tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54955013814492422702024-03-26T00:58:02.901+11:00Antipodean MarinerThis blog follows my two passions - ships and motorcyclingThe Antipodean Marinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07634447361115609766noreply@blogger.comBlogger261125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5495501381449242270.post-89683769901399914752018-09-15T18:46:00.002+10:002018-09-15T18:48:13.138+10:00Capesize Casualty<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-normal;">So, the Antipodean Mariner has a new job. The downturn in the offshore Oil and Gas Industry saw corporate life leaving me in 2017, and another career reinvention. With two colleagues, we have started our own business as Marine Superintendents and which is successful. We do mainly do pre-Port State Control inspections for our Clients' ships with the occasional casualty to manage. Here's one of our success stories!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-normal;">A Client's Capesize bulk carrier suffered a flooded Engine-room after an internal pipeline failure. Quick work by the ship's Engineers stopped the water ingress and got her generators back on line, but she was disabled in part-loaded condition on the loading terminal in cyclone season.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Water flooded to the Bottom Plates</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Two of us flew to the ship and, with the Owner's blessing, took over the local casualty recovery to reestablish critical services - power, cooling water and fire fighting systems - and prepare the vessel for ocean tow to a Repair Yard. The water level in the Engine-room had inundated the crank case and the Main Engine was immobilised.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My partner Steve, a Chief Engineer, took on the Engine Room and I took on the preparation for tow. Together, we manged the daily communications with the Port State Control Authority, Harbormaster, Charterers and Terminal Operators.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The vessel was 'blocking' valuable out-loading capacity at the Terminal, and they wanted the ship off ASAP which required us to plan for two movements. The first was to get the Engine Room dry, services re-established and critical pumps operational. Working around the clock, electric motors were sourced to replace those immersed and cabling run to Distribution Boards. Using portable pumps, 1,110 cubic metres of sea water and oil were pumped into an empty ballast tank and the ballast system made watertight with cement boxes encased with steel plate.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">With the vessel released from berth detention, an Anchor Handler was chartered to tow the 'dead ship' from the Terminal to anchorage with an escorting entourage of harbour tugs. The Pilots had practiced 'dead ship' towage in a Simulator, but this was their first live show.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">With the Anchor Handler as a proxy Main Engine and four tugs made fast, we let go and got underway on a calm dawn morning for the expected six hour tow to open water.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Safely anchored, the next task was to work out how to perform a 3,000 nautical mile tow to the Repair Yard. A Naval Architect's calculation has shown that the towing resistance in ocean conditions was twice the load the the mooring bitts were rated. Through a process of elimination, we identified the anchor chains has having the strength needed to perform the tow. However, to enable to vessel to anchor in an emergency, we had to leave one anchor ready for use.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The salvage tug chartered to perform the ocean tow arrived at the anchorage, and preparations got underway to rig the tow. The anchor was 'lassoed' with a mooring rope and decked on the salvage tug.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">First, lasso your anchor...</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">With the chain safety in the Karm Forks, the cutting torch came out and the chain was cut for connection to the Tow Wire.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">With the tow connection made, regulatory approval to depart granted and a second tug made fast for the initial passage to clear a forming tropical cyclone, the anchor was heaved and the convoy put to sea.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Connected and ready to depart</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The happy ending... the vessel was repaired, returned to the Terminal to finish loading and completed her voyage. We learned a lot about managing a casualty, lessons that we put to good use recently on another disabled ship. But that will be another Blog Post...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Antipodean Mariner</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">15th September 2018</span></div>
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The Antipodean Marinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07634447361115609766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5495501381449242270.post-11925951846194099802017-10-13T15:24:00.000+11:002017-10-13T15:24:03.118+11:00Failed D&A Test - the appeal<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The sequel to the dismissal of a Master working in the Australian Offshore Oil and Gas Industry and who failed a routine D&A Test has been handed down in a <a href="https://www.fwc.gov.au/documents/decisionssigned/html/2017fwcfb4738.htm" target="_blank">decision</a> by the full Bench of the Australian Fair Work Commission.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The full bench set aside the original Commissioner's decision that the Master's dismissal was unfair due to previous unresolved issues in his employment affecting his judgement. The Master consumed ten full strength beers while in transit to, and at the hotel where he was accommodated before, joining his vessel. As a consequence, the Master blew 0.047 before breakfast on joining day during a routine D&A test. I'm not going to try to paraphrase the decision, but the full bench's reasoning is plain English and logical.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I've left the Company, but this issue, the investigation and the ultimate decision to dismiss the Master was a difficult one for me and my former Crewing Director. The full bench's quashing of the original 'unfair dismissal' decision is a vindication of the Company's and Industry's </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">'zero tolerance' to drugs and alcohol in the offshore oil and gas sector. People, boats and rigs are safer for it.</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Link to Nine Finance </span><a href="https://twitter.com/9Finance/status/918581095116849152/video/1" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;" target="_blank">'10 beers too many'</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> segment Friday 13th October 2017.</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The Antipodean Mariner</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">13th October 2017</span>The Antipodean Marinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07634447361115609766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5495501381449242270.post-60619648898368644282017-09-29T19:57:00.001+10:002017-09-29T19:57:29.810+10:00One Barang on a Honda<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Despite our trip to Cambodia being to celebrate our wedding anniversary, sometimes absence makes the heart grow fonder. We took a day out to do 'our own thing' - shopping and a spa vs. riding a motorcycle in Cambodia. I chose the bike...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Rural Cambodia doesn't have the frenetic pace of Saigon. My hosts for the day, <a href="http://cambodiamotorbikeadventures.com/" target="_blank">Cambodia Motorcycle Adventures</a>, run a fleet of dirt bikes for serious enduro riders. But that's not me and my choice was the Countryside Immersion Tour on a Honda 125 Dream. Now, don't under-estimate these bikes! They are the backbone of Cambodia's economy and solo, with the whole family, pulling a 'tuk tuk' (taxi) or farm trailer these little bikes are indestructible.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My guide Narith and I had the best day exploring the countryside around Siem Reap. I won't bore Blog readers with a blow by blow recounting of the day, but rather the philosophy of invisible tourism.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Tourism impacts the destination country in many ways and it's often impossible, no matter how hard you try, to visit and just see the country in its natural state. Tours must be organised, temples marvelled at and trinkets accumulated.