2017-08-13 BYO RTE Burra Gorge, Worlds End SA

It was suggested last year that we should add a picnic type RTE (ride to eat) to this year's ride calendar and Burra Gorge was added.

We had planned to go on the Saturday with the bike and camp for the night but Tammie (Heather's daughter) wanted to go as well so the car was used for this trip. I did offer to put Tammie in the trailer but her response can not be stated here; at least I'm still here.

Our Car - 2005 Ford Territory

Nice and green landscape this time of the year instead of the usual brown tones

 

 

Not quite spring but some wildflowers starting to bloom

 

 

At least some riders still manage to ride in our cooler winter temps; the day was a little warmer than usual for this time of year.

 

 

From left are Cherie, Tammie, Lucy, Heather, Marty and John

 

Somehow my camera survived the experience with me in the shot.

Our way there and back. https://goo.gl/maps/EEks4trhjB82

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2012-12-07 Naracoorte Caves Weekend

What started as a just ride a to Naracoorte turned out to be a little more as I had two stops to do on the way. Rather than by pass the Adelaide suburban sprawl I had to go into it.

Route there.  https://goo.gl/maps/Ymv1KnZZz9w

First stop was the Your Suspension Shop which was just to check the condition of my front forks in regards to rust/stone chips in fork travel area. The seals need doing and I was thinking of adding some new progressive springs at the same time. Fork legs are ok and don’t need to be re-chromed ($150 a leg) but the ABS set up might be a bit beyond these guys so I will get a Honda dealer to do the seals and fit the springs.

Next stop was out to the Port Adelaide area to see one to of my twin grand-daughters, Krystal for an hour or so before heading off towards Naracoorte.

The bike was fuelled up at Coles Express West Terrace where it took 14 litres for the 259kms (18.5k/L) from home. The best figure I’ve had for towing a trailer and tail wind helped there. Next was fuel for me so I stopped of at Macca’s on Glen Osmond Road. Then one more stop at Woolworths in Murray Bridge for essentials that I’d forgotten.

I didn’t want to get to Naracoorte until Saturday morning so I spotted a place to camp near the Desert Camp Conservation Park  https://goo.gl/maps/RVyh6ph9LxH2  and stayed there until about 9:30 . 

 

Saturday morning. Having 65kms to ride I tried to work it for arrival around 10:30 which turned out ok as Rick (Lonerider1) arrived about 15 minutes later

.

The two of us walked the main street looking for a bank where we both got some cash out then back to town square where we had the bikes parked and Peter (StinkyPete) rode past us on our way back. We also noticed an ex BMW police bike as well.

 

It would have been just after midday when we headed of to the hotel for lunch and of course we all forgot to take our cameras in. Peter couldn’t stay to long as he had to get back so when it was time for him to leave I grabbed my camera and took a couple shots of Pete (red 1300), Rick (Blue 1300) and my Blue 1100 and trailer.

 

 

On Sunday morning Rick and I headed for the Naracoorte caves and made it in time for the fossil cave tour which took up from about 10:30 until about 11:45 by the time we got back to the bikes.

 

Overnight stay in the caravan park.

 

 

Swimming area behind the park

 

Fossil cave pictures are here, some turned out better without flash. https://www.flickr.com/gp/152195423@N05/U9R666

 

Bikes at cave entrance

 

 

Rick and I parted ways here while he went to the caves shop and I made for home as wanted to be home before dark.

 

From the caves I went to Woolworths Plus where the bike took 22.46L for 368kms (16.38kms/L) and then to the local take away store for my lunch. I left Naracoorte at about 12:30 and arrived back home at about 8:30pm. Return distance was about 550kms as I by passed the city and stopped at Tailem Bend for about 30 mins.

 

Return Route  https://goo.gl/maps/hTZ7EQZm42n

The odometer clicked over to 150000 about 1km south Of Riverton where I took a photo and added the 20 litres of spare fuel I had bought earlier after ridden 398kms

Total Distance travelled was about 1165kms.

