tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81068244260078200132024-02-01T18:59:47.258-08:00Once Round the Backyard5 States, 5 weeks, 14,000klm's...
my big Aussie adventure.Bob Snappahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00234004357432237841noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8106824426007820013.post-21922715968735676072014-10-19T20:00:00.000-07:002017-04-09T01:59:02.253-07:00And so endeth the journey...All good things come to an end.<br />
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The bike that carried me for the duration of this trip is now parked up at my brothers and getting prepped for sale. The DL1000 V-Strom wouldn't be my usual choice of ride, and I probably wouldn't own one as my daily ride, but I wouldn't hesitate to take one away on another extended journey across Australia.<br />
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The DL was typically Suzuki (built tough where it counts, but with a lot of cheap plastic finish), having said that, it was super reliable, cheap on fuel, and super cheap on maintenance. It was fully serviced and had new tyres on it when I bought it, and apart from lubing the chain, the only other thing I did over the distance was replace the rear tyre in Adelaide after 7,000 k's of bolt upright riding (but almost all the wear was down to the abrasive road surface in NT). By the time I'd finished the trip, the front tyre was only half worn, and the new rear still appeared 'as new'.<br />
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It was a comfortable bike to ride, even on the longest days, and its performance in the corners far exceeded my riding capability. My only complaint is they're not designed for touring and as such luggage choice is quite limited. At speed, the Givi bags sat so far outboard of the arse-end that they acted like windsocks, creating quite a wobble at anything over 120 kph (and yes, that's legal in some states, and if you're in the red centre, there is no limit). <br />
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I've had a truly fantastic time with some amazingly unforgettable moments. Of particular note for a bike journey of such distance and time, there were only 2 occasions where it actually rained (although for the first half, rain would at least have offered some respite from the constant heat).<br />
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Next stop, home, Mainland NZ.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brisbane - Blue skies and mid 30's</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entering the land of the long white cloud</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">South Island at last....</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christchurch and the Canterbury Plains - clearing but cold....</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Home at last....</td></tr>
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Bob Snappahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00234004357432237841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8106824426007820013.post-25669207452879690932014-10-18T19:00:00.000-07:002017-04-06T01:19:30.514-07:00Last ride....Well, today was my last chance to catch up with family before heading home tomorrow so I spent it with family and friends (on the bikes).<br />
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Went to Harrigans at Jacobs Well for coffee, then down to Mt Tamborine and Canungra for lunch.<br />
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Great to rip it up through the mountains for a blast before departing the homeland and heading back to the long white cloud.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jacobs Well</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Harrigans</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mt Tamborine - hangout of hang gliders</td></tr>
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<br />Bob Snappahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00234004357432237841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8106824426007820013.post-5878221646735893292014-10-16T19:00:00.000-07:002017-04-06T01:07:01.717-07:00Last minute reminiscing....Spent a cruisey day on the bike today and headed down into NSW (via the back way) to visit my dad in Kingscliff.<br />
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Went down the inland route through the hinterland via Murwillumbah on the old Numinbah Valley road.<br />
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Great ride, great weather (still).<br />
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Bob Snappahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00234004357432237841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8106824426007820013.post-80666905073257481202014-10-15T18:00:00.000-07:002017-04-06T00:52:13.265-07:00Taking the shortest trip, the longest way...Heading back to mum's today so I waited for the traffic to die down and took a 100 k detour via Mt Nebo and Mt Glorious. Nowhere near so many bikes on the mountains back in the 'good old days' of my youth.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Mount Glorious</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mount Glorious</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You know you're in Qld when the car parks have shade sails....</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUaUb7bdb3x_2RS6-54YbymMd6gxKEcz9VtJ-n2RDcCyTxhH9Umur3rahZjg6xSLf_J5eF7-385VQfrLaaWSwB3opSkLSzz-5EIqmHgP54i0T2JVEpEjH-VAGZZokjgFQiHGp5u_oZm2k/s1600/15+Oct+2014+Map.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="534" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUaUb7bdb3x_2RS6-54YbymMd6gxKEcz9VtJ-n2RDcCyTxhH9Umur3rahZjg6xSLf_J5eF7-385VQfrLaaWSwB3opSkLSzz-5EIqmHgP54i0T2JVEpEjH-VAGZZokjgFQiHGp5u_oZm2k/s640/15+Oct+2014+Map.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Today's route.</td></tr>
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Bob Snappahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00234004357432237841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8106824426007820013.post-39639954468575547722014-10-13T17:30:00.000-07:002017-04-06T00:30:52.111-07:00Heading for the finish line...Lazy day back to Brisbane today.<br />
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Ran into the Dalek letterbox on the way. Looks like the real deal.<br />
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Had breakfast with my sister in Glen Innes, a cuppa with my dad in Kingscliff, and then my sister-in-law dished up a great home cooked dinner in Brisbane.<br />
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I've come full circle today and looking forward to taking a break out of the saddle (for a few days anyway).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn44h6_EG6MlhhkvVUN1Tszdx5fyztO_YwDO_15EXwmEVNQ0kFoaGD3bcW6IDEnQr9VgRtxQ-WXmCL3jLKhSamY7sbFlpWVGsEbuQRR75c426y9t8Qjqje1CzRudVB56JPdw56ke3i6PE/s1600/DSC_0341.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn44h6_EG6MlhhkvVUN1Tszdx5fyztO_YwDO_15EXwmEVNQ0kFoaGD3bcW6IDEnQr9VgRtxQ-WXmCL3jLKhSamY7sbFlpWVGsEbuQRR75c426y9t8Qjqje1CzRudVB56JPdw56ke3i6PE/s640/DSC_0341.JPG" width="358" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meet the exterminator....</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbk-w4pTVUmLJfiav_x5c5T9QV7qZunN2-jLzj_grXb9yyRE2SVwePoMmF87V3BLy3FyvYId1fHTd0XYADwx8Cn4nVZeSVHmPFicRr0Q306if7_UImJQS1X0eTRS6LbTku3Of9_bF9YuQ/s1600/Day+Map.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbk-w4pTVUmLJfiav_x5c5T9QV7qZunN2-jLzj_grXb9yyRE2SVwePoMmF87V3BLy3FyvYId1fHTd0XYADwx8Cn4nVZeSVHmPFicRr0Q306if7_UImJQS1X0eTRS6LbTku3Of9_bF9YuQ/s640/Day+Map.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Today's route</td></tr>
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<br />Bob Snappahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00234004357432237841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8106824426007820013.post-39114950023752821082014-10-12T17:30:00.000-07:002017-04-05T23:50:26.420-07:00Zig-zagging through NSW....With the boys weekend over and the other guys on their way home to face work tomorrow, I make my way up to Taree and take some time out with a coffee and a map book to plan my route back to Brisbane. The plan was to find the most winding route that will get me into a motel by 4pm to catch the end of the big Bathurst race on tele.<br />
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Oxley Highway it is then, through Armidale and on to Glen Innes.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeKtAHG8tQm-uoEXV0p75Jhe6fV2yAR9zkdZtzlri49gNTtOPrNEzmuf-Y6uXzmkN6ifttKTPzY5sjEL11uY6dY8o-fb0SzSDrFREOD3YTUKjxY-md2ePfF4N5OSizw9Dcj3Me4qG3HLI/s1600/Planning+meeting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeKtAHG8tQm-uoEXV0p75Jhe6fV2yAR9zkdZtzlri49gNTtOPrNEzmuf-Y6uXzmkN6ifttKTPzY5sjEL11uY6dY8o-fb0SzSDrFREOD3YTUKjxY-md2ePfF4N5OSizw9Dcj3Me4qG3HLI/s640/Planning+meeting.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Planning meeting at McD's...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidMTjmhAOHKTf7H4TSTdhGHaJUCbNR7Y-9gNclyzF8Dw7c3ayRiYf7O4t5dSBhA_tjF5hs-UNOWyj-qw5mHATYazBHopqDN4aJGyuERf5AACb6MJrrQopaDJHml18Ybpztd26TXCioBDY/s1600/DSC_0339.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidMTjmhAOHKTf7H4TSTdhGHaJUCbNR7Y-9gNclyzF8Dw7c3ayRiYf7O4t5dSBhA_tjF5hs-UNOWyj-qw5mHATYazBHopqDN4aJGyuERf5AACb6MJrrQopaDJHml18Ybpztd26TXCioBDY/s640/DSC_0339.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ginger's Creek Roadhouse http://www.gingerscreek.com.au/</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVVFKvfEX1nrHUT2U1sb7D8L2VoWaaaqN7Ny19adkapXOgoazl7r9PlQaIZJMO18Lnm3Eq9YDKowBq6OQRRDVD0uc725kvApUkTaZgriPYDBPeWNTQhGbpdCrc-UFW8ID_3sj1LLl4O5g/s1600/Day+Map.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVVFKvfEX1nrHUT2U1sb7D8L2VoWaaaqN7Ny19adkapXOgoazl7r9PlQaIZJMO18Lnm3Eq9YDKowBq6OQRRDVD0uc725kvApUkTaZgriPYDBPeWNTQhGbpdCrc-UFW8ID_3sj1LLl4O5g/s640/Day+Map.JPG" width="550" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Today's route</td></tr>
