2015 SA/WA Border Ride.

Here's our latest ride which we began on the 31st July 2015.

The trip started from home in Peterborough, South Australia and the aim was to ride to Border Village which is next to the Western Australia border. Map

Between home and Port Augusta is Horrocks Pass this video shows.

Since we were going to have the trailer in tow I took an extra 10 litres of spare fuel and topped up the bike's petrol tank giving us a total of 38 litres or a safe range of 600 km. Time to hit the road with a planned stop at Port Augusta to feed us and top the tank again. I keep the spare fuel as a "just in case" and don't use it unless needed.

Stopped at KFC for food and took this photo of the bike parked out front.

After refuelling the bike we were on our way to the border and rode non-stop to Kimba and stopped at the Big Galah to stretch the legs and have a drink.

 

 Our next stop is Wudinna for fuel and then it's on to Ceduna for our first of two overnight stops.

 

It was early (10:00 pm) to bed for me as we had an early start for Saturday morning  and the final 480 km run to the border.

 

1st August 2015.

 

The alarm on the phone was set for the ungodly hour of 5:15 am but I woke up before it (I hate that) and were back on the road at 6:00 am. An hour later we arrived at the Penong truck stop for fuel and our last stop for fuel until the border.

 

At 9:30 am we stopped at the Nullarbor Roadhouse for a coffee and to stretch the legs after the 220 km ride from Penong. There were a couple of other riders there and we chatted while drinking coffee. Before leaving I took some pictures.

 

Heather is getting ready next to our bike as are the other two guys next to theirs. We left the trailer in Ceduna as we would be returning back there for the night.

 

 

Our next stop is a 180 km away we made it just before midday. We hadn't any rain until this part of the trip though were dressed for it. The rainfall wasn't heavy but we had about two thirds the distance in it. I'd say more like 50 km of rain and another 60 km further down the road. We didn't need that second lot as my gloves got wet inside and some water in my left boot.

 

As nearly drowned rats we arrived at the Border Village and fuelled up ready for the return trip later in the afternoon.

 

Our bike club is nation wide; second thoughts, we've gone global as we have a few international member as well.

 

We had a WA/SA meet up which was a first for us. The Border Ride is yearly event and it just happens and there's not much on the net about it.

 

Our Blue Honda ST1100A in front of the ex Police Honda ST1100 ones from Western Australia.

 

I managed to get Heather as well.

 

The three bikes from WA. the rain we had wasn't as bad as their riders had when coming east.

 

Our impromptu two state meeting ( three from SA and three from WA) group plus two from Canberra. Two people had travelled by car and weren't in the photo and I took these so making it 10 all up.

 

 

We all had extra driving lights fitted above the mirrors to our bikes and these two show the HID (which I have) ones on the left and LED on the right.

 

A road train refuelling.



And some parked on the other side of the road.



We were back on the road at 3:45 pm for the 6 hour 480 km ride back to Ceduna and our overnight accommodation. I kept the speed at 100 K/H on the way back to Nullarbor and we stayed rain free even though my gloves were still wet from the mornings ride.

Before getting to the road house I noticed some smoke coming from the 12 volt power supply. It seems to much water got into a waterproof  unit and with it being fused it would just blow the fuse so it's something I have to fix.

Just on 6:00 pm we stopped for coffee at the road house and were on our way again by 6:30. It had just got dark so I could test the recently installed HID driving lights out. The road ahead was lit up like daylight and so were the sides of the road so we could see most threats of native animals (we had none). Arrival in Ceduna was 10:00 pm after a fuel stop in Penong at 9:00 pm.

2nd August 2015

Our accommodation with the bike out front and nearly ready to ride off. We normally camp but with the wet weather and colder than usual temperatures we thought this would be better.

 

By 9:00 am we were on our way 600 km back home at much more relaxing pace of around 100 K/H. There was a spot of rain or two along the way but not enough to get wet; just annoying. At Minnipa we had a drink stop and saw this old wagon on the other side of the road.

 

 

For a moment we thought we had stopped at a grey nomad convention with all the caravans at the service station.

 

 

Just after we stopped another bike pulled up and we had met the rider the day before.

 

Graham and his BMW

 

 



Wudinna was our next and last fuel stop for the trip and while there I saw the Australian Farmer statue.

 

 

Behind us was one of the grain storage silos that are common in the grain growing areas.

 



Close to the statue was  a few Sturts Desert Peas growing which is also South Australia's state flower ( I never new that)

and the Coral Pea both native to most of Australia.

