The heat is rippling the tarmac and causing a near-constant sweat to roll from my brow. I'm leaning into the teeth of the hot wind and almost counter steering to keep the bike straight ahead and upright. The irregular gusts blast me half a lane to the left then knock me back to the right suddenly. But, I am not at work at a desk, or walking the shopping mall, or standing humbly before a judge, cap twisted tightly in hand.

Ahead I can see yet another roadtrain. This one's hauling cattle to market. These beasts had a few years of open range to wander and feed from. They are close to feral and have recently been rounded up by stockmen. If you are the type to eat at Macca's then I suppose they could be your next Big Mac, or the leather belt that holds up your ever-expanding trousers. There are four cars behind the prime mover. In America I saw some 'big rigs' with 18 wheels. I lost count at 70 on one of these rolling mayhem machines of Down Under. The drivers appear to be under thirty years of age when I see them inhaling massive plates of tucker at roadhouses. They always wave and ask casually in that inimitable Aussie way, 'How ya goin, mate?' I always reply to them in an equally friendly manner as they could be a lifeline out on the lonely stretches if a breakdown or accident ever occurred.

The roadtrain is now just ahead of me and I am closing on him at 130kph (the speed limit in 'The Territory'). Most travel at or about 100 kph. I can feel the wind's wake already. I am now less than a hundred metres behind him and looking ahead to overtake. The rule is to give two kilometres of open road to overtake in, but we all know (nudge, nudge, wink, wink) a motorbike requires far less than that, even travelling fully-loaded. He indicates twice with his right hand blinker that the road ahead is clear. I take his 'word' for it and press on, downshifting to fourth for the extra urge. Once past the last car the wind decides to put on its steel capped boots and kick me in the side with a quick left, then a sharp right. Then it dons the boxing gloves for few one-two punches to the helmet and the ribs. Then it rips open the velcro closure of my jacket before bitch-slapping me twice or thrice and then booting me again a coupla times for good measure, show me just who's boss round here. I'm passing the wagging second to last car now and approaching 150 kph. The effect is of being sucked sideways into the jaws of some device on those '60s-era Bond movies, but you always know he'll get away before the gnashing teeth grab ahold and pull the hero in.

I can now see the prime mover ahead and am in the middle of a red dust storm that approaches cyclone level. The smell of the cattle shite permeates the helmet and invades my nostrils like a terrible biblical plague. I'm sitting on the 'ton' now and the faithful and mighty K bike is taching at eight grand plus. I burst through the torrent of wind at the front and into clear air, free at last, free at last, thank gohd almighty I'm free at last. The 160 kph rush feels so good for a few seconds that I keep it pegged and leave the lumbering behemoth struggling in my puny motorbike's wake. Ha ha, say I as I glide ahead, round the bend, past the sleeping roos and wandering emus at roadside, and am promptly slowed by the next obstacle: a four car fuel tanker sitting on 80 kph, following a queue of dusty red caravans towed by grey nomads, Australia's nearly-permanent army of sunseekers, Wintertime marchers, the 'gerro' set of pensioners who frequent the open road as much as the roadtrains do.

I'm thinking about a coldie and a campsite as the sun fades to golden red-orange in the drying, dessicated Western sky. A dip in the Indian Ocean is in order too. Tonight the billion star hotel will be my companion, the Milky Way in all its glory, without the backlighting of civilisation. Hoo roo, mates!

TWB,
Wow..I was there..in the saddle with you..thanks for that, you have given a "Gerro" a moment of envy. You've got a way with words and a book must be on the horizon in the future. Title it "How yer goin mate"
Ajays

TWB I will say it again you are bloody magic at writing! You have got to write a book! Put me down for a signed copy, I will buy it and pay postage no worries.
Regards,
K-BIKE

I've made it as far as Carnarvon, Western Australia, after four weeks of riding and sightseeing. I'm about 7000 kms into a roughly 14000 km trip so far.