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<br />Bob Snappahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00234004357432237841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8106824426007820013.post-82283998104883521572014-10-11T17:30:00.000-07:002017-04-05T23:00:43.814-07:00Blokes, bikes, beers, and bullshit...What a great weekend it's been. 50-year-olds being 20 again. Many memories of this area as a young bloke on both 2 wheels and 4, and great to again be exploring all the disused and forgotten highways that see such little traffic that grass now grows on some of them.<br />
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One of the highlights of the weekend would definitely be Wootton Way in Bulahdelah. This used to be the old highway up until the NSW Govt bypassed this mountainous section. It's 21 kilometers of beautifully smooth, 3-lane wide, winding, deserted bitumen that now only services a handful of farms. Say no more.<br />
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Enjoyed a really great couple of days with a good bunch of blokes. Really did feel like I was 20 again. Same crazy shit only at the end of the day we're knackered and ready for bed by 9. Could not believe the road conditions. These are the same roads and the same bitumen I traveled more than 30 years ago. All they've done is fill the pot holes.... and there's thousands of them.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrSrKqNyNdelqttgSQnv0MCYDGDlNURV1Apj3YgE4LYuO69L2JuAY5YI8T0kmnm8h9aDQYRXGiL-D6irptn-vitsnpaFlm1Z1HvvhetXN6Gk1qDMoM1fA1CEg9mjXgU1wSA07sSwLDbqw/s1600/DSC_0331.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrSrKqNyNdelqttgSQnv0MCYDGDlNURV1Apj3YgE4LYuO69L2JuAY5YI8T0kmnm8h9aDQYRXGiL-D6irptn-vitsnpaFlm1Z1HvvhetXN6Gk1qDMoM1fA1CEg9mjXgU1wSA07sSwLDbqw/s640/DSC_0331.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smoke if you've got 'em.... about every 30 to 40 k's.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA9bvMBddIRX1dk_xH16zZeHszeCKUJmcBnrKFEzReKZhg8iPgu2KxTxShWMS-Jfx2bjIcAqmFa7GMZ7IkS_V0kLg04_cABazYkFObYMt5pk0DHMKiRSP-uW_X2HyoG0EYDQE2yLmu9n0/s1600/DSC_0338.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA9bvMBddIRX1dk_xH16zZeHszeCKUJmcBnrKFEzReKZhg8iPgu2KxTxShWMS-Jfx2bjIcAqmFa7GMZ7IkS_V0kLg04_cABazYkFObYMt5pk0DHMKiRSP-uW_X2HyoG0EYDQE2yLmu9n0/s640/DSC_0338.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">and fuel up every 100 to 150 k's</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI8y0x0M1G9AC-lZuF_k7N_esxZFelh5mvKXsL9SZ5TSJXOfTh8NYX4mi0shiWOJf98MIJO_E5HofD4weS_hsrmtXXWRZ5mXzqGFiaWRSun7u7_62TCB8tp67yokDTyr3XtrgvdMiKeP8/s1600/DSC_0335.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI8y0x0M1G9AC-lZuF_k7N_esxZFelh5mvKXsL9SZ5TSJXOfTh8NYX4mi0shiWOJf98MIJO_E5HofD4weS_hsrmtXXWRZ5mXzqGFiaWRSun7u7_62TCB8tp67yokDTyr3XtrgvdMiKeP8/s640/DSC_0335.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The start of Wootton Way, Bulahdelah.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFdLFKUMsDfndtoX3soWIX9gE4VdeASdKkIQZq0pkuHLmWZKHd2BRjYnIrqWGVK3_l-eQ_m-lfXErPz4FQdyzblvFnDcBWiaUAVl2C8_I6qfhbKgzjpkAkgb4NMCtuxZtJYXQamM9xHhY/s1600/DSC_0336.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFdLFKUMsDfndtoX3soWIX9gE4VdeASdKkIQZq0pkuHLmWZKHd2BRjYnIrqWGVK3_l-eQ_m-lfXErPz4FQdyzblvFnDcBWiaUAVl2C8_I6qfhbKgzjpkAkgb4NMCtuxZtJYXQamM9xHhY/s640/DSC_0336.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Suzuki parking lot...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhShVwXBvkCSKu1Kcaq7Hm2ML1a4iYWoaCbjFFRcAKALiJNYNWYUesTkzzh9wRhI1E1cNRHBOqE5dAmC0zM7FwKH9yPUiC4sdP2sFZ_Ozu1PfVfPRIfNtBIWBsw57qoZXmpNTZ_CV9qhyphenhyphen8/s1600/DSC_0337.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhShVwXBvkCSKu1Kcaq7Hm2ML1a4iYWoaCbjFFRcAKALiJNYNWYUesTkzzh9wRhI1E1cNRHBOqE5dAmC0zM7FwKH9yPUiC4sdP2sFZ_Ozu1PfVfPRIfNtBIWBsw57qoZXmpNTZ_CV9qhyphenhyphen8/s640/DSC_0337.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pot holes make for rough riding.....</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq1ekLyZmxNoBNjbmHi93FnakmzkMr5LFdNTju5b_xgnSCfmQQvbL3-8eXSJ5ZkGNISsFi1rR2220Wfr_aJUP2Xy-mUC7gyHPHSIEY63ab-11l5gYJmmJjkTqfNhe8Pboahhdqd599p_U/s1600/Hunter+Area+Map.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq1ekLyZmxNoBNjbmHi93FnakmzkMr5LFdNTju5b_xgnSCfmQQvbL3-8eXSJ5ZkGNISsFi1rR2220Wfr_aJUP2Xy-mUC7gyHPHSIEY63ab-11l5gYJmmJjkTqfNhe8Pboahhdqd599p_U/s640/Hunter+Area+Map.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The weekend playground...</td></tr>
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<br />Bob Snappahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00234004357432237841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8106824426007820013.post-31315780436437646722014-10-09T09:00:00.000-07:002017-04-05T22:27:30.059-07:00Sydney Bound....The Snowy Mountains have been a blast these past few days but now it's time for me to head up the coast to meet up with my younger brother in Sydney, and then spend a long weekend riding around the Hunter Region with him and a few of his mates.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiBU0dOYxw0N_kHYsj7_p2lBQIRCRL8_Jlcnszb9Atwf5polPUUgcnxU1FUXRu6zBXHLy4GMX-FeBcpGdWA83m7k62om3APfnyciKoYx1rNwzwPN0LhZ8z4VWwS9x5JuyQwEnVJ1jXfhY/s1600/Day+Map.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiBU0dOYxw0N_kHYsj7_p2lBQIRCRL8_Jlcnszb9Atwf5polPUUgcnxU1FUXRu6zBXHLy4GMX-FeBcpGdWA83m7k62om3APfnyciKoYx1rNwzwPN0LhZ8z4VWwS9x5JuyQwEnVJ1jXfhY/s640/Day+Map.JPG" width="528" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Today's Route</td></tr>
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<br />Bob Snappahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00234004357432237841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8106824426007820013.post-2635675689364386142014-10-08T17:00:00.000-07:002017-04-03T22:11:15.075-07:00Life in the mountains....What a great little spot Bega is, and with the Caravan Park on the outskirts of town and off the highway it was a very quiet night.<br />
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Today I took off in search of corners and travelled down into Victoria again before heading back up through the mountains to Bombala, then back up to highway B72 for the 60 k's of winding road back down into Bega.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-3pOsRgwoj9EkJEE3vyjnJNu2lOsr5_HIbUtrmB5DRx3yN5CJb98vrQCiyEjl8qh3FFtnEANIhGL3cHVsQ0cWkzQbFn3o65icHmwB4wF8ABPzJG1n3bH3NbX_X9m8MVIdFSuEYXW39Jg/s1600/Day+Map.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-3pOsRgwoj9EkJEE3vyjnJNu2lOsr5_HIbUtrmB5DRx3yN5CJb98vrQCiyEjl8qh3FFtnEANIhGL3cHVsQ0cWkzQbFn3o65icHmwB4wF8ABPzJG1n3bH3NbX_X9m8MVIdFSuEYXW39Jg/s640/Day+Map.JPG" width="510" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Todays Route</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw4bFoNGYWuYW8kKephDyOcmDqdSdxiuL9ZkOfDGTOEXnGyHdyGc7CYPIpiEVDsU-YNKd-SwVibrQJsSYqxNdmcYwYwE0Ihs8jVWRD259nf65t9DkW3RLGjp41fMzzeynXDKJ7kxCJd5c/s1600/SAM_0290.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw4bFoNGYWuYW8kKephDyOcmDqdSdxiuL9ZkOfDGTOEXnGyHdyGc7CYPIpiEVDsU-YNKd-SwVibrQJsSYqxNdmcYwYwE0Ihs8jVWRD259nf65t9DkW3RLGjp41fMzzeynXDKJ7kxCJd5c/s640/SAM_0290.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The town of Bombala - (Bombala Bakery to my left - nice coffee and great pies)</td></tr>
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<br />I've seen heaps of birds over the past few days. Sulphur Crested Cockatoo, Galas, Blackbirds, Crows, Rosella, and dive bombing Magpies.<br /><br />Unfortunately, the cockatoos were amongst the road kill today. When they get hit, the others all sit on the road beside them and this leads to more getting hit. A sad sight indeed.<br /><br />The other animal over represented in the road kill numbers over the last few days is the wombats. Literally dozens of these laying dead by the side of the road, another sad statistic.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheNQVo20UgZdhsU1xQxxBFe2vFBqHNnnn2t_EtTh-xHCCGSUxOLcNjjYMWsQds2VqKjDd4O5HzuWvl-AXW2wH51Xmcea-SGYYdTI3FfK5qu2DzP7flWBfi8wX_2YvFeleuVgxUH7S81fg/s1600/SAM_0297.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheNQVo20UgZdhsU1xQxxBFe2vFBqHNnnn2t_EtTh-xHCCGSUxOLcNjjYMWsQds2VqKjDd4O5HzuWvl-AXW2wH51Xmcea-SGYYdTI3FfK5qu2DzP7flWBfi8wX_2YvFeleuVgxUH7S81fg/s640/SAM_0297.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Birdlife in the caravan park in Bega </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Bob Snappahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00234004357432237841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8106824426007820013.post-63074899600496511502014-10-07T17:30:00.000-07:002017-04-03T21:01:04.960-07:00My good deed....I found a mobile phone this afternoon sitting on a picnic table 100 k's out of Bega. Called the owner to find she's only a few minutes from where I'm staying.<br /><br />Here's how she said thank you... (the chocolates were gone by the time I took this photo).<div>
