|
11th Jan: Airlie Beach
----------
Didn't even sit on the bike today :) Instead I tried in vain to get
seasick on a diving cruise out amongst the reefs. A great day with lots of
interesting fish and coral to see.
On returning back to the park (Wanderers) some new neighbours from this
morning turned up, so I had a chat with them (James & Julia). Considering
the amount of water falling on us, we wandered off to the nearest watering
hole and shared quite a few beers discussing on the road things. They're
very slowly touring Australia and are heading in the same direction as I
am. It's still pissing down with rain as I go to sleep.
12th Jan: Airlie Beach - Townsville
----------
Waking up at 5:30, the sounds of silence greet me (no rain!). Very
hurriedly I grab a shower, throw everything into the bags and head off.
Luckily I did, because 10 minutes on the road and the heavens open again.
By the time I get to Bowen, the clouds have rained their last, but it is
still very grey. A nice break out on the wharf, then on the road again
heading towards Townsville.
Pulling into Townsville, the first priority is to find the Honda shop. I
want to make sure that all the parts have arrived for the service
tomorrow. The tourist information centre points me in the right direction
and five minutes later I'm cruising around a very impressive looking shop.
"Hi, I'm Just.."
"Ah yes, the guy with bits coming from all over the country!"
"Ummm... yeah..."
After checking all the bits
out, I'm missing the bracket for the top box. The Non Fango suppliers
don't carry a line of "spare parts". I'd have to buy a whole new top box
bracket set. Needless to say, I'm not too happy about this, so I phone the
people back in Perth that I bought the gear from, and they agree to chase
things up for me.
Anyway, I've had another letter left for me. Thinking it was Doug Cox
(another aus.moto newsgroup member), I thought it might be to stir me up a
bit. Surprisingly, it isn't. It's another lurker and a reader of these
tales - Malcolm Hall. Leaving a phone and email address he wants to have a
chat about the gear and the trip because he's thinking of doing some
travelling too. After heading into the city centre (it's only 12pm and I'm
rather hungry), I give the number a quick bell just in case.
After a quick chat, Malcolm wants to catch up over some lunch in town.
While waiting at the bike parking lot, I notice there's quite a few
scooters about. In fact, I reckon this place wouldn't be that far from out
doing any SE Asian city. Well, that's exaggerating just a bit, but there's
a helluvalotofem up here.
Lunch and a couple of beers later (they barely touched the sides going
down!) and Malcolm invites me to crash at his place for the couple of
nights while in town. Not wanting to miss an offer like that, we wander
off to his place. He's got a typical Queensland house, but underneath has
been transformed into a mini flat and an office. I find some conveniently
large areas to hang up wet gear from the previous couple of days.
That night is spent discussing bikes/travel with him and his wife Lynn
followed by a very light dinner (huge lunch for one that doesn't eat much
when travelling) and a couple of beers.... As it turns out, he's recently
bought a Tenere with plans for the Gibbs Track trip mid year with a group
of others. (Malcolm, Hope you are going to write a report on that for us!)
13th Jan: Magnetic Is,
----------
After dropping the bike off at 8am, Malcolm then drops me off in town so
that I can spend the day perusing the local island.
As a walk on passenger, I wander around the island on the local bus
service. There were many things to do, so I started with the Forst Track.
This is a WWII Gunnery post with some wonderful views and takes a couple
of hours to explore. Finishing that, I walk down to Horseshoe bay for some
lunch and the bus trip back.
The roads here are really nice for bike riding. Lots of tight 30 and
40Km/h corners for about 20Kml. Then you turn around and go back to the
other side of the island. Although it would be fun, there would be no
point of bringing the bike to the island as there is only one road.
However, I did notice while walking the Forts Track that two people must
have done the track in a pair of shoes that look suspiciously like a pair
of knobblies...
Returning back to mainland, I wander off to the aquarium. This is
fantastic and I could have spent hours and hours here, but I had to get
back to pick up the bike by 5pm.
Forking out the huge pile of cash so that I can drive the bike away
($1200) we again spend the night discussing bikes and travels. Both
Malcolm and Lynn have done a _lot_ of travel in there life times. Malcolm
has been across the Sahara in Germany's gift to the go anywhere crowd - a
Kombi, and Lynn spent 6 years on a boat travelling from Melbourne to
Cairns (yes, that's one way, not multiple trips!).
