New Year's Resolution

[Digger]

Never smile at a crocodile…

[Digger]

Hello Slackers,

I really enjoy showing off our Country. I also enjoy taking Jacki to parts of the Country that she hasn't seen before and showcasing all that this Country has to offer. Jacki and I spent two weeks on a road trip exploring the heritage-listed rainforests and Great Barrier Reef of tropical North Queensland.

Grab ya gear; let's go!

See you on the other side.

[Digger]

Hi Folks,

Myself and another Club Member will be attending the Red Dust Revival held at Lake Perkolili near Kalgoorlie. The Red Dust Revival Link is here;

https://www.motoringpast.com.au/red-dust-revival

In 25 words or less

"The Lake Perkolilli Red Dust Revival celebrates the golden years of racing at Lake Perkolilli from 1914 to 1939, and cars built in this era are acceptable for the event".

Chris and I will be there for the last couple of days of Trials and then the Races before he and I go to Well 5 on the Canning Stock Route to finish some unfinished business from a few years ago.

My InReach satelite tracker link is here;

https://share.garmin.com/YZW3R

Consider limiting the Date Range to last 7 days.

You can follow our movements in real time from Thursday morning, 2 Oct.

See you on the other side!

[Digger]

Short vid.

RDR - Lake Perkolilli.

[Digger]

Chris and I attended the Red Dust Revival, which served as a jumping-off point for us to complete the journey from Well 5 to Well 1 on the Canning Stock Route. Also joining us was Megan, Chris' daughter, who had recently purchased a Suzuki Jimny and wanted to gain some off-road experience. What better way than to initiate it (and Megan) to Australia's Outback.
Grab ya gear; Lets go!
See captions below.


The Revival is all about machinery manufactured between the World Wars, 1919 to 1939. Competitors 'race' them around the dry lake bed at breakneck speed. In this case, the Gwynne has a massive 8HP and goes from 0 to 60mph in three weeks.


Lots of bikes were represented as well, and in this case, a BSA Bantam (I think), ready to race!



Australia's first water-cooled 600cc bike.


The event was cut short by a day due to flooding and many vehicles were stranded, requiring recovery. We were able to depart and head for Laverton and Wiluna to tackle parts of the Canning Stock Route. We took the unsealed roads past Mt Celia and Granny Smith Mine. The conditions proved challenging.


Lunch stop at an abandoned homestead...the car could have used a wash!


The Caravan Park at Laverton is closed for an upgrade and renovations. We were told we could camp at the Laverton Racecourse and dry out all our wet camping gear. The only downside is that there were no toilets or showers available. It rained during the night and we were thankful to be undercover. There was water available for the gardens, so we were able to hose off some of the mud.


The following day, I cleaned up Ol' Man Emu. I didn't even have time to decelerate it happened that quickly. Thankfully, the Bull Bar took the knock, although I think his head dented my number plate. Thankfully, Megan never hit it as her car had no body protection fitted at all.


Extracting water at Well 5 on the Canning Stock Route.


After two days and 200km, we completed the CSR and celebrated our victory. Chris and I have had some unfinished business dating back to 2019 when we first attempted the Stock Route.


It is remote, challenging and not for the faint-hearted. Prior preparation is essential.

Vid(s) to follow.

See you on the other side!

[Digger]

The Lake Perkolilli Red Dust Revival celebrates the golden years of outback motor racing from 1914 to 1939. Between 1914 and 1939, races were held on the lake's hard, smooth surface with drivers reaching speeds of 200 kilometres per hour in a time before quality roads were built. Regrettably, this year's Event finished prematurely due to the onset of unseasonal rain, but that didn't stop those who attended, both as competitors and spectators, from enjoying this most unusual competition in the remote Australian Outback.
Grab ya gear; Lets go!

[Digger]

We leave the Red Dust Revival in an attempt to complete the Canning Stock Route, one of Australia's most remote 4WD tracks, from Wells Five down to One. This trip has been on the drawing board for six years, following failed attempts to complete the Route in 2019 and 2020. Will we be successful this time?
Grab ya gear; Let's go!

[GSDisciple]

Congrats on finally getting there fellas! It's a tough track!

JP

[andrew60]

Well done on completing the CSR, its a fantastic outback experience.

Andrew Q.

[Digger]

Hello Slackers,

I depart for Japan later this evening. The plan is to do a solo unsupported cycle tour of the Pacific Ocean Cycle Trail, a 1,487 km cycle route from Tokyo and heading southwest. I won't do the whole thing; I'll get to a point and then head inland and continue back to Tokyo. I expect to be in-country for about three weeks.

Link for the cycle trail is here;

https://www.japan.travel/en/sports/cycl ... ng-road-2/

I expect to start the tour on Friday after a couple of days of orientation around Tokyo.

You can follow my progress in real time by clicking on the link to my Garmin InReach satellite tracker.

https://share.garmin.com/YZW3R

Consider limiting the date range to 'last 7 days'.

See you on the other side.

[Digger]

Update - Cycle Touring Japan - Pacific Ocean Cycle Trail - End of Day 6 (in country).

See captions below.


The trip in to the bike hire mob was using Japans extensive public transport system. All you need is Google Maps and it is so detailed it tells you which platform, which exit to use and all the information you need for a stress free commute.



