Sometime either side of Xmas I intend to do a run to Brisbane and back and want to meet up with the regulars from here and try to include some of the easts great bike roads along the way.
Are there any must see events (forum or otherwise) on around these times?
I have a copy of Australia Motorcycle Atlas and am flicking thru for the roads.
Any advice appreciated.
cheers Surly
As I would like to catch up with as many forumers as possible I am trying to organise a weekend in each state.
Still piecing the dates together but first run at is:
Vic 12/13 Dec and perhaps a stay at this famous edenhope pub.
Wollongong seems to be a forum hotspot so here the 19/20 Dec
Gold Cost for Xmas weekend
Mates place in SA for NYE and then an opportunity to meet the SA'ers just after new years...then the long haul home
Andi,
I think they might see me as far as Hopetoun.
Its getting closer!
great day ride, head nth from woogalong up through the nasho then up to the old highway to gosford then back via wisemans ferry & the southern highlands. big ride on some of sydney best roads ......
It all starts tomorrow...
Safe trip mate, and catch you in Adelaide.
I made it to Hopetoun safely with escort in tow (BT, Grahamjb and his mate Don)
Only minor incident for me was a bee trapped between my helmet, sunnies and temple only 20km from home. I pulled over and removed the sunnies waiting for the sting. The bee showed me mercy and fell harmlessly to the ground and wandered a little dazed for a bit...so graham squashed it
Yesterday was bloody hot till we got to the southern coast but it made the beers taste better
This Mal from the hopetoun pub and BT checking out the bikes. He and Natalie looked after us with cold beer and good food. Today I head off for mundrabilla if the time and weather permits anyway. Today the forecast is for a max of 34 and possible thunderstorms
Cya soon
Surly
I left hopetoun with GJB and his mate Don at 6am hoping to reach either Madura or Mundrabilla. I turned off before esperance and headed north while they carried on.
After a few hours I came across a sign that anyone who has crossed the south of the continent has seen and probably has a similar photo of their ride.
This sign should probably read "Australia's Most Boring Road" and I set off giving it the contempt it deserved! Nature returned fire with a 30 knot gusting southerly that made me look like I was riding after a bottle of Jacks (and I dont mean that watered down premix piss n coke) I laughed back at nature HAHAAA!!!! All you are doing is cooling me down...so the breeze promptly changed to a 30 knot gusting northerly...touche nature
I guzzled a 1.5 litre bolttle of water thru a camleback and Istill havent seen any sign of it coming back out.
I passed madura staring at the heavy rain on the horizon thinking I still had plenty of light to get to mundrabilla. I did, but they didnt have a room with a working aircon so I carried onto Eucla for an 1160km day. I am a little sore but should be good to go again in the morning.
I just clicked over 5000km on my bike. I have had it two months now
Cheers Surly
Time travel...
Monday 7th of december I awoke in Eucla at 4am Perth time...4.45am local time and the border only 16km aways was already 6.30am. I decided I may as well head off and believe it was 6.30 (really 5.30 plus DST).
I gingerly crossed into SA expecting a dozen of Rann's finest jackboot wearing HD greeting commitee to be there with latex gloves at the ready...nobody. One cop doing a wide load escort did give me a nod and a wave as he went past...I knew what he meant tho.
My goal for the day was get to Ceduna and see how much daylight was left. I made it there at noon and stopped for fuel and lunch. It would be an interesting town for the Arian Brotherhood to hold there annual get together...if you get what I mean
Anyway still plenty of daylight left to go so I carried on towards Port Augusta and spent the afternoon watching the harvesters in the fields and grain trucks on the roads. I made PA around 5pm...more fuel and another decision. Stillhours of daylight with DST so I carried on to my first long stay on the yorke peninsula arrviving just after 8pm and about 1400km down for the day.
This is the view from the verandah this morning...its going to be a tough couple of days till I head off.
All the big things...
Australia has a proud tradition of erecting fibreglass and concrete edifices and allowing tourists to use them to navigate our fine country. Here are the ones I have used in no particular order.
The giant roo on the WA/SA border
A giant replica of a very small whale at nullarbor
The giant galah at kimba signifying that you are half way across australia.
I will add more giants as I come across them. I rode past the giant ram in Wagin but forgot to stop.
I left the Yorke Peninsula first thing this morning feeling a little seedy after the beach wedding i went to the night before.
My research so far has lead me to believe SA has the worst roads I have ever seen. I took a little trip to moonta and one street off the main street consisted entirely of filled potholes! They must have a special machine to leave corrogations on the bitumen when they lay it.
This is one of the views from the top of the lookout near Ardrossan
Sunset on the beach last night
Coat of Arms at the end of the Copper Coast Hwy.
Another in my big series
Where have we seen this pub before??? (Thanks for the beer Mick, nice to meet you n Di)
The journey so far has been 4000km with looking around included. Bike has been very comfy and my back is getting used to the hours. I made it to warrnambool today copping nothing more than a little light drizzle...global warming my arse!
I am excited about tomorrow as I will be cruising the great ocean road for the very first time. A loaded Road King might not be the best bike for running the GOR but it has done an awesome job of getting me here
If any of the Vics want to meet along the GOR tomorrow pipe up now. I will be leaving this end around 7am.
cheers Surlly
Yesterday was the one day I really wanted nice weather for and drizzled and rained most of the day. I headed off about 7am from Warrnambool to the GOR and was getting confused as after 40km it seemed like just another road...then the glimpses of views started...
I stopped at all the usual spots for some pics and while the views were spectacular the roads were not...until after I went past the 12 Apostles...then it became 140km of this
It was corner after corner after corner
Myy old Ducati Monster would of been a lot more suitable in this environment and the wet roads were very slippery in spots but the RK and I were having a blast. Between stopping to sightsee and the corners what sounded like a short ride took hours longer than I expected.
Just to confirm my belief that there is no need to take a fuckwit with you when you travel...there will be plenty available locally...a father was teaching his daughter to drive along the section of GOR that winds along the side of the mountain...at 30kph with a string of cars and me trying to get past
Am in Melbourne for today and head off further north in the morning.
The reality of water restrictions hit home. My bike is covered in crap from hours of riding in the rain...i better give it a quick wash....hang on...despite what seems like daily rain here...no can do!
The hospitality shown by Wozza and Finny was greatly appreciated and a trip to their mate trevor had me almost in tears of laughter. I learnt a number of new road tricks along the way.
Having never been to melbourne before the trams and weird road layout threw me a little and those tram tracks give good wheelspin.
I won't repost similar pics to Wozza's and thanks again gents, hopefully i can return the favour.
