Well it's started, Tasmania to Cairns with no time frame,  credit card camping for a welcome change and the company of great friends on the way.

   The guys got my boat prepped but heaps of folk turned up so we let them come too given there's plenty of space.
  5.30am arrive big island place called Geelong, they say it's cat infested, I'll report back on that.
  Cheers G

Many years ago we caught the overnighter after having been living in Geelong and moving to a small mining town in the north west of Tassie called Luina.  Up the road from Waratah and we are talking hillbilly country.  

I think my younger brother slept the whole night and was the only one who wasn't spewing his ring up on the rough ride over on the boat. 

Go the Cats.  Shall be watching the game on Sunday.

Good start Ghost, I am watching with interest to see how you get on. Should be an epic trip!  

Was at Waratah only couple weeks ago, love the Wild West. Thanks Dave for the research but it's looking like Brissy is of the route, maybe on the way home, will pre warn.
Well Geelong didn't disappoint, cat logos everywhere in fact it's said every now and then more than 20,000 gather for some sort of feline ritual, they even named a place for them, Kat in the Park I think they said.
Only old Ghosty leaves Tassie dressed for Queensland subsequently freezing his but off at 6am disembarking. Brrrrr. The boys and I agreed that the boat should go back to Tassie, they'd get bored sailing around the bay for the 4 weeks I'm away. Kyalite is tonights stop, Rhonda is already there and all going well the highly esteemed GAZ dadah. Gret timing if it happens.
Hey Doc glad you're along for the ride. The 75 is whining away as per normal, cross fingers.
G

Motorcycling has been my go to place since I was 20yo. What is now called "Wellness" I got from doing a couple thousand Kms on the rally scene or just the Sunday blast through the hills gave me the mental reboot for the work life stuff we all negotiate. Lately however, with advancing bones and then medical issues I hadn't had my fix for a good 2years so when Rhonda proposed coming to Tasmania on her new Rebel I somehow turned it into a tour of the other island, the big one.
Day 1 yesterday was a real test for me which I'm pleased to say I managed fairly well mentally and physically. Only 460 kms but by 1pm I'd made the rendezvous with R, then forum Gaz rocked up on his BMW 650 single and a lovely time was had yakking in the pub over a nice meal.

There was a wild colonial boy...etc. Old school shop in Castlemaine. Does anyone else remember those shops where nails were in big buckets or wooden boxes and you bought them by weight?
Easy days from now on so plenty of sightseeing and hopefully photos for the non Aussie members .Till then, Ghosty

Rebel and brick under the shade of a Coolibah tree.

Hi Ghost
How far between petrol stations, do you need to carry extra fuel just in case? To us Brits it looks pretty empty once you're out of the cities.

Enjoy the long and 'whining' road  

Ghost,

If you don't mind I would like to tag along. I'm not sure when I will get my next "wellness" session.

Early December, 2007, I threw a leg over my R100 and meandered down the Great Dividing Range, eventually stopping to visit rellies in Clunes, Vic., then rode onto the 12 hour Bass Strait ferry to Devonport from Melbourne.

I spent my early school years in Tassie, mid-1960s on. It was a sweet, harsh place to grow up. Despite the wet and cold, I reckon me and my three brothers went barefoot nine months of the year. That might’ve been because there wasn't much money coming in, but I didn't know or care. Mum kept us in clean hand-me-downs, and there was always last night's dripping on another slab of bread for lunch. Dad was off running marathons weekends and teaching school days.

I used up all of December riding around that magical island, even spending xmas eve camped just below Jacob's Ladder, until it snowed. That might not seem like a strange thing to Northern Hemispherians, but below the belt, it's summertime at chrissie.

I rolled off the return ferry on Boxing Day to an absolutely deserted Melbourne CBD. It was moto heaven, no traffic. I was back up in Queensland before New Year's Eve.

Your trip in reverse, my version, thanks for the inspiration, Ghost. Ride well.

Dear The Doctor, thanks for the question about fuel because it made think about the current situation which you will appreciate has changed massively in my 50 ish years on the road and add to that my 40 years on a little island with only limited time on the big island, phew take a breath, others will correct me if i get it wrong.
All major and minor routes are well covered the only proviso being late hours and maybe closed like weekends. About 22 litres as Ks have is well adequate but it's a constant thought because of the vast distances, miscalculate when fuel is 100kms apart, you're hitching. On the other hand the real tough routes can be 1000kms and more and massive amounts of extra the go. Even worse these are the super adventure , once dozed/graded 70 years ago, sand dunes, rock, hard pack but deeply corrugated but lucky to see a grader once a year. Even worserer you have to carry 2 litres for each expectedday plus contingencies! You do the math, as our American friends say. There only a handful of these challenges left, google Canning Stock Route, The Anne Biddel Highway, The Connie Sue, and the legendary Gunbarrel is "easy" now cos of the very fuel thing. I've done none of these on a bike and suffice to say you need huge ones to do it and on a K100 a psychiatric report !!!
I should have given you the Aussie answer "Nah mate, piece of piss" but I only just thought of it so there.
G

