Goin’ to the Shops to get some milk…

[Digger]

So good to see these reports including the photos Steve.
It has given me something to brighten up my day as I sit in a council meeting while people are arguing about rubbish collection, traffic, setbacks, plot ratio and the list goes on. Well at least I am being paid for sitting here.
Kots.

I wish I could change places with you. I have always been fascinated by Plot Ratio and enjoy every aspect of it. It makes great dinner time conversation.

[Digger]

Goin’ to the shops to buy some milk…

Update end of Day 13
We left the Off Centre Rally and made our way northwards thru Gulf country. We ventured further then Burke and Wills got (unfortunate bastards!) and headed to Normanton. I had been dreading this moment for two weeks because of the pending crossing of the Mitchel River and Dunbar. Very intimidating. That crossing was closed so we were forced to take a bypass. That proved to be challenging due to the added distance involved between fuel stops. We are currently at Coen trying to effect some minor repairs before continuing north the the Tip of Cape York.
See captions below.


More of the facilities at Adele’s Grove. The dining area was all new after a fire destroyed the place two years prior.



An informal gathering to decide the location for the next Off Centre Rally in 2024. It was decided to gather at Arkaroola in the Flinders Ranges.



Departed Adels Grove and headed for the Tip of Cape York. We checked out Leichhardt Falls on the way. Remember, Jesus died for our sins.



Leichhardt Falls…

To be cont…

[Digger]

Update end of day 13 cont…




Normanton…Krys the Savannah King. Largest croc ever killed (when croc shooting was a thing) and measures at 8.63 metres long when killed in 1957 by Krystina Pawlowski.



A bull dust patch, one of many, along the Burke Developmental Road in the Gulf of Carpentaria. This stretch caught both of us off gaurd and nearly proved to be catastrophic. Tricky stuff to negotiate.



The Mitchel River crossing at Dunbar. The crossing is officially closed ‘indefinitely’ after 3 cyclones earlier in the wet season dislodged the matting creating big drop offs which proved hazardous to allow safe passage. We had to take a bypass extending our journey by several hundred kms.



The Mitchel River crossing from the air. Too dodgy to cross safely. We are too far from home to take unnecessary risks.


To be cont…

[Digger]

Update end of day 13 cont…




The bypass involved transiting thru Gamboola Homestead. We wanted to check to make sure we weren’t trespassing after having to pass thru gates. They gave us the all clear.




We had to bypass the bypass resulting in greater distances. I factored in 700km between fuel stops. It ended up being 750km. I was running on vapours with nothing left in the tank (pardon the pun).

Watch this space.

[Digger]

Goin’ to the shops to buy some milk…

Update end of Day 15.
We’ve made it! We’ll, almost. We are currently camped at Seisia, the last Community closest to the most northern point of the Australian mainland. My journey has gone rather swimmingly but Tom’s desire to complete the Old Telegraph Track meant that his journey has involved ‘swimmingly’ resulting in drowning his bike in a creek crossing. He managed to get it going after 3 hours on the side of the track and we will spend the next 48-72 hours regathering our composure before heading back south.
We head for the ‘Tip’ tomorrow (Friday).
See captions below.


Tom in his usual position…guts up fixin’ the Suzuki. This time it’s replacing the bolt on the footrest with a correct bolt found in a workshop at Coen.





The original Old Telegraph Track commences at Bramwell Junction. Tom started heading on the Track while I stayed on the Peninsular Development Road.



We agreed to meet at this junction…74 km for him and 106 km for me. It took him 3.5 hours.




We camped near Sailor Creek on the Old Telegraph Track. It was like a scene from Deliverance. I swore I heard Duelling Banjoes in my sleep.




The water crossing at Sailor Creek. We were on the northern side so no need to cross it.




Fruit Bat Falls. Very nice!




Fruit Bat Falls




The Ferry crossing at the Jardine River. It can only take a few vehicles each crossing.



Jardine Ferry crossing.




A RAAF DC3 in transit from Brisbane to New Guinea crashed in May 1945 killing all on board. The wreckage is located near Bamaga near the Tip.




A former fuel dump from WW2 used by the RAAF near Bamaga Airfield.





Some more wreckage located near the Airfield of a Bristol Beaufort Torpedo Bomber.




Meet Adrian. He winched Tom out of a creek crossing the day before. If it wasn’t for Adrian, Tom would still be ‘in’ Palm Creek on the Telegraph Track.

Watch this space.