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Riding a Honda 125 Dream in Cambodia (along with hundreds of other identical bikes) makes you invisible. We wove our way through back roads, along the top of rice paddy dikes and around water-filled potholes that you'd swear were result of an artillery barrage. Riding at between 20 and 40 km/h, I saw village and rural life at its best. If I made eye contact, there was a double take, a smile and a wave.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Narith just pulled into tracks, driveways, village stalls and farms and explained to me what activities were going on. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">When I asked Narith whether these people were his friends or part of the tour he said no. He was a Khmer and they were Khmer and that they were genuinely interested in telling a Barang (me, the foreigner) about their lives.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We rode all day and covered just 98 kilometres. So different from 600 kilometre days in the Northern Territory just six months ago. I left with nothing more than </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">a 500 ml water bottle of farm-brewed rice whiskey, purchased from the farmer/distiller for US$1 and some fantastic memories. Returning to the luxury of the 5 Star Hotel was surreal.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Cambodia has beauty, tragedy and optimism all mixed together in the middle of a complex political situation. My day on a Honda 125 Dream gave me a precious window to the Cambodia that most tourists don't see, and I loved it. My thanks to Narith for his insights into Cambodian life, and Po the tour boss for organisation and photos.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimIJ5a4mzpf0qSjkZ1T6tonzKjeHOGDXVWmp_fyjKWf1C8YwxTYzDQjr9cK3cZ_UzH-QZXca6gWdaluQb44UB1f5G5E7vx9GHJYSfJC2mG65Sqg8GkeS_z7F0cxwi3Wib6f5aVGHrxVoc/s1600/20170829_145140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimIJ5a4mzpf0qSjkZ1T6tonzKjeHOGDXVWmp_fyjKWf1C8YwxTYzDQjr9cK3cZ_UzH-QZXca6gWdaluQb44UB1f5G5E7vx9GHJYSfJC2mG65Sqg8GkeS_z7F0cxwi3Wib6f5aVGHrxVoc/s320/20170829_145140.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Narith making it look easy</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTks1tZWQ0mqx0A_a4eUzyEQbUVo-o4_h4qlBY2uCn61lypnb6Kn6LBdYpZUVQkPQQHlrYA6POc6aAPnBe45k6EggGUMJjSlaA2M1GvEXJXKZgkdXayE471j0WXKAmVeUbbByknp78cGI/s1600/received_1854564074859269.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTks1tZWQ0mqx0A_a4eUzyEQbUVo-o4_h4qlBY2uCn61lypnb6Kn6LBdYpZUVQkPQQHlrYA6POc6aAPnBe45k6EggGUMJjSlaA2M1GvEXJXKZgkdXayE471j0WXKAmVeUbbByknp78cGI/s320/received_1854564074859269.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">How deep is that shell hole?</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL0s856ShLgbMAfcy1zZdWFR5-GYpHHEIasDWsIIEz4LDJA0GujX-3mVEcXWQ4BDF2WNxo8KFd9nbVh4Opw7iSPmpViXKokPhKGpdpYsHsGJhpdPVbUqYPhmeb_rAWKGDPHkUYszU12uo/s1600/20170829_082224.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL0s856ShLgbMAfcy1zZdWFR5-GYpHHEIasDWsIIEz4LDJA0GujX-3mVEcXWQ4BDF2WNxo8KFd9nbVh4Opw7iSPmpViXKokPhKGpdpYsHsGJhpdPVbUqYPhmeb_rAWKGDPHkUYszU12uo/s320/20170829_082224.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A Barang, a Khmer and two Hondas</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The Antipodean Mariner</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">September 2017</span><br />
<br />The Antipodean Marinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07634447361115609766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5495501381449242270.post-79666028173308309272017-09-20T18:55:00.000+10:002017-09-22T10:16:25.051+10:00Mekong River trade<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I took a couple of weeks off and sailed upriver on the Mekong from Saigon to Phnom Penh, across Lake Tonle Sap to Siem Reap. We sailed in the Monsoon Season (through the weather was pretty good) but the big 'plus' was that the Mekong was in flood and Tonle Sap was at full capacity, and our ship was able to navigate the full voyage.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Apart from being cosseted in luxury aboard a small river cruise ship, I was 'geeking out' on the inventiveness of the Vietnamese and Cambodian mariners (can I call them that?) whose life and livelihood is derived from the River.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There is no end to the ingenuity displayed when loading rice husks. A byproduct of rice threshing, it is used as fuel for cooking, firing pottery and as cattle feed to name a just a few. Because the husks are so light, the utility river craft will never get down to their marks (an abstract concept on the waterway). Boat crews rig outrigger posts and re-bar mesh overlaid with plastic netting to create hoppers.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Loading rice husks at the riverside rice mill</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Full laden and ready to depart</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: left;">Fully laden with husks and tarp'ed to protect from the monsoon rains, the wooden river</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: left;"> boats set sail with the skipper sitting on the wheelhouse top, steering with his feet. We saw dozens of these river craft plying their trade in rice, cement, timber and sand.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: left;">Next in the River pecking order were the self-propelled barges carrying sand from the Upper Mekong and Cambodia down to Saigon and further to feed the insatiable demand for construction materials and concrete. The alluvial sand is dredged from the river using cranes barges, grabs and suction dredged.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheAxULyQwzkQ5LQHoaY0VaiImB7iFvlYqra0mmNu-NXIvDPtqqw-6DyTF1MVBCVRs4rlR6DzyW9hy-VYOPhBJUdHWPqAY7CHsv0aRcIBftFCLFEasr6xx9sTXsGoFbQthlFwukPQDrozs/s1600/DSC_0163.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheAxULyQwzkQ5LQHoaY0VaiImB7iFvlYqra0mmNu-NXIvDPtqqw-6DyTF1MVBCVRs4rlR6DzyW9hy-VYOPhBJUdHWPqAY7CHsv0aRcIBftFCLFEasr6xx9sTXsGoFbQthlFwukPQDrozs/s320/DSC_0163.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The barges actually have a Loadline marked on the hull, about 150 cm below the deck edge. We only saw the Loadline when the barges were in ballast back up the River. Actual practices was to load the barge until the decks were awash and water was lapping around the forward wheelhouse</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> and after accommodation. Sometime they sink...</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2iqTgEArWxyQ7Edsa7usJDNYn7NQY_n4FWJcP7E9UJ2ZCnXZSrLA7ORuxuakwyDK9ZQ9rDqJdW3g3q7zmHiCDPIUTdGTK6eCwqSMQKlqvxxI3cJN4LljkSdcZuO5GaPc2YQbDewtYXuw/s1600/DSC_0165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2iqTgEArWxyQ7Edsa7usJDNYn7NQY_n4FWJcP7E9UJ2ZCnXZSrLA7ORuxuakwyDK9ZQ9rDqJdW3g3q7zmHiCDPIUTdGTK6eCwqSMQKlqvxxI3cJN4LljkSdcZuO5GaPc2YQbDewtYXuw/s320/DSC_0165.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Decks awash</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">These barges are family enterprises and often have Mum and the kids living aboard.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">LPG 'Senna 3' bound downriver</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The one SOLAS vessel seen on the River was a Thai LPG tanker 'Senna 3', on her way downriver after discharged at Phnom Penh. She was still almost 160 Nm steaming to the South China Sea at this point.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I couldn't finishing the post without attempting to convey the serenity of an early morning on the River. Highly recommended destination and idyllic means of transportation.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Antipodean Mariner</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">September 2017</span></div>
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The Antipodean Marinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07634447361115609766noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5495501381449242270.post-18419762827379540552017-07-10T21:36:00.001+10:002017-07-10T21:36:17.230+10:00Failed D&A test - dismiss or rehabilitateThe Offshore Oil and Gas exploration and extraction industry operates globally with a strict 'zero tolerance' to drugs and alcohol in the workplace. Seafarers and Rig Crews are routinely tested before and during their employment for alcohol and drugs.<br />
<br />
A Master claimed he had been unfairly dismissed after failing a pre-joining breath alcohol test. His case was heard in Australia's Fair Work Commission and the <a href="https://www.fwc.gov.au/documents/decisionssigned/html/2017fwc3426.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">decision published</a> online. In Paragraph 122 of the decision, the Commissioner makes specific reference to the perceived binary decision facing the Company's management;<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>It is not apparent that any other disciplinary outcome was considered for Captain Rust.