Our rest stop over and still not quite time for lunch we decided that Kimba would be our next stop. One or two light showers of rain along the way and one road train having a rest. With the rain the edges of the road were soft and it didn't take long for the weight of two loaded trailers to lean over in the wet gravel on the side of the road. Just as well the lean angle was only about 45 degrees and not all the way over. I wasn't sure if the bike would sink either if we stopped so we declined the photo shot and kept going.

Lunch at Kimba and Port Augusta was a ride through rather than a stop this time. Just before our turn off towards home we stopped at a parking bay and added the spare ten litres of fuel. I still had enough fuel to get back home but it's better in the tank rather than a jerry can.

Heather noticed a caterpillar on a plant where we stopped but I don't know the name of it and can't find the flower online.

A little heart stopping moment happened within the last 50 km from home. A kangaroo crossed the road in front of me which wasn't an issue but a second one right behind the first could have ended up in disaster. I was ready for the front wheel impact but the tail of the roo just made it past and we missed it by millimetres to spare. Ironic is that we'd just ridden 2100 km and only saw dead ones and then we get two live ones half an hour from home; scary.

All up we rode 2040 km and away from home for 55 hours and spent $AUD197 on fuel and averaged about 16.6 K/L.

Swan Reach South Australia 18th July 2015

This was a chilly mid winter ride for us. Forecasted temps were between 2 and 11C for the day, frosty in the morning before sunny skies for the rest of the day. Instead we had a mixture of cold, fog, misty rain and cloudy skies. So we rugged up for the 240 km ride from home to Swan Reach. MAP

Leaving home from Peterborough at 9:40 am saw us with the fog and misty rain and not forgetting the cold for the first 30 or 40 km before we just a cloudy sky with patches of exposed sunlight. Overall it wasn't to bad though my right hand was colder than my left one which had some warmth from the sun.

A 168 km later we were at Morgan, were had to cross the Murray River by ferry and continue our trip on the other side of the river. At 12:30 pm we arrived at the Swan Reach hotel and being last to arrive we met the rest of our group in the hotel dining room.

This a view of the river through a window of the hotel

 

From the same location a view of a typical ferry that's used to cross the river. The amount of traffic crossing a river at any given point doesn't warrant the expense of a bridge.

 

 

At the table after the meal

 

Heather

 

 

Richo from Adelaide and Garry from Victoria

 

Chris and Pete also from Adelaide

 

Linda from New Zealand who bought a bike over here then road to our event

Our small group

While in the car park before leaving we met a group of female riders who also were at the hotel for lunch. I took these after the second group shout.

I had taken a group photo of the girls for one of them but Linda (green jacket) took another one as some of the girls were missing.

At bout 2:45 pm we departed for our own ways back home. We had to be back in our home town before the supermarket closed at 6 pm. A refuel was required on the return trip so I decided on Morgan which would gives a little rest with the fuel stop and ferry for river crossing.

About halfway between Morgan and Burra we could feel the temperature drop as we started the gradual increase in height from the plains into the Eastern side of the Southern Flinders Ranges. As we head north the sun sinks below the hills on our left and we lose what little heat there was from the sun. It wasn't far to go by then; only 60 km or about half and we arrived at the supermarket at 5:30pm. Our ride isn't over 'til we get home which we did at 6 pm.

For the day we rode 465 km and averaged about 15.9 k/l, rode for 5.5 hours with an average of 84.5 k/h.

That was how we spent our coldest ride for the year. 

11th January 2007 Cape Jervis

Here's a little day trip we did about 8 months after buying the Honda ST1100A.

We used to live in the northern suburbs of Adelaide back then and sometimes we'd head south along the coastal road and end up at Cape Jervis. We were lucky this trip and caught one ferry leaving for Kangaroo Island and another one arriving. Route Map

A few of these wind turbines just before we get to the little town by the sea.

 As we arrived at one of the car parks near the ferry terminal we saw the SeaLink ferry leaving for Kangaroo Island. It's not often we get to see one in port  and we were lucky to get there when we did.

 

 

The one above had just cleared the sheltered harbour when I saw the sister ferry heading into port. We've never seen one in port before and seeing two at the same time is a bonus.

 



 

One leaving and the one arriving in front. When arriving they need to sail past the entrance to the harbour and line up

 

 

Made the turn and making way for the entrance.  Notice the white water in the surrounding waters; it's windy so lining it up with the entrance might be tough on windier days.

 

The entrance is only just wider than the ferry and they come in under minimal power: just enough to make headway.