[Digger]

Goin’ to the shops to buy some milk…

Update end of Day 16.
Been there; done that! We can’t go any further north. Time to head for home. We have to go to Cairns, not our preference, but Tom’s rear tyre (swapped out at Mt Isa) was a poor selection and won’t get us home. That means an extra day or so and several hundred kms out of our way. We don’t have a lot of options available to us. We start heading back tomorrow (Saturday).
See captions below.


This way!




The car park at Pajinka, the Tip of Cape York. From here we have to clamber over rocks for 400 metres.




We made it. Now time to head south…we certainly can’t go any further north (not without swimming).




A very well travelled helmet.




Part of a bus tour group.




The abandoned Pajinka Wilderness Lodge. Closed in 2002 for renovations. Not a lot has happened since.




The pool could do with a clean.




By the time we get to Cairns, this tyre will be toast.




I got what I came for…time to go home.

SPOT Link is here;
https://maps.findmespot.com/Track?ishr= ... ory/assets

[Kots]

Sittin' at the desk in the office in the Terrace, watching the progress. You have inspired me to charge the battery and get out again.

I expect you knew there were some shops that do home deliveries and, there are some shops that are closer that the one you landed at?

Congratulations Boys. Enjoy the ride downhill back home.

Kots

[Digger]

Goin’ to the shops to buy some milk…

Update end of Day 19.
We have arrived at Cairns to swap out Tom’s rear tyre. It has not gone without incident. From here we head toward Alice Springs via the Donahue and Plenty Highways.
See captions below.



While at Bramwell Station, we heard someone was injured on the Tele Track at Palm Creek (where Tom had to be winched out). A bloke had been pinned between two vehicles and wasn’t well. An Ambulance went in to stabilise the patient while a rescue helicopter flew in to Medevac him out.



There was a group of three Riders half a day ahead of us. This is the result if you hit a concrete floodway on a gravel road at speed when the approach and departure are eroded.



Cooktown. Ol’ mate James pulled into the sheltered bay here to effect repairs after hitting the Barrier Reef.




The sheltered bay in question.




The infamous Lions Den Hotel, Rossvale. As a young soldier I got so drunk here in 1977 that I only recovered from the hangover last week. Rough night!




Jungle bush camp - Daintree Rainforest




I laid the bike over crossing one of the creeks near Cape Tribulation. I wasn’t sure whether the bike swallowed any water so we pushed it clear of the creek.




We took the tank cover off to expose the air intake. No water present in the air box so we assumed all clear. Bike started ok. We lost about 1.5 hours.




We had to catch another ferry. This time to cross the Daintree River.

[Digger]

Goin’ to the shops to buy some milk…



Update end of Day 22.

Tom has been plagued by problems since leaving Cairns. We think it’s carby (fuel) orientated but no matter what we’ve tried to resolve the problem, it hasn’t worked. We are still mobile but it has impaired our progress. We are one days ride from Alice and are inching our way across the Continent.

See captions below.



After leaving Cairns, we had to cross the Great Dividing Range. The Twisty’s on Gillies Range Road towards Atherton were a lot of fun on the BMW.



Tom’s bike started to experience problems…we suspected a fuel issue. We pulled over several times to eliminate possibilities.



Another roadside stop to try and figure out the problem. The bike would just lose power at no notice.



Called into Central Motors at Winton in Outback Qld to buy some fuel hose and new filters.



The lookout at Cawnpore Ranges…one of the few distractions in an otherwise featureless and barren landscape in that part of Qld.



The myth of the Min Min Light…just east of Boulia.



Tom, standard position; just a different location each time.



Crossing into the NT on the Donahue and Plenty ‘Highways’. One State closer to home.



Very creative people in the Outback. This old Austin doubles as a huge fire pit for tourists staying at the Tobermorey Homestead on the Qld/NT Border…but wait, there’s more.





Pop the bonnet and you have a huge gas BBQ as well!





Bush camped at the Zircon Fossicking Area about 130km north east of Alice Springs.







Update end of Day 27.

We have successfully returned to Perth to complete our 12,000km round trip to the Shops.

We only stayed in Alice long enough to resupply (and have McDonalds) and for Tom to get some more bits and pieces as he tried to rectify the engine misfire. The transit along Great Central Road was relatively seamless although we did encounter a fatal MVA 80km east of Tjukayirla Roadhouse.

I’ll now be in Lockdown for the next couple of weeks while I produce some Vids of the journey.

Watch this space.

See captions below.