Whilst I accepted above that [the Company Manager] considered Captain Rust’s response prior to making the
decision to dismiss him I am not convinced that he considered if rehabilitation (as is allowed
under the Offshore Drug and Alcohol Policy) or any other penalty was a possibility. It appears
that the consideration of penalty was binary – dismissal or not dismissal.</i></blockquote>
In this respect the
consideration by the Company was, in the circumstances, too narrow and that the Master's dismissal was harsh [Para 126].<br />
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In practically interpreting and enforcing an Industry-compliant Drug and Alcohol Policy, the question of the binary penalty remains unresolved. Drugs and alcohol are prohibited aboard offshore supply vessels, rigs and offshore installations for the safety of individuals, assets and the environment. D&A testing is routinely conducted to minimise the probability that individuals affected by alcohol or drugs will, by their actions, contribute to an accident or incident at sea that may harm them and others.<br />
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If a drug and alcohol free workplace is established as the industry norm, employees educated in the policy, a testing regime established and penalties for breach understood are there alternatives to the binary penalty? Does an individual stopped by a Police Officer when driving with an excess alcohol content have a non-binary penalty option? Can that individual bargain with the Police Officer that a 'zero tolerance' policy by the Police is unfair and that alcohol or substance rehabilitation is an alternative to the penalty in law after failing a breath test?<br />
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Access to non-binary penalties have two critical pre-cursors;<br />
<ol>
<li>The prior self-recognition or self-awareness of the issue by the individual, and</li>
<li>The self-declaration of unfitness or breach by the individual before detection.</li>
</ol>
Non-binary penalties which have to consider the undeclared personal, emotional and social circumstances of an individual weaken the chain of collective accountability between seafarers and rig crews working in a hazardous and hostile offshore environment, and in my opinion that compromises safety.<br />
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The Antipodean Mariner<br />
July 2017The Antipodean Marinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07634447361115609766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5495501381449242270.post-44443075557492433902017-07-05T11:59:00.001+10:002017-07-05T11:59:26.413+10:00Celestial NavigationThis weekend, I dusted off my sextant and practised the art of celestial navigation on the shores of Port Phillip Bay.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shooting the Sun, Port Phillip Bay</td></tr>
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Celestial navigation, the practice of fixing position on the earth's surface (at sea and on land), has been rendered technologically obsolete by the Global Positioning System and GPS receivers being miniaturised and incorporated into smartphones, vehicle trackers and integrated navigation systems.<br />
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GPS has proven to be remarkable robust and no commercial vessel can effectively navigate without the reliability and precision provided by the constellation of US-developed and maintained satellites.<br />
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There are Celestial Navigation blogs and web resources for readers interested in the mathematics of spherical trigonometry. Latitude was the first dimension to be accurately calculated, and for centuries early mariners would sail east or west along the known latitude of a port, island or headland. It was with the development of the chronometer by John Harrison in 1773 that finally enabled time to accurately kept at sea and the celestial position of the Sun, Moon, planets and stars to be calculated by the mariner. Nautical tables by Norie and Bowditch reduced the complex calculations into additive logarithmic tables capable of use by mariners (and not mathematicians) at sea.<br />
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With a sextant, a watch and the Nautical Almanac it's possible to fix a Line of Position (LOP) to an accuracy of about two nautical miles anywhere on the Earth's surface. The caveat of the LOP is that multiple LOP's need to be plotted and intersected to fix a position. The Sun shines most days and is by far the most 'useable' celestial body for mariners. On an ocean passage, LOP's calculated from Sun sights taken in the morning are run forward at the vessel's course and speed to the calculated time of Noon (Meridian Passage). The latitude is calculated from the highest altitude that the Sun is observed when it crosses the ship's (and Observer's) meridian.<br />
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To 'shoot the sun' from <i>terra firma</i>, I needed a sea horizon and a clear sky. Queenscliff, Victoria sits just inside The Rip, Port Phillip Bay's channel to Bass Strait. The Observation Tower at the marina gave height and a clear horizon past Swan Island to the north east.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nries Tables, Sight Book and Nautical Almanac</td></tr>
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For a morning sight (Sun rising), the sextant measures the angle between the horizon and lower limb (edge) of the sun. Corrections for Height of Eye, refraction and the Sun's diameter are applied to calculate the Observed Altitude - the angle between the centre of the sun and horizontal plane. Using an assumed position (DR, Dead Reckoning) and the Nautical Almanac, the Local Hour Angle and Declination of the Sun provide the data to calculate the True Altitude - the altitude of the Sun if the mariner was at the DR position.<br />
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Data for my 'best' sight on Saturday 1st July 2017:<br />
<br />
UTC/GMT: 00:24:19<br />
DR Latitude: 38० 15.9' S<br />
DR Longitude: 144० 40.2' E<br />
Height of Eye: 25 metres<br />
Sextant Altitude (corrected for Index Error): 22० 18.8'<br />
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If followers of the Blog would like the solution, drop me a line and I'll send you the workings. There are free Android apps on Google Play Store which will calculate the altitude and plot the intersecting longitude, and the Nautical Almanac is available online as a PDF with Correction Tables. With the information needed freely available online, the biggest hurdle is getting yours hands on a sextant. A navigation quality drum micrometer instrument (not one of those faux reproduction antiques) will cost $300 - $500 (Tamiya, Davis, C. Plath, Husun).<br />
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The 'impracticality' of celestial navigation is that it takes up to three hours to fix position using the sun, and around two hours (pre-calculation of altitudes and azimuths, sights and plotting) for stars. Pre-GPS, mariners had to allow for wider 'position ambiguity' which is no longer tolerable in the commercial world of shipping. It is however, an art and practice worth preserving.<br />