<br /><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqFSgZnsBUO2OfQudSBcO6ItyUz98sQe__nxN9EECgHRZ-cvBYMpR9QCvbi76TRzSJVnjv8x9Tvi7x_5IKc5xSjFVpaGMtzDfMAT_wRin8oX_xCsAYDibWz9Yx8YodbpfGLwdIgBMja_w/s1600/Wine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqFSgZnsBUO2OfQudSBcO6ItyUz98sQe__nxN9EECgHRZ-cvBYMpR9QCvbi76TRzSJVnjv8x9Tvi7x_5IKc5xSjFVpaGMtzDfMAT_wRin8oX_xCsAYDibWz9Yx8YodbpfGLwdIgBMja_w/s640/Wine.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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</div>
Bob Snappahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00234004357432237841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8106824426007820013.post-43284104915291869202014-10-07T17:00:00.000-07:002017-04-06T03:00:47.800-07:00The calm after the storm...The rain pelted down for all of last night and the wind sounded like it was going to lift the roof off. By the time I ventured out to load the bike in the morning, things were looking up.<br />
<br />
Today's plan was to ride across the Snowy Mountains, through Thredbo and Jindabyne, and eventually wind up in Bega on the south-east corner of NSW for a few days of tearing up the corners in the mountains.<br />
<br />
The ride across the Snowy's sees the weather quickly go from overcast and windy to a really beautiful day, and the extreme gale force winds and torrential
rain from last night is so apparent with the roads into Thredbo strewn with branches and leaves and the remnants
of trees that had fallen across the road (road crews obviously quick to clear them this morning).<br />
<br />
Tallangatta to Thredbo is not much more than a tar-sealed goat track.... a
narrow, winding road that wouldn't be so bad if it was one way. What would normally be a hazardous ride was made all the worse by tourists oblivious to other traffic and local wankers who fly along this treacherous winding route with no regard for what's around the corner. Thankfully, from Thredbo onward it opens up to a proper piece of highway.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The ski-fields in Thredbo</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Lake Jindabyne</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Tl26aEokE6KnvnvHT6YNto0a6dmAE5eaNvP-66BbQ1KfOOsoZc5UKJzUi4oFBK9svBDCwZt2n94AOIhn1KmDUtMB6ZG1I2w85ClLO44kWdC-1kfyZh3Bfe77W-ups01HJEYegtIkn7s/s1600/SAM_0266.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Tl26aEokE6KnvnvHT6YNto0a6dmAE5eaNvP-66BbQ1KfOOsoZc5UKJzUi4oFBK9svBDCwZt2n94AOIhn1KmDUtMB6ZG1I2w85ClLO44kWdC-1kfyZh3Bfe77W-ups01HJEYegtIkn7s/s1600/SAM_0266.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Snowy Hydro power generation plant</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioLBaVFVKCA-Z796_4sGqE-moylOShMBXXWcRjAuma92ygxgwTkTVNsRd-vKvrqSqQmbq4cvpskDwT6ok6pj4mjbA3Cvv6WAFjslIWO8LPGbaqGZvEvN72uvzirpgNw7HYX1UyAr8_nMs/s1600/SAM_0278.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioLBaVFVKCA-Z796_4sGqE-moylOShMBXXWcRjAuma92ygxgwTkTVNsRd-vKvrqSqQmbq4cvpskDwT6ok6pj4mjbA3Cvv6WAFjslIWO8LPGbaqGZvEvN72uvzirpgNw7HYX1UyAr8_nMs/s1600/SAM_0278.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Mt Kosciusko</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGA2fzmvCvtRsohdRyOT-t93V99DONHO_15ICXFRsWlwfPHFtM43wPZKpbRWYgi9uIaPrHInTtg_pAzRQP7jIZ07zXzf4mL9qIjJTPsFx9Y2gFGib02UMflJd4v-hQQhLKrLLy4uQQaoI/s1600/SAM_0287.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGA2fzmvCvtRsohdRyOT-t93V99DONHO_15ICXFRsWlwfPHFtM43wPZKpbRWYgi9uIaPrHInTtg_pAzRQP7jIZ07zXzf4mL9qIjJTPsFx9Y2gFGib02UMflJd4v-hQQhLKrLLy4uQQaoI/s1600/SAM_0287.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">For all those demanding another selfie.... shades of Wilson.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJVzK2jBVq2OdkEvju6fG2rlnZvhnQFOtI3Y2bH1pxKxZ-ziQ-A6z5scCldegw4-wtDTyl-HVP0kbyoMclqGT0_v4zSYc1_QDDWEZ6MXIGbRzHYQVUIDKn_29zQDqZt7tHYvP2qhyphenhyphenh3Ac/s1600/Day+Map.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJVzK2jBVq2OdkEvju6fG2rlnZvhnQFOtI3Y2bH1pxKxZ-ziQ-A6z5scCldegw4-wtDTyl-HVP0kbyoMclqGT0_v4zSYc1_QDDWEZ6MXIGbRzHYQVUIDKn_29zQDqZt7tHYvP2qhyphenhyphenh3Ac/s640/Day+Map.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Today's route.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />Bob Snappahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00234004357432237841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8106824426007820013.post-26441808914366852102014-10-06T20:19:00.000-07:002017-04-06T03:00:15.527-07:00Crappy Victorian roads take no prisoners...After such a great ride yesterday, today started on a really low note.<br />
<br />
Went to put the panniers back on the bike this morning and found a
critical bolt had snapped. Off to the bike shop for repairs.... only to
find it's a public holiday.<br />
<br />
I manage to find an engineering shop open across the border in Wodonga. Long story short, the frame's fixed
but minus a part that locks the pannier to it. Number 8 wire prevailed
and it's strapped with a tie-down for now.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB8z_GvDizZYTd1eeGomA9NXqPH6QHBNY97oxZRyjDJnJVLD1w6MwPPvWNeXpAFPvxjLujU5f7_OlC0EZRSx-8QMk5SB50biLOCDQmY0ZH_2tNBDU3DkZP19SyOG3jQBth2gssld5qe0c/s1600/DSC_0308.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB8z_GvDizZYTd1eeGomA9NXqPH6QHBNY97oxZRyjDJnJVLD1w6MwPPvWNeXpAFPvxjLujU5f7_OlC0EZRSx-8QMk5SB50biLOCDQmY0ZH_2tNBDU3DkZP19SyOG3jQBth2gssld5qe0c/s640/DSC_0308.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The pannier is rated to 10kg - Loading them with 30kg+ and driving on Victorian roads is obviously beyond the rated limit of the mushroom bolts.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFVKNaM9j3r11Bc_W8kLU3NEc3j8us85VbEhILIkU08noN4V2zhg5j0GAM_7XYCa1mJ41hW8TXXAJs3zy-B_ijPMhoQPOzmgmk11ivuYYLCM7LQ6T6wCllxuVDRfsJyNPFXVB6cBbUzu0/s1600/DSC_0309.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFVKNaM9j3r11Bc_W8kLU3NEc3j8us85VbEhILIkU08noN4V2zhg5j0GAM_7XYCa1mJ41hW8TXXAJs3zy-B_ijPMhoQPOzmgmk11ivuYYLCM7LQ6T6wCllxuVDRfsJyNPFXVB6cBbUzu0/s640/DSC_0309.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxaO2GhYGcPk999Ig6Rnx-CSFQ3C1JGlRgl1XArKz9HN2Wz3JaFM6Sn_Bd5Gn3xCkx2xR1jCDpAQawIZlmpwacBRlCauj7JI3RYNBiXQR825cNE_hI2GKMVc6LMB-L5iN-UDcczm2gd3k/s1600/10720298_10205008916892723_1007991591_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxaO2GhYGcPk999Ig6Rnx-CSFQ3C1JGlRgl1XArKz9HN2Wz3JaFM6Sn_Bd5Gn3xCkx2xR1jCDpAQawIZlmpwacBRlCauj7JI3RYNBiXQR825cNE_hI2GKMVc6LMB-L5iN-UDcczm2gd3k/s640/10720298_10205008916892723_1007991591_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">A motorcycle tie-down and a Zuru strap soon replaced the missing mushroom bolt.</span></td></tr>
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<div class="text_exposed_show">
So basically, a wasted day. Whilst not as hot as the centre of Australia, the temp is up there today and the humidity along with it, making things uncomfortable. The weather is unpredictable and I'm not sure how the pannier is going to cope without the mushroom bolt to hold it in place. I decide to head for Sydney to see if I can find a Givi dealer with the spare parts in stock.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipRgiURO0OzywYKgPhPUKQOPWqpbAWAvvQ8SgEno7awJmRySj0ARUvkZqoOTj2u5qQEPa7FT-2d3Gd6wgM6j96A5wqKfQAcqyh84FxFBBfoePYM0VVridCCdpq7LhQBHXfCskqZXYnm7o/s1600/DSC_0315.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipRgiURO0OzywYKgPhPUKQOPWqpbAWAvvQ8SgEno7awJmRySj0ARUvkZqoOTj2u5qQEPa7FT-2d3Gd6wgM6j96A5wqKfQAcqyh84FxFBBfoePYM0VVridCCdpq7LhQBHXfCskqZXYnm7o/s1600/DSC_0315.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">It still has me baffled how they managed to get this submarine here from the nearest ocean.</span></td></tr>
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Hot and bored (sweating profusely in my new bike pants) I detour via Holbrook and stop for coffee at the submarine cafe. This is a real life submarine, about 1000 k's from the nearest ocean.<br />
It's a playground for kids to play on, and in. Yes, that's in as well.
You can explore every inch of this thing. There were family's with kids
everywhere. For somewhere you have to divert to off the highway, this is
one big draw-card.<br />
<br />
I call my brother in Sydney to chew over my day and he reminds me of just how pissed off I'll be if I don't go back south to play in the Snowy Mountains for a few days. As he put it, THE best motorcycle roads in the whole of Australia. <br />
<br />
There's no escaping the rain tomorrow. I make plans to head back
through the snow to the east coast of NSW to a place called Bega and book myself a night in a motel in Tallangata.<br />
<br />
Made a special trip to ride over the old Hume Weir this afternoon
only to find that they've built a bypass down stream. This was as close
as I could get. Disappointing.<br />
<br />
It's been about 35 years since I
was last here and there's little I recognised. The old Bonegilla army
base has moved across the road and<span class="text_exposed_show"> a "Migrant Experience Centre" has gone up in its place. Really? Not sure what that's about.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="text_exposed_show">
The other thing I was hoping to see were the hundreds of Centurion