The olde girl has performed admirably, only suffering one plastic pannier hinge mishap (for which I have spares!) and a slightly leaking fork seal (for which I don't have a spare!). She's returned 20 kms per litre and accepts the crap 91 octane with no worries, though 95 and sometimes 98 are available at distant roadhouses. I have not had to use the non-sniffable Opal brand of fuel which is there to deter dependence on cheap and nasty highs by some locals. I managed to draft behind a roadtrain for 20 kms in the Territory (the low fuel warning light had been on for over 60 kms) and upon filling up put 21.5 of 22 litres total capacity into the tank. Phew! It was 41c and a long way to push a fully-loaded machine.

Today is a clothes wash and shave day in a caravan park after many nights camped beside dried up rivers and water holes (called billabongs) and a treat for the machine is that there is a car wash across the street. I'd thought to leave to patina of red centre dust on the bike as a mark of a seasoned traveller but it just looks like shit and has so much hardened red dirt stuck to it. It needs a good cleaning. Did I mention that the Indian Ocean has water bluer than any other ocean I've ever seen, and the coral reefs are amazing, bar none!?

Oh, and if you ever find yourself in Broome WA look up our very own 'cablebeachguy' before stopping. He's a local and a pleasant chap and would be sure to assist you in making your way around that lovely holiday spot - if it's not spoilt in the future by the incoming natural gas pipeline and associated workers and their needs...

Perth is next after a better look as I travel southward along the coast. Then it's the SW corner, Freo, Albany, Walpole (massive old-growth Gumtree forests), Denmark, Esperance (former whaling community) and the rest, before the long trek across the infamous Nullarbor (treeless plains and Australia's straightest road), also the Great Australian Bight towards Adelaide and eventually home in Northern New South Wales. Hoo roo, mates!

Guys,
That is a man doing things the armchair "experts" dream about. Good On You Mate! Thanks for the reports it makes it so real.
Regards,
K-BIKE

I'm in Kalbarri WA at Chinaman's Point (who's PC in OZ!?) and am viewing large waves, blue blue water, clear skies, a slight breeze after near gale force 'breezes' the past coupla nights in Denham/Monkey Mia, near Shark Bay (where I spotted several manta ray gliding along the bottom, feeding.)

The fuel pump buzzes ever louder in the heat but I'm trolling along at 110 kph mainly and still getting 20kms per litre, consistently. Not a drop of oil has been consumed - I did change it and the filter at the halfway point. The leather Corbin seat is literally a pain in the arse after three hours steady riding - easy to do here - as that's the distance between roadhouses, quite often.

I've met (and re-met) some really cool people, young and old, and have several addresses of people and places to stop further down the track. I'm siting in the local pub while Grand Final blares on the tele (not my sport) and think it not a good idea to ask if we can switch it over to the Motegi MotoGP which should be running about now. Aussies do love their ball sport! This one prefers wheels.

The temps have cooled ever so slightly as I've ventured South, but there have been some nicely hot days that have reached to the low 40s and except for the first weekend out I've not had a drop of rain wash any of the well-earnt dust away! Today's a balmy 29c, nights are down to only 15c or so.

I would like to be able to post a pic or two but these internet kiosks are not USB friendly. Perth and the SW are next. More as it happens. Catch ya'.

I have to add that the terrain, the scenery and the beaches are some of the most amazing in Australia, and relatively untouched too, as compared to the more crowded (LOL) East coast of OZ. Every fifty kilometres I am stunned yet again by some new vista, some well-weathered mountain range or mesa, or another dry river bed that shows evidence of having a life of its own come the wet. The red dirt is everywhere but the trees and flora change constantly. The 'highways' are mainly two-lane and narrow but drivers seem to use them reasonably well and the speed limit is a sane 110 kph on the open road. I'm trolling mostly at or slightly above that limit.

