my next leg very carefully.

Over in Western Australia, there were floods that completely obliterated highways and bridges. The Main Roads website was still displaying a very rudimentary river crossing at Fitzroy Crossing and an extremely muddy quagmire of a highway at Willare Bridge. Not fabulous Gold Wing territory.

And I was NOT ever going to stop-over in Halls Creek or Fitzroy Crossing.

So the plan was:

Katherine - Kununurra - Doon Doon = 619 km.

Doon Doon - Roebuck Plains Roadhouse = 904 km

I talked to lots of fellow tourist about the conditions west. "No problems towing caravans with bloody big 4WDs," they all said.
There was no rain fall since the floods, so I figured there was plenty of time for these areas to dry and for bridges and roads to be navigavable. I hoped...

I found great Italian cuisine at the restaurant next to the Mahogany Bistro, and a very friendly and talkative owner.

Another warm spring swim, then an early night, for a super early morning start.

[spacey1]

Day 9 (24th May)

Katherine - Kununurra - Doon Doon = 619 km.

Another early start. I really wanted an easy ride day.

Heading east now across to Western Australia. Winds were favourable. More tail winds. The trusty 'Wind Map' was correct.
The most scenic part of the ride to date, especially around the Victoria River. The Victoria Highway is rarely straight around here. Lots of turns winding through the Ranges.

It's also a good time to re-iterate that an open service station is a good service station. There can be occasions when there is no proprietor on site. Gone fishing so to speak, especially in this neck of the woods...
The ATM machine is out-of-service. Pumps are broken... Etc...

I had one heart-stopping moment when I thought it was going to be 'turn back for fuel'. Thankfully another tourist stopped to let me know that there was another service station about 1 km ahead. Phew...



I was a little miserley with my photo stops. Except in the Ranges around Victoria River. I simply had to stop to take in the breath-taking scenery. A little too long...

A very large 4WD and massive off-road caravan took off before I did. I overtake them before the WA border. However, when I stopped for the Border photos...





They nipped passed and were in front of me at the Border Quarantine Control. It was pretty funny really. The border staff were a little suspicious about the contents of the caravan and went to town on them.
One staff member asked if I was travelling with that vehicle. Of course I wasn't... And after a brief Q&A, I was on my way. Never saw that caravan again.

Kununurra for a long lunch. I was surprised how quickly 500 km go by when you get on the road early. I maintained my conversations about road conditions with other tourists who were heading east.

It was decision time. Should I stay or should I go? It was only 100 km to Doon Doon. And I had 5 hours of daylight left.

So on to Doon Doon it was. A decision I did not regret. A lovely secure location, warm comfortable dongas with hot showers, very funny proprietor, and terrific food.

Curried Bangers and Mash. Top shelf.



An early night for the next leg. The most problematic leg...

[spacey1]

Day 10 (25th May)

Doon Doon - Roebuck Plains Roadhouse = 904 km

So here we are... Will the road be open across the Fitzroy River. Will it be dry enough to be navigable by a fully-laden Gold Wing (nearly 400 kg). Would I be brave enough to attempt a muddy crossing?
Would I have to stay the night in Fitzroy Crossing! That'd be brave.

Information gathered from other tourists suggested that it would be OK.
The WA Main Roads website suggested otherwise. In time-proven form, this was another WA Government website where timely updates are not a priority.
I figured that there had been no rain for at least a week, that the crossing and road works would have dried out enough to be navigable.

And so it was. I got to Fitzroy Crossing, rode over the DRY single-lane causeway with a group led by a pilot vehicle. Nothing to worry about at all!
I purchased fuel, and it WAS ice-cream-o-clock, then headed west to the next problematic section, Willare Bridge.

Again, the WA Main Roads website offered horrendous photos of the road conditions. It was a quagmire. And I gotta say that I was really worried about this one. Kilometres of the highway were literally washed away.

It was a straight low-stress ride to Willare Bridge and I gotta say fairly bland scenery.

This photo at a short comfort stop around the Mueller Ranges pretty well sums it up.



Carefully managing my fuel stops, I arrived at Willare Bridge to find a dry 2-lane dirt road section. No problem at all. Contrary to the WA Main Roads website information at that time.

In hind-sight, that's probably when and where the Wing got dirty...

What really came to mind, was the extent of the road damage. This country is flat as far as the eye can see. It simply beggers belief to comprehend how much rain (water) must have fallen to cause this amount of damage to the roads. Where did all that water come from?

I pushed on to the Roebuck Plains Roadhouse. Another good decision. A 'very big truck stop' ergo a guarantee of great food, hospitality and accomodation.



If there was one criticism that I could pose regarding the north of Australia, it would be the food. The quality of the food was top-notch.
However, the quantity! You could feed a school bus of hungry kids with the portion sizes. No chance you would ever go hungry up here.

Slept well. Much relieved to have got through the Kimberley road repairs.

Next stop, Nanutarra.

[spacey1]

Day 11 (26th May)

Roebuck Plains Roadhouse - Nanutarra Roadhouse = 1059 km

Big day's ride ahead. The only real headache would be managing fuel around Pardoo Roadhouse. Pardoo Roadhouse was literally obliterated by Cyclone Ilsa.

It was this day that it really hit home that we live in a huge country. Looking at the map, I thought that surely it couldn't be a thousand kilometres?

Navigating through Port Hedland presented more of a headache than the aforementioned roadhouse.

A huge road train (3 trucks) carrying massive iron ore trucks held me up for a while south of Karratha. Glad that I wasn't in the build-up of traffic behind that lot.



Arrived in Nanutarra around sunset.





Slept and again ate an awesome meal at the Nanutarra Roadhouse.

[spacey1]

Day 12 (26th May)

Nanutarra Roadhouse - Geraldton = 837 km

Up early again for a relatively short ride to Geraldton. Left Nanutarra at sunrise.



I was hoping to stop over night with fellow club members in Geraldton. Unfortunately, both were out-of-town.

Arriving in Geraldton as light was fading, I had another decision to make. I was feeling ok so I decided to head home.

I took the Indian Ocean Road down the coast. Mindful of the local wildlife (which was plentiful and insisted on observing only), I kept my speed down and exercised extreme caution.
The air temperature was plummeting. I hadn't experienced cold for some days. Somehow I managed to pull up in my warm garage at 10.43 pm.

Nanutarra Roadhouse - Perth = 1234 km



Total trip distance = 9,361 km

Slept at Home...

[Bozo]

Nev

Excellent ride report. Nothing to fear about staying at Fitzroy Crossing.

Bozo