KARALEE ROCKS: Saturday, August 1st, 2020 + PIX

[Cookie]

Details are coming together.
Meet at the Lakes Roadhouse at 8am, top up and be ready for 8.30am departure on Saturday 1st August.
Winding our way to through the back roads to Brookton (arrive around 10am)
Meandering through the Wheatbelt, passing through Kondinin around lunchtime
Then head North East and pop out onto Great Eastern Highway near Southern Cross, turn Right for the run to Karalee Rocks (on the North side of the Hwy with Toilets onsite) for the overnight Bush camp on Saturday 1st August. we may be joined by a contingent from Kalgoorlie if all goes well.
Note: This will be around 500km for the day, with around half on dirt roads.
The return route on Sunday 2nd August will continue the Counterclockwise route back to metro by mid to late afternoon.
Mixture of tar and dirt roads, route and distance to be confirmed - anticipate ~ 1100km round trip.

There are other riders planning on a bitumen only ride to meet at the campsite - let me know if you would prefer this route and I will put you in touch with them.

You can register via the Club website.

Register your interest on the Club website: https://www.bmwmccwa.asn.au/

[Carl.M]

Hi Cookie,

I just put my name down for the ride as I plan on riding out with you guys on the Saturday and then most likely continuing on for a 3-5 days or so as a pretty much standard ride through the gold fields. If I can't come up with something more creative then it would be Lake Perkollil, Kookynie, Menzies, Lake Ballard and Credo and then maybe cut across to Bullfinch and meander back. But I may scrap that idea and head up towards Mt Augusta/Kennedy Ranges.

If anybody else has a few days they want to kill then I am happy to team up with others and look at other destinations but I am almost certainly heading somewhere for sometime.

Carl
G650GS Single

[Goldie1]

Trying to organise a leave pass is there a road ride and where is it leaving from

[Cookie]

Road riders will also congregate and head out from the Lakes - meet at 8 for 8.30 departure.

[nickcoleman]

FYI, as of Wednesday

• Forecast & Sunrise/set:
• Sat Perth AM: min 7C, no rain
• Sat Southern Cross PM: max 17C, no rain, sunset 17:30
• Sun Southern Cross AM: min 4C, no rain, sunrise 06:50
• Sun Perth PM: max 19C, no rain

[Swampy]

FYI Nick, As for Saturday.............I will be snug as a bug in a rug in the Southern Cross Motel wondering what size steak I should have for tea in the Restaurant to accompany a few refreshing cold beers while enjoying a few laughs with Wes and Ross before retiring to my room to catch Sunday's weather forecast on TV!!

I would probably then crawl into bed to read a book and to maybe contemplate whether I should turn down the electric blanket and air conditioning if it was getting a tad too warm?

I would awake Sunday morning to hot shower and to make use of the facilities to make a refreshing brew while I pondered how many rashers of bacon I would have with my eggs and sausages?

I may even spare a thought or too and a laugh with the lads as we make bets on how many times in the night you had to climb out in the cold to relieve yourself?

Just Saying mate!!

Swamps

[Cookie]

Looks like the weather is going to be great for a Motorbike ride

We will travel via Corrigin, rather than Kondinin, in order to help make up some time.

As has been pointed out, bring your warm gear, as it will be cold overnight Perfect camping weather for my liking.

Make sure you are at the Lakes, fueled up and ready for the briefing prior to departure at 8.30, as with the large group, we will need to keep moving.

We will pick up more riders as we pass through Brookton.

[Goldie1]

Sounds great gotta get up early sat morning. Any ideas of numbers yet

[Swampy]

24 Registered riders Goldie!!

Swamps

[Cookie]

Hello Goldie

Around 30 riders - 6-8 on road and 20 odd for the mixed route , see you there.

[BillB]

BillB spot tracker link if anyone wants to follow:

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/face ... k1gOMvpb9M

[Swampy]

A good gathering at The Lakes yesterday morning with the majority of people opting for Cookies Dirt Road Ride!!

A bit of confusion reigned as I took the lead to show Andrew where Talbot Road was and I happily toodled along to the turn off unaware that a group of Dirt road riders had attached themselves to us!!