Yesterday morning as I left the pristine white beaches of Nanga Bay (just South of Monkey Mia/Denham) I was coming off the gravel and onto the bitumen from 20 kph to 80 kph, accelerating from 2nd to 3rd gear when out of the corner of my eye I spotted a nearly 2 metre-tall Emu coming at me. He put his head down and I knew instantly that we would connect painfully at my current trajectory. Since I had a narrow road ahead of me and he was already on the tarmac I made the call to screw it on instead of hard braking. That and a quick counter steer to the right gave me just enough space to clear the bastard bird with a death wish. I felt him rushing hard at me and just knew I would be either picking up bits of BMW plastic (and perhaps myself) or the guts of some tall, stupid, flightless bird. Instead I felt him slide just past my panniers and looked over my right shoulder to see him dashing into the scrub at the other side of the road. The adrenalin didn't hit me for a few minutes but I laughed out loud inside my helmet at the close call! My legs then turned to jelly beneath me when I stopped to ponder the incident.

I live to ride on yet again..

Keep it up Pal....I've got the family looking over my shoulder fighting for position to read it.
Great stuff...aint it the truth.
Ajays.

Great stuff: makes for good reading, but the thought of hitting an emu of all things christ something like that could put an end ones existance I nearly soiled myself just reading about it, keep going mate and take care.

BIG D

Hi TWB!
Why do I always start humming the old Bobby Vee hit "Poetry in motion" while reading your ride reports ?.
Please be careful with those emus, aren`t they an preserved spicies?
I`m glad that I`ll probably never will run into such an animal here in the north,mind you, we`ve got some nasty elks,deers,wild boars and caribou who loves to be plodding around in the middle of the road.
Take care on your trip and ride safely!
Some pictures would be nice....
Cheers,Wikur !

Perth, Western Australia: a sunnier, more modern Melbourne, with heaps of parks and gardens, a larger river running right through the middle, unis, theatre, a music scene, decent shops and restaurants, and the bright blue waters of the Indian Ocean just round the bend near Fremantle. Now get me out of here! I no like big cities!

Seriously, I just had two new tyres fitted. I went with the old reliable Pirelli Sport Demon on the front again (total life, 14000 kms) and the harder Metzeler ME880 Marathon (total life, 9500 kms), which sucks, in my estimation, but it lasted longer than a Pirelli would have on the back. It's the heat, the load, the lack of corners and the more 'grainy' texture of the bitumen out West that's worn it out faster than it should have. I hate to chuck away 400 dollars in the middle of a trip but there's a long, straight stretch coming up after the SW corner of the country is done being ridden. It's called the Nullarbor, and the two old tyres would not have had any life in them by the time I reached Adelaide on the other end. Since the contact patch is akin to the area of two credit cards against the road's surface, I believe I have made a wise choice.

Pictures, Wikur? Those will come when the computer I use has a friendly port for my camera. That'll be at the end of the trip in a month or so. For now I hope my words are ample enough for your imaginations to draw some of your own conclusions. Emus? I will continue to hope I survive an impact with anything that hops, slithers, ambles, runs or crawls in the Lucky Country, the Land Down Under, the Great Southern Land, take your pick of names, they all fit this place in some way. I can say that W.A. is a beautiful place full of life, sunshine (so far), good people and scenery that always amazes!

All the best.
~Dazz

I've just crossed into South Australia from Western Aus...in the middle of the Nullarbor Plain, and I can tell you unequivocally that it is not entirely treeless (get it, you Latin speakers?).

Awesome! But the really odd thing is the time zone is only 45 minutes ahead!

And to think I turned down a job in Aussie some 45 years ago.
Thanks for the reports...a man to admire.
Ajays

So far, so good. The Nullarbor Plain has been vanquished and South Australia's coastline and a few inside roads have been explored. Now it's time for a Captain Cook at the more remote parts of my home state of Victoria, a visit to family, and then a slow return to the Gold Coast area via New South Wales.

The olde K continues to hum along with only a very small list of items needing attention upon my return. I've discovered that the rough roads have caused the left hand side fairing lower metal mount to crack from fatigue, two plastic pannier hinges have come apart and for which I have spares. Nothing more than that. Nada. Zilch.

One of the mirrors popped off when I attempted to hoist the hefty olde girl onto her stand at the petrol pump, only to have to slick of spilt diesel under my boots give me the slip and the bike went crashing into the bowser. I couldn't lift the feckin' thing my self. I had to have help. Of course this set me back a smidge as my ego became bruised, but only slightly more than the poor suffering motorbike as it lay on its side, paint scratched and mirror dangling from its retaining strap. The paint can be buffed out. I stopped for the night since I was obviously knackered. The coldie, a good feed and the campfire soothed me well.