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The Antipodean Mariner<br />
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Resources:<br />
<a href="https://www.nauticalalmanac.it/en/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nautical Almanac and Correction Tables</a><br />
<a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.AstroNavigation&hl=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nautical Astronomy</a> App (Google)The Antipodean Marinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07634447361115609766noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5495501381449242270.post-70502845415993680172017-05-24T08:30:00.000+10:002017-05-24T08:30:11.282+10:00Classic car<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">While not exactly news, I have been able to widen my 'stable' to include a classic car (well, classic in my eyes).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Bikes are still my big love, but they are a solitary pursuit. In Victoria, the regulations for owning 'hobby' vehicles has been modernised and vehicles 25 years and older can be registered for 45 or 90 days personal use without the need to gazette Car Club events or meetings.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I started looking around for a Saab 900 Turbo (pre-1988), but good examples with high kilometres were still fetching over $7,000. Good fortune smiled on me when I dropped a colleague home and spotted an unloved, gold Mercedes Benz parked in front of his house. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Commenting that I was looking to buy a classic</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> car, his lightning-quick comeback was that he was looking to get rid of one.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1V7sZaiv65noFE0jnlpK8HVaADC7L05LHOjaGglw28wBUyPK7GEcr-CH1JrxFd0Cdd_X51Ryj9beosVDB-hLM9zbBS4EPPiaqYqDxzDNIDXOMtgUekYBNqBGo5eWmp6CAQX8L3sRWUyo/s1600/Benz+Day+0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1V7sZaiv65noFE0jnlpK8HVaADC7L05LHOjaGglw28wBUyPK7GEcr-CH1JrxFd0Cdd_X51Ryj9beosVDB-hLM9zbBS4EPPiaqYqDxzDNIDXOMtgUekYBNqBGo5eWmp6CAQX8L3sRWUyo/s320/Benz+Day+0.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 1 - clean, just apply cash</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The car, a W126 380SE saloon, had been his personal drive and then gradually dropped down the pecking order until I saw it with windows down and full of leaves on the street. On a handshake and an undertaking to see whether it was worth saving, I got the car running next day with jumper leads and drove it home. A specialist Mercedes Benz mechanic gave it the 'once over' and said that while it has good bones, it would take about $6,000 in repairs to get a good $3,000 car (his words exactly).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Mercedes Benz W126 series was one of the Company's most successful and longest production runs. Between the W126's launch in 1979, and replacement by the W140 series in 1991, over 818,000 saloon in the standard and long wheel base 'L' variants. 58,000 of the first release 380SE's were produced between 1979 and 1985, before the 3.8 litre V8 engine was upsized to 4.2 litres (420SE) from 1985 to 1991.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My main reasons for buying the car and embarking on the preservation (not restoration) route were;</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The car only had 160,000 kilometres on the odometer and a service history through its two Owners over 28 years.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The paint and body were in great condition, with clear coat intact no rust in the chassis.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The leather interior was perfect.</span></li>
</ul>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMbrQqyaZeKuGU6WhnRHj2N-G-oI1B8OJGemDnL2q3ygUjMai02ivwGMvR3lpZjTiWBJZPSCw7nFDhbVAwdDq73wD_pl2OR9FBgGDRstHRqS07RjZqQ0FXwvI4adir8ZhKi6hyOcWFxCY/s1600/380SE+door.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMbrQqyaZeKuGU6WhnRHj2N-G-oI1B8OJGemDnL2q3ygUjMai02ivwGMvR3lpZjTiWBJZPSCw7nFDhbVAwdDq73wD_pl2OR9FBgGDRstHRqS07RjZqQ0FXwvI4adir8ZhKi6hyOcWFxCY/s320/380SE+door.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before - rust in the drivers door</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi0yZ_HmFZa3Fz288loRI5wrzRysKiSrDzCT9FE22c29B7fMSg1aNVlRe3lmEHu-Xc5yko4twBH18WLsX4SRM2v7DgdPoDjyHqo0t8FPNk2KnDvglA8ynlUgIdq0fF8vyYpwmpkTpyrTk/s320/Benz+door.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After - insert panel, primed and painted</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Small jobs that I was able to do myself included cutting out a rust patch in the driver's door for the insertion </span><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">(with some help) </span><span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;">of a steel panel, replacement of the electric window mechanisms and new muffler. Big jobs that were preformed in the workshop were splitting the transmission for a seal replacement, refurbished brake discs and calipers and water pump. Subsequently, I have had the Climate Control system fully overhauled after it started random, menopausal hot and cold flushes. The wheels have also been refurbished and powder coated.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr0_rpqdUzqkFHzRsEqdEBcLHGYu_vAmXN0jHcXAem9kXSEpIzY1gSfNVI6NsWSKmaRCMohuQuiYctqDmFqlHHidKMVOMlXC1idX1MSWhouNgLMkPcI_nmmfmkAl8ODxnZTfjHoJNMFuc/s1600/Benz+engine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr0_rpqdUzqkFHzRsEqdEBcLHGYu_vAmXN0jHcXAem9kXSEpIzY1gSfNVI6NsWSKmaRCMohuQuiYctqDmFqlHHidKMVOMlXC1idX1MSWhouNgLMkPcI_nmmfmkAl8ODxnZTfjHoJNMFuc/s320/Benz+engine.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">M116 3.8 litre V8 with 4 -Speed electronic shift auto</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbCP8OczK3LqHoJJXRWhlvEgsMx1iebX5kg-CGBLr3F5We9EBJxM_sVoXTLUnpoFKdqVkDub5QN-HQUaVW2pULiefLNXJyh044g54TFtSHHX74cazTqsNx7e2WnXXZ3P9Dig8S0nPQIoc/s1600/DSC_0548-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbCP8OczK3LqHoJJXRWhlvEgsMx1iebX5kg-CGBLr3F5We9EBJxM_sVoXTLUnpoFKdqVkDub5QN-HQUaVW2pULiefLNXJyh044g54TFtSHHX74cazTqsNx7e2WnXXZ3P9Dig8S0nPQIoc/s320/DSC_0548-2.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2016 Flemington Classic Showcase</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">A recent article press article explained (in part) the surge in interest in preserving 1970's and 80's-era cars, one of the main factors being they drive like a modern car. 1950's and 60's British cars drove like pigs (I used to own a 1964 Daimler 2.5 V8), were never designed to be maintained, had no power steering and few creature comforts. A decade and a half of design development, combined German engineering, is still delivering an </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: center;">affordable and enjoyable </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">driving experience. The car gets driven every weekend and is now at 186,000 km (115,000 miles) after 32 years. Not an investment grade car but good for the soul.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The Antipodean Mariner</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">May 2017</span></div>