14th Jan: Townsville - Cairns
Getting up early, and thanking my hosts for a wonderful stay, I meander
along the coast northwards. This is again unfortunately all boring highway
travel.
On the way up I call into a few touristy places. Josephine Falls, about
50Km short of Cairns, is a really nice place to relax for a while. A short
(8km) hike off the main trek through a bunch of cane fields was worth the
ride in itself.
Lobbing in to Cairns, you quickly discover just how tourist orientated the
town is. The closest caravan park is about 7km out of town, so I decide to
stay at a backpackers right in the centre on the water. For $16 a night,
you get a free meal at the adjoining pub, a bed and a really nice location
right on the water. Not bad considering a tent site was going to cost me
the same.
After meeting the room mates (A German, a Turk and an aussie from Sydney),
we travelled to the pub. Dinner and a few jugs later, we wander off to one
of the local "nightclubs" called The Woolshed. Many more jugs later, and I
stumble back to the bed.
15th Jan: Cairns
Nursing a hangover, but with the sun beaming straight through the window
in to my face, I can't help but get up at 8am. Dylan, the guy from Sydney,
and I, wander off to a coffee shop where the cappuccino and muffin help to
cure the ills of the night before.
While discussing day plans, I mention that I'm going to wander off to Pt
Douglas. The guy in the rental shop up the road had recommended it and a
few other local runs the day before. Getting all excited, Dylan decides to
locate a helmet so he can jump on the back. A bit of searching and an hour
later, he's bought a Shoei helmet for $45 from the local second hand
dealer. Suitably equipped, he borrows some gloves and off we go.
The Pt Douglas run is really nice. A lot like the GOR in some respects,
but with a much more tropical feel and also a lot closer to the waterline.
It's been quite a while since I've had a pillion on the back so I took the
first bit fairly steady. He's never been on a bike before and almost every
corner we go around he adjusts his seating position! That made life
interesting a couple of times. Nearer to the destination, on some
straighter roads, I decide to see how he's going. He's been relaxing a
bit, so I wind it up a bit. Hey, he's still there!
Pulling into Pt Douglas, I spot a group consisting of a 916, VTR and R1.
The R1 had dealer plates and the VTR looks like it has just rolled off the
showroom floor. Their respective owners don't become all that talkative,
so we sit and watch the world go by for a while.
Eventually pushing off, we're greeted on the way out by a guy on a Moto
Guzzi screaming through a round-about just ahead of us. My passenger is
now much more relaxed and, with a few more instructions, is doing much
better. We stay with the Guzzi as he heads north and past a police car at
140Km/h! Must be a local...
Turning off for Mt Molloy, there are some nice tight twisty roads here. I
almost lose it in one corner when, as I'm heading up the hill, a VFR, R1
and two other bike go screaming past downhill scraping knees and foot pegs
and I decide to watch in awe. Oops, that's right, bike doesn't handle so
well with 90Kg of pillion on board.
The rest of the trip through Mareeba and Karunda is uneventful - mainly
fast wide sweeping or straight roads. From Karunda back to Cairns there is
14km of windy roads. This is great fun and I am getting used to the
pillion being on the back so we really get the bike leant over. Getting
off, I've got a pillion who's smile is wide enough to park a truck in, and
some very shagged looking rear tyre tread. Hmmm..... must have really got
the back heated up quite nicely.
Later in the day, I do the run to Karunda and back again. Lots of fun
running solo and no gear loaded on. So much fun, I almost lose it coming
down the hill. Come into a straight stretch, accelerate a bit then realise
the corner is tighter than expected. Drop back a gear, hit the front
brakes (Still going in a straight line at this stage) and the back locks
completely. Bloody DCBS! Can't do much about it as I have to pull up
quickly otherwise I'll be doing superman impressions over the cliff. End
result is a lovely big black fishtail over the road about 20m long.
16th Jan: Cairns
----------
Tourist day today. Did a reef cruise. The diving is much better here, but
the boat crew not so good. Its a huge boat with a lot of people. The
smaller boat back in Airlie was much better.
17th Jan: Cairns - Charters Towers
Wander off down through the inland route. There are some great roads here.
Mostly it is the one lane tar business, but there are very few cars. You
can quite confidently travel at 140 through these roads with little
problem. The surface is good and the scenery spectacular. It changes from
forest to plain to mountainous and back again.