Dear Caveman, lucky I looked up your profile first cos I was gunna welcome you along in the vicarious sense or did you want to ride and meet along my route? Both are still possible haha, just PM me you bank details and a Nigerian princess can be added to the party.
Thanks for the question G

Very hard to capture on film the flatness of this country which I'm guessing is the southern part of the Hay Plain let me emphasise it's F L A T.
Imagine this line of trees you've been seeing continuously for 10 to 20 kms, up to 1km to your right now converges with the road, stop, check out the watercourse for there are only trees 100M each side of the narrow chanel then for as far as you can see only low 1M high, sage green coloured "spinifex The next photo I turned about 70 degrees to my right, vast flatness and treelessness.
I'm waffling cos it's 11pm, only 380kms today, small steps, HUGE strides. G

Bugger, forgot the photo, gimme a break ,I said it's late and been a big dazzzzzzzzzzz

That, without a shadow of a doubt, is flat!  

G,
We have our share of flat here in the US as well (maybe no were near that of OZ but, I can only look at a map for now). When I ride in an area like that just the vastness of it is enough to keep my mind occupied. Just riding in that still helps me to see just how vulnerable and insignificant I really am. A perspective that helps keep me from getting to big for my britches if you know what i mean.

Thanks and please keep it coming, I'm  a prisoner of my own doing and at least this lets me see outside the walls.

New Mexico has flat (in large places).

Texas is a whole 'nother flat (in most places).

And Kansas has its share, too.

So much to say and not enough one finger typing skills, haha Was gunna talk about "Big Sky Country " and both of you have brought it up. My understanding is there are many places in the world but for those that don't grasp the expression caveman has stolen my take on it which is when you can see horizon to horizon and have a cloudless blue sky the ratio land to sky is such that I feel how tiny we are on this blue rock. The road beckons, more later except to say G'day Daz Boorowa hotel early stop. Cheers G.
Will talk about this Granddad tonight.

Some great photos there people - keep 'em coming!

Seeing them makes me realise just how small the UK really is... 
We don't have open spaces like that, and rarely see skies that blue...
Mind, a plus point is that it's a doddle to get to mainland Europe on a bike even with a limited time available.

Biggest bit of flat I've seen was Ohio. It didn't stretch quite that far - I'd guess I was seeing about 30-40 miles interrupted only by low hedges. The size of the US hit me the day we'd been driving east-west across the Appalachians (started in Pikeville KY, right in the eastern pointy bit) and it took ninety miles to clear the mountains.

Thanks for the contributions guys,  it keeps me determined to post everyday otherwise I'll get behinder and behinder. Short 230kms sun 14th but boy was there some action.
  "He who travels fastest,  travels alone."  Is a saying, but he who travels with Rhonda gets to meet and talk for hours with the most interesting people and it is fabulous to have each encounter. One guy, Nils,  said he wondered if he was too old to get back  into bikes so it gave him food for thought when he realised he was 4yrs younger than me. Not that I encourage born agains without advising refresher courses available through transport depts in most states.
  I've mostly travelled alone last 30 years (hence Ghost) and ,desperate for chats found few want to talk with the hairy biker. Add lady biker and bingo, can't get away from chats nor want to!
 Spectre who straddles? Nah, Ghost who rides will do.

Well I'm back at home base again after my run to South Australia for the BMW Clubs Australia National Rally which is held every two years. This year I clocked up 3,595 kilometres for the round trip.

Why am I telling you this?

Because the highlight of the trip was the fortuitous crossing of paths between myself and Ghosty and Rhonda at the Kyalite Hotel which was built in 1890 in its current location after the original 1850s hotel a little further along the Wakool River was burned down in 1888.

I left Nuriootpa in South Australia on Friday morning 12 April as Ghosty was disembarking the ferry from Tasmania in Geelong. Around 515 kilometres later I pull up at the pub but Ghosty had beaten me there as I found them both relaxing under the shade of a tree outside their cabin. As you can imagine it was smiles all around and a great afternoon and evening was had telling tales of experiences past and plans of those to come, along with a few cleansing ales.



Looks like the Ghost is being well looked after by his dear friend Rhonda.


Enjoy the trip you two!

Cheers

These infinite flats look very strange to me. Living in the Alps, I've almost never seen a flat horizon line! Here, if there's a flat surface, there's an airport built on it.

And in America, if they want an airport they remove the mountain...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yeager_Airport

I've flown out of here but at the time there was only one runway and they were in the process of removing the other peak. It's really odd when you get airborne and the ground just goes wheeeeeee downwards faster than the aircraft is going upwards.