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The Antipodean Marinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07634447361115609766noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5495501381449242270.post-24906961151408902722017-05-03T09:14:00.001+10:002017-05-03T09:14:25.113+10:00Road Trip in Review<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In reviewing the road trip, what worked (or exceeded expectations) and what was a waste of space.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Bikes</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The bikes performed flawlessly and we had no mechanical issues with either the Triumph or BMW. To put the distance into some sort of internationally recongnised context, the transcontinental USA crossing - Los Angeles to New York via Chicago <u>and back</u> is 9,004 km. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Bruce's Metzler tyres were in great condition at the end of the trip, and wear was hard to discern. The Triumph's Michelin Road Pilot 4 tyres are still legal but have heavily profiled, especially the front tyre. The first few days heading north, through South Australia and the North Territory, we experienced strong SE cross winds, and think that the combination of a heavier bike 'leaning' in to wind, fairing down force and road camber cut up the right side of the tyre. No scary moments though, and they have done their job.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We started to trip checking oil and tyre pressures, and ended just giving the tyres a cursory glance for any nicks or embedded objects. The Triumph was always able to 500 km+ range, while the BMW, with a 16L tank, had about 370 km between drinks.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Kit</span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We were pretty disciplined in having pack lists, and took a minimum of gear. The most useful cooking appliance was the Jetboil, which gave us breakfast and mid-day tea and coffee. One large cannister lasted the whole trip with 'change'. We had a second combination of two pans and gas ring, which was used to prepare additional dishes when we were stuck in Mt Isa with just our emergency rations. The second cooker was useful for two, but the Jetboil was sufficient for one.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My Samsung S5 Galaxy phone and Galaxy S2 Tablet were perfect for recording the trip. The Canon G11, while a beautiful camera, rarely came out of its case as any shots were 'stranded' until they could be uploaded to a PC or laptop. The telephoto lens and tripod never saw action. Similar with the GoPro Hero 3 - high maintenance to setup and to get good results with.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Helinox stretcher and campfire chair were invaluable for relaxation and a good night's sleep. Lightweight and compact, both are highly recommended for the road. The collapsible fireplace was well used and a great way to end a night. LED lamps lasted for ages and gave good light for setting up. The water bladder was good for roadside stops, but two 1L water bottles would have just as good, and cheaper.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We carried UHT milk, porridge sachets, tea and coffee for breakfast and one 'reserve' meal of canned tuna and boiled rice. We could have ditched (or eaten) the reserve meal as we could always get fast food at Roadhouses, towns or servos.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My Nolan N44 helmet, in open face configuration, provided great peripheral vision, wind protection and Scala Rider G9 nice sounds. Music is a great filler for the long road sections and gave good enough sound through foam ear defenders.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Safety Kit</span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Quite a lot of what we carried fitted into the 'just in case' category - wet weather gear, first aid, tool kit, puncture repair kit, CB radio and EPIRB. As we ended up staying on well traveled roads, the CB and EPIRB were overkill and I would skip these next time unless long, remote off-road sections were planned.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>I wish I had taken..</b>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A summer weight, vented jacket for the tropics - one 'three seasons' jacket was too hot for the NT and Queensland.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Junk that did a trip around Australia </b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Apart from the camera kit, the AM/FM/SW radio wasn't used as we had either 3G/4G coverage or WiFi at the Roadhouses or camping grounds for the whole trip. Outback WiFi was expensive but an option. The fuel bladder was unused, and we were able to get fuel (sometimes only 91 Regular) at about 200 km intervals. Both bikes adapted to the 91 RON with their knock sensors and 95 RON was usually available on the major highways. Topping up with the highest RON octane meant the bikes always had better than 91 in the tanks. There is a fuel app which lists grades available by location, but probably of use to the more serious off-roaders.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The bike has had a fresh change of oil and new filter. I managed to get the unloaded beast up on the workshop bench, stripped off the fairing panels and clean out the inaccessible road grime. The bikes is well within Triumph's 16,0000 km service intervals, but I have changed the synthetic oil more frequently. 10,000 km oil and filter intervals are inexpensive maintenance and satisfying to do in the workshop.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loved up, ready for the next adventure</td></tr>
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<div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">From here, the BMW F800ST is going to be serviced and list for sale, and I have to get a job. I'm working on a Snapfish book for us both, with the best of the photos. So much (good) to reflect on and use as a basis for 2019's South America tour (in planning) through Peru, Chile and Argentina.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Antipodean Mariner</span></div>
The Antipodean Marinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07634447361115609766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5495501381449242270.post-45602674233037224032017-04-28T12:04:00.001+10:002017-04-28T12:04:18.632+10:00Familiar country<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The final push to home from Yackandandah was all familiar country for me and the Triumph. Beechworth, Oxley, Whitfield, Mansfield and Healesville rolled by through grey drizzle and rain until Eltham and home at 15:00 on Thursday 27th of April, 26 days after leaving and 337 km for the day.</div>
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Trip data was 9,940 km elapsed, and the bike consumed 463 litres of fuel. Average fuel consumption was 4.6 litres/100km, or 61 miles per gallon. Apart from a set of totally knackered tyres, the bike has survived the trip intact.</div>
