Teaser - Detail Later...
The Lead Up
Bike serviced, new rear tyre, engine crashbars and Denali D7, D4 and DRL lights added. Should help me stand out in my UOE (Urban Operating Environment - i.e Commuting on the Monash Freeway here in Melbourne) and see things clearer at night in the OOE (Outback Operating Environment)
I had done a pre departure recognaisance to the United Servo on the Wednesday night, and just as well, as within sight of the servo on the way home i couldn't change gears.. Would I be forced to take the Ural? Thankfully no....
Well, there's ya problem, not quite enough purchase on one end after adjustment for putting on footpeg lowering kit. Easy fix with tools in kit. (This was my fault, not any dealers)
Departure Day
I had taken Thursday off to catch up with those coming to Lunch and / or Dinner. Was good to see everyone, and I spent the few hours between Lunch and Dinner at a local park messing with my onboard CB (which I got working, at the expense of music). So I reverted, having gotten used to having music since swapping bikes etc in July last year.
After dinner I ducked home and managed 3 hours or so sleep before leading Liz out to the United (me on the bike, Liz in the car). 1st there, I worded up the console operator and got the ok to park on the apron).
Was great to see Bernard (& others) in person, and we had some brief formalities where John and Bill had also sent best wishes for our departure.
<Having trouble embedding Bills video send off here so here in the link>
Bill's send off Video or copy and paste this https://youtube.com/shorts/deq4RotmCfY?feature=share
Departure
By now I think most are familiar with the plan - meet at the United Westgate South for a 2am Departure. There's picture in the other thread (and this will be a pretty photo heavy report) so will levae that as noted
I was 1st out the gate, and promptly forgot to stop at the flag as Skidoo had requested....
Then we had the game of Lane Pong on the Westgate which is undergoing pretty extensive works for a new tunnel under the Yarra. So right 5 lanes, then I realised they had right lanes closed, so back to the left lanes, then right lanes at the split. I may have been a bit excited to be actually on the road finally. I seem to recall an accident inbound as well.
Regardless it wasn't long before I resigned myself that I could be by myself for a while given I had warned the group about a speed camera at Boundary Road which may have caused caution for the out of towners...
Maybe 1/2 an hour later I noticed some lights making steady ground on me, only to then notice it was a car. Was this Ron (now living in Ballarat and who had come down for the start) or someone else? Didn't bother me, I sat with them for maybe 20-30 minutes before they pulled up at the second Ballarat exit, rolled the window down and waved, It was Ron, so I gave him a call and we talked for maybe 10 minutes until he pulled up in driveway.
I wasn't sure of my fuel range, but I could tell I wasn't going to make Bordertown as planned. I had wanted to get a bit further than Horsham to a) try and get out of the 2-4 degrees celcious cold ASAP and b) avoid any crowding at the pumps as I knew at least a few were planning to stop there.
So Nhill it was, at what is now a pay at the pumps exercise overnight at the Mobil Roadhouse since COVID. Just finishing up as KiwiMartin rolled in, I bade hime farewell (and was the last time I saw him.....)
I had a list of locations for the 2023 TeamStrange Wheels on Murals Grand Tour that I wanted to hit given that I was only going to Darwin once this year.
Initially there was at least 1 in Victoria but i decided enroute to not screw around in the dark and cold and just begin to hit them in South Australia when the sun had come up. And so we find ourselves in Keith, South Australia
While In Keith I hit the Bakery, and while disappointed that they didn't have any donuts, made up for it with some Brownies
Next Tintinara Visitor Centre
And then on towards Tailem Bend. I struggle a bit sometimes with the transition from both night to day, and from cold to hot (well warm) weather. And so it was today as I pulled into a rest area right beside the highway to shed some layers and perhaps a quick nap.