tanks that lined the highway at the Bandianna Army Stores Depot. I guess
they're all scrap metal by now.<br />
<br />
Still, there were enough landmarks throughout the area to invoke some old memories from all those years ago. Oh to be 18 again.<br />
<br />
Whilst out that way, I passed about 50 vintage motorcycles heading
north. There were certainly some crusty looking riders amongst them that
looked about as ancient as their machines.</div>
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<br />
With storm clouds looming I head off towards Tallangatta with wet gear at the ready but manage to make it all the way and check-in just as the rain begins to fall. Lucky yet again.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFP8KJuwc3KkhefJM7emVIZpjXBdbe5O2e5GFcyhHJCPjmriI0aeIaxdWydFbZBFf6lhgWE0C1GZfiuZ5m_9_GN7xwfJMnDwS_koVLf37Vh6T7CI7UVqDqvfX6gOJ1cjzgTMylMgIvixw/s1600/Day+map.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="554" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFP8KJuwc3KkhefJM7emVIZpjXBdbe5O2e5GFcyhHJCPjmriI0aeIaxdWydFbZBFf6lhgWE0C1GZfiuZ5m_9_GN7xwfJMnDwS_koVLf37Vh6T7CI7UVqDqvfX6gOJ1cjzgTMylMgIvixw/s640/Day+map.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Today's route.</td></tr>
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Bob Snappahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00234004357432237841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8106824426007820013.post-1014845849741937142014-10-05T19:49:00.000-07:002017-04-06T02:55:02.359-07:00Getting to the fun stuff...<div class="_5pbx userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">
Just
about to head off through the guts of Victoria to Wodonga, the stomping
ground of my youth when I did my Corps training in Bandiana.<br />
<br />
I've been having troubles in the afternoons and mornings with sun strike so
for all those that know what I'm talking about, here's what I did with a
roll of electrical tape. The adjustable sun visor. It works on so many
levels.... And doesn't get in the way of your vision. How do you patent
a roll of tape.</div>
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The weather in Victoria is pretty crap today and for the next few days so I came north to Albury / Wodonga.<br />
<br />
Cold start to the day in Traralgon (new pants are getting a workout), and didn't warm up till i hit the mountains in Omeo. That changed to howling gales as I crossed over Mount Hotham. Cold and
windy, but such a fantastic ride. Almost the whole day on winding
mountainous roads, and the long decent off Hotham being the highlight.<br />
<br />
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Hard to top a ride like that but I'll certainly give it a try tomorrow
when I follow the weather (and the mountains) over to Bega.<br />
<br />
My day ends in Albury, an old stomping ground from days as a teen in the army. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFOVrTUCKJDB0KdXomA2cZBDV1v8PZ7YZdPoIKwpdy8oOBNwhcKpfWAjfEdNtBtOQAQ6-UbfOyXieox415k09VfQOcvSrWo1J3WCpnpVVd7iZZ65LZhDPFvsEEmu6bHf3oS9uUUAX-SO8/s1600/Day+map.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFOVrTUCKJDB0KdXomA2cZBDV1v8PZ7YZdPoIKwpdy8oOBNwhcKpfWAjfEdNtBtOQAQ6-UbfOyXieox415k09VfQOcvSrWo1J3WCpnpVVd7iZZ65LZhDPFvsEEmu6bHf3oS9uUUAX-SO8/s640/Day+map.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Today's route.</td></tr>
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Bob Snappahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00234004357432237841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8106824426007820013.post-13498749385860999792014-10-04T19:12:00.000-07:002017-04-06T02:50:20.023-07:00Track Day, Phillip Island...I woke early this morning and then took my time studying the map book. 2 ways to Phillip Island, one involves a ferry, the other means a prolonged freeway journey through the City of Melbourne.<br />
<br />
The weather has been all over the show lately, one minute hot, the next it's cold. I decide to go look for bike pants at Biker's Gear in Ferntree Gully which means the ferry is out and the freeway is in. The last time I was in Melbourne was as a young soldier back in 1977. It looks to have changed somewhat so I resort to using the GPS (for the first time in any serious capacity so far on this journey).<br />
<br />
It's Saturday morning but the traffic is shocking. The one thing I notice on the freeway is that bicycles share the same road even though the speed limit is 110kph. There's certainly no shortage of health freaks out riding.<br />
<br />
After what seemed like forever, I fight my way through the Bikers Gear store and grab a pair of pants, but the temp has climbed so high I wind up stuffing them into what little space is left in the top box, then head out to Phillip Island. I was hoping for a quite wander round the track, maybe a run round on the bike perhaps, but there was a local race meet on for some amateur car club so that ruled that out.<br />
<br />
I headed off for the go kart track next door for a feed and to rethink the days activities and was joined by a cheeky peacock...<br />
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I waited in line for the go karts for quite some time only to find out that there was another 1 1/2 hours to wait after signing on. A pity cause the karts look so cool. I'm outta here, next stop Traralgon.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Today's route.</td></tr>
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<br />Bob Snappahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00234004357432237841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8106824426007820013.post-11815359775064130262014-10-03T09:00:00.000-07:002017-04-06T02:47:15.847-07:00Cruisin' the Coast...Feeling excited this morning as I leave Mt Gambier. Today I'm heading for one of the most iconic bike roads in Australia, the "Great Ocean Road' 350 klm of scenic, winding road running along the bottom of Victoria.<br />
<br />
The day starts out cool and overcast as I head off along the 20 k's to the border, and as border crossings go, this is probably the least memorable other than to say that you can tell you're in Victoria because the road surface instantly turns from good to crap. The further into Victoria you go, the worse the roads get. I sure hope this isn't an indicator of what's about to come.<br />
<br />
The run down to Portland is pleasant but it's not until I get to this that things get interesting... <br />
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At first I thought it was the 12 Apostles but I soon learn that this is just a small part of the spectacular scenery ahead.<br />
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Lunch is here at Port Campbell. I watch as a boat is launched into very heavy surf and can't believe these people are going to ride that out to the ocean.<br />
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The ride along the coast is simply stunning and getting quite warm. Scenery at every turn (and there's a truckload of twists and turns) but it gets quite hairy with Asian and Middle Eastern tourists in camper vans and 4WDs all over the road.<br />
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The worst of them is the Asians. You come round a corner to find them straddling the white line, and waving you off the road like it's all theirs and you're going the wrong way. It really is a wonder there isn't more deaths. Road rage builds within me.<br />
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Finally! The 12 Apostles. The view that every Aussie would recognise from pictures. Worth every bit of the effort to get here, except for one small thing....<br />
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The car park at the top is chock-a-block full of cars and tour buses - and this isn't the height of the tourist season. It's one of those things I guess, where you're smack in the middle of the wilderness, surrounded by mother nature, and ready to enjoy everything she has to offer. It would be a darn sight more spectacular without the thousands of tourists and the constant buzzing of helicopters flying up and down the coast. When I return to the bike I notice the choppers are on a 60 second turnaround. A new one lifts off every minute. <br />
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Cruisin' the highway was such a pleasure that I just kept riding, all day long, and before I knew it I was entering Geelong and it was peak hour on a Friday afternoon. I was knackered and busting for a pee and suddenly I was faced with a sign that said 'Freeway to Melbourne'. To move beyond this intersection was the point of no return.... Next stop Melbourne. I quickly decided on a left turn and as luck would have it, within 50 metres I was in the driveway of a motor inn. Instant accommodation. <br />
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....so here ended my day.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJXAWHW6OuiU53xI1tBAKSdbfJfW59ecxvpnOfnsSdmQV2K7p52FKeyaPev8oE25Qza-QA15DEXQIzFsRSAsbHmuPMX0SFU7l7Whsz_y6zYAmEgnH1nJLTYfpRt1B9SYHk20EWaPIRTbc/s1600/day+map.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJXAWHW6OuiU53xI1tBAKSdbfJfW59ecxvpnOfnsSdmQV2K7p52FKeyaPev8oE25Qza-QA15DEXQIzFsRSAsbHmuPMX0SFU7l7Whsz_y6zYAmEgnH1nJLTYfpRt1B9SYHk20EWaPIRTbc/s640/day+map.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Today's route.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />Bob Snappahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00234004357432237841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8106824426007820013.post-72007853583584815652014-10-02T01:13:00.000-07:002017-04-06T02:42:10.136-07:00Back to it...<div style="text-align: justify;">
