Courtesy of a comfortable room at the Border Village Hotel, we were able to get going early, clearing WA Quarantine at 6.36 am.
So it was good-bye to the Border Village Hotel for this 2024 Border Run...
And onto the task at hand...
Would we make it home or would we stay overnight somewhere?
I discussed the situation with JD, suggesting that we will need to pick it up a little. We stuck to our GPS 108 km/h on the way to the Border. If we were to make it home today, we would need to shuffle along a bit. And so it was. It was a good exercise, as it allowed an insight into how much more fuel was used at a slightly higher speed.
Essentially, the journey was a repeat of the journey to the Border, but in reverse.
Fuel stops: Cocklebiddy, Balladonia, Norseman, Coolgardie, Merridan, Home.
The weather was almost perfect. There was the wind, but mostly sunny. Warm enough until around Merridan.
I stopped to offer JD a ride on the Wing at about 50 km east of Balladonia. I figured that I couldn't hurt myself on the Road King in 50 km, could I?
As it turned out, 50 km was plenty enough on that beast of a HD Road King. You have to be tough to ride one of those these distances...
Glad to get back on the Wing at Balladonia and start making ground.
By the time we got to Merridan, it was getting bloody cold. Stopping to shove all the spare clothing we had into and under our riding gear, we bid farewell. JD off to Narrogin.
There was only one bit of excitement on the way...
Picture this: You know when you are travelling at night, you've got fabulous driving lights that light up the planet. However, when a vehicle comes the other way, both of you dip your lights.
For that split second, you can't see much at all. I've always wondered 'What if?'...
Well... in that split second, a kangaroo on my left in flight, and a kangaroo on my right in flight. In the next instant, I was clear.
All I could think of was, "Jeez, I'm glad to be on a motorbike! In a car, I would have collected at least one 'roo, and possible ran into the on-coming car". Bewdy!
Arrived safely back in Kingsley at 10.30 pm Sunday night.
1,449 km in 16 hours.
My previous best single day: 1,249 km from Nanutarra Roadhouse to Home.
Starting to realise that I'm getting too old for that nonsense...