No sooner than stripping down to my underpants (as I shed my thermals) I hear the unmistakebale sounds of a BMW motorcycle coming along. Lets just say that there was no hiding so I gave Lynne and Michael a good wave as they went past. Of all the people in all the gin joints it had to be the only female on the journey.
With that I finshed getting changed and had just settled down onto the picnic table when I hear anouther bike pulling into the rest area. It was Phil, looking to do some wrenching given his light bracket had broken on one side.
We had a quick chat (and I took photo evidence) but you can see he's in good spirits. With now in no need of sleep I left Phil to finish finagling and ventured on into Adelaide.
Never having had a GPS, and having been lost/losing time taking the Barossa route before, I prefer going by feel in Adelaide even though I now can have Google Maps open in front of me.
So, navigating thru Adelaide via King William Street (the Main St) I had a longer stop at the AMPOL Foodary Nth Adelaide where I had a longer (20 mins) stop, and entirely un-satisfactory strawberry donut. I know better, but I thgt they may have lifted their donut game given OTR's seem to have managed the art of 1/2 decent donuts...
Next stop, fuel wise, is Port Augusta, But 1st
Port Wakefield
Snowtown
After a stop for fuel at the OTR in Port Augusta I caught sight of a motorcyclist waving to me from a side street on the North/West? side of town. I thought this was Hackle at the time but came to find it was Sam/Foxton1 the moment we pulled into the pumps in Glendambo. Which sort of explains why he was not quite on my tail at times - he was managing fuel on the RS1250. We checked over plans and Sam was going to have a longer break while I wanted to make the most of the remaining daylight.
With 20 minutes of pulling out of Glendambo I was passed by a new looking Nissan patrol that must have thought they were in the Northern Territory already... I must have spent an hour behind them. and managed to grab this sunset photo when they pulled off for a quick break. They quickly caught and passed me again and I sat with them for another 1/2 hour until we caught up with a B'Double who I felt a bit more comfortable following into Coober Pedy given it was now dark.
A quck chat with Michael and Lynne as they were about to depart, and Phil, who had just pulled in.
The Lead Up
Bike serviced, new rear tyre, engine crashbars and Denali D7, D4 and DRL lights added. Should help me stand out in my UOE (Urban Operating Environment - i.e Commuting on the Monash Freeway here in Melbourne) and see things clearer at night in the OOE (Outback Operating Environment)
I had done a pre departure recognaisance to the United Servo on the Wednesday night, and just as well, as within sight of the servo on the way home i couldn't change gears.
. Would I be forced to take the Ural? Thankfully no....
Well, there's ya problem, not quite enough purchase on one end after adjustment for putting on footpeg lowering kit. Easy fix with tools in kit. (This was my fault, not any dealers)
Departure Day
I had taken Thursday off to catch up with those coming to Lunch and / or Dinner. Was good to see everyone, and I spent the few hours between Lunch and Dinner at a local park messing with my onboard CB (which I got working, at the expense of music). So I reverted, having gotten used to having music since swapping bikes etc in July last year.
After dinner I ducked home and managed 3 hours or so sleep before leading Liz out to the United (me on the bike, Liz in the car). 1st there, I worded up the console operator and got the ok to park on the apron).
Was great to see Bernard (& others
) in person, and we had some brief formalities where John and Bill had also sent best wishes for our departure. <Having trouble embedding Bills video send off here so here in the link>
Bill's send off Video or copy and paste this https://youtube.com/shorts/deq4RotmCfY?feature=share
Departure
By now I think most are familiar with the plan - meet at the United Westgate South for a 2am Departure. There's picture in the other thread (and this will be a pretty photo heavy report) so will levae that as noted
I was 1st out the gate, and promptly forgot to stop at the flag as Skidoo had requested....
Then we had the game of Lane Pong on the Westgate which is undergoing pretty extensive works for a new tunnel under the Yarra. So right 5 lanes, then I realised they had right lanes closed, so back to the left lanes, then right lanes at the split. I may have been a bit excited to be actually on the road finally. I seem to recall an accident inbound as well.