 

The other one is well on its way

 

These ferries load/unload from the stern so they need to swing around and back in. Made easier with bow and stern thrusters I'm sure.

 

You can just see one of the ropes on front and tied off as the last few feet can be done with the on board winches

 

There is only one road into and out of Cape Jervis and on the way out we stopped in at the look out. Kangaroo Island can be seen on the horizon.

 

 

The road into the town taken from the look out.

 

 Heather and  I beside the bike.

 

 

 

 

19th March 2014 Port Hedland Trip





This one is a car trip which I've also done on the bike for a few trips between March 2007 until July 2008 and by car a few times when on holidays until end of October 2010.

I'm not a fan of paying for accommodation and having the right vehicle to make up a bed is a bonus. Here's the bedroom, kitchen and lounge room all ready for the trip away. On the left is an esky, gas bottle and camping stove/oven.

This was taken at a rest stop where we usually stop when on the bike. The bike trailer comes in handy for extra gear that would normally be in the back of the car.

The shaded Koongawa area on the map is about where the rest stop is

Another view taken on our last bike trip  in 2012. It also a good place for a picnic or an overnight camping spot.

This was taken at Penong just up the road from the truck stop. There's been a few mines open up in the area and this one of the road trains they use.

This one is only three trailers, 18 axles making a total of 70 wheels and less than 150 metres in length.

 From Penong to the SA/WA border it's 406 km and there's not much of anything other than two roadhouses ( Nundroo and Nullarbor) and native vegetation to look at. The highway crosses the Nullarbor (treeless plain) for about 80 km and then goes along the southern boundary for a few hundred km.

 Not much to look at other than an occasional dead animal and related feeding birds.

There's a lot of long straight sections going across this way, taken through the front screen.

The next place of any interest is the Nullarbor National Park where the road nears the Southern Ocean. There's a few rest areas between the highway and the coast which allow for some views along the coast. The one that I parked the car in was made large enough to park road trains in as they run 24/7 and the drivers can sleep overnight.



Looking South out over the water and the misty sky

There are some unofficial walking tracks down to towards the water at this one but most rest areas and look outs are next to cliffs where a lot more care has to be taken.

This is where I stopped for my second night on the road Map of area and there's a track leading to limestone cave further north.

Far enough away from the road to allow for privacy.

After Caiguna which about 30 km west of my overnight stop is the longest straight piece of road in the country. Map

This about half way along the straight where I stopped

My next stop for lunch was at Newman Rocks and every time I've stopped: there has always been some water.

Norseman is the next town but for me it was only a fuel stop as was Kalgoorlie after that. I did visit the supermarket as one must eat.

After an overnight stop beside the road somewhere and early in the morning I was at Leonora and waiting for the service station to open.

The main road through town

The new Police station....

This is a section of road which is used as an emergency landing strip for the flying doctors  which saves the cost of building a rarely used runway. This one is near the town of Leinster  beside the road to Mount Magnet.

The last time I came this way the dam in the next photo didn't exist and it's just around a bend after the landing strip. On a hot day the water would look inviting and one way to keep cool. On the return trip I did just that.

Being a remote area we also get few fires started by lightening strikes but the local plant life are used to fire and don't take long to regenerate. Some native vegetation needs fire for their seeds to germinate. 

 

A cool place to park on a warm day. I stopped for some lunch here as the rest area I planned had very little shade due to most of the trees being burnt.

Across the other side of the road......more trees

 

A little bit of colour in the town of Sandstone

 

A grid. Most roads in out back Australia cross sheep or cattle stations and these are placed on the fence line and prevent live stock going where they shouldn't In the early days of motoring you would have had to open/close a gate.

The next place I stopped at was Meekatharra and not being the wettest place in Australia is quite green for the climate.

Photos of the rest area

 

 

 

One of the many triple road trains that frequent this road. Most of these will run up to Port Hedland, Broome, and places further north.

 

Some of road between Meekatharra and Newman

 

 

 

And we move into the sub tropical zone at the 26th Parallel

 

The car in front of the sign says I was there.

Before I did this trip the main highway was impassable due to flooding: normally a dry paddock

 

The highway crosses some dry salt pans

 

and remaining flood waters within a few miles of each other.

Before we get to Newman we cross into the southern boundary of the tropical zone.

 

From Newman to Port Hedland there is Munjina road house about halfway between the 400 km plus distance. Not only general freight but 4 trailer mining trucks are common as well. This type has a total of 22 axles making 86 wheels total. 

 

So I reach the end of the photos I took on my trip to Port Hedland.