The Ride Report
Part One of Three
Synopsis
IBA Australia inaugural muster - 2nd July 2016, Parkes Services Club, Parkes, NSW. Check in between 10:00 and 14:00.
As the distance to Parkes from home base is approx. 820kms the plan was simple, knock over a SS1600K and arrive within the check in window. Of course the chosen route envolved Liz and me riding Kwakatoa westward before turning aournd and heading east towards Parkes. A route with a turn around at Port Augusta seemed quite fitting as this would take us past Horrock's Pass and the Memorial Plaque then at Nyngan, turning right towards Bogan Gate and then left to Parkes itself. This route and the end result would prove to be so very special on so many fronts for us, individually and as a 2up team.
For me, Horrock's Pass holds special meaning as it is via this route that my first official foray into long distance riding started with the 2007 Border Run. It was this ride that I first met Davo Jones at Penong on the way out to the Border Village. My next big ride was the following year for the 2008 Border Run. Again in that year in October, I completed my first Iron Butt Association (IBA) rides completing both an SS2000K and a BB2500K/36 enroute to Bussellton, WA for the GTR-AUS annual meet. Had I known at the time I could've turned the BB into a SS3000K/48 such was my unfamiliarity with IBA rides. I also attempted my first BBG on the return but due to Nullarbor being closed for fuel, missed by 15 mins, I failed. I did however complete an SS1600K but, like so many of my SS1600K rides, have not sent this in for certification.
In 2010, a small number of us commiserated the loss of Davo at the cairn at Horrock's Pass around midnight in early September, singnifying one year of Davo's untimely death in the 2009 IBR. Also in 2010, I completed my first BBG2500K ride, again via Horrock's Pass and beyond, playing into my knowledge of these well travelled roads.
With the western side of the route planned the eastward leg would be a turn around at Port Augusta and head to Nyngan, NSW then turn right and head to Bogan Gate. Then left for the short squirt into Parkes. Simples.
1 July 2016
Unfortunately I don't have the receipts or log of our ride as these were submitted at Parkes but from memory, the Broken Hill Shell Servo start docket reads 11:36 CST (12:04 EST). Liz gets two dockets, one for her and one for me. Yeah, need to submit one log for Liz and one for me.
The end docket is at the BP servo Parkes 2 July 2016 11:16 EST.
1656 odd kms for the Saddle Sore.
No start pics, too keen to get riding in the daylight hours because we'd be doing too many kays in the chilly dark o'clock hours!
We left the servo in good spirits but not much sleep for either Liz and me. I suppose we were just too excited and worried all at once. Family issues played their part on both sides of our families but off we rode into a fairly cool, cloudy day. This section is well known to us and it is a two hour ride to Yunta for the first fuel stop.
The western side of Cockburn, SA.
Unbekown to me, Liz had decided that as we rode past she'd try and take photos of the pubs along the ride. Onya Liz!
Olary, pronounced Ollerrie as how TOURA called the place. He was a funny bloke. It was here he dropped his FJR chasing a photo opportunity.
Just a road.
Very clever.
Mannahill and onward into the BP at Yunta. We don't muck around, Liz visits the "ladies" while I'm filling the tank. I finish fuelling up and head to the "mens" and when I come out Liz has finished paying for the fuel and gives me the dockets to record odo, GPS, time and double check all is in order. It is here that I note that the SPOT is showig a red LED but as I finished my notes, the LED is back to green again. Hmmm...
Check Point Charlie. Tucked away in the Oodla Wirra hills, this signifies halfway to Adelaide from Broken Hill.
Next stop was to be the Plaque to lay some wreaths as we failed to make the Memorial meet at Wilmington last year, thanks to a failed bike battery. Through the Quarantine station (which is closed for a few weeks in winter) at Oodla Wirra.
Then short few kays to the Peterborough turn off. Always a thrill coming this way because Horrock's Pass and beyond beckons.
Peterborough Railway Museum.
Although it's cold...
..I love these places.
Orroroo, Morchard and then the long straight stretches into Wilmington.
It's along here that I wonder, do they know at the Wilmington pub of Pat's passing?
Should I stop and find out? What if they ask when he passed away?
Here I started to well up because not only did he pass away two days before my birthday, the date was Liz's birthday! Yeah, this ride was jammed packed with very special, personal meaning in oh so many ways.
Then glorious Horrock's Pass comes up and memories of all the Memorial Rides here.