Dai,

It seems to me that Charlton Wv. is one of the flattest parts of the state. I heard that if you could iron out the state flat that it would be larger than Tx. in area. Not sure if that is true but I sure like riding in that state.

Ok guys you forced me to google the flatness claim so here it is. Highest to lowest 17 metres, will google "acreage" and report back. Flattest in the southern hemisphere. Third Flattest in the world. Submit your country's claim here.
G

All the talk of flat - and much of it is true - discounts the amazing amount of curves and bends in roads Down Undah. When choosing an east coast, north to south or vice versa, route to ride, you only need to head along the Great Dividing Range through the forests and farmland, to enjoy countersteering your handlebars and tilting your horizons. 

For example, Thunderbolts Way, The Putty, Bells Line of Road (it is called that). Mount Glorious, & etc., up in Queensland, the mountains in the border region of New South Wales & Victoria, the SW tip of Western Australia through the Karri forests and wine country, or Cape Yorke in far north Queensland, heading to the Daintree rain forest, the Blackall range, or Lake Argyle up near the top end. Even the Nullarbor Plain across the Great Australian Bight undulates as you traverse its 145 km/90 mile claimed section as Australia's straightest road. Oh, and at every one of the 18 roadhouses there's a green so you can play the world's longest tongue in cheek golflinks.

That's just the Big Island. Let's not forget winding li'l Tassie's interior and coastal roads. 

It is no Swiss Alps or backroads of Bavaria, no Grossglockner Pass, the flat percentile is obvious, but it'll get your moto pulse moving in places.

In 2010 I did an anti-clockwise 'lap' of OZ on my red K100RS for over two months. I was never bored, never yearning, always scanning the ever-changing scenery of the horizon ahead, or diving blind round a tight bend as my perspective changed, often drastically.

The Great Southern Land has had a fair bit of time to weather out, flatten, harden, and bake, as it has living hidden, mostly alone beneath the sun for millions of years. (To paraphrase Iva Davies).

Poetic and informative as usual Daz. Leaving the flat behind travelling east we saw them slowly swell in size till I could definitely confirm, they are hills. Then bigger they grew and we knew we were on the Divide, The Great Divide, from east coast far north all down that coast then turning west for much of Victoria. As TWB said not mountains as in other parts of the world but still difficult to put a straight road in, enter motorcycling heaven. Mudgee was the destination last night and the road chosen went through Sally's Flat and Pyramul. A few ks of dirt then possibly the best single 50kms I've ever done. Rhonda and I were absolutely of out heads when we pulled up and all by accidental choice of route. Fabulous day 350kms.

The immaculately presented and long travelled Mr GAZ heads of towards home.

   And then there were 4. Brothers Erik and Ken with Rhonda relaxing in the accommodation at Uralla. 400km day still loving it but tiring. I've taken to saying "it's harder than it used to be" as opposed to wondering if I'm too old.

  From lookout near Tamworth the country music capital of Oz. Distinct lack of flatness here.

Then there were 5, Superglide from Rocky, St1300 Geraldton, R1200RT Adelaide,  Honda 500 Rebel Kangaroo Island and finally Pfeil. 5 bikes 4 state plates.

No longer The Ghost who rides alone.... 

More like The Leader of the Pack  

Leader of the Pack? You are a comedian Doc. Take 2 septegenarians used to getting their own way, add 2 63yr olds can each take on Mike Tyson ,throw in 6 route choices every 400kms day and herding cats doesn't begin to describe. PLUS 2 GPS 's say up to 50km difference in 300kms, hilarious fun packed days, totally knackered each day but keeping it up and grinning like a herded Cheshire puddy dat. Fri 19th tomorrow Biloela destination then rest day Saturday while Rhonda catches up with an old friend, whew 8 and half riding days. 2850kms total.
Fabulous roads, spectacular scenery, ever changing bush and of course crops I don't see at home.
Australia rocks.

I know that very rock, the lookout between Tamworth and Bendemere. The Bendemere hotel & pub is one of my regular stops for a feed, a coupla coldies and a good sleep. Roll on.

Spot on Daz and that's the 3rd glowing reference to Bendemere since we failed to stay there. Wild Hog on the Street Glide (think I misnamed it super Glide previously) was staying there but we'd already booked Uralla which was very nice. Just as well or he may be still with us, let's just say his riding style was patch club "point guard" I think it may be called? Stop at any possible place where a wrong turn may be made then flog up to the lead again. OK , maybe when there's 30 plus bikes, but 5? We only met him that morning at Mudgee and he adopted us as his litter.
Speaking of Wid Hogs, Erik was riding shotgun close behind Rhonda and just as she passed a feral sow and 3 smaller shot out from the right the last two veering slightly otherwise we'd be posting Erik home in a box. On a brighter note rain all around but not even enough drops on the visor to bother wiping.

