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.
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.