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Bruce is on a plane back to New Zealand and the road trip has ended. Another post with an After Action Review of what worked well, and what we'd do differently next time, will follow. Over the bottle of red last night, its been decided that the next road trip will be South America in 2019.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGfnuOkokx319N3RHSXIZjH7sCZx7pumwpzLJJm0IK90m0byCG1PbI0BfjbRb0Nffbut60u2CSD6hLrRtj63isckNTZWtJlL2CTLLNgaJa7Cs9WUYyX1zIUWnPCv9VAefznonrBOxRleY/s1600/20170427_145524.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGfnuOkokx319N3RHSXIZjH7sCZx7pumwpzLJJm0IK90m0byCG1PbI0BfjbRb0Nffbut60u2CSD6hLrRtj63isckNTZWtJlL2CTLLNgaJa7Cs9WUYyX1zIUWnPCv9VAefznonrBOxRleY/s320/20170427_145524.jpg" /> </a> </div>
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The Antipodean Mariners</div>
The Antipodean Marinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07634447361115609766noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5495501381449242270.post-34905015454103973082017-04-26T18:08:00.001+10:002017-04-26T18:39:27.215+10:00Nearly home<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Today's route was always going to be an 'on the day' decision, with Victoria enduring it's second cold snap and snow forecast. Taking a punt on clear sky, I headed south through Cooma, Jindabyne and Thredbo and had the road to myself. Fresh snow was visible on the tops, and the Ice Warning showed on the dash with 2C the lowest seen passing over the saddle at Dead Horse Gap.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ_jrLdK8IAN86N0QscS52rJ40TvI92RjBfeuQl_cCvv1rpuMQYbv1vh__ntpn1VRlRVyQr8DUDciEYkVx16p0NXEYu-uCq3PMEwHR6WHY-ROx579k2mbTBRLzErUXfSTXDfGbMWjcq6Y/s1600/20170426_120553.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ_jrLdK8IAN86N0QscS52rJ40TvI92RjBfeuQl_cCvv1rpuMQYbv1vh__ntpn1VRlRVyQr8DUDciEYkVx16p0NXEYu-uCq3PMEwHR6WHY-ROx579k2mbTBRLzErUXfSTXDfGbMWjcq6Y/s320/20170426_120553.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">On the descent I stopped at Leather Barrel Creek and cooked up lunch in the light drizzle. Entirely surrounded by bush and a raging stream, Ramen noodles and coffee never tasted so good.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigczIo1vHnG33qwvZSvOvSAS0afv_6nQdMcjD2a0_M80o-iXUsB9oNj8yXzecGgSPp4XQ0qKtfRwQjDg-J7ttLERvJkGQmqOeMawBv4cIRsPWdprj_Vxcej5J5N9Onk9XMCNi2sSOH9lw/s1600/20170426_124943.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigczIo1vHnG33qwvZSvOvSAS0afv_6nQdMcjD2a0_M80o-iXUsB9oNj8yXzecGgSPp4XQ0qKtfRwQjDg-J7ttLERvJkGQmqOeMawBv4cIRsPWdprj_Vxcej5J5N9Onk9XMCNi2sSOH9lw/s320/20170426_124943.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The only other diversion was a stop at Scammell's Lookout, facing back up to Mt Kosciusko.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWz1RS2FaOw9tmpGzMl18Y1kWy4uPy-yPVpPmHHRirRc4pjHAS3cjQWecIaH4e_mCY-lbACsq_MvcMukfWg6Fk6AIh8tlqMhnFzAUg8jZcc3XSBQI56lLy168twCzBT_yp0UfnIarV0Mg/s1600/20170426_135908.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWz1RS2FaOw9tmpGzMl18Y1kWy4uPy-yPVpPmHHRirRc4pjHAS3cjQWecIaH4e_mCY-lbACsq_MvcMukfWg6Fk6AIh8tlqMhnFzAUg8jZcc3XSBQI56lLy168twCzBT_yp0UfnIarV0Mg/s320/20170426_135908.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Dyg1MbUvb7MfFmoEYzDz2FMrDPENhoD_X_xp4ue8IXdLW33gKX_iNJ_oKnjbnOBqnagTWrWqzfXDuNMgA6ikn_W8fofIjuoSYDgbt1fh4K2sh-W0188yUfwahF-YQby404Htogm9oN0/s1600/20170426_140500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Dyg1MbUvb7MfFmoEYzDz2FMrDPENhoD_X_xp4ue8IXdLW33gKX_iNJ_oKnjbnOBqnagTWrWqzfXDuNMgA6ikn_W8fofIjuoSYDgbt1fh4K2sh-W0188yUfwahF-YQby404Htogm9oN0/s320/20170426_140500.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I had planned to spend this, the final night of the road trip, symbolically in my tent but with the temperature 10C and falling I have kipped down in a cabin in Yackandandah. The trip meter has stopped reading, but by adding up the last three days I'm at 9,593km tonight. Expect to see 10,000km roll past tomorrow before Eltham North hoves into view. Bruce has arrived in Melbourne and a last get-together tomorrow night before he returns to Auckland. Off to the pub for a final meal.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Antipodean Mariner</div>The Antipodean Marinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07634447361115609766noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5495501381449242270.post-66732674764839008742017-04-25T12:45:00.001+10:002017-04-25T16:29:48.128+10:00ANZAC Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">With time on my hands yesterday, the bike got a clean out the back of the motel. Beautiful. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv6xFxWPbLDzLbOVv7skjv22oIMOFMKhC8sg6yrYcEdz6_GixrKi_afRTNuzGhwv1SrFirxJdFEEjI8eIs-3wss9rHqIbQ4v80Kw1BeFg-GUgnoHwsCjY05llGg_Dq7zBXc0Yxsr3jjBA/s1600/20170424_164517.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv6xFxWPbLDzLbOVv7skjv22oIMOFMKhC8sg6yrYcEdz6_GixrKi_afRTNuzGhwv1SrFirxJdFEEjI8eIs-3wss9rHqIbQ4v80Kw1BeFg-GUgnoHwsCjY05llGg_Dq7zBXc0Yxsr3jjBA/s320/20170424_164517.jpg"></a><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I had the opportunity to walk around Gunning and enjoy the autumn sun before the rain set in. Colours at their most vivid in the main street.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXP1qobks6Cm4YmBR5YKspF8sBAtnjAndJKSpeU0tuDzX-7htUoxAnIzoJMTL9TsmK7bp6_CiyilPc4FcQ_ta2sklK-Rhy7iKlks-PC2cK0MOm6KlsYHQfB0klCBgLiE2ZqWNhyE2EZps/s1600/20170424_161548.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXP1qobks6Cm4YmBR5YKspF8sBAtnjAndJKSpeU0tuDzX-7htUoxAnIzoJMTL9TsmK7bp6_CiyilPc4FcQ_ta2sklK-Rhy7iKlks-PC2cK0MOm6KlsYHQfB0klCBgLiE2ZqWNhyE2EZps/s320/20170424_161548.jpg"></a><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Bruce got in from Sydney at 7pm, and we had dinner and a bottle of wine at the Telegraph Hotel. Good to reconnect with fresh experiences of our four days on different roads.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPSOeNptnM27PEvxSkx6JtkRXYJM6PiW-tpqeVa03DW3kcVFwtRhMWBY2GS6d4i24dlLZa7CPsgm0ybCH8bYTWo3fZzxChqbsYXmQO2pguSf_0V_tGGmYIMX9mlw6n-Z0P8DjydfATsfc/s1600/20170425_060618.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPSOeNptnM27PEvxSkx6JtkRXYJM6PiW-tpqeVa03DW3kcVFwtRhMWBY2GS6d4i24dlLZa7CPsgm0ybCH8bYTWo3fZzxChqbsYXmQO2pguSf_0V_tGGmYIMX9mlw6n-Z0P8DjydfATsfc/s320/20170425_060618.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;">The Dawn Service in Gunning looked to be attended by most of the town, and was a unique experience as visitors. The Cenotaph listed a lot of the same family names and, like most of the rural towns, the impact of those who didn't come back would have been profound. We reflected on the mateship that has brought Bruce and I together, and the friendship that started in 1995.</span><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;">Alex was persuaded to ride up to Gunning on the promise of a free breakfast. The rain really set in on the 85km to Canberra, and today has been an 'inside' day at the Australian War Memorial. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQc-5ZsA89CCuLlahrQ4PAlUgDt5cmpPkHXZRMXBe6jmW63pGumfgyKXoYh65aJdRnoTwVum0lnbHtC2V5gPrQdGqVelw_507CUizXgk9iCTcAuWiRP5uLj7t1lsiDLkWUoQ_26QWTnXg/s1600/20170425_153712.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQc-5ZsA89CCuLlahrQ4PAlUgDt5cmpPkHXZRMXBe6jmW63pGumfgyKXoYh65aJdRnoTwVum0lnbHtC2V5gPrQdGqVelw_507CUizXgk9iCTcAuWiRP5uLj7t1lsiDLkWUoQ_26QWTnXg/s320/20170425_153712.