Every Picture tells a Story,H2H2H Report

Vlad

Premier Member
#1
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After reading Karl’s account of this ride a couple of weeks ago I decided to take a teespoon of cement and give it another crack. Made the double with 10 minutes to spare. Thanks for the heads up re the pics in your ride report Karl, that would have been unfortunate. Thanks for the inspiration.
Report to follow.
 
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Vlad

Premier Member
#10
The plan was to head south after work on Friday evening, and ,with that in mind the GS was sitting in the garage ready to go. Some last minute prep and I was out the door at 2030 heading south on the M2, cool but pleasant run to Canberra and by the time I arrived the ambient temp was a constant 0 - 2 degrees. The Gortex shell gear we all wear these days is great stuff but doesn’t keep the cold out without some insulation under it and I stopped to put a fleece on over my heated gear. Couldn’t do that with my legs unfortunately no heaters for them ,and by the time I'd travelled 150 k in the dark at that temp,was cold to the bone, took 30 mins with the lecky blanket on flat chat to thaw out. Note to self ,buy some tracky dacks in the morning.
Woke to a clear and crisp day and headed for the top of the hill, plenty of snow and 1.5 degrees. The road up here closes on the 6th of June for the winter. Took the appropriate pic this time and fired off a spot ping, took a pic of the odo and gps as well and went down the hill to get a docket. Start time 0852 per the spot. 19/5/2018.



Through Jindy and gone easily on Saturday morning and made a left at Berridale for Adaminaby and then the Snowy highway west. Great day for a ride and had a spirited run over to Wagga were I purchased the afore mentioned tracky dacks and headed for Darlington Point for fuel. Quick stop and heading west again. Pulled in at Hay for a sleep for a bit and was back on the road in 30 mins. I'd chosen to do this as a morning start for a few reasons not least of which was having to get to the start after work, but also to keep the less familiar parts in the daylight if possible. This meant a different routine as well and hence the swag on the back. Turns out a swag is very comfortable and convenient.



Stopped briefly for a pick of the sunset at Hells Gate and kept on west to Euston for fuel. I could have made it to Mildura for gas as it turned out, but a replacement air filter was playing havoc with the fuel consumption and I was now getting an easy 50 - 60 k less range than normal and didn’t want to get caught. The upside is the bike is running superbly and pulls like a freight train, guess I’ll just have to get used to it.

I had planned a meal break in Renmark and had a quick bite and topped up the gas tank for the run up to P A. After Ox's experience on the Goyder recently I was somewhat dreading this next bit, but as it turned out I hardly saw an animal at all, talk about chalk and cheese. Was pretty much on schedule and a little ways out of Burra decided to stop for a bit of sleep. A good sleep in the swag and I felt fresh and keen to go. Made P A just on 3 am ,filled the tank and the jerry cans in the right pannier and headed out for Pimba. This is a lonely stretch of highway at night, the lights don't reflect off much, you just ride into a tunnel of light in the blackness, It was nice to see spuds.

Turned right for Roxby via Woomera and had an uneventful run through here and was filling the tank just before 6am. Took a pic of the docket next to the speedo,this was very much the routine now ,and headed the 10 k out of town to Olympic Dam and the start of the Borefield road. 6 am on Sunday and this place is already bustling and well under way. Stopped for a pic and was away in the dark.



The first 15 k of this road is managed by BHP and is nice, after that that it turns to crap, corrugations and three inches of loose stuff on the top, I had a wry smile to myself and thought "what did you expect". Up on the pegs ,lean back ,keep the front light and stay on the gas, hopefully it won’t be like this the whole way. After about 30 k it changed to hard pack covered in dust and I don’t mind telling you that that is fun, sun coming up ,no one but you ,the road and the wide open desert, it was special and I had a ball. Stopped for the sunrise.



About 120k in and you reach the Oodnadatta track and I stopped for a pic, then turned left for Lake Eyre.



I haven’t been out here before so this was all new and not what I imagined it to be ,the track is wide and has four distinct wheel ruts in it with mounds of gravel in between. You soon get the hang of it and the speed picks up. The big drainage ditches at regular intervals can take you by surprise and I bottomed the big girls suspension out a few times through here. I take my hat off to the boys who have ridden this in the dark, no small undertaking that.

In no time at all I was there ,Lake Eyre and the half-way point. I was truly elated even if it doesn’t show in the pic. I took the relevant pics and fired off a spot ping and had a look at the giant salt pan that is the lake. I would have liked to spend more time here ,it is profoundly peaceful, but the clock waits for no man.