After waiting for the peak hour traffic to die off I head off out of Adelaide along the M1. It's cool and overcast and I'm kitted out with all of my thermal liners and over-pants. It's such a huge departure from the temperatures of the past few weeks but something I can easily get used to.</div>
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My plan for today is to do about 500 k's, stretch the trip out over the day, and stick to the coast. First stop is 2 hours south at a placed called Meningie for fuel and a coffee. My stop at the Lakeside Cafe was timed to coincide with Mrs Snappa's birthday luncheon at the Oxford back home in NZ. I sit in the cafe and after an exchange of pictures and the obligatory birthday wishes I head off to a park to do some quick bike maintenance. It's here that I run into the guy that drives the Google Maps Street View car.<br />
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What a job! I spend some time talking to him about his travels and turns out he's a fellow biker. This job allows him to find the best roads to go back over on his bike on his days off.</div>
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So, bike and rider refreshed, I head off for Kingston SE, home of the big lobster.<br />
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Somewhat of a lazy mooch from Adelaide. Just rolled along down the coast road and wound up having lunch in Robe
with a couple of guys who flew from Melbourne to Adelaide to return a
couple of hire bikes and were taking 5 days to get home. <br />
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Apparently they do this often. They have a mate at the
hire place that does them an exceptional rate whenever they need to
return bikes on one way hire back to Melbourne.<br />
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Their bikes had been ridden from Darwin to Adelaide. Although, having
just come down the guts I'd have to wonder why you wouldn't just take
the train or a bus as it would be more exciting than riding bolt upright
in the heat for 3000k's. <br />
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Today has been overcast and threatening to rain the whole way. The first full lot of miserable weather so far this trip. This is the seaside resort of Robe.<br />
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The rest of the journey through to Mt Gambier was pretty uneventful. That is until I handed the task of finding accommodation to Mrs Snappa. She must have been bored, or wanted a laugh because this is where I ended up...<br />
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http://theoldmountgambiergaol.com.au/</div>
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So I spent the night in gaol. Not the most comfortable night of the trip. This was still an actual prison right up till 2010. It was a lot worse than what I had expected. As an accommodation experience, it really was no better than an actual prison, other than I had the codes to get in and out of the front gate.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ZrViK0rnV-VGOvS5o91SaKCC8b9kDSREp5RVNUNUX9hiDVNfnztNNOxpQu15GSq2tyz731U-DZWrqjre92tkkCaA08n1qgnlrVz6gjyAyjHG3PS08SqdUN_8pnnqeh2Fe6PBQziHrh8/s1600/DSC_0265.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ZrViK0rnV-VGOvS5o91SaKCC8b9kDSREp5RVNUNUX9hiDVNfnztNNOxpQu15GSq2tyz731U-DZWrqjre92tkkCaA08n1qgnlrVz6gjyAyjHG3PS08SqdUN_8pnnqeh2Fe6PBQziHrh8/s1600/DSC_0265.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...and don't lose it or you won't get back in after 10pm.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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The only light that filtered into the room was through a tiny window over the door and in spite of there being other guests about, there was no noise. It was just soooooo quiet. One night was enough to put me on the straight and narrow. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYlTdSGVx1Ch1nW6v0Wh58Yw4ndXzS3t_xJ_5lm39cFv8kYNwR31RnAVKnOhekOCktfLXR6NfYi_YzdY9-IazkfumSdbC1IDgi0HWFfWTJutEj_KyAXYvDTfLcszm6pqnh1t0D04voCDA/s1600/Day+map.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="550" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYlTdSGVx1Ch1nW6v0Wh58Yw4ndXzS3t_xJ_5lm39cFv8kYNwR31RnAVKnOhekOCktfLXR6NfYi_YzdY9-IazkfumSdbC1IDgi0HWFfWTJutEj_KyAXYvDTfLcszm6pqnh1t0D04voCDA/s640/Day+map.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Today's route.</td></tr>
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Bob Snappahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00234004357432237841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8106824426007820013.post-60347325220761697302014-10-01T17:30:00.000-07:002017-04-06T02:36:06.739-07:00A quick tallyAdelaide has been a great respite from the past few weeks on the road and welcome relief from the heat and the endless stretches of straight flat roads.<br />
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The journey to Adelaide has been more than 7,000 kilometres and the only casualty along the way so far has been a rear tyre. Good luck, or good planning? A bit of both maybe.<br />
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Two days in the Adelaide hills and I'm fully refreshed. A haircut on my way back to the hotel and I'm all set to continue making my way to Victoria in the morning. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSDo2NxpAyMx97HWPfowYAE2AcnJctTb410h9Mvyh3jdGbO7umBbdNhWwC94slpukWE_OQRjKLLQcP2qCk9gC5RpyC7Ye9iQfZRKZ3eHnaTnD3xqRGRNW2vm4s2INfflFTarYDNIG5B24/s1600/route+to+date.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSDo2NxpAyMx97HWPfowYAE2AcnJctTb410h9Mvyh3jdGbO7umBbdNhWwC94slpukWE_OQRjKLLQcP2qCk9gC5RpyC7Ye9iQfZRKZ3eHnaTnD3xqRGRNW2vm4s2INfflFTarYDNIG5B24/s640/route+to+date.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My journey so far</td></tr>
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<br />Bob Snappahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00234004357432237841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8106824426007820013.post-68592085636046681492014-10-01T12:00:00.000-07:002015-02-26T01:35:26.861-08:00A tourist in Adelaide... <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRVsO65WEfsL_0eAvPcKdwGCmt2MP8wiauKbbgBWtrcSYTjbYZm-2E8rqYJ_f8wC0ixGNVjU7HvqK74ke8YCxDW1VE56eMnFiHIJmnNXjKoW6AH3etxllD2u2xalx2HOs0GmBnz-QD6Gw/s1600/DSC_0237.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRVsO65WEfsL_0eAvPcKdwGCmt2MP8wiauKbbgBWtrcSYTjbYZm-2E8rqYJ_f8wC0ixGNVjU7HvqK74ke8YCxDW1VE56eMnFiHIJmnNXjKoW6AH3etxllD2u2xalx2HOs0GmBnz-QD6Gw/s1600/DSC_0237.JPG" height="358" width="640" /></a></div>
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You see all kinds of Big this and Big that when you drive round Oz (usually fruit) but I wasn't expecting this first thing in the morning while cruising back out through the Adelaide hills.</div>
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I spent some time last night going over my maps and with great weather above I've decided to just meander through the hills at leisure and eventually make my way out to the Barossa Valley.<br />
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Couldn't believe this tree. It's huge. Looking at the base of the tree you'd swear it was dead, but look up, and she's full of life. Some old bloke lived in this tree for 5 years. I guess it was a bit more solid at the base way back then.</div>
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Coffee and a peppered steak pie at the bakery in Birdwood, and then off to Nuriootpa via all the vineyards for lunch.</div>
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Adelaide is such a beautiful place and the people are so friendly.<br />
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Shortly after heading out of town I pull up at a rest stop (too many coffees today) and run into a group of about 20 to 30 bikers on everything from scooters to Harleys. The youngest rider is in his late 60's and the oldest I'm told is in his late 70's. These are all retired blokes that get together EVERY Wednesday, rain hail or shine, and go for a ride. One of them is towing a trailer filled with food and when lunch rolls round they pull over, light the barbie, and dig in. A good keen bunch of blokes. </div>
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I spend the rest of the afternoon racing about in the hills and stop off at the Cudlee Creek Cafe mid afternoon and find it full of elderly motorcycle enthusiasts. I could spend all day up here but decide to head on back to town before the peak hour hits.</div>
Bob Snappahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00234004357432237841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8106824426007820013.post-76479659917444149902014-09-30T20:53:00.000-07:002015-03-07T23:32:30.726-08:00A day to re-tyre....<div style="text-align: justify;">
Found the tyre I want online and head across town nice and early to GC Motorcycles in the suburb of Prospect.</div>