More soon.

TWB
If that is all that happens to you during this marathon ride you have been fortunate, pity it did but your tiredness must have been a contributer.
You should be able to claim damages from the diesel spill.
Take care Pal and get plenty of rest. Thanks for the report.
Ajays

Oh, I dunno, I reckon a few more things than that happened along the way. I'm just holding back until I can get it all into something tangible. I can tell you that over 20 kms of snot-slick, (used to be hardpacked) red clay after a rain is not the place for a street-tyred, heavy K100RS with gear aboard. I fall down. Or the wind blowing salt and sand into every crevice and seam of bike and tent at Shark Bay WA, or the sun blistering my shoulders not once but thrice in Katherine Gorge NT, Lake Argyle and Broome WA, or the mad goat that dashed in front of me in South Australia. I know not whether it were a billy or a nanny, and I may never know, but that old goat surely had some get up and goa...

Allways look at the bright side of life.......
You`ll laugh about it later.
Keep it up TWB!
Cheers,Wikur!

I laugh out loud like a madman inside of my helmet and out at regular intervals. The good people in the rest areas as I flash past at 120 kph get it in doppler, and it works best with the helmet visor up! Watching their various reactions only makes me laugh harder.

Hmm,
First signs.....
Ajays

I'm still looking for any sign of the unreal Outback...


Not entirely treeless, as I've said before, but nevertheless, a pretty interesting road, with a fair amount of traffic on it and some spectacular cliffs at The Great Australian Bight. I rode my 2nd longest day of the entire distance of my trip at about 925 kms from Norseman, W.A to Nullarbor Roadhouse, S.A.


This bit of the road was smooth and absolutely straight as advertised, with Royal Flying Doctor Service landing strips positioned every so often in the 'remote' stretches. Otherwise it was an undulating, scenery-changing, trees, shrubs, bushes, grasslands and with plenty to look at especially when cresting a hill and you got a good squiz at the vastness of the region from atop the slight rise. Watching out for 'roos, emus, wombats (mainly at night, but I didn't ride then) and the occasional camel can be tricky.


This seemingly out of control bushfire near Katherine NT was crossing the road after burning alongside it for ten kilometres or so. Cars were driving into it blind and with no headlights on. I stopped a while then followed a roadtrain into it. The other side was less than a K away. The local at the servo down the track told me the council were doing controlled burns. Out of control is the way it is done here, but no one really worries until it takes a house or two. Strewth!


I was rockin' a steady 120 kph @ 5000 rpm often for days and days in some places. Here I got a tad bored and dangled my camera out for a shot of what's ahead and what's behind.


Water holes like this plunge pool at Litchfield NP in the Northern Territory made the temp of 41c degrees it got up to during the daytime tolerable. I stayed on in this national park for several days enjoying the remoteness, the scenery and the refreshing swimming. No salties (crocs) here!


Self-esplanatree!

All up it was just under 15000 kms and a bit under eight weeks round the edge of the sunburnt country. I had no real dramas with the bike (like oil consumption, flat tyres, anything needing adjustment, bad petrol, or even backside burn from too long days in the hard-as Corbin leather saddle). It didn't miss a beat, not once. I got telling people along the way when asked that it was as 'reliable as a fridge, but maybe not as cool.' I'm ready to go again.

Pure Magic!
Regards,
K-BIKE

I hope we finally see the face of a hero.....oh boy...and I thought I was a motorcyclist. A book and recognition must be forthcoming.
All I get now from the family is "Beat that"
Thanks TWB Ajays

Yeah, but you're a young and healthy 81, mate, and I'm just on a mere half a century back in June this year. I hope I have your staying power over the long haul. It's to be commended. Goodonya, Ajays!
~Darren


An attempt at keeping the aggravating
and near-constant blowflies away.
Once it's dark they disappear!
Augustus Gregory NP, Savannah Way
Northern Territory.