 

 

 

2017-08-04 SA/WA Border Ride

This was to be the second time we undertook this ride and though usually it can be done at leisure this trip also included a 1000 km within 24 hours ride under the FarRider banner.

Border Ride History

After leaving home at just after midday on Friday the 4th August we aimed for our first fuel stop at Puma Port Augusta truck stop (127 km from home) and a late lunch at Barnacle Bills since we had to go past the place.

Our next port of call was the Big Galah at  Kimba  (286 km from Home) to stretch our legs and take on fluids as we have not got into the camelbak thing of drinking on the move.

 

After we left Kimba for our fuel stop at Wudinna (388km from home) we not only had the wind but we also had some rain showers  added into the mix and it would continue until we arrived at our overnight accommodation at about 7:30pm at Ceduna (597 km from home).

 

Saturday 5th August.

 

Heather declined to go any further as she slipped off the bike while getting off at Wudinna and spent the day resting in our room. We found out later that some tendon damage had occurred.

 

For me though it was an early morning rise and on the road before 6am for the completion of the final leg to the SA/WA border. No towing the trailer for this part of the trip so I can travel at the state limit and use less fuel and at 7am I stop for fuel at Penong (670 km from home) at 7am.

 

A brief rest stop across the road from the Nundroo roadhouse (749km from home) at 8 am. From here on the clouds gave way to sunshine but I still had the wind to contend with.

 

 

Another visitor in the rest stop

 

And some green from the growing grain crops which soon gives way to the natural bushland.

 

 

This is the where the Eyre Hwy begins to cross the actual Nullarbor (No Trees) Plain (875 km from home)

 

 

Looking North

 

 

And along the road towards the West

 

 

A little further down the road I pulled into the first of the rest stops beside the Southern Ocean. I've never stopped at this one before.

 

Looking East along cliffs of The Great Australian Bight

 

Just as well I had our zoom lens for the camera though its only a 75 - 200 mm it's good enough for us.

 

 

 

And we have whales. Only two

 

 

Next stop is Border Village (1079 km from Home) where I arrived at 11:50 am and is the end of the ride and the start of the next one home. After filling the bike tank in readiness for the return trip back to Ceduna I had some lunch.

 

I saw this parked on the other side of the road; it's a B triple

 

 

While I was having lunch I saw two of our SA Ozstoc members arrive on their red Honda ST1300s and they parked next to mine. When they organised there overnight accommodation we all headed over for a coffee.

 

I did mention that I'd seen one of our members that came from WA and by the time I had to leave at 2 pm I hadn't seen anymore ST riders though I did see a parked red ST1100 as I was leaving.

 

 

I completed the requirements for a FarRide of at least 1000 km within 24 hours on my way there and could have a more leisurely trip back to Ceduna and eventually home but with Heather being in Ceduna I aimed to get back as soon I could.

 

The route from Home to Border Village with all the stops included.
 

https://goo.gl/maps/vaMUtsE9WtA2

 

 

 

The Return Trip

 

 

While going to the border I noticed the view in the picture and made a mental note to stop and take some pics on the return trip (13km from Border Village). This time I had a tail wind.

 

This is looking west towards Western Australia.

 

 Close ups of above.

The sandy beach and coastline beyond the cliff face is all in WA

 

My next stop for a photo was at Nullarbor Roadhouse (184 km from Border Village) for a photo with the bike in front of a whale. I missed the sign showing the Western end of the Nullarbor Plain as I didn't think it was so close to the roadhouse but I've marked the point on the next map

 

 

I parked behind a B double which I would later overtake which I would again see stop for fuel at Penong as I was refuelling the bike.

 

 

I saw this remains of old wooden wagon at the roadhouse as well.

 

 

That was the last of the pictures I took until Sunday morning though I did have a couple rest stops between here, Penong and Ceduna.

 

I rang Heather at 7:30 pm after I passed through the quarantine station at Ceduna and no need to stop at the roadhouse so I went straight to our room (481 km from Border Village) making a total of at least 960 km for the day.

 

Before leaving for home on Sunday morning I took some pictures in the caravan park.