Just remembered TWB, visited Charlie yesterday and your RS is looking great, was a treat to see it again after all these years. Bonus was seeing Chas' bikes, you've probably seen his progress but let me tell everyone they are a treat to see, our man is one talented, knowledgeable and generous man. Guess who didn't engage brain and take photos? This'll have to do, somewhere in northern North South West.

Ah, good to hear. Charlie is surely one of the gooduns, tho' he is likely to not advertise the fact.

I trust RickG and Marg were on your list, just a bit northward over the border?

Keep on truckin', Ghost.

How're travels, Ghostie?

They were heading to biloela    so may be scratching for signal out there ?

I would love to do a meet up but unfortunately a lot of the K Kronies are off to the Kane Toad Rally at Mount Perry. Gary and Geoff are on their way today and SSD Bruce and I are going tomorrow.
Regards Martin.

I'm just down the road, will have to get myself organised

Hi all, sorry about the noncoms but it gives me an intro back on a subject related to my reasons for the trip, Well-being 101.
My phone wouldn't pick up the new tower at Charlie's so he fixed it for me. Two days later same again and I was effectively off-line for 4 days. I suspected my server didn't have coverage in the rural area we were traverseing so wasn't too concerned until I realised how device obsessed I REALLY am. You know how us oldies, not me, rail about the young ones always on their devices?
On the road I've been thinking heaps in a Persig kind of way but of course my best lines are forgotten otherwise I'd have a best-seller. This one stuck because because my friends son had a gaming addiction and while not condemning I certainly thought he should "just pull out of it" as if that is the answer to life's challenges. So here I am on a mental health exercise and I've lost a crutch. I was nine or ten when we got television, same thing, proud to say I had 15 years without one in the house but everywhere there was one my attention was glued, great for conversation at your mate's place. Now de internet. More to come, route planning and stuff to do washing, food, dry clothes, yeah first wet one in 15 days
Millaa Millaa falls FNQ

GWR,
One of the great parts of a trip. I too have incredible epiphany's of a better understanding of life as I travel. Only in my mind and never to be found on the "best sellers" list and mostly forgotten when returning to the real world we live in. Thanks for the reminder. Good wishes to you!

Beautiful part of the world up there on the Atherton Tableland Gordo. Once seen those Millaa Millaa falls are forever instantly recognisable.

You guys have done really well on this adventure and its only half over, unless of course you can't drag yourself away from the far north.

Cheers

Hello all it's been over a week now and much has happened but very little of it involved social media. As mentioned last time a combination of factors led me to evaluate my use of various platforms and to be honest it's been hard to fit in. I'm so far behind in what was to be a daily account that I'm not even gunna try.
Apologies to those who I missed meeting in my travels through your patch of this big island, maybe there'll be a a "next" time.

Got as far as Cooktown before looking south and sketching out the return journey. Looks like an outback adventure taking in Longreach and Bourke the obvious attractions being the Stockmans Hall of Fame and the Darling River where, unbelievablely paddle steamers used to paddle.

Been following along and enjoying your trip from the start Ghost - thank you for doing this!  You are in the same boat as us Canucks - it's a really big hunk of land to explore when you get out on the road.  Safe travelling and I look forward to each report that you are able to share.

Cheers,  Woodie

Ghost who rides wrote:    Got as far as Cooktown before looking south and sketching out the return journey.

June of 2010 on a solo 50th birthday ride on my K100RS, I was stopped in the motel at the end of Cooktown's main street. I'd eaten dinner and so wandered up the street in search of a drink, and drawn in by the noise of music being thrashed out, I entered this very pub. The classic OZ white paddy wagon with blue cop checkers parked right out the front door should've been my first hint, but a man gets a thirst. The sight of a pair of burly cops hauling a young local girl, herself wailing and kicking and hurling obscenities, should've been my second clue. In I went.

Five minutes later while shouldering my way to a clearer view of the garage band at the outdoor stage to the left of the main building, all hell broke loose. I didn't see a single, cheeky, lovable Croc Dundee type in the crowd, restoring order in an efficient manner. Instead, filthy drunken mouths and sloppily thrown punches abounded. So I bounded. 

The two coppers had grown to eight and they were filling that wagon out front with locals. It's a good thing they're plastic and easy to hose out of blood and beer-spew.

Sometimes you're proud of your heritage, and other times...

I crossed the wide street to the other side to look back in relative safety. The noise and lights grew dimmer and faded as I walked back to my motel room a coupla hundred metres east. Next day upon leaving town the mess was cleared up and an otherwise charming country town maintained its charm.

The few roads getting there and departing there are sublime. A good reason to return.

Out the end of Cooktown near the Captain Cook Cairn up on the bluff. The weather was moving in.

I wonder if this sweet little Cooktown coffee shop survived...?

From coffee to Thai in 14 years.