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))

 

 

 

 

 

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.