Thanks for the pics TWB!
I`ve had a dream for years to visit Australia and New Zealand.
Maybe someday.........
Cheers!

Well mate, its nice to see what a real motorcyclist looks like.
Thanks for that.
Ajays.

Ajays, you're an apparent whiz with photoshop it seems, not bad for an old bloke! I remain leaning towards the legions of Luddites who resist technology and only use it when I have to. Now how about sharing with those of us who are severely follicle-ly challenged a few locks of that glorious hair! Goodonya. :cyclops:

Latest, taken 3 months ago with added hair...!! Top now getting a bit thin.
82 next month.......but it all comes to an end.......we are all in the queue.
Ajays
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/T2y83eEP_jMCtWpiG3Hc9w?feat=directlink

People often ask me why I would expend so much energy riding my motorbike solo round North America, Europe or Australia, etc. I tell them that most of us are reasonably sure of the day we were born - we celebrate it every year. It's the other important date that we're not so certain of. Get yer plans in while you've still got time to make them, I say. If I left this mortal coil tomorrow I would go with a lot of good memories to back me up. There's a modicum of eternal cred in that.

What an excellent philosophy!
Regards,
K-BIKE

I've always felt that if a fella is so down and out as to resort to sniffin gasoline, then we should just let 'em sniff the gasoline, as life is all pretty much uphill from there.

Nice to see a pic of you TWB.
Ayjays highlighting made it just great.
Guess you get" Top Gear" in Oz.
For once I thought you where "The Stig" but now I know better.
Cheers!

@ Scottie,
one problem with just letting 'them' sniff petrol is that the toll on the people of the mainly isolated indigenous communities in Australia due to alcohol, drugs, pornography, violence (& petrol-huffing) is tremendous. Opal, the non-sniffable stuff sold at servos in the Territory and parts of Western Australia, is a low-grade petrol that I wouldn't put in my bikes, but can be run in most mid and late-model cars that don't require a higher octane.

Most governments do half-way measures in almost anything they attempt. It's hard to have all of the answers, so legislating something into existence is a band-aid on the real problem. But time has shown that the introduction of Opal into those remote communities is having the necessary effect of reducing using fuel as an inhalant. Prohibiting alcohol has helped as well, but there are always some who will make a living off illegally bringing it in. I spoke to one health care worker who said that she's seen pilots for the mining companies and even the Royal Flying Doctor Service pilots bringing known prohibited substances like drugs, alcohol and porno into these remote aboriginal communities.

In spite of all the effort put into making their lives a bit better, most of them are still the down-trodden, and this is a divisive issue amongst Australians in general. The krakkatinni tribe is indeed rampant, but perhaps of all those human-introduced pests to Australia, like cane toads, foxes, rabbits, deer, camels, feral cats & etc, we, White Man, have possibly been the worst.

Here's a link that will hopefully give some those who aren't aware of the problem some edification of the issue:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opal_%28fuel%29

Here's a few more pictures that hopefully show a clearer view of just what's out there and to be expected in the Northern Territory and Western Australia for those who might be contemplating a Large Ride Round of their own. I offer my services and am happy to assist with enquiries. It was that good of a trip I would do it again...and perhaps just might go the other way this time. Cheers!


Threeways Roadhouse (NT) and four trailer roadtrain.


Katherine Gorge's first pool, Northern Territory.


Katherine Gorge's second pool. No salties (eat humans) here, but the occasional freshie (don't eat humans) turns up.


Wangi Falls plunge pool, Litchfield NP, Northern Territory.


The Savannah Way, Northern Territory to Western Australia. 130 kph speed limit and ever-changing scenery. Not at all flat and boring as expected and as you hear. It was something different, landscape and flora-wise, every fifty K's or so.


The Victoria River in 'the dry'. This is a raging torrent by November/December in 'the wet'.


This view was a common one in some parts of W.A., across the Nullarbor, and home through S.A. and into New South Wales. It would come to be known as my K100RS' sweet spot.


An Aussie Boab tree, in the same genus as the African Baobab. There's a coupla of these that are so fat and hollowed out that travelling prisoners were kept locked up inside of them for the night by their wardens. I wonder what the redback spiders thought of that!