Up until now, it's been cold and in keeping with the sombre mood of the moment but popping out the other side of the Pass, it's bright and sunny. Down near the Plaque and I look for any identifying markers for where the Plaque is but can't see any. The sun in the eyes was making it difficult. No matter, fuel up at Port Augusta for our turn around and then worry about it. It funny to see so many sheep in the paddock behind where the Plaque is as I've never seen livestock there before. There were hundreds of sheep out there.
Into the blue.
Fuelled up at the BP, another efficient stop
Back searching, looking for the Plaque. I know the area well as Cliff and I bloody set the thing back in 2011 but I still can't find it. I should have the co-ordinates in the GPS but as I had the screen replaced, meaning I received a refurbished unit in return, I didn't think about the co-ords. Liz dismounts and starts walking along and I ride up a tad further and as I'm about to pull up and dismount when bingo, there it is. No markers of any kind, the paint has faded both off the fence posts and from the road.
We're not worried about time as an SS1600K has plenty of give time wise. We unwrap the wreaths which Liz has made out of rosemary, I say a few words as we lay two wreaths of remembrance and we take a moment to pay our respects.
With a tear in our eye we give each other a hug. The sun is wonderful, is low on the horizon meaning the cold dark night will be upon us some enough. Off we head back through the Pass and that cold air mass, each of us with our own sombre thoughts. Neither of us are looking forward to the cold that lays ahead.
A reminder of our insignificance.
Wilmington, Morchard and Orroroo where its time for body fuel.
Tucker time at sunset. Just outside Orroroo heading east.
Peterborough, Oodla Wirra and into the Caltex at Yunta dodging two lots of a pair of young roos enroute having a chin wag in the middle of the road. These buggers are not as road smart as their taller cousins feeding on the verge!
Our fuel stop is, as always, very efficient with little down time are back on the road for the two short hours to home base for warmth, a hot meal and some shut eye before the final push east into the very dark and chilly second half of the ride. Into the Shell servo without further incident around 21:00 with 826kms done then, home for that hot tomato soup with prawns and crab meat with heaps of toasted and buttered rye bread. Yummo!
I fire up the gas heater in the lounge room and kick up the foot rest on the LazyBoy and we both settle in for an hours kip.
End part one.
Part One of Three
Synopsis
IBA Australia inaugural muster - 2nd July 2016, Parkes Services Club, Parkes, NSW. Check in between 10:00 and 14:00.
As the distance to Parkes from home base is approx. 820kms the plan was simple, knock over a SS1600K and arrive within the check in window. Of course the chosen route envolved Liz and me riding Kwakatoa westward before turning aournd and heading east towards Parkes. A route with a turn around at Port Augusta seemed quite fitting as this would take us past Horrock's Pass and the Memorial Plaque then at Nyngan, turning right towards Bogan Gate and then left to Parkes itself. This route and the end result would prove to be so very special on so many fronts for us, individually and as a 2up team.
For me, Horrock's Pass holds special meaning as it is via this route that my first official foray into long distance riding started with the 2007 Border Run. It was this ride that I first met Davo Jones at Penong on the way out to the Border Village. My next big ride was the following year for the 2008 Border Run. Again in that year in October, I completed my first Iron Butt Association (IBA) rides completing both an SS2000K and a BB2500K/36 enroute to Bussellton, WA for the GTR-AUS annual meet. Had I known at the time I could've turned the BB into a SS3000K/48 such was my unfamiliarity with IBA rides. I also attempted my first BBG on the return but due to Nullarbor being closed for fuel, missed by 15 mins, I failed. I did however complete an SS1600K but, like so many of my SS1600K rides, have not sent this in for certification.
In 2010, a small number of us commiserated the loss of Davo at the cairn at Horrock's Pass around midnight in early September, singnifying one year of Davo's untimely death in the 2009 IBR. Also in 2010, I completed my first BBG2500K ride, again via Horrock's Pass and beyond, playing into my knowledge of these well travelled roads.
With the western side of the route planned the eastward leg would be a turn around at Port Augusta and head to Nyngan, NSW then turn right and head to Bogan Gate. Then left for the short squirt into Parkes. Simples.
1 July 2016
Unfortunately I don't have the receipts or log of our ride as these were submitted at Parkes but from memory, the Broken Hill Shell Servo start docket reads 11:36 CST (12:04 EST). Liz gets two dockets, one for her and one for me. Yeah, need to submit one log for Liz and one for me.
The end docket is at the BP servo Parkes 2 July 2016 11:16 EST.
1656 odd kms for the Saddle Sore.
No start pics, too keen to get riding in the daylight hours because we'd be doing too many kays in the chilly dark o'clock hours!
We left the servo in good spirits but not much sleep for either Liz and me. I suppose we were just too excited and worried all at once. Family issues played their part on both sides of our families but off we rode into a fairly cool, cloudy day. This section is well known to us and it is a two hour ride to Yunta for the first fuel stop.
The western side of Cockburn, SA.
Unbekown to me, Liz had decided that as we rode past she'd try and take photos of the pubs along the ride. Onya Liz!
Olary, pronounced Ollerrie as how TOURA called the place. He was a funny bloke. It was here he dropped his FJR chasing a photo opportunity.
Just a road.
Very clever.
Mannahill and onward into the BP at Yunta. We don't muck around, Liz visits the "ladies" while I'm filling the tank. I finish fuelling up and head to the "mens" and when I come out Liz has finished paying for the fuel and gives me the dockets to record odo, GPS, time and double check all is in order. It is here that I note that the SPOT is showig a red LED but as I finished my notes, the LED is back to green again. Hmmm...
Check Point Charlie. Tucked away in the Oodla Wirra hills, this signifies halfway to Adelaide from Broken Hill.
Next stop was to be the Plaque to lay some wreaths as we failed to make the Memorial meet at Wilmington last year, thanks to a failed bike battery. Through the Quarantine station (which is closed for a few weeks in winter) at Oodla Wirra.
Then short few kays to the Peterborough turn off. Always a thrill coming this way because Horrock's Pass and beyond beckons.
Peterborough Railway Museum.
Although it's cold...
..I love these places.
Orroroo, Morchard and then the long straight stretches into Wilmington.
It's along here that I wonder, do they know at the Wilmington pub of Pat's passing?
Should I stop and find out? What if they ask when he passed away?
Here I started to well up because not only did he pass away two days before my birthday, the date was Liz's birthday! Yeah, this ride was jammed packed with very special, personal meaning in oh so many ways.
Then glorious Horrock's Pass comes up and memories of all the Memorial Rides here.
Up until now, it's been cold and in keeping with the sombre mood of the moment but popping out the other side of the Pass, it's bright and sunny. Down near the Plaque and I look for any identifying markers for where the Plaque is but can't see any. The sun in the eyes was making it difficult. No matter, fuel up at Port Augusta for our turn around and then worry about it. It funny to see so many sheep in the paddock behind where the Plaque is as I've never seen livestock there before. There were hundreds of sheep out there.
Into the blue.
Fuelled up at the BP, another efficient stop
Back searching, looking for the Plaque. I know the area well as Cliff and I bloody set the thing back in 2011 but I still can't find it. I should have the co-ordinates in the GPS but as I had the screen replaced, meaning I received a refurbished unit in return, I didn't think about the co-ords. Liz dismounts and starts walking along and I ride up a tad further and as I'm about to pull up and dismount when bingo, there it is. No markers of any kind, the paint has faded both off the fence posts and from the road.
We're not worried about time as an SS1600K has plenty of give time wise. We unwrap the wreaths which Liz has made out of rosemary, I say a few words as we lay two wreaths of remembrance and we take a moment to pay our respects.
With a tear in our eye we give each other a hug. The sun is wonderful, is low on the horizon meaning the cold dark night will be upon us some enough. Off we head back through the Pass and that cold air mass, each of us with our own sombre thoughts. Neither of us are looking forward to the cold that lays ahead.
A reminder of our insignificance.
Wilmington, Morchard and Orroroo where its time for body fuel.
Tucker time at sunset. Just outside Orroroo heading east.
Peterborough, Oodla Wirra and into the Caltex at Yunta dodging two lots of a pair of young roos enroute having a chin wag in the middle of the road. These buggers are not as road smart as their taller cousins feeding on the verge!
Our fuel stop is, as always, very efficient with little down time are back on the road for the two short hours to home base for warmth, a hot meal and some shut eye before the final push east into the very dark and chilly second half of the ride. Into the Shell servo without further incident around 21:00 with 826kms done then, home for that hot tomato soup with prawns and crab meat with heaps of toasted and buttered rye bread. Yummo!
I fire up the gas heater in the lounge room and kick up the foot rest on the LazyBoy and we both settle in for an hours kip.
End part one.
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