Gone, Again... ( Random Adventures in Oz )

[GoneAgain]

Ok, so this is my thread... random trips to various parts of Australia, and perhaps, just perhaps, who knows where else..

I've decided i won't do a different thread for each ride, that way, i'll be 'encouraged' to do more rides by the fact that this tread is getting stale/has not moved for a while... or thats my theory...and it seems to be working so far..

So, put on your slippers, grab yourself a nice big cup of cocoa...and enjoy the ride, i did!








So, it was time to go on my first 'real' ride...

rough plan was to meet up with some mates at the Grampians for a few days of dirt... how i got there and back was my problem

Ended up leaving after work a few days early... but later at night than i wanted to..

Didn't get far up into the hills before the sun set..





not too sure which way i went, but i decided to head for Mannum and camp in the caravan park there for the night... the track i took had way too many gates...




also lots of bloody big spiders (huntsmen perhaps) that would mosey across the track in my headlight beam while i was stopped to open gates....

Anyway, got to Mannum , pulled into the caravan park just before 10pm, office was closed with a sign saying dont ring the bell unless its an emergency... so in i went and found a 'nice' spot... parked and headed down the main street in search of a beer...

only one pub was open..well, kinda open, they were kickin everyone out, but managed to get a couple of take-aways..

back to camp and started to setup tent, when the (apparently) owner rocked up with a whole lot of attitude about how i was trespassing and he should call the cops blah blah blah...

didnt i see bell next to the office door..? "yep" i said, and "i also saw the sign under it that said not to use it after 9:30 unless its an emergency.."

anyway, he wasnt happy and was carrying on about calling the cops so i just said.." what would you like me to do mate...? you gonna call the cops, do you want me to fix you up now, or do you want me to fix you up in the morning like i was gonna...?"

"well", he says.. ya better fix me up now, just in case you decide to leave early in the morning..."

fine with me... ( i know an unpowered site is $21 )

"Its $25 this time of night" he says..

"oh, as opposed to $21 if i had have gotten you out of bed..?"

grumble grumble... he doesnt have change and walks away with $20 bucks.........

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whatta you know, i do wake up early the next morning..




I cant even have a shower as he didnt give me a key.. had enough of this place, being the first 'full' day of the trip i dont wanna get in too negative a headspace, so i pack, ride by the office (still closed) and wack an extra dollar in his key return box.... seems like he needs it more than me...

start heading north along the Murray..



its gonna be a hot day..

cross the murray at Purnong



and start heading east on the dirt...

so many of these out here:



and these:



dirt it over to Karoonda for fuel, then down towards Ngarkat Conservation Park...

the onboard computer is telling me its 38 degrees..

i hit the park..




i've got about 60kms of this to get accross...

bloody hell its hot!



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[GoneAgain]

So, into Ngarkat i go, for my first experince with sand...

I figure the bike didnt have a good sleep last night...

didnt take long before she wanted a rest..




and another rest...




and another rest....




so after a lot of rests she decided to stay awake for a little while (perhaps the 'firmer' bit of track had something to do with it)

so i get to take a picture of her standing up..

bloody hot out there... (note the sweat soaked t-shirt )





the track soon returned to sand..

this one wasnt induced by lack of sleep, rather by me coming over the rise to find a kangaroo takin a leak on the track........





so after a million more stops, and drinking just about all my water, i finally got 'somewhere' that made me think i was actually getting there....




another 15-20kms saw the end of Ngarkat, and a firmer road into Keith...




refueled (me and the bike) at Keith at decided to cut down to the coast and jump in the ocean to cool down...

nice roads down towards Salt Creek..



got to the Coorong and found a road into the beach... seemed they'd had some rain down here...



got thru that ok, and got thru this ok..



but eventually came to a bit that was a no go... and of cource got bogged/bellyed out on a spinifex bush that wasted a lot of time and sweat..




learnt she's heavy... maybe a diet is in order...




finally got out and kept heading south... still hadnt had my swim, and the day was still roasting...

found a dryer looking track and decided to give it a crack...

didnt work too well....




anyway, time was getting away and i still had over 150 odd kms to go before i got to Southend where i was staying the night...

darkness struck...and so did the bugs...

pulled in to Beachport to grab a couple of take-aways.. and have a look at the bay..



then made Southend.. it was a long, hot day (Mannum to Southend)..

only just got thru a couple o beers before passing out for the night....