I arrived on a Wednesday and the following day I collected the hire bike. The return journey to the hotel was about 23 km. Within minutes, Maps.Me, one of the navigation Apps I use, had me going down all their back streets. Perfect.



The bike I hired. Not my first choice but the one I wanted wasn’t available. This is a BESV JF1. Never heard of the brand before. 10 speed, three power level rigid E Bike. I think it will be suitable for the job. They supplied the rack; I supplied the panniers. It came with a spare battery which may come in handy for when I enter rolling country.



When in Rome…
The idea of cycle touring is to experience another country’s culture. I stayed in a traditional Japanese home converted to a hostel. Cheap and cheerful. $40 AUD. Pity the bloke in the next room was a snorer. The walls are paper thin.



I visited the Tourist Info Mob at the start of the Trail. They were able to give me very detailed maps all written in Japanese. Thankfully, Google Translate had a camera function which translates into English easily. International travel has never been so easy.




The 1,400km Pacific Ocean Cycle Trail uses these trail markings. As long as I see these a few times a day I’ll know I’m on the right track.



What can I say. I suffer separation anxiety when I can’t see the bike. I like to know where the bike is at all times. If I had to explain it to you, you wouldn’t understand.



I’ve never associated Japan with surfing. I saw a Marquee with ‘Nippon Surf Association’ written on it. I think there was a surf carnival happening at the time I went past. Daytime temperatures have been around 10-14 decrees Celcius.



Japan is a big fan of tunnels. That’s great to smooth out the rolling country, especially for cyclists, but these tunnels are NOT user friendly. Most are poorly lit, have no bike lane and therefore you have to share the road with other road users including trucks. Some are up to 2km long and can be very intimidating, bordering on frightening. The sound reverberates off the tunnel sides and ceiling and it’s hard to determine the direction the vehicles are coming from. I’m not a fan!

Distances cycled to date - 286 km.

See you on the other side!

[Digger]

Enoshima Beach. One of the closest beaches to Tokyo. Think Scarborough, Bondi, Glenelg, St Kilda. You get the idea. Only 9 degrees C today.

[Digger]

Update - Cycle Touring Japan - Pacific Ocean Cycle Trail - End of Day 10 (in country).
See captions below.



This day was to be the first real test for bike and battery. I crossed a peninsular to catch a Vehicle Ferry rather than follow the coast for no real benefit. The temperature never got above single digits, and combined with a strong headwind and rolling country, it was one of toughest days in the saddle. I did make good time though.


I always try and catch local transport when in country be it the Ferry, bus or train. It just broadens the whole travel experience. The Ferry crossed a water gap of 40 minutes with bike and I for less than $16AUD. Here the bike is being secured prior to departure.


The bowels of the Ferry…it was not a busy day. It crosses about 6 times a day.



My Gypsy quarters for the night. I paid more than I would have liked but my options were limited.



Quirky, to say the least.




The view from my Office window on this day. They drive on the left so I am doing the tour clockwise. That way, there isn’t even a lane of traffic between me and the view.




Koshigoe Beach 腰越海水浴場 in Enoshima, one of the closest beaches to Tokyo. Think Bondi, Scarborough, Glenelg, St Kilda. You get the idea. This was a workday and only 9 degrees Celsius and hence no one was swimming.


My lodgings for the night booked thru Bookings.com. $55 AUD. It’s only when I checked in that I realised they also rent rooms by the hour. None of the reviews mentioned that.


The ‘dispensary’ inside the room. There was also a ‘user manual’ in the room. Go figure!


Some steep climbs along a stunning coastline. The second spare battery came in handy after 48km.



One of the many small communities along these parts. Lots of high end Hotels catering for domestic and international travellers alike.


My room for the night. You pay a fee, and you still have to make your own bed! Go figure.



The following day, I headed inland. Maps.me guided me….up the garden path. E-bike or no e-bike, I had to get off and push for several hundred metres. Even e-bikes have their limitations. I won’t make that mistake again.

Garmin InReach link is here.

https://share.garmin.com/YZW3R

[Digger]

I had a day out of the saddle and did some local exploring around the base of Mt Fuji…



See you on the other side!

[Digger]

Update - Cycle Touring Japan - Pacific Ocean Cycle Trail - End of Day 14 (in country).
See captions below.


My first glimpse of Mount Fuji. Apparently, it is only visible about 80 days a year due to cloud cover etc so I thought I was privelaged to see it when I did.


There’s a post card right there.



I caught another Ferry to cross Suruga Bay. This time on the Gold Road.



The Gold Road coming in to berth.



I caught the Ferry to avoid country like this. If you know, you know.



I spent a day out of the saddle and just became a tourist for the day. I explored parts of the region around Mt Fuji. That included a trip on their bullet train (Shinkansen). We peaked at 281 kph on this trip but I think he was still in first gear.
This from Google…
The highest recorded speed of a Shinkansen train is 603 km/h (375 mph), achieved by the L0 Series Maglev train during a manned test run on April 21, 2015




On the way to the north side of Mt Fuji we went above the snow line. Unfortunately, Mt Fuji was not visible due to cloud cover.



My road map of the major places I’ve been to help join the dots for the Locals and to help me later when dementia starts to set in (hopefully that won’t happen).



The town I’m in (Gotemba) has a great vantage point to see Mt Fuji. This is the view I got.



This is the view on a good day.
Distance cycled - 643km.