Wind and water-eroded sandstone, lava, and red clay meet the Indian Ocean at Point Gantheaume, Broome, W.A.


Not a great road surface for a heavy road-tyred motorbike. Broome, W.A.


Enjoying a Monsoonal Blonde at Matso's Brewery. Broome, W.A.


Snow, cold, wind, hail, rain? Never heard of such things. This is not the U.K., Europe, America or Canada in Winter (or Summer)! Cable Beach entrance. Broome, W.A.


A nice, flowing, high-speed bendy bit along the W.A. coastline near Monkey Mia, W.A.


The Blue blue waters of Coral Bay near Ningaloo Reef, W.A.


This roadtrain pulled to the side to allow a truck carrying a piece of mining equipment to pass. The escort driver behind flagged me up next to him (we were travelling at about 40 kph for miles after mile) and yelled to me that he would radio the driver and he'd move to the left to let me get by. When this was done and I was rocketing past to overtake at 120 kph the tyres of the tractor were cm's from my left shoulder and as tall as a house! 'Strewth, mate!


The contrast in colour from white to blue of sand and ocean, or even the reds and greens of outback trees and desert are simply incredible! This is the Southern Ocean as seen from The Great Australian Bight. There are so many more but I reckon I'll be pushing things if I post too many more. I hope you've enjoyed viewing them as much as I did taking them. Cheers!

Another report enjoyed by me and my family....well she said, "What do you think of that?, and I wonder who took the picture with the beer."
Thanks again TWB.
Ajays

Absolutely bloody brilliant mate, good on you!
Regards,
K-BIKE

TWB, well done mate, some of your pics look to be post card quality. Our great land down under sure lends itself to the lens. Myself and wife would like to go right around the large island, having ventured into Vic, NSW and ACT so far, in both winter and summer. We'll see what eventuates when next long service leave comes due. On the "sweet spot", I agree, they sure do like to run there, but I also find they are super-smooth at 140 kph, but starting to get a bit busy I feel, for extended periods anyway, there's allso the risk a ticket.

Great pics!!
Thanks for sharing.
Cheers,Wikur!

Dennis wrote:TWB, On the "sweet spot", I agree, they sure do like to run there, but I also find they are super-smooth at 140 kph, but starting to get a bit busy I feel, for extended periods anyway, there's also the risk a ticket.

Upon returning home, no camera-generated ticket awaited me, nor did I receive a hand citation from any copper. The fact is the area is too large to be patrolled effectively. I was quite often able to run at speeds that felt comfortable and covered the distances easily. At the end of the day I reckon I only passed a few patrol cars from the NT, WA and into SA. They seemed mainly to hover nearer areas of some population, and so I monitored my speeds accordingly there. I was never surprised by a radar gun nor saw a patrol car well out between towns on the long road. In reality 120kph was my maximum cruising speed (for reasons of efficiency too) and there were a few fun runs of 150+. The mighty K doesn't mind a bit of stick at all, and seems, like a decent wine, to improve with age (speed) until it reaches that too-busy point.

I managed to snap nearly 3G worth of high resolution photos and have not sorted them all yet. Looking at them brings a smile. I made a few memories out there to last me a fair while. Cheers.

A North American Sunday night, gettin' late, sippin a nice Aussie Pinot Grigio, whacked a bit of stir fry into the pan and slurped some insipid noodles in a reasonably fair attempt at Asian food. Better let 'em make it for me next time and not mind the takeaway boxes laying round the place, they're so good at it. I spent more too.

Anyway, I digress, re-readin this tome (along with the pleasant feedback) made me a bit homesick. Lookin at the piccies made it even worse. It's an illness, this travel bug, made feverish still by the crook in the guts feelin one gets when bottled up in a cold city, far from home, far from the sun, here it's the black hole sun. Even the seagulls of Seattle have a different cry.


A rare sunny day in the Emerald City on Elliot Bay.

What I would do for a full tank of go juice, a thicker wallet, a usefully loaded set of panniers, a tent and sleepin bag. Oh, and a map of unknown territories and unmarked lines on the map. Terra Unknowness. Terrible loneliness. I dream of Terra Australis with a fire in me belly and a light in my brain showin me the way.