 

Bike and trailer in front of the unit. It's a fairly basic unit but has all the essentials at a budget price. I first stopped in this place July 2008 and the cost hadn't changed since then.

 

 

Some higher priced units in the back ground with some empty caravan sites in the foreground.

 

 

 Looking from our unit across to the pool with the office complex beyond.

 

As we were travelling East we began to catch up some of the rain that had been falling all that weekend so I stopped to put our wet weather gear on. Luckily we missed it but got wet from the oncoming trucks.

At Wirrulla (572 km from Border Village) we stopped off for some breakfast

The local store

 

 And rest area

There was also a small caravan park behind the rest area

After Wirrulla I planned to stop at Wudinna for fuel with the tail wind I could easily make Kimba though if needed I did have 10 litres at hand. At the Kimba roadhouse (791 km from Border Village) we also had lunch since it was 1 pm.

We rode the rest of the way home with a brief rest stop after we went through Port Augusta.

https://goo.gl/maps/yAaZNFwTBAo

Total distance for the trip was 2145 km (1333 miles) according to the bike's odometer and used 132 litres (29 gallons UK or 35 US) of fuel at an average of 16.24 k/l (46 mpg UK (38 mpg US))

 

 

 

 

 

2007-02-28 Across The Nullarbor

I've done a few trips across the Nullarbor; four return trips by car and 4 with my Honda ST1100A and this one of them. I take a camera on every trip but like some of us I forget to use it most of the time.

This trip is a must do once in a life time trip for most, if not all of us. The road is well serviced with roadhouses which all have accommodation available. There's also the option to free camp in one of many rest areas near or beside the road.

For more info on the Eyre Highway I've added a link to Wikipedia about the road. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eyre_Highway

This bay is located in a small coastal park called Wittelbee Conservation Park just south of Ceduna.

This shows the small bay shown in the middle of the picture above. I climbed down the twenty feet to the water and went swimming there in the afternoon and before I left the next morning.

It was to hot to put the fly over the tent and with no one else around I left it off until just before dark.

The next morning I woke up to this at 6:00 am

A little while later I crawled out of the tent and found everything covered in dew. You will notice a fire place behind the trailer......I never needed it as it was middle of summer.

After everything had dried out and was packed up I called into to Ceduna to refuel the bike, top up food supplies I had used. Need to take care of what you buy here as the WA quarantine station is at the border

I stopped by the water front and took a couple pics. This the best showing the fishing jetty.

And more of sea front

After leaving Ceduna I stopped at a rest stop or two mainly to exercise the legs and take in fluids. Some riders have a camel pack so they are able to drink on the go but I prefer to stop walk around a little.

The next photo stop is the start of the actual Nullarbor Plain from the South Australian side. Note the trailer is my first one and slightly smaller than my current white one. The sign is about 277 km west of Ceduna.

The highway only crosses a small section the actual Nullarbor Plain with Nullarbor Roadhouse at about mid distance.Wikipedia says different but the highway mostly follows the southern boundary of the plain and within the tree line.

Generally though when we cross the Nullarbor it means the 1200 km distance between the two major towns at either end. Ceduna and Norseman.

Along the road a little further is.

The Great Australian Bight Marine Park covers the strip of land between the highway to the coast and beyond and along the coast to the SA/WA Border. There are several photographic view points along the way and sometimes you can just park beside the road as I did.

All the nice blue water is the The Southern Ocean; next stop due south is Antartica

The next two of pictures are taken from the lookout and looking East above the Madura Roadhouse in Western Australia. Just after the SA/WA border the road goes past Eucla and down onto a coastal plain.  It's possible a few thousand years ago this could have been under water. At Madura the road climbs back up which might have been an ancient cliff face.

Pictures were taken along the road shown blue in the following image https://goo.gl/maps/DzQku1t9Sov

which was but a small part of an overall trip of 4662 km (2909 miles) from Adelaide SA to Port Hedland WA via the coast. https://goo.gl/maps/tXtj93a8q1o