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[Medic]

Subscribed, looking forward to the rest!
Great job so far.

[choccoloco]

Feel for you man, that type of temp in that type of country and first sand experience

Nice adventure

[Bowes]

Nice pics and story so far, lovely bike but would hate to pull that out of the sand - respect

Looking forward to more

[GB]

[funhouse]

Did 4000 miles around the east coast twenty years ago and never found that road......Bruce

[GoneAgain]

so the sun was on its way down again, so it was time to head for camp..



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almost took out a Kangaroo along here...
quite a few of them about...




the track changed again back to grey...

not much out here.....



i really like this pic




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as i said... not much out this way... 'cept for great tracks


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few more 'action shots'...



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finally we got to camp...

this windmill was to be the site of the 'soon to be famous, 600ml shower'

[GoneAgain]

so, we made camp just on sunset...




we were joined by this fella...


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started getting some wood together for a fire..



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and then time for the mandatory campfire photos




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the next morning Phil decided to have a crack at cleaning his air filter...



i went and took a photo of some mud




and then we were off to head north

(after heading south and west first )




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[TerryK]

Good read, keep it coming, cheers Terry

[GoneAgain]

so after one last mud photo



it was back out on the tracks...



another beautiful day for riding (day 5 i believe)



more spectacular countryside




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i forget the name of this place... (and the library internet is too limited to be bothered googling it )

stopped off for smoko..




here it is up a bit closer..





off again, then we hit the main Arkaroola to Copley road..





fanged it the 40 odd kms down the good dirt road into Copley and hit the bakery for breakfast...



seems they have changed owners or something and it wasnt 'that' good.. ok, but not as good as the hype that used to be around it.....



then in to the Leigh creek coal mine

bloody big hole that
(oh and looked like a bit of weather around)



bloody big trucks too!



so looked like some rain was on its way in...and comming fast

figured we better bugger off north quick smart and try and beat it



we didnt quite make it...and had 15 mins of heavy rain to ride thru...'lucky' for us we hit it on the first piece of bitumen we'd seen in 4 days



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a quick stop at Lyndhurst..

and a double check to see if the Strzelecki track was still closed...



it was, so off north again...

i made a quick turnoff into the Ochre cliffs, pulling up about 50 metres off the main road so Phil would see me and turn in too...

I waved and honked and even did a quick bit of dust raising when it looked like he wasnt gonna see me...

and watched as he flew past...

i ducked in and had a quick look...




then hit the main road and had a bloody good shot at catching Phil... but didnt...knowing how fast i was going.....that little 650 of his can move!

He made it to Marree...and was a 'little bit' concerned that i wasnt there

we picked up some supplies and fuel....

and decided to keep heading north up into Lake Eyre....






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[GoneAgain]

so off we went...heading for Lake Eyre (North).. both pretty excited about what the afternoon might bring..




whole lot of open-ness out here...



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almost at camp... forget the name of the camp... but i know where it is



the camp was a real suprise... little oasis in the middle of nowhere...

of course just as we started setting up an almighty dust storm blew thru..

Phil didnt like it much




but anyway, we survived the dust storm, and had tents set-up... still had an hour or 2 before sunset, so i convinced Phil we should head out to Lake Eyre 'now' rather than in the morning..so we could see sunset there.. also meant we'd be leaving first thing in the morning rather than mid arvo tomorrow...giving us more time in the Flinders... Phil didnt need much convincing to go riding ...

so off again with 'lighter' bikes to the lake....



Phil was loving the lighter bike and was gone...



but i caught up to him when we hit the lake (well the south end of the channel that joins the north and south lakes..)



the track turned north and started getting fairly sandy...



the Garmin couldnt work out where we were




but that didnt stop us from storming on thru the sand



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how cool is this place!



and then we were there



we walked out onto the (dry) lake and waited for sunset..

bloody magic place...



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so the sun had set, we'd ticked off 'sit on Lake Eyre and watch the sun set' from the list of things to do in life

Then Phil pointed out that we had to ride back to camp (about 80kms) in the dark


one last pic and we were off!








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