Regardless it wasn't long before I resigned myself that I could be by myself for a while given I had warned the group about a speed camera at Boundary Road which may have caused caution for the out of towners...
Maybe 1/2 an hour later I noticed some lights making steady ground on me, only to then notice it was a car. Was this Ron (now living in Ballarat and who had come down for the start) or someone else? Didn't bother me, I sat with them for maybe 20-30 minutes before they pulled up at the second Ballarat exit, rolled the window down and waved, It was Ron, so I gave him a call and we talked for maybe 10 minutes until he pulled up in driveway.
I wasn't sure of my fuel range, but I could tell I wasn't going to make Bordertown as planned. I had wanted to get a bit further than Horsham to a) try and get out of the 2-4 degrees celcious cold ASAP and b) avoid any crowding at the pumps as I knew at least a few were planning to stop there.
So Nhill it was, at what is now a pay at the pumps exercise overnight at the Mobil Roadhouse since COVID. Just finishing up as KiwiMartin rolled in, I bade hime farewell (and was the last time I saw him.....
)I had a list of locations for the 2023 TeamStrange Wheels on Murals Grand Tour that I wanted to hit given that I was only going to Darwin once this year
. Initially there was at least 1 in Victoria but i decided enroute to not screw around in the dark and cold and just begin to hit them in South Australia when the sun had come up. And so we find ourselves in Keith, South Australia
While In Keith I hit the Bakery, and while disappointed that they didn't have any donuts, made up for it with some Brownies
Next Tintinara Visitor Centre
And then on towards Tailem Bend. I struggle a bit sometimes with the transition from both night to day, and from cold to hot (well warm) weather. And so it was today as I pulled into a rest area right beside the highway to shed some layers and perhaps a quick nap.
No sooner than stripping down to my underpants (as I shed my thermals) I hear the unmistakebale sounds of a BMW motorcycle coming along. Lets just say that there was no hiding so I gave Lynne and Michael a good wave as they went past. Of all the people in all the gin joints it had to be the only female on the journey.
With that I finshed getting changed and had just settled down onto the picnic table when I hear anouther bike pulling into the rest area. It was Phil, looking to do some wrenching given his light bracket had broken on one side.
We had a quick chat (and I took photo evidence) but you can see he's in good spirits. With now in no need of sleep I left Phil to finish finagling and ventured on into Adelaide.
Never having had a GPS, and having been lost/losing time taking the Barossa route before, I prefer going by feel in Adelaide even though I now can have Google Maps open in front of me.
So, navigating thru Adelaide via King William Street (the Main St) I had a longer stop at the AMPOL Foodary Nth Adelaide where I had a longer (20 mins) stop, and entirely un-satisfactory strawberry donut. I know better, but I thgt they may have lifted their donut game given OTR's seem to have managed the art of 1/2 decent donuts...
Next stop, fuel wise, is Port Augusta, But 1st
Port Wakefield
Snowtown
After a stop for fuel at the OTR in Port Augusta I caught sight of a motorcyclist waving to me from a side street on the North/West? side of town. I thought this was Hackle at the time but came to find it was Sam/Foxton1 the moment we pulled into the pumps in Glendambo. Which sort of explains why he was not quite on my tail at times - he was managing fuel on the RS1250. We checked over plans and Sam was going to have a longer break while I wanted to make the most of the remaining daylight.
With 20 minutes of pulling out of Glendambo I was passed by a new looking Nissan patrol that must have thought they were in the Northern Territory already... I must have spent an hour behind them. and managed to grab this sunset photo when they pulled off for a quick break. They quickly caught and passed me again and I sat with them for another 1/2 hour until we caught up with a B'Double who I felt a bit more comfortable following into Coober Pedy given it was now dark.
A quck chat with Michael and Lynne as they were about to depart, and Phil, who had just pulled in.
