Crossing the Nullarbor
Posted: Mon 25 Jan, 2016 8:06 pm
Cookie
Sorry I will miss the Australia Day Picnic ride.
Made a snap decision to travel to Melbourne because the weather looked good.
Left last Wednesday and the trip to Norseman was uneventful apart from thunderstorms and very heavy rain. The police pulled me over just out of Norseman but only to get me to blow in the bag.
Thursday was a big day to get to Streaky Bay....over 1300 km...with wildly varying temperatures. At Border Village it dropped from 37 to 24 in a few minutes going from bright sunshine to a heavy thunderstorm. Again I was stopped by police who also gave me a breath check.
Just out of Streaky Bay the largest thunderstorm I have seen with the greatest cloud to cloud lightning display. BOM reported that there were 250,000 lightning strikes that night. To make it more interesting there were straying stock and Roos on the road.
Next day the storms reformed over Adelaide. I travelled via Horrocks Pass and Clare to the Barossa Valley trying to avoid the Tour Down Under and the storms. Went through a massive dust storm near where the Pinery fires were. I took the back way to Murray Bridge via Palmer then through Nihill and Dimboola before deviating to the Grampians via Halls Gap. Another deviation to the Pyrenees before arriving in Melbourne on Saturday night.
Big Bash at the MCG was excellent. I was just around from Bay 13 but not far enough from the groups of lads having a big night out. Twice I had beer spilled on me...once when the designated beer carrier tried to hurdle the seat but crashed instead. It was a close game and good to see Mike Husseys last outing.
At trip to the Yarra Valley today...hard to fault the ambience of Chandon, a glass of champagne, the sun shining and having driven some brilliant motorcycle roads around Woori Yallock.
OK so the trip has been in a car but you can still note some excellent alternatives to the highways for later motorcycle roads.
Enjoy the picnic.
Bozo
Sorry I will miss the Australia Day Picnic ride.
Made a snap decision to travel to Melbourne because the weather looked good.
Left last Wednesday and the trip to Norseman was uneventful apart from thunderstorms and very heavy rain. The police pulled me over just out of Norseman but only to get me to blow in the bag.
Thursday was a big day to get to Streaky Bay....over 1300 km...with wildly varying temperatures. At Border Village it dropped from 37 to 24 in a few minutes going from bright sunshine to a heavy thunderstorm. Again I was stopped by police who also gave me a breath check.
Just out of Streaky Bay the largest thunderstorm I have seen with the greatest cloud to cloud lightning display. BOM reported that there were 250,000 lightning strikes that night. To make it more interesting there were straying stock and Roos on the road.
Next day the storms reformed over Adelaide. I travelled via Horrocks Pass and Clare to the Barossa Valley trying to avoid the Tour Down Under and the storms. Went through a massive dust storm near where the Pinery fires were. I took the back way to Murray Bridge via Palmer then through Nihill and Dimboola before deviating to the Grampians via Halls Gap. Another deviation to the Pyrenees before arriving in Melbourne on Saturday night.
Big Bash at the MCG was excellent. I was just around from Bay 13 but not far enough from the groups of lads having a big night out. Twice I had beer spilled on me...once when the designated beer carrier tried to hurdle the seat but crashed instead. It was a close game and good to see Mike Husseys last outing.
At trip to the Yarra Valley today...hard to fault the ambience of Chandon, a glass of champagne, the sun shining and having driven some brilliant motorcycle roads around Woori Yallock.
OK so the trip has been in a car but you can still note some excellent alternatives to the highways for later motorcycle roads.
Enjoy the picnic.
Bozo
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