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Overnight in Canberra and then planning to go through the Snowy Mountains tomorrow weather permitting.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Antipodean Mariner</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div>The Antipodean Marinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07634447361115609766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5495501381449242270.post-90655924023990438032017-04-24T16:03:00.001+10:002017-04-24T17:32:53.673+10:00Gunning<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Woke at 4am this morning to watch the MotoGP of the Americas and another skillful win by Marc Marquez on the Honda. My boots were very worse for wear after the stream crossing and needed some duct tape support the complete the road trip. Should be less than 1,000km now till home, and I still have plenty of duct tape.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK_MpoZoNem0I5dN-q-skcwwX-ztVTQ6-BVOcVcMQjWr8qUTGFh71hMX1E8V0NlzSvMFAJc7elwwmQiBJ7m0QsI1AapBbsSW0z7tf7e24kVPwBqMiB6f9nS9_lXlilE9HAwwq4bEUN2No/s1600/20170424_123052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK_MpoZoNem0I5dN-q-skcwwX-ztVTQ6-BVOcVcMQjWr8qUTGFh71hMX1E8V0NlzSvMFAJc7elwwmQiBJ7m0QsI1AapBbsSW0z7tf7e24kVPwBqMiB6f9nS9_lXlilE9HAwwq4bEUN2No/s320/20170424_123052.jpg"></a><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Today's route loosely followed one of the rides recommended in my Bike Atlas. Leaving Kandos, I had heavy fog for the first 20km before breaking out into bright sunshine at Hill End. A tiny remnant of the gold rush (the diggings are still visible), I'm guessing it's a dormitory town for Bathurst. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Bathurst was in full swing, and I headed for the bike route through Oberon to Goulburn. The route has been fully sealed, and alternated between cropping, pine forestry and native bush. Different from yesterday but still surprisingly beautiful. I stopped in Taralga at a very hip cafe for a country town - must be the Grey Nomads lifting the culinary standards. So many restored or preserved buildings from the 1800's.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFQ2it2yEpGl-i3v6nUBAkH6wJ4BMpwknUChPbBl5ubElQyDPqO5JlmSfSCRwQMvwZIhQzuqttH-ckwjXNYNQT4qn_p6QsbLXvXReZhyphenhyphenM_acUta4Tf3MeRQmDOoyIhsFrAw0GTEXQ1Dto/s1600/20170424_130134.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFQ2it2yEpGl-i3v6nUBAkH6wJ4BMpwknUChPbBl5ubElQyDPqO5JlmSfSCRwQMvwZIhQzuqttH-ckwjXNYNQT4qn_p6QsbLXvXReZhyphenhyphenM_acUta4Tf3MeRQmDOoyIhsFrAw0GTEXQ1Dto/s320/20170424_130134.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">With a small distance target, I spent the day tooling along on country roads at 80 to 90 km/h, letting the local traffic pass me. The last run to Gunning took in a bit of the Hume Highway, where I was able to get off and parallel run. Some nice cloud porn of the towering afternoon cumulus.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvn9nixLfUlanLti9wBXxys-aa3E3DGzy9kKVWA1jrtZUsw8vAkm6OMLZ3O2R5wARxbo8Z3nZVdA1YmWz3nfcuGMThK8xB0BlgNvSErJvrGdHSsIwOLqz_t0wcloc6NHkKnbyTrXBZZ4g/s1600/20170424_140813.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvn9nixLfUlanLti9wBXxys-aa3E3DGzy9kKVWA1jrtZUsw8vAkm6OMLZ3O2R5wARxbo8Z3nZVdA1YmWz3nfcuGMThK8xB0BlgNvSErJvrGdHSsIwOLqz_t0wcloc6NHkKnbyTrXBZZ4g/s320/20170424_140813.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiguhWmrP4s17IhgU2QbLisr6xFhwBKbjtOJp8HFK5RvN3Ve6l5_CEbvZKoaYg60FwdM-pb1tiyngiYolCQZ5X6HsYY93VCEMCTKEZ4B8sho7AbWKrynZAH7vR-WOXzJiFG2AnXuecBjGM/s1600/20170424_140819.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiguhWmrP4s17IhgU2QbLisr6xFhwBKbjtOJp8HFK5RvN3Ve6l5_CEbvZKoaYg60FwdM-pb1tiyngiYolCQZ5X6HsYY93VCEMCTKEZ4B8sho7AbWKrynZAH7vR-WOXzJiFG2AnXuecBjGM/s320/20170424_140819.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Waiting for a reunion with Bruce, riding down from Gosford. Alex will join us from Canberra in the morning (says he's going to 'woose out' and bring his car if the forecast rain comes). Motel again for convenience and a dry start at least. Washed the bike - no sign now of last 9,000km. Trip meter seems to have called it a day, +330km today.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Antipodean Mariner</div>The Antipodean Marinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07634447361115609766noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5495501381449242270.post-701715287569217212017-04-23T18:03:00.001+10:002017-04-23T18:29:59.106+10:00Bylong Valley<p dir="ltr">Quite a bit to post today. The target was Kandos in the Bylong Valley, a town I had stopped in in 2011 riding back from Maroochydore on the K1100LT. Staying on the New England Highway to Tamworth, the Powerhouse Motorcycle Collection was a must- stop and I had the run of the place for an hour with the Duty Curator. 100% bike heaven.</p><p dir="ltr"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0BxrsiuLvy3L5clC0ALyW7nyBCsbAOytT37vpB0mYv3h4v8sud5Sapnly6JIwwDLdYq6QzKtKUF5SeGg9wqV-tLBvSuPl3dR2SBm0wl11mh0_Yw-3PTi31HcVqyBFI6Jp6He42X1GstE/s1600/20170423_100316.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: sans-serif; text-align: center; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0BxrsiuLvy3L5clC0ALyW7nyBCsbAOytT37vpB0mYv3h4v8sud5Sapnly6JIwwDLdYq6QzKtKUF5SeGg9wqV-tLBvSuPl3dR2SBm0wl11mh0_Yw-3PTi31HcVqyBFI6Jp6He42X1GstE/s320/20170423_100316.jpg"></a><br></p><p dir="ltr"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy4JVUJEygaHHri3robMVjSJps2iRfyaNe7C0n67cXTa1B6BCFqFYv-O5H22iqnDzftxPIf6fM50KqgUMMoWfAl6LYYrPj69HbTtcyJBOEqrAo9SiwUz04dQnUphrYZh3j3DSOAy91BiU/s1600/20170423_112705.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: sans-serif; text-align: center; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy4JVUJEygaHHri3robMVjSJps2iRfyaNe7C0n67cXTa1B6BCFqFYv-O5H22iqnDzftxPIf6fM50KqgUMMoWfAl6LYYrPj69HbTtcyJBOEqrAo9SiwUz04dQnUphrYZh3j3DSOAy91BiU/s320/20170423_112705.jpg"></a><br></p>
<p dir="ltr">The next bit went west a bit due to poor navigation skills. I picked a road different to the recommended route, and which changed from seal to gravel half way up a mountain range. It was the classic 'investment' decision - turn back and waste 50km or press on. I pressed on at 25 km/h, passed by locals in 4WDs. A glimmer of hope as the road reverted to back to seal was dashed by gravel again. A warning sign of water over the road (it was blazing sunshine) turned out to be an actual creek washout over the road with about 10m of muddy water of indeterminate depth.</p>
<p dir="ltr">There is nothing less suitable for a stream crossing than a Triumph Trophy, and with my heart in my mouth I sized up the problem. Some 4WDs had made a single track to the side of the waterhole and remembering the saying 'Look where you want to go and the bike will follow', I headed for the single track paddling like a duck. I bucked and wove through to other side and thought I was going to throw up. Captain Obvious later observed that I should have stripped the bike and carried the luggage over first.</p>