I had originally decided to go back the way I had come but after reading Karl's account of this ride headed for Marree. After you pass the Borefield road again the road changes completely, it now has had some level of a grade ,its relatively smooth with a loose top and it takes a while to get the hang of it, had a couple of big drifts on the bends. Made Marree in good time. It’s Sunday morning and the place looks deserted, which is a concern cause I need a docket. The pub is shut and doesn’t open till 2 according to the bloke working in his yard but I should be able to get a docket at the roadhouse. A description won’t work you have to go there and see it for yourself. It was open and along with a docket I got a bumper sticker to add to my collection. My GPS had given up the ghost about a thousand k back which left me in need of directions which were supplied by a charming elderly woman who reckons "nothing much happens in Marree". Straight out of town, don’t take the left that’s the Birdsville track, its tar for about 2 k and then its dirt all the way to Lyndhurst. Spot on,

I stopped just before the dirt and emptied the big jerry into the gas tank to lighten the load.



This is the best dirt on the run and a heap of fun and I was in Lyndhurst in no time and heading for my next fuel at Hawker. Fueled up, paper work done and about 10 k out of town you make a left for Peterborough. Great looking country thru here cruising at the speed limit, just out of one of the small towns , I started to feel the ks and pulled over into a dry river bed and slept for a bit. Back on the road half an hour later after having shed a couple of layers and was feeling good.
Had an uneventful run to Renmark on a great looking day, stopped to put the liner back in my jacket at Burra and was having something to eat at the OTR at 1730 gassed up and ready to go. Still fairly much on schedule at this point and still had some wiggle room. The plan was to get some sleep around Euston to be ready for the last 800 k and that’s what I did ,found an ideal location to break out the swag ,or so I thought ,didn’t really account for the heavy Vehicles going past my head 30 meters away, rooky mistake I won’t make again. Back on the road 10 mins after the alarm, Euston, Balranald and onto the Hay plain. About 30 k out of Hay I felt a sudden and profound fatigue and had to stop, into the rest stop, flat out on the table and was instantly unconscious.

Opened my eyes and checked the time, an hour down. Things just got interesting. Quickly on the road and ran the numbers, it will be tight. Pretty focused and into Hay for gas and I will need one more fuel stop before the end. Wagga. Travelling East on a mission and pulled into the first servo on the left in Wagga and was gone again in 5 mins. Quick trip to the freeway and took the Tumut exit, unusual exit this one leaves from the middle of the road. It can be an animal fest through here on occasion but no worries tonight, then I felt sprinkle on my face and then the rain, bugga.
By the time I got through town it was raining consistently ,and visibility was an issue. Thankfully there were no animals in Kangaroo alley and then it was up the Talbingo hill in the rain, nowhere near as much fun as the dry, top of the hill and into the more open section and the fog as well as the rain. Starting to stress now. Took a couple of deep breaths and refocused. 2 degrees, not that I was noticing it, constant rain and fog and a howling wind all while you’re trying to make a decent fist of some of the windiest road in the country in the dark. What more could you ask for.
Up across Kiandra and the bends seemed to go on forever and all I wanted was for them to be over so I could pick up the speed. Eventually the sun came up and visibility improved and as I got closer to Adaminaby the road opened up and mercifully the rain abated, and the pace picked up. Ran the numbers, still doable, just.

20 k out of town and made the right for Berridale once again, good run through here and was soon on the Monaro for the last 30 k to Jindabyne. Into the servo for a docket, no fuel, 0805.
That just left the run up the hill, paid the nice lady at the park entrance another 7 bucks and was off like a shot. Great run up to Perisher and then the weather closed in again but by now I didn’t care at all. Got to the top at 0840 and fired off a spot ping and took the selfie in front of the Charlottes sign and photographed my odo with the gate pass. Done 10 mins inside the 48 hrs. It was then I noticed the surroundings, total white out, freezing cold 2 degrees and blowing a gale. Awesome.



Back down the hill for the last docket and a sleep in the sun for a bit. Into Jindi for some breakfast and then a lazy 500 k ride home. Took the road less traveled, the dirt up through Numarella and on to Braidwood then Bungonia on that wonderful white clay road with the dust that sticks to everything. Home just after 1700.

I am really stoked to get this done, its one I won’t forget.
 
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#15
"This is the best dirt on the run and a heap of fun and I was in Lyndhurst in no time and heading for my next fuel at Hawker." :eek: I beg to differ, not the best dirt that i remember!

Congratulations on a great ride, thanks for sharing. :)

It's still on my bucket list....hopefully one day we will get it done. And yes Karl does has that effect on you doesn't he :p