If anyone asks I say get it on while the goin's good. Time has a way of passin. Der Weg ist das Ziel. The way is the goal.

Only just discovered this thread.
That first piece where you overtake the road train is wonderful writing.
Great photos too!

Beautiful writing & photography TWB.

This should be re posted all the time, a great read and a lot of it in my back yard!

I have done the trip from Perth to Broome on a K100LT and know the road well as I drive it ( 4 wheels) a few times every year. Hey Two Wheels, what about the cattle! They will stop a Mac truck, obliterate a K bike!

hiya dazza

heres a pic to remind you ...its all still here ....mind you the price of fuel steadily grows

you might have some affinity with this ...a small mid west country town ..verry early in the morning ...which direction do i go ?

in this case ...barraba -.tamworth or warrialda ...it matter not for it is all fun , just depends on they way were heading towards or arriving from .

each road and its traveller has a story

Bigsax wrote:This should be re posted all the time, a great read and a lot of it in my back yard!

I have done the trip from Perth to Broome on a K100LT and know the road well as I drive it ( 4 wheels) a few times every year. Hey Two Wheels, what about the cattle! They will stop a Mac truck, obliterate a K bike!

Thanks, mate. I didn't ever have an encounter out on the range with cattle, but they grow 'em large out there. I tried never to ride at dusk or dawn or anytime in between.

Basic2 wrote:Beautiful writing & photography TWB.

Thanks, Basic. I get all likkered up at a ridin day's end, then the words they do flow. That roadtrain bit, it happened repeatedly, knocked about by the wind became routine. Drafting behind them was an experience.

Saxon7 wrote:Only just discovered this thread.
That first piece where you overtake the road train is wonderful writing.
Great photos too!

That was one of my great solo roadtrips. Some people asked me incredulously whether I get lonely out on the far road. I can only say that, no, never, someone always asks me questions. A servo attendant, a fellow traveller, a clerk in a shop, or a aging beauty in a pub. There's always someone interesting to have a chin wag with.

charlie99 wrote:hiya dazza, each road and its traveller has a story

Chazza,
the best part of this forum is hearing from the legions of their own
tales of travails and travels. When this work gig is done and dusted I
might have to abscond for a spell of time into the nether regions of
North America for another good squiz round the place. Though I've lived
here in Americaland on and off a fair while, and seen all but Alaska, there's a few geographical nooks and a crannies I haven't peered into yet.

Any road in a storm suits me. Cheers, you lot.

charlie99 wrote:....mind you the price of fuel steadily grows.

Yeah, I see that. The local Shell station down the street here has gone from $3.29 to $3.93 a gallon for regular in the past three weeks. That's still only US$1.03 a litre equivalent, so I'm not gunna start sooking just yet - the Mini gets 28 mpg when I put my boot into it and the RT about 45 mpg when I cane it. The rising prices don't seem to diminish the almost average American's apparent love for driving to work solo in jacked up 4WD Ford F350 duallie with extended cab and large V8 under the bonnet...

I have enjoyed this thread immensely. It surely is a very diverse and beautiful country and your thoughts and pictures have been inspiring. Living on a small island it is hard to comprehend the immense distances required to cross Australia or even to go around it. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and feelings with us all

Bringing this back to life as this thread is a must read.
Seems the bloke will be back in Oz soon and some more of us may even get to meet him.

If you have not read this before, start at the top.
If you have read this before, start at the top again.

rosskko

Nice read. Thanks for bumping it.

Aw, shucks.

It's hard to believe three years have passed since that ride. I've had some good rides since then (last year's two months round the USA comes to mind) but the Aussie roadtrips I've had remain the sweetest memories. I look forward to more.

Thanks to you lot for reading, commenting or just enjoying quietly. But a special thanks to our esteemed forum creator, Crazy Frog, for giving us this venue in which we can and do express our various stories.

I will be home soon.

Cheers.

TWB,
    How many times have I told you to write a bloody book.
                                                         Cheers mate.
                                                                 Ajays