<p dir="ltr">When I got to seal proper, I almost cried. There was the double indignity of finding out that I came out 30km past where in needed to enter the Bylong Valley anyway.</p><p dir="ltr"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9J7wyeIECW6tNr9PsUN1nP-Z3CjeC6zUXT7YaD-c3YwJ7Kr4fQYgM7Wpd5AZZGOfcZYXXoN8V9kqJemunZrn6qdfDcgASXLrQ0T5gRq4AWabzooIXBChKlnU9r3ZpPM8U4etnd4xxLR8/s1600/20170423_122304.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: sans-serif; text-align: center; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9J7wyeIECW6tNr9PsUN1nP-Z3CjeC6zUXT7YaD-c3YwJ7Kr4fQYgM7Wpd5AZZGOfcZYXXoN8V9kqJemunZrn6qdfDcgASXLrQ0T5gRq4AWabzooIXBChKlnU9r3ZpPM8U4etnd4xxLR8/s320/20170423_122304.jpg"></a><br></p>
<p dir="ltr">Bylong to Kandos didn't disappoint and I stopped at the Anglican Church. The Church Is still consecrated and they had had a service that day. Two cousins were cleaning up the grave sites of long lost relatives and had a key and I got a tour inside the tiny chapel.</p><p dir="ltr"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoodbwnOOi2kBCFRvTBy5B93I6sMA7nV_fP1OFdrxlQQ8oa3cJ17Pcl_oI9FRmskJqhnmJDhx6I19mY9fDVFy6cW4ISnB2gW1fMDfO9f7bQ5oy9nDrTEwJxTbK1XTumsc-2nabW8-dwT8/s1600/20170423_150412.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: sans-serif; text-align: center; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoodbwnOOi2kBCFRvTBy5B93I6sMA7nV_fP1OFdrxlQQ8oa3cJ17Pcl_oI9FRmskJqhnmJDhx6I19mY9fDVFy6cW4ISnB2gW1fMDfO9f7bQ5oy9nDrTEwJxTbK1XTumsc-2nabW8-dwT8/s320/20170423_150412.jpg"></a><br></p><p dir="ltr">The stained glass windows commemorated both the Gospel and young men of the Parish who had died in WWI and WWII. </p><p dir="ltr"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl86N62N-Yd_DA46wYzL9ScVOVViXwolnMbb8p6WPwFSISx_FJCbynV6VkCgDf-bhYrieTp5XnPbXEeCs8tHTfrNq3gEY7DaPsuc5hhvGVw0ZF5B1D25wnGWdherSAyQtVbElNKc-GoUQ/s1600/20170423_151328.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: sans-serif; text-align: center; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl86N62N-Yd_DA46wYzL9ScVOVViXwolnMbb8p6WPwFSISx_FJCbynV6VkCgDf-bhYrieTp5XnPbXEeCs8tHTfrNq3gEY7DaPsuc5hhvGVw0ZF5B1D25wnGWdherSAyQtVbElNKc-GoUQ/s320/20170423_151328.jpg"></a><br></p><p dir="ltr">The valley will soon be opened up to open cut coal mining - it will be interesting to come back again in fives years time. I made Kandos and splurged on motel. Washing is done, pub is next door and the MotoGP is on TV at 5am tomorrow. Riding to Gunning tomorrow to meet Alex and a night in Canberra.</p><p dir="ltr">The Antipodean Mariner</p><p dir="ltr">8,760km</p>The Antipodean Marinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07634447361115609766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5495501381449242270.post-48171460547512421182017-04-22T17:35:00.001+10:002017-04-22T18:07:28.577+10:00New South Wales<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It's getting about 5C cooler every day heading get south (no surprises really) and this morning's fog in Crows Nest was actually cloud due the elevation on the Toowoomba Tablelands. Following the Country Way still in the former of the New England Highway, I've been through Toowoomba, Glen Innes and Armidale to set up camp in Uralla. The small towns are so bike and caravan friendly.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-S1efSi_Ihj9mx6smckxscne0uDAclzHM-YHhCY4QHlhivZCt7o54D4W8l4nbj-uHLvMUdjm2xyh3FPxVwGvWOvQnHzn-egQH0CVV4dSJuI1mrXF88J-ZrteaNZIGCb2698wDnLl2WA8/s1600/20170422_144313.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-S1efSi_Ihj9mx6smckxscne0uDAclzHM-YHhCY4QHlhivZCt7o54D4W8l4nbj-uHLvMUdjm2xyh3FPxVwGvWOvQnHzn-egQH0CVV4dSJuI1mrXF88J-ZrteaNZIGCb2698wDnLl2WA8/s320/20170422_144313.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Crossing in to NSW, the change of climate and the deciduous European trees make for a yellow, red and green Autumn landscape - different again from central Queensland. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdeGYCaGNwwendeEknO9z1PSE0YHDlqpPlkzXNKicEI8V__YD2Q7rQHSWmPWv9s52cfp9xNPHYbMqpU6l8wg_I0H440TttQB7wrCZY9C95SeN_E35U0RFMstttu-epO5YDy8pKeD8vXIs/s1600/20170422_163527.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdeGYCaGNwwendeEknO9z1PSE0YHDlqpPlkzXNKicEI8V__YD2Q7rQHSWmPWv9s52cfp9xNPHYbMqpU6l8wg_I0H440TttQB7wrCZY9C95SeN_E35U0RFMstttu-epO5YDy8pKeD8vXIs/s320/20170422_163527.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The 'Top Pub' is within walking distance, the little fireplace is set up for later and I have an episode if 'Fargo' to watch on Netflix. Tamworth tomorrow and the Powerhouse Motorcycle Collection. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Antipodean Mariner</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">8,543 km</div>The Antipodean Marinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07634447361115609766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5495501381449242270.post-65725665164611014592017-04-21T17:23:00.001+10:002017-04-21T17:40:35.678+10:00Going solo<p dir="ltr">After 20 days on the road together and almost 8,000 km, Bruce and I went our separate ways at Goomeri, Queensland. Bruce is taking a coastline loop to catch up with friends and to be back in Melbourne on Thursday, and I'm staying in the countryside to Canberra. Big man-hugs on the roadside and I don't think either of us wanted to make eye contact at that moment. A very emotional parting after such a fantastic and unique shared experience.<u></u></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqqeaPrQCCbBPhWgoImn4dXwycsjoHVNIWRWIEw9i7GKLavKZCC5df4vaZmrwsFMbQxUubCpzlNqIQSCTdxOe487Vi1PvR6FNXFq7Jzst3Iz3Bolg_oc0l6I7bmCnGjY2Pr_cUwdeW9Ro/s1600/20170421_132851.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqqeaPrQCCbBPhWgoImn4dXwycsjoHVNIWRWIEw9i7GKLavKZCC5df4vaZmrwsFMbQxUubCpzlNqIQSCTdxOe487Vi1PvR6FNXFq7Jzst3Iz3Bolg_oc0l6I7bmCnGjY2Pr_cUwdeW9Ro/s320/20170421_132851.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVKdw_i-WbCKlW6nBPh7WFTyIOsqt1_-K1u_fNyYTsQHvAIsE1pc6EBGkoijFq8rfKaAdmxSeMoXudHEAxZEnD-XEGuADKkozKSYeGeVdXfVRtQYfTxiGUFx27ZPd-whupHs566uKtqug/s1600/20170421_133248.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVKdw_i-WbCKlW6nBPh7WFTyIOsqt1_-K1u_fNyYTsQHvAIsE1pc6EBGkoijFq8rfKaAdmxSeMoXudHEAxZEnD-XEGuADKkozKSYeGeVdXfVRtQYfTxiGUFx27ZPd-whupHs566uKtqug/s320/20170421_133248.jpg"></a><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Country Way has turned in to the New England Highway and I've set up camp in Crows Nest, just north of Toowoomba. Planning the next legs, I can stay away from the major population centres in Central NSW and get within striking distance of Canberra on Monday night before the ANZAC Day holiday on Tuesday. Roads are windy, traffic is light and the scenery beautiful. Just under 1,200 km to Canberra. After Canberra, planning to ride through the Snowy Mountains and return to Melbourne via Beechworth and Mansfield. The journey is drawing to its inevitable end.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Antipodean Mariner (singular)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">8,084 km</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div>The Antipodean Marinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07634447361115609766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5495501381449242270.post-21647614148190188552017-04-20T19:30:00.001+10:002017-04-21T07:14:48.711+10:00Central Queensland Tablelands<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We have followed Australia's Country Way, a road network linking Rockhampton and Sydney and which has again blown away my preconceptