A long time a go the topic of 'named' rides in Oz came up. There were many suggestions for rides that were worthy for FarRider Certification - which kind of fizzled, but CC and ROLSN rode the Troppo and CC was indeed 'certified'
. At that time the idea of a ride joining the highest and lowest points in Australia was discussed. ie Charlotte Pass and Lake Eyre. Some tried and Wombattle
and Skidooo
prevailed to be the first in our world to do the ride 'on the clock' - Iron Butt Association style.
I thought they were nuts.
They rode from pre-dawn on dirt at Maree through the roos and made their way to up Kosciuszko also in the roos arriving in the middle of the night, relatively intact. I still think they were nuts. I thought starting in the middle of the day would have the most technical and hoppiest parts of the ride well separated from the scary dark hours. I said as much to Wom, but Wom being Wom rode the ride to perfection completely opposite to what I suggested
I thought I'd give it a crack my way. Looking back I've been checking the calendar for about 4 months to get the not too hot, not too cold, just right three bears window of opportunity to do the ride - out and back in 48 hours.
Riding the mighty KLR650 I grabbed a start docket with a chat at the Ranger Station in Perisher Valley, NSW at 1340hr AEDT on the 1st of March (bike odo 6488km, GPS 0km).
Its just a handful of twisties up to the top
Then back down the hill on empty roads through Jindabyne and beyond to Berridale (15:13hr, 78km, 8.56L). From there I cut left and wiggled on through to Adaminaby, past the big trout without stopping and kept on westbound on some lovely roads across the 'high' country
Down on through Talbingo and Tumut, skipped over the Hume and in no time I was at Wagga (18:41hr, 365km, 29.36L including the jerry). As is my way at sundown I found a quiet spot out the back of the servo and grabbed a quick. Not long out of town I spied a big mob of roos away off in a paddock and thought "that's weird, I don't usually see roos out here....."
They were even on the road during the next few hours to Hay (21:56hr, 632km, 19.83L). A few trucks of course, but all just yada yada for the Hay Plain in the middle of the night.
I stopped appropriately for a Kimmie Pic
And in no time I was at Buronga for more fuel (01:36hr, 917km, 18.45L). The KLR was performing perfectly, the little LED spots were spotting and the roos were still hopping. Thankfully, for whatever reason the roos in this part of the world light up like hi-viz grey if that's possible and are dead easy to see with LEDs.
I rolled around the back streets of Mildura as Ron Perry has taught me to do and a little while later I reached South Australia
I had a chat to the bloke at the South Australian border doing the fruit check. He asked about the roos. I said that in all of my crossings of the Hay Plain I've only ever seen a handful in total. Tonight I've had 63 kangaroos on the road since Wagga, though only one came out of the bush fast, the rest were no drama. Next stop Renmark (03:35hr AEDT, 1067km, 9.28L). At the servo I asked the guy about the route to Port Augusta. I said I was aiming for Morgan>Burra>Crystal Brook>PA. He said "that's right, that's the way to go". I asked him about the trucks. I said that tonight, like every other night I've crossed the Hay Plain its just me and the trucks out and about, but the trucks never seem to turn off at Morgan. Which way do the trucks go? He just said that he goes through Burra and Crystal Brook and had no idea where the trucks go.. As we parted he said "And look out for the roos on the Goyder (highway)". Then he added "Not this time of night though.......".
I made the climb up - not much of a climb from the Riverland - and turned off onto the Goyder. Kangaroo number 71 I saw well off in the distance. A big male, standing on the centreline, lit up fluouro grey but unmoved. I slowed of course, beeping the horn, flashing lights high and low and rolled to barely walking pace. He finally did a dodgy half hop to my right, I squirted to the left where he couldn't get me and carried on.
Carried on into a melee.
I've ridden this road many times. Usually in the dark. Never a problem. Once in the fog I saw a few, but otherwise this 200km stretch has been a stable 2 hour run with no furry obstacles.
I started to see a few roos. Big, brown/black in the LEDs and hopping all about. I stood up for a while, cut the dash lights from my view and looked out over the low scrubby bushes on the road shoulders. Over to my left about 20-30m was a fence. Over to the right 40-50 or so metres was a fence. In between the fences was me, a KLR, 2 solid white lines on the road shoulders and a dotted one down the middle, and seething all around on the edges of darkness god only knows how many kangaroos boinga-boinga-ing. Darting in and out of the broccoli bushes, mass crossing changing minds back tracking zigging zagging kangaroos all over the place.
I've never seen anything like it. Sure, I've seen more in a night, but not like this. Polite gatherings of hundreds on the Barrier Highway out Wilcannia way, that's normal. A thousand crossing west to east down the Stuart, fine. But this was just crazy rooing behaviour. To make matters far, far worse the buggers hardly showed up in my lights. I lost count of how many very big roos I only saw hopping away from me a couple of metres from the road edge that I had been unable to see before they moved. I had so many close calls all the way down to 5km an hour that for the first time ever I thought "I'm going to hit one of these".
I've hit 8 kangaroos on my rides. A write-off, a few multi-thousand dollar repairs, 8 dead roos and no big deal. But I've never hit a kangaroo when I thought "I might hit a kangaroo". I rolled onward west at about 50km an hour, dodged dozens more and pulled up in Burra (06:18hr AEDT, 1262km, no fuel). I'd planned to be leaving Port Augusta not long after dawn. That was still 200km away. I'd planned to continue north to Roxby Downs, hit the dirt, see Lake Eyre, and pass through Marree before rejoining the tar at Lyndhurst and having a nap at Hawker around about sundown. I was now about 90 minutes behind my ride plan, tapping away at an ATM in Burra and realising I'd be back here again 1200km later in the dark tomorrow. That was a bad plan. I dropped that idea, found a park and had a nap. Not that I would have made it far in the dark, after I had my sleep on the bench I realised I'd lost my key:
I grabbed another docket at 08:46hr, 1262km and headed south from Burra
This was new country for me. Sad, but beautiful at the same time, this part of the country seems to be doing it tough. Rundown villages with a smattering of grand civil buildings indicating a hopeful period sometime in the past. Fuel and a corner at Saddleworth (09:50hr AEDT, 1316km, 14.9L). A quizzical look from an iron horse at Marrabel:
A riverside pause at Morgan
A Wombattle pic on the Sturt in Victoria
And a drink and a docket at Merbien to stop the clock on the SS1600K(13:36hr, 1649km)
Just up the road I caught up with FZ Ian hard at work in Mildura Motorcycles where he signed my witness form (14:27hr, 1669km, 25.45L including jerry)
***************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
The clock stopped on the SS1600K, but I had a long way to go yet
At Balranald I cut southeast onto an unfamiliar road, tracing the southern edge of the Hay Plain I suppose
Following the Edwards River, through Moulemein and Pretty Pine to refuel at Deniliquin (19:19hr, 2032km, 26.40L)
I kept heading east, sun at my back until I reached the weird lake in Finley just on sundown
I had a nap here and rode off into the red dark
Just 2 roos seen this leg, before getting lost in the relative metropolis of Albury (22:19hr, 2238km, 13.28L). I'd thought about this moment all day. Despite turning off at Burra, I was committed to returning to Jindabyne. My plan had been I'd be here tomorrow in the middle of the day, skirt south around Kosciuszko and climb up into the mountains for the daylight finish. Riding in the Snowys in the middle of the night is daft, but it was such a lovely night to be out. I hopped back on and headed southy easty along the Murray Valley Highway.
This is a lovely piece of road I've mainly done in the day. To be fair I've taken it for granted, liked the views but mainly saw it as a delay before reaching the mountains. Tonight it was sweet, dry and dark with no traffic at all. Nice.
Corryong for a docket (00:10hr, 2367km, no fuel). I knew to take care from here on in and shared a few hundred metres with an uncertain grey roo not far out of town, zigging and zagging his way down the road. I propped at the closed servo in Khancoban, cleaned my visor, had a drink, emptied the jerry into the main and prepared for the rush. Not 1km farther the National Park started with a mob of about 30 kangaroos to greet me past the gate. They were well behaved and no problem - I was on high alert. For the next 100km I had a ball in the mix of tight twisties, deep cutouts, deer, rabbits, wombats, sharp climbs, sticks, stones, horses and of course kangaroos and wallabies into the mix. Round through Tom Groggin and Thredbo on the Alpine Way, through dozens of feisty greys, still hopping all the way to the main street of Jindabyne (03:10hr, 2506km, no fuel).
I had a nap.
I thought they were nuts.
They rode from pre-dawn on dirt at Maree through the roos and made their way to up Kosciuszko also in the roos arriving in the middle of the night, relatively intact. I still think they were nuts. I thought starting in the middle of the day would have the most technical and hoppiest parts of the ride well separated from the scary dark hours. I said as much to Wom, but Wom being Wom rode the ride to perfection completely opposite to what I suggested
I thought I'd give it a crack my way. Looking back I've been checking the calendar for about 4 months to get the not too hot, not too cold, just right three bears window of opportunity to do the ride - out and back in 48 hours.
Riding the mighty KLR650 I grabbed a start docket with a chat at the Ranger Station in Perisher Valley, NSW at 1340hr AEDT on the 1st of March (bike odo 6488km, GPS 0km).
Its just a handful of twisties up to the top
Then back down the hill on empty roads through Jindabyne and beyond to Berridale (15:13hr, 78km, 8.56L). From there I cut left and wiggled on through to Adaminaby, past the big trout without stopping and kept on westbound on some lovely roads across the 'high' country
Down on through Talbingo and Tumut, skipped over the Hume and in no time I was at Wagga (18:41hr, 365km, 29.36L including the jerry). As is my way at sundown I found a quiet spot out the back of the servo and grabbed a quick. Not long out of town I spied a big mob of roos away off in a paddock and thought "that's weird, I don't usually see roos out here....."
They were even on the road during the next few hours to Hay (21:56hr, 632km, 19.83L). A few trucks of course, but all just yada yada for the Hay Plain in the middle of the night.
I stopped appropriately for a Kimmie Pic
And in no time I was at Buronga for more fuel (01:36hr, 917km, 18.45L). The KLR was performing perfectly, the little LED spots were spotting and the roos were still hopping. Thankfully, for whatever reason the roos in this part of the world light up like hi-viz grey if that's possible and are dead easy to see with LEDs.
I rolled around the back streets of Mildura as Ron Perry has taught me to do and a little while later I reached South Australia
I had a chat to the bloke at the South Australian border doing the fruit check. He asked about the roos. I said that in all of my crossings of the Hay Plain I've only ever seen a handful in total. Tonight I've had 63 kangaroos on the road since Wagga, though only one came out of the bush fast, the rest were no drama. Next stop Renmark (03:35hr AEDT, 1067km, 9.28L). At the servo I asked the guy about the route to Port Augusta. I said I was aiming for Morgan>Burra>Crystal Brook>PA. He said "that's right, that's the way to go". I asked him about the trucks. I said that tonight, like every other night I've crossed the Hay Plain its just me and the trucks out and about, but the trucks never seem to turn off at Morgan. Which way do the trucks go? He just said that he goes through Burra and Crystal Brook and had no idea where the trucks go.. As we parted he said "And look out for the roos on the Goyder (highway)". Then he added "Not this time of night though.......".
I made the climb up - not much of a climb from the Riverland - and turned off onto the Goyder. Kangaroo number 71 I saw well off in the distance. A big male, standing on the centreline, lit up fluouro grey but unmoved. I slowed of course, beeping the horn, flashing lights high and low and rolled to barely walking pace. He finally did a dodgy half hop to my right, I squirted to the left where he couldn't get me and carried on.
Carried on into a melee.
I've ridden this road many times. Usually in the dark. Never a problem. Once in the fog I saw a few, but otherwise this 200km stretch has been a stable 2 hour run with no furry obstacles.
I started to see a few roos. Big, brown/black in the LEDs and hopping all about. I stood up for a while, cut the dash lights from my view and looked out over the low scrubby bushes on the road shoulders. Over to my left about 20-30m was a fence. Over to the right 40-50 or so metres was a fence. In between the fences was me, a KLR, 2 solid white lines on the road shoulders and a dotted one down the middle, and seething all around on the edges of darkness god only knows how many kangaroos boinga-boinga-ing. Darting in and out of the broccoli bushes, mass crossing changing minds back tracking zigging zagging kangaroos all over the place.