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Arrived shortly after 8am and was asked to roll the bike straight into the workshop. Knowing that I was going to wait, they bumped a few of the other bikes in the workshop to do mine. I browsed the shop for about 20 minutes while they fitted the tyre. I was going to check if they had 90 degree valve stems but forgot. The guys were a step ahead and fitted one anyway (so cheap I bought another pair for the ST1300). </div>
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With the job done, the guy at the counter asked what I had planned for the day and as they were so quick I hadn't really thought about it. Out came the road maps and he gave me a 15 minute rundown on which roads would take me where. He gave me directions to a McDonalds for coffee till the traffic died down and I was away. Good price, great service, super friendly staff. (Note: old tyre was dead after just 7,000 k's).<br />
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<br />
For the first time on this journey the day is not about getting somewhere. Today I'm going wherever the bends take me. My new best mates at GC tell me I can go all day, never cross the same stretch of road, travel hundreds of kilometres, and never be more than an hour from the city.</div>
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I punch 400 kilometres of waypoints into the GPS and head off for an adventure. The weather is mild, it's overcast, and it could rain. Who cares today. I'm off. Destination: Birdwood.<br />
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<div class="_5pbx userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">
<br />
By the time I get here the weather
has closed in. It's now also quite blustery, very cold and not the best riding weather. Still, can't complain. At least the roads are well
and truly bent. The hills go on forever and almost every road is chock
full of tight bends and mountainous terrain.<br />
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Every town I've passed through has been 100 years old or more and full of character. Birdwood was settled in the mid 1800's and truly is a beautiful place. While wandering about I walk to the back of an old building and discover this is also the home to the National Motoring Museum.<br />
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How's that for homemade touring luggage? Wouldn't want to come off with that wrapped around you. </div>
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<br />
Such a cool place to visit. I finish up with a coffee in a nice little cafe on the main street while I seek out somewhere to stay. I'm having so much fun I decide to book two nights so I can continue to explore the Adelaide hills.</div>
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As I head back out to the bike it starts to rain and by the time I get wrapped up in wet weather gear down it all comes. It rains for the next 30 minutes then clears as I head towards the motel in Glen Osmond. (Note: this is only the second time since starting that I've had to wear the rain gear)</div>
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It's been such a great day in the hills.</div>
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Bob Snappahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00234004357432237841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8106824426007820013.post-85810278802960514272014-09-29T21:17:00.000-07:002017-04-06T02:31:50.094-07:00Last of the long rides...<div style="text-align: justify;">
I sleep well for a change but have to get up at the crack of dawn. Adelaide is where I need to be for a new tyre and it's about 900k ride away so unfortunately it's an early start to a very long day.</div>
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It's really cool for a change and not long down the road I pull over to put on over-pants and stuff the thermal liner into my jacket. It's not warming up. I even have the heated grips going.<br />
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<br />
The landscape leaving Coober Pedy looks like the surface of the moon and in the distance you can see the big diggers and buckets creating all the tailing piles.</div>
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The road south has an excellent surface but the tyre is all ripped up and wearing fast so I'm having to ride at 90kph to try and make it last to Adelaide.<br />
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First stop along the way is Glendambo Roadhouse. Like every stop, fuel up, a quick snack, then back on the road.<br />
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Not long after leaving Glendambo I pass by Lake Hart and can't work out why the water looks so different. A short stop at a rest area overlooking the lake and I see it's a salt lake with just a bit of water off in the distance. For a moment, I thought I was looking out over Lake Eyre but a quick check of the Atlas showed how wrong I was. The area around here is littered with salt lakes either side of the highway for many miles to come.<br />
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The moonscape type landscape continues to the outskirts of Port Augusta where (you guessed it) I fuel up the bike and put my head down to feast, only this time I've found a McDonalds so it's cappuccino and a burger and out with the road maps and research Adelaide's accommodation on the tablet.</div>
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An hour later and it's on the road again and suddenly I'm riding through green fields and glimpses of coastline. Such a radical departure from the dry, barren scenery of the past 2 weeks.<br />
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It wasn't until Port Augusta that I ran into a bit of traffic and it's been the same way since leaving there. The highway is alive with speed cameras (fixed & mobile) and they have signs that indicate the cameras are linked to give an average speed across distance.</div>
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The road into Adelaide seems to be endless with plenty of traffic. As it turns out I arrive late in the afternoon during peak hour and go in search of a motel on the other side of town but with my bladder bursting at the seams I wind up pulling into the first Comfort Inn I find along the way, check in, and make a b-line for the room. It's been a long day and I'm ready for a feed and bed.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicdVpk0H3nSd07Nqe4XIJcjwdy_a8aY9ZuvFw3WYNMESNA-UtWSBk8PZmA0CU-cstnofH7BGaio3pyvemhdkfE4MsgCFJ2qATQwCRHn3nKheS1aZQEi-BU-m8JIZole26sSm991n_CyZ8/s1600/Day+map.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicdVpk0H3nSd07Nqe4XIJcjwdy_a8aY9ZuvFw3WYNMESNA-UtWSBk8PZmA0CU-cstnofH7BGaio3pyvemhdkfE4MsgCFJ2qATQwCRHn3nKheS1aZQEi-BU-m8JIZole26sSm991n_CyZ8/s640/Day+map.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Today's route. (out of the desert, past salt lakes, and on to greener pastures)</td></tr>
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Bob Snappahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00234004357432237841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8106824426007820013.post-81708763186413833292014-09-28T19:39:00.000-07:002015-02-26T01:22:06.903-08:00Sunday - A day of rest...<div style="text-align: justify;">
I fully expected Saturday night to be rowdy in a place like Coober Pedy but there was no noise at all after about 10pm.</div>
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I slept like a log till about 4am when the rug rats next door started to ark up at full volume. I just laid there telling myself that they'll be on their way shortly but the noise continued. Just when I was thinking 'those poor parents' THEY (the parents) started to yell and scream as loud as the kids. Monkey see, monkey do. This continued till 8am when they finally departed, and then the neighbours all gathered outside my unit to discuss 'the shits in unit 23'. Great start to the day.</div>
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I head up to reception to ask for a 'quiet' room for tonight and I get asked to check the bike. Several cars were broken into during the night and the security footage shows 3 guys all over my bike. Just what I wanted to hear.</div>
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Everything that's not bolted on gets taken into the room each night. After a thorough check there doesn't appear to be anything missing. Lucky me. I get a knock on the door half an hour later and spend some time talking to the local constabulary who assure me that this sort of thing 'rarely happens round here' and anyway, they recognised the idiots from the security footage and when they sober up and return home they'll be arrested.<br />
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(The view outside my room) Somehow I find it hard to believe that crime 'rarely happens' round here.</div>
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I spend the morning doing washing and the afternoon sightseeing around town (I even went to church) but to be honest, it's just so hot I don't stay out in the sun for long before returning to the comfort of the air-conditioned motel room.<br />
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Everything you see here is within 2 minutes drive from the motel, right here in town. I have never seen a more desolate place. It's so barren and unearthly they often have movie crews here filming sci-fi's depicting far off worlds.<br />