Stayed at the Mexican Caravan Park, which is a former mine site. It is a
short walk into town, so I spend the evening wandering around. I'm
impressed - this place has an Internet Cafe and yet its a relatively small
country town.
Getting back from the walk, I find a couple of messages on my phone. The
obligatory "How are, where are you going" one from mum, and another from
James and Julia. Their gearbox had done the best impression of a shotgun
and spat bits of bearings out through the side and through the innards and
were stuck in Mt Isa for a week.
18th Jan: Charters Towers - Mt Isa
----------
It's a fairly long trip today so I get up and leave before 7am to beat
most of the heat. The trip is fairly boring highway travel until you get
to Julia Creek. From here, the country becomes more mountainous and
interesting.
Having just filled up with Premium unleaded (a rarity out here in the
country) I open the throttle and enjoy the sweeping roads and
country-side. Refilling at Cloncurry, I do more of the same from here to
Mt Isa. The roads are getting better and the scenery more spectacular. The
deep red cliffs and soil against the black road, tree trunks and green
foliage is awesome
Arriving at the nominated caravan park, I find the tent but no people.
Five minutes later, and this almighty racket of car horn goes off just
down the road. James had got the car back a couple of days earlier than
expect. It's a lovely quiet night and a six pack of Crownies later and I
crash out under the hoochie.
19th Jan: Mt Isa - Tennant Creek
----------
Again a hot one so I leave early to beat the heat. From Mt Isa to
Camooweal the road is a mixture of two lane and single lane roads. This
makes for some really interesting and varied riding. The contrast is huge.
Camooweal to Barkly Homestead is fairly boring. Sticking to 110-120 to
conserve fuel (it's 270Km between drinks) you get to watch a lot of
countryside go by. I swear that as soon as I go over the border, it went
from scrub to treeless plains. Not a tree, shrub or flower in sight. Just
grass, and flat as far as the eye can see. Later on, towards Barkly, the
trees, and hence bird life come back. A couple of times I had to haul on
the anchors for slow moving birds. Once, there were a group of around 15
assorted eagles, falcons and kites all feasting on a fresh roo kill. The
three Wedge Tails were the slowest to get off the ground. The biggest one,
when standing still was the height of the bike! I've seen many wedge tails
in my gliding career, but always in the air. These things are huge on the
ground! I reckon they were semi mature as they had wingspans of around 1.5
- 2 metres, (I've seen many in the air with wingspans greater than 3
metres), but it is still and impressive sight.
From Barkly to Tennant Creek is about 210Km - Well within fuel range so at
last I get to sample the NT "speed limit". The next bit was a blur as I
spent the entire time between 170 and 190Km/h - occasionally getting to
220, to pass a car...
Tennant Creek is a tiny town. After a refreshing dip in the pool of the
caravan park (The Outback) and a walk around town, I book in for a local
night tour. The Dot Mine tour takes you through a night tour of a local
hand dug mine dating back to the 1930's. It's well worth the money as an
insight into local history.
I slept the night under the open sky, on just a ground mat.
20th Jan: Tennant Creek - Alice Springs
----------
I'm in the Northern Territory. I have a bike supposedly capable of
300Km/h. What do you think I did?
Actually, I never got that fast with all the gear on. Instead I just
cruised leisurely at around 180-200Km/h down the roads. Even at this speed
the road trains are not a problem. What kept the speed down was the light
gusty crosswinds that I had to deal with. The road surface is easily
capable of more, but those panniers act like a barn door in a crosswind.
However, the Blackbird makes an awesome high speed tourer. I can sit on
160-180 all day. You don't need to high behind the fairing or get
uncomfortable in a racing crouch. The more I ride this bike, the more I
like it (except those linked brakes...).
I pulled into Alice very early, as you can imagine the travel time of
500Km done at 200Km/h. Spent the day wandering about the town. The caravan
park (The Heavitree) has wild wallabies that come down at around 5:30 each
evening that you can pat and feed. Great seeing the wildlife like this
that you normally see being picked over by eagles on the side of the
road... Will spend the night under the open skies again. James and Julia
have rolled in a few hours later than me. What, the 4WD with a trailer
won't do 200Km/h? ;)
Continued.......
End of Part e - Stay Tuned
for Justin's next on-the-road update
Justin Couch
On Tour Around Oz - By Bike!
97 CBR 1100XX
90 KR-1S
Stereo on Wheels: Doof-Doof Boy.
Look for the blue hair and a motorbike.... |