The dilemma was sorted further down the track when Cookies group arrived and Andrews group was reduced to seven as we travelled through low wet mist and cloud to Beverly for an elderly gentleman comfort stop!!

It appears that you can't always rely on your GPS to work as it should especially in country areas and Andrews GPS took us off in the wrong direction for a few k's before a stop to check on a good a reliable old road map saw us back tracking to Beverly to head off through Mawson along some terrific quiet country roads onto Quairading and Bruce Rock where we waited in vain for the Dirt Riders to catch up only to find twenty minutes later that they had beaten there and had already passed through town cleaning up most of the meat pies available at the servo!!

Our erstwhile group of clean road riding hooked it on a fast run into Merredin were we stopped for a fuel and meal break.

On the next leg into Southern Cross I was left in everyone's wake as they sped off into the horizon while I cruised along obeying the road rules as some of these country cops can be rather clever at catching the unwary out!!

I pulled into the Southern Cross Motel where Wes who had booked in and dropped his gear off was just leaving to travel with the mob to Karalee Rocks to visit the camp site!!
Feeling a tad weary, This old man decided to book in and rest up at the motel, where after a hot shower and a rest thought about looking for a refreshing drop of liquid amber fluid to quench my first!!
I was informed that the Railway Tavern was a short stroll away from the motel so after receiving some basic directions from the motel manager set for around 1800 in search of a drink!!

Approx. 1 hour later having seemingly walked for endless miles without sighting the Tavern I headed back towards the motel with a full moon the only light available to illuminate my path through the endless black back streets of Southern Cross with barking dogs my only company as I passed endless houses in the gloom!!

Shades of Digger and His Royal Griceness plight on the Canning Stock Route haunted me as I began to have doubts about my ability to survive without food and water as I struggled to make my way back to the relative safety of the motel!!
Was I destined succumb to exhaustion as struggled through the endless night with throat parched dry without even getting a sniff of a life saving lager??

Then without warning I suddenly began to feel a rhythmic vibration course through my jacket pocket and my phone began to make phone like sounds!!

Salvation was at hand via the miracle of Telstra Technology as I clicked the receive button and placed the device to my ear and heard Wes say "Hey Swampy Where the F... are you?"
"I don't bloody know" I cried out plaintively in reply
To which he said "Okay wait there and we will meet up with you"!!

A short while later two ghostly figures emerged out of the gloom of a side street and led me back into relative civilisation and guided me to the Palace Hotel where the slow process of my recuperation began in the shape of a pint glass of beer was followed by a large plate of delicious life preserving food!!

Feeling better and brave again after being rescued from the clutches of the dim dark back streets of Southern Cross, I suggested we send a photo of our meals and drinks to the lost poor souls braving the cold night out at Karalee Rocks in order to cheer them a little!!
Little did I know that the good lads from Kal. had bought sustenance in the shape of a Wheely Bin to them filled with Home Brew to help carry them through the night!!
I was escorted back to lodgings my able and willing escorts and as is appropriate of a person of my senior years I retired to bed with a cuppa and a good book before the sand man arrived and sleep blessed sleep visited me!!

Then I got up and slabbed it back home arriving around 1430 after clocking up around 900kms for the weekend!!

The End of the Road Ride!!

Swampy

[Goldie1]

Biggest turn out for a ride for a while. The BP at southern Cross was full of bikes so 5 of us went over the road for fuel. Well done to Cookie For the dirt and Andrew for the road ,lucky my old shell road map still survives but Andrews GPS came good in the end. Great call by Cookie to have it finish at Karalee Rocks always knew about the old pub that was burnt down but not about all the other infrastructure there. All done in hard ground and solid rock in the early 1900s with picks and shovels. Recommend to anybody an excellent camping spot. A lot to explore there. I think everyone enjoyed the whole weekend and the rain held of until nearly home

[spacey1]

Now that the Covid-19 restrictions have loosened up for we West Australians, there's obviously no shortage of demand for getting away from the city. A large group, in the order of 30 riders, waited impatiently at the Lakes Roadhouse. ~10 road riders and ~20 budding off-road aficionados. Then with a rider-briefing from our Prez, off we went at 08.30 hrs...