Inbound to Alice along Binns Track. Bill Binns was a Ranger with NT Parks and Wildlife for 32 years and created the Track (route) to showcase the NT’s unique landscape and native wildlife.



The ruins of Arltunga, a town established after gold was discovered in the 1880’s nearby.



We were exploring Arltunga, the first town established in Central Australia. There was a sign to a walk trail. It indicated a 15 minute walk. To me, that equaled a 2 minute ride…until I got stuck in a creek bed. I got bogged trying to do a U turn.



We went past Alice Springs Airport….a sizeable domestic and commercial airport. It is also the ideal place to store unneeded aircraft when there is a Covid crisis. The desert is the best environment to store the aircraft because of the dry climate.



We visited the Henbury meteorite crater on Ernst Giles Road. In the overall scheme of things, this event was recent history…only 4,000 year old.



No caption required.



We came across 2 other Adventure Riders…one had to abandoned his bike near Docker River (WA/NT Border) and travel to Yulara to organise a tyre repair (500km round trip) after exhausting all his patch repair gear after numerous punctures. His mate remained behind to look after their gear. He had been there for 2 1/2 days waiting for an outcome.



We thought the problem with Tom’s bike may have been restricted air flow to the carburettor. We made some changes with no affect. Bummer.



While negotiating Great Central Road we encountered a two car head on crash with serious consequences. One woman in her 30’s deceased and 4 others seriously injured. First responders including Police and Ambulances were still transiting to the accident site to assist 5 hours after the accident occurred.

[Digger]

Hello Snowflakes,
Any Excuse to Travel the Country - Goin' to the shops to get some milk!
Join Tom (DR650) and Steve (BMW R1200GSA) as they travel from the SW of Australia to the very most Northern point of the Australian Mainland at the Tip of Cape York in Far North Queensland. In this first vid, they decide to take the 200km long Telegraph Track from Norseman to Balladonia even though the area has copped a lot of rain and they know the going is gunna be tough!
Grab ya gear; Lets go!

[spacey1]

Jeezus digger!

You've really raised the bar this time. I did enjoy the ride

[Digger]

Hello Slackers,
Eps 2 of my recent trip to Cape York.

Join Tom (DR650) and Steve (BMW R1200GSA) as they travel from the SW of Australia to the very most Northern point of the Australian Mainland at the Tip of Cape York in Far North Queensland in search of milk.
In this vid, they finally get clear of the 200km long torturous Telegraph Track and make their way to the 45th Anniversary of the Border Run at the Western Australia/South Australia Border. From there they take in the spectacular coastal scenery of the Great Australian Bight before heading inland the original Nullarbor Crossing and the old travelers rest stops dating back to last century.
Grab ya gear; Lets go!

[Digger]

Hello Slackers,
The saga continues...
Join Tom (DR650) and Steve (BMW R1200GSA) as they travel from the SW of Australia to the very most Northern point of the Australian Mainland at the Tip of Cape York in Far North Queensland in search of milk.
In this vid, da boyz continue their journey along the derelict old original Nullarbor crossing and experience freezing temperatures (literally). They eventually reach the black top and continue heading East before hitting the unsealed roads again inbound for Kingoonya, From there its to Woomera Village located on the traditional lands of the Kokatha people in the Far North region of South Australia.
Grab ya gear; Lets go!

[Digger]

Hello Snowflakes,

Join Tom (DR650) and Steve (BMW R1200GSA) as they travel from the SW of Australia to the very most Northern point of the Australian Mainland at the Tip of Cape York in Far North Queensland all in the search for milk.
In this Vid, Laurel and Hardy continue in their yearning for warmer climates. They transit along the Oodnadatta Tack and then cross over into Outback Queensland. Then they head for Birdsville along a damp Birdsville Track after unseasonal rain. They push on to Mt Isa for a tyre change and are then on the final approach to attend the Off Centre Rally at Adel’s Grove.

[Digger]

Hi Folks,

Eps 5 - The OCR (Off Centre Rally).

Join Tom (DR650) and Steve (BMW R1200GSA) as they travel from the SW of Australia to the very most Northern point of the Australian Mainland at the Tip of Cape York in Far North Queensland all in the search for milk.
In this Vid, Tom and Jerry make their way to the Off Centre Rally being held at Adel’s Grove near the Lawn Hill National Park. There, they are joined by about 200 other Riders from all around Australia (and a couple from Overseas) to enjoy the camaraderie and mateship that goes hand in hand with Adv Riding. Once complete, they head further North on their way to Australia’s northern most point known as Pajinka.
Grab ya gear; Lets go!