<br />
Unable to cope with the heat of the day I return to the motel, collect my washing, and curl up in my room with a road map and pen to plot the next stage of my journey.<br />
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<br />
In the morning I'll make for Port Augusta and decide whether to head across to Perth or keep going south to Adelaide. </div>
Bob Snappahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00234004357432237841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8106824426007820013.post-43677542617621956302014-09-27T15:11:00.000-07:002017-04-06T02:26:51.985-07:00Another long, long day...<div style="text-align: justify;">
I woke early this morning after what turned out to be a very cold night. My sleeping bag is good down to zero but I wound up putting on long-johns in the early hours as it was just so cold.</div>
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The funny thing is that I woke before sunrise, had breakfast, showered, then packed the tent onto the bike just as the sun had risen and already the temperature had gone from nothing to the high teens. It doesn't take long.</div>
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Leaving early today in order to make it to Coober Pedy before dark. It's a long 4 hour ride back through nothingness (and heat) to Erlunda on the highway so I can fuel up, get a feed, oil the chain and check the bike over before heading south. </div>
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Erlunda Roadhouse - Fuel, groceries, grub, and grog (and well maintained 'public' toilets). From here it's about 100k's to the SA border with nothing much in between. No point in hanging about.<br />
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The ride to the border is uneventful. There's time for a quick photo op and a toilet stop and then back on the road.
When it's hot like this it's best to just keep moving. Any breeze is
better than standing still. I've got to say, this is a much better crossing than the crappy tin sign up on the Qld border. A great looking monument, a picnic area, and public toilets. Even the parking area is sealed. As the sign says, Welcome to South Australia (although on the other side it says the same but for NT).</div>
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I am so over the heat and the long straight roads now. The only thing to break the monotony (and the numb bum) is the fuel stops, and the Marla Roadhouse doesn't disappoint. It comes at just the right point on the road. Fuel, a pie, and a cold drink in the shade of a tree while being dive-bombed by an irate magpie. My only respite and I'm being chased away by the wildlife.<br />
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As you can see, a garage and a pub. Welcome to Marla.<br />
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By the time I leave here the temperature has soared and I realise I'm nursing a very sad looking rear tyre. The tread is balling up and there's now a substantial flat spot across the width of the tyre. I'm down to about 1mm of tread in the centre and it's not looking like it'll last all the way to Adelaide where I can replace it.</div>
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Watered and fed, I place Coober Pedy firmly on my radar and ride south.<br />
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I reach the outskirts of Coober Pedy late in the afternoon. The heat is overbearing, just when I thought it would be getting cooler as I ride south, it's actually getting hotter.<br />
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<br />
I call Mrs Snappa from the outskirts of town while taking some pics and get her to arrange accommodation, she asks "above ground or below, my choice". I go with the Mud Hut Motel and head on into town.</div>
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I check in for 2 nights, unpack the bike and then put my feet up and relax with the air-con on max.<br />
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It's been 2 weeks, 6,500k's, and 3 states so far. Every day up till now has been in the mid to high 30s. The word I keep using is 'unrelenting'. The heat just never gives up. It's time to take a day or two off.<br />
<br />
And now for the entertaining part of the day... <br />
<br />
As it gets dark I decide it's probably cool enough to go for a walk into town and get some dinner. Just after turning the corner from the motel I see a bunch of drunken aboriginals. Some are laying in the street opposite the pub, some are brawling outside a shop a bit further down the road, and outside the pub a rather elderly (and totally naked) aboriginal woman was screaming out
something about rape and waving her dress in the air over her head, to which no one was paying her any attention until
she began yelling "rape me" over and over. Everyone scarpered
to the other side o<span class="text_exposed_show">f the road. </span><br />
<br />
I walked only about 300 to 500 metres along the main street but that and other incidents along the way we're a life education.<br />
<br />
Apart from aboriginals in various states of intoxication (it only varied from shit-faced to totally leggless) along the way, I saw no-one else in the street, and this is just after 7 pm on a Saturday night. When I get to the pizza place it's chockas, absolutely packed full, standing room only. A very much inebriated local lad tells me the VFL grand final was just won by the team the town supported so it was celebration time. Hence the packed house.<br />
<br />
I order the pizza and walk back to the motel and on the way the police drive down the main street, ignoring all the
goings on with the aboriginals, and cruise up to me to check me out. Not once, but twice. I must have looked
really shady.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN7Az7rtYFwG4wad34UEU65_OZ_VFIkstkSv6BBCnyj4W9KGkEssK94felnAkyI9rRyaANF3s_VNKiXK9X7odai2FxByPYx7GSFhNR9iGrFaVgjkqH-iQhds8D0VMYCJ-WSU6KlkpuPic/s1600/todays+map.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN7Az7rtYFwG4wad34UEU65_OZ_VFIkstkSv6BBCnyj4W9KGkEssK94felnAkyI9rRyaANF3s_VNKiXK9X7odai2FxByPYx7GSFhNR9iGrFaVgjkqH-iQhds8D0VMYCJ-WSU6KlkpuPic/s640/todays+map.JPG" width="636" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Today's route.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Bob Snappahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00234004357432237841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8106824426007820013.post-21681895638313971602014-09-26T00:09:00.000-07:002017-04-06T02:23:27.251-07:00My Pilgrimage to the Rock<div style="text-align: justify;">
The bike has been coughing and spluttering since arriving in Alice so after a hearty breakfast in the restaurant I head off to the nearby Suzuki dealer but their only mechanic works on trail bikes and lawnmowers, he knows nothing of fuel injected road bikes. Great! I head round to Supercheap and grab myself a bottle of injector cleaner and hope for the best. Fuel up, add the cleaner, and off I go.<br />
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Typical of dogs, poor cow is trying to sleep and the Dingo has to go and sniff its bum. Not sure what hit this in the night but it must have left a scar or two.</div>
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I get to Erlunda and fuel both me and the bike and chat to some fellow bikers. Some are heading off-road for a week after having ridden across the desert from Perth (keen) and another couple are riding an old (very old) Yamaha Diversion 900 to Adelaide. They're school teachers from the UK working their way round the world and recently relocated to Alice from Auckland. They have a week to go to Adelaide and back (it's 3 days each way) and are sleeping rough all the way with one night in a motel.<br />
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I arrive at Uluru early afternoon and head out to the rock. $25 to enter the park and I'm away to see how close I can get. </div>
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This is everything I expected. From all the people I've spoken to it's different things to different people. For me, although already knowing it's just one big rock, seeing it up close knocks you in the head with that. On the way round I sit and watch the climbers, but in jeans, boots, jacket, etc, and as it's in the mid to high 30's it's just too hot to even think about climbing it.<br />
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After heading back into town I take a campsite, set up the tent, and take a nana nap before heading back out to watch the sunset.<br />
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Back out at the rock at sunset and I can't believe the massive carpark at the sunset viewing area is over-flowing. There are literally hundreds of cars here and everyone is standing along a fence watching out over the rock. I find a space behind a car near the entrance and start talking to a couple from Beenliegh who offer to share their non-alcoholic wine while we toast the sunset.<br />
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Such a spectacular view with the rock changing colour as quickly as the sun sets.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnXC2WROtoFOO-LRKg6F_Ndcf65zNuOrOWKSBYi5SkI66mUuow1Qs_bM8ZT478hVNxqijan_mduaP5pOP0gmcFwJSStsPJ2Y7s_Y0n-wHVkEAWC10js8ZMM9qMxUb14tt1lTiyfvN2e38/s1600/Day+map.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnXC2WROtoFOO-LRKg6F_Ndcf65zNuOrOWKSBYi5SkI66mUuow1Qs_bM8ZT478hVNxqijan_mduaP5pOP0gmcFwJSStsPJ2Y7s_Y0n-wHVkEAWC10js8ZMM9qMxUb14tt1lTiyfvN2e38/s640/Day+map.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Today's route.</td></tr>
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Bob Snappahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00234004357432237841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8106824426007820013.post-11300108193252944202014-09-25T20:39:00.000-07:002017-04-06T02:20:03.813-07:00A Change of Plans...<div style="text-align: justify;">
Had the air-conditioning on all night and headed out of the van before sunrise to go take a shower and stepped into a wall of heat. It never seems to let up.</div>
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A quick check of the weather forecast shows my next stop (Katherine) heading for 39deg today and Darwin at 38deg. During a conversation with an Aboriginal guide from Kakadu he tells me that what I thought was my biggest concern (the big wet) really isn't a problem if I'm heading north, however, he also tells me that the build-up to the wet has started and the temperature and the humidity is set to soar over the next few days and doesn't give up till the wet begins in a few weeks.</div>
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Having suffered through enough heat I make the decision to head south and visit Uluru instead. I'll wait till Port Augusta and make a decision whether to head west to Perth from there.</div>
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A short run today of only 500k's down to Alice Springs. Here's what you run into just south of Tennant Creek...<br />
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Not long after passing this sign I hit strong easterly winds ripping over my left shoulder and put up with heavy buffeting for about the next hour.</div>
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There's not a lot out here in the centre. Out here a petrol station and a pub constitute a town, and even these are hundreds of k's apart. </div>
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I rip past a sign to the Devil's Marbles (remember there's no speed limit) and before I know it, there's a second turnoff. Screech to a halt and turn left to see this just a few seconds off the highway...<br />
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The photos don't convey the size of these things, they are huge, and in spite of looking like a bunch of boulders dumped in a pile, they were once all one big rock being worn over time by rain water (imagine that, rain water out here).</div>
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Next stop Wycliffe Wells, self proclaimed UFO capital of Aussie. Not a lot here other than a petrol station and a caravan park (albeit a very run down one). I guess the aliens took everything with them.<br />
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Zipping along the highway and peering off to the right I see a huge aboriginal standing on a hill so detour off the road to check it out. What I find is amazing, an aboriginal hunter standing on the hill overlooking Aileron, and a female and child down in the town with a goanna (apparently dinner) being dragged along by the woman. To get an idea of scale, look at the motorcycle at the back of the shed to the left of the woman and child...<br />
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And the next stop along the way is.....<br />
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If the guff on the info panels are anything to go by, I should be getting much cooler from this point on (doesn't feel like it at the moment).</div>
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As I get to the outskirts of Alice, police have set themselves up in force with a team operating a speed camera and a booze bus in the northbound lane. Seems to be plenty of takers, at least it's not me.</div>
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The heat here is still unbearable. A call to Mrs Snappa finds me a room at the Ibis Styles Resort and as luck would have it, the guy on the desk also rides a V-Strom. He upgrades me to an executive suite with parking right by the back door, shouts me a free drink at the bar, then proceeds to set me up with a mechanic at the Suzuki dealer to sort out the fouled injectors on the bike.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTQm_RAjQ2gjsC3yD_BNhGsGZ8EOPYDD0Vj-hsbJndlepoa6RsNcvg36wa5POtUhRTzTtwxnSlapTp2YMhDGNBODzbuFb_lB3FvinFjMmSyanzOO30ectKBPCVEFGDSudhifIxEoxgzrI/s1600/Day+map.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="524" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTQm_RAjQ2gjsC3yD_BNhGsGZ8EOPYDD0Vj-hsbJndlepoa6RsNcvg36wa5POtUhRTzTtwxnSlapTp2YMhDGNBODzbuFb_lB3FvinFjMmSyanzOO30ectKBPCVEFGDSudhifIxEoxgzrI/s640/Day+map.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some perspective of where I am</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJr77qnWDJ_j-VfiekBMFqbRyO0YNjK4eWazoUn-iEEkuO9IximC1M86tsIAZ599YukaIgvnuBUkMbAXLAvt0eU_REq1-QRRHXsO8ZRYsrpJtFMDrYHObEUMbjRD-oYxivf7FjwaW21jY/s1600/Day+map+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJr77qnWDJ_j-VfiekBMFqbRyO0YNjK4eWazoUn-iEEkuO9IximC1M86tsIAZ599YukaIgvnuBUkMbAXLAvt0eU_REq1-QRRHXsO8ZRYsrpJtFMDrYHObEUMbjRD-oYxivf7FjwaW21jY/s640/Day+map+2.JPG" width="564" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Today's route</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Bob Snappahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00234004357432237841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8106824426007820013.post-25256735750540423242014-09-24T20:42:00.000-07:002017-04-06T02:14:21.097-07:00First Border Crossing...<div style="text-align: justify;">
Camooweal - What a night! Hot as hell, and by the looks of the surrounding area, obviously not far from the devil's lair either. </div>
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The border is real close, something like about 15 k's away so I fuel up and head off. Not sure what I'm expecting as I roll out of the forecourt.<br />
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A few minutes later, this is it. Really? This is it? Well, as underwhelmed as I was, I did have a reception party waiting in the car park and he wasn't all that pleased that my bike had woken him from a deep sleep.</div>
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I roll out of the carpark and the first thing I see is....<br />
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130kph - Seeing the sign makes me feel compelled to comply and away I go. Not too long after leaving this area and heading into the NT proper, I start to get buffeted by a crosswind over the left side of the bike. Strong, gusting winds, and then about 30 k's further on, a sign advising "Caution - strong crosswinds ahead". I was busy thinking a bit late for that, but then the winds get worse. This continues for many miles.<br />
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260 k's later I finally arrive at the Barkley Homestead, fuel up, devour a peppered steak pie, and wash it down with a coffee. Between Camooweal and here there is virtually nothing (except a few rest stops and a police station). </div>
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There is no power station within cooee so they have an ingenious method for street lighting...<br />
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A toilet stop and a tour of the humongous car park and junk yard before heading for three-ways.<br />
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It's not too long down the road, pumping along at 130, and the boredom of long straight roads and little changing scenery (the height of the vegetation varies occasionally) begins to set in. </div>
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The sides of the road are littered with thousands of termite mounds and sometimes they even pop up out of the edge of the bitumen (determined little buggers) and obviously I'm not the only bored tourist as many of these termite mounds are decorated with varying items of clothing (most commonly t-shirts) and sometimes with a good sense of humor.<br />
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And so endeth the day in a very, very warm Tennant Creek where I retire to a caravan for the evening.</div>
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Even though I've only traveled about 470k's I'm totally knackered from heat exhaustion and don't bother to venture outside the comfort of the (somewhat noisy) air-conditioning.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhefUZmd-NO1kfcDSpCthSQMnPWQX29MzUDP0Z22ISQ66l9TFrO4Yof5niyCoDSpwO7OjySgK4Wl6uI_GGCaEd3LmZY2y-S6_z7VE9ouy2wzU4eGtx8mTDnuERGHnmOoD4jb7aKAsGW7oY/s1600/Todays+map.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhefUZmd-NO1kfcDSpCthSQMnPWQX29MzUDP0Z22ISQ66l9TFrO4Yof5niyCoDSpwO7OjySgK4Wl6uI_GGCaEd3LmZY2y-S6_z7VE9ouy2wzU4eGtx8mTDnuERGHnmOoD4jb7aKAsGW7oY/s640/Todays+map.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Today's route. (looks much the same from th ground as it does from the air)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
Bob Snappahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00234004357432237841noreply@blogger.com