I've never seen anything like it. Sure, I've seen more in a night, but not like this. Polite gatherings of hundreds on the Barrier Highway out Wilcannia way, that's normal. A thousand crossing west to east down the Stuart, fine. But this was just crazy rooing behaviour. To make matters far, far worse the buggers hardly showed up in my lights. I lost count of how many very big roos I only saw hopping away from me a couple of metres from the road edge that I had been unable to see before they moved. I had so many close calls all the way down to 5km an hour that for the first time ever I thought "I'm going to hit one of these".
I've hit 8 kangaroos on my rides. A write-off, a few multi-thousand dollar repairs, 8 dead roos and no big deal. But I've never hit a kangaroo when I thought "I might hit a kangaroo". I rolled onward west at about 50km an hour, dodged dozens more and pulled up in Burra (06:18hr AEDT, 1262km, no fuel). I'd planned to be leaving Port Augusta not long after dawn. That was still 200km away. I'd planned to continue north to Roxby Downs, hit the dirt, see Lake Eyre, and pass through Marree before rejoining the tar at Lyndhurst and having a nap at Hawker around about sundown. I was now about 90 minutes behind my ride plan, tapping away at an ATM in Burra and realising I'd be back here again 1200km later in the dark tomorrow. That was a bad plan. I dropped that idea, found a park and had a nap. Not that I would have made it far in the dark, after I had my sleep on the bench I realised I'd lost my key:
I grabbed another docket at 08:46hr, 1262km and headed south from Burra
This was new country for me. Sad, but beautiful at the same time, this part of the country seems to be doing it tough. Rundown villages with a smattering of grand civil buildings indicating a hopeful period sometime in the past. Fuel and a corner at Saddleworth (09:50hr AEDT, 1316km, 14.9L). A quizzical look from an iron horse at Marrabel:
A riverside pause at Morgan
A Wombattle pic on the Sturt in Victoria
And a drink and a docket at Merbien to stop the clock on the SS1600K(13:36hr, 1649km)
Just up the road I caught up with FZ Ian hard at work in Mildura Motorcycles where he signed my witness form (14:27hr, 1669km, 25.45L including jerry)
***************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
The clock stopped on the SS1600K, but I had a long way to go yet
At Balranald I cut southeast onto an unfamiliar road, tracing the southern edge of the Hay Plain I suppose
Following the Edwards River, through Moulemein and Pretty Pine to refuel at Deniliquin (19:19hr, 2032km, 26.40L)
I kept heading east, sun at my back until I reached the weird lake in Finley just on sundown
I had a nap here and rode off into the red dark
Just 2 roos seen this leg, before getting lost in the relative metropolis of Albury (22:19hr, 2238km, 13.28L). I'd thought about this moment all day. Despite turning off at Burra, I was committed to returning to Jindabyne. My plan had been I'd be here tomorrow in the middle of the day, skirt south around Kosciuszko and climb up into the mountains for the daylight finish. Riding in the Snowys in the middle of the night is daft, but it was such a lovely night to be out. I hopped back on and headed southy easty along the Murray Valley Highway.
This is a lovely piece of road I've mainly done in the day. To be fair I've taken it for granted, liked the views but mainly saw it as a delay before reaching the mountains. Tonight it was sweet, dry and dark with no traffic at all. Nice.
Corryong for a docket (00:10hr, 2367km, no fuel). I knew to take care from here on in and shared a few hundred metres with an uncertain grey roo not far out of town, zigging and zagging his way down the road. I propped at the closed servo in Khancoban, cleaned my visor, had a drink, emptied the jerry into the main and prepared for the rush. Not 1km farther the National Park started with a mob of about 30 kangaroos to greet me past the gate. They were well behaved and no problem - I was on high alert. For the next 100km I had a ball in the mix of tight twisties, deep cutouts, deer, rabbits, wombats, sharp climbs, sticks, stones, horses and of course kangaroos and wallabies into the mix. Round through Tom Groggin and Thredbo on the Alpine Way, through dozens of feisty greys, still hopping all the way to the main street of Jindabyne (03:10hr, 2506km, no fuel).
I had a nap.
Always glad to hear of riders knowing when to stop, nice riding Peter.