We arrived at Karalee Rocks at varying times. We off-roaders started setting up tents at around 16.15 hrs. A little late in the day, but all was good. JD showed up at 20.00 hrs in the dark.

The Dam at Karalee Rock


Terrific camp spot! Toilets and bench tables

The blue Mitsubishi ute in the pic belonged to club members from Kalgoorlie who had driven over to meet us and demonstrate extraordinary country hospitality. Beer, food, and a fire-pit . Thanks Gents!






As always Lefty knows how to rough it


The Karalee Rocks and Dam Aquaduct: https://www.yilgarn.wa.gov.au/visitors/ ... e-dam.aspx

Karalee Dam was constructed to provide water for slow steam trains en route to Kalgoorlie. The site was chosen mainly because of the granite outcrop; with rain the outcrop becomes a natural catchment area. Construction between 1896–1897, its capacity 10.6 million gallons, 1487 feet above sea level and 25 feet in depth. Retaining walls of granite slab, all cut from the top of the rock and laid by hand, surround the enormous rock catchment.

This enables the water to flow off the rock into the dam via a large semi-circular aqueduct of steel, hand riveted at each joint, which is still in very good condition considering its age and the natural harsh elements.

Pano of the Karalee Rock camp area

[spacey1]

Heading out from Karalee Rock, JeffD and I passed our apologies on to the Prez and headed south to Marvel Loch. JD has some information from a friend that the Mt Day fire road was well maintained and pointed in a 100 km straight line from just south of the Marvel Loch mine directly to the Hyden-Norseman Road. We gathered some intel from the shop owner in Marvel Loch and headed out. He advised us on how to go around the mine haul road. Doing same, we were still not certain about the Mt Day track location. While parked up at a haul road intersection wondering what to do next, the mine manager rocked up and filled in the missing information. So off we went again. Only to find ourselves on another haul road. Luckily, the mine manager had driven down to meet us and gave us directions to the track. He also advised that the track rarely saw traffic. If something goes belly-up, we're on our own. The start was only about 100 metres away. We probably would never have found it...

After airing down our tyres...


...and discussing safety strategies, I took the lead. JD said it was my ride... If the going got too challenging, turning around was OK. Better safe than sorry.

Fantastic riding through this very pretty country. Mostly a solid well maintained surface. Sections with tree canopies sheltering the track (littered with kangaroos). Sections scorched by the fires of the early 2020... Like millions of matchsticks...








The occasional puddle gave us cause for added caution. There was enough room on the sides to allow passage without risking disappearing into the depths. JD reckons that the actual Holland Track has bog holes deep enough to swallow whole 4WDs.




The perfect track conditions allowed the crossing of a salt pan. There was a track around, but the track surface directly across was well formed and solid with vehicle wheel tracks across it.

About 45 km in (of 100 km), there was the sand ... Out of the blue and almost invisible. So there I was laid over on the right side, when I heard the sound of a GS coming in my direction... Thinking this can't be good... JD managed to claw his way through without collecting me on the way. Chatting later, he said that he looked up and thought what's spacey doing on the ground... then f,crow-sounds, sand...


After standing the big girl back up again (full touring load and fuel), I was pretty knackered. The rear tank bag velcros needed re-fitting. More air was released from the tyres. More layers of clothing were removed. Getting internally warm by this time... OK, back on the track, with spades of caution now. Anyhow not long after the next patch of sand raised it's ugly head. Twice as much this time. I managed to hold the big girl up this time. But I was pretty well knackered. So I turned around. Not a feat for the faint-hearted either I might add.

JD had shot on ahead. He noticed that I was no longer in the rear view mirror and thought, 'Where is he?' Riding back down the track, he saw my shiny new panniers in the distance.


Looks like an abort strategy has been implemented... And so it was... Still, a plan was hatched to come in from the Hyden-Norseman Road end on lighter bikes / 4WD to see how track conditions unfolded. I had no regrets going back the 45 km as it was a delightful ride in and out.

JD passed me quick smart as I had misplaced my mojo... He stopped occasionally to snap a few pix.






The last pix stop he waved me through. Then a little time after that he was wondering were I had gone.

So I found myself waiting at the track entrance, thinking "Where's JD?" When he finally arrived, he said, "Did you find your mojo again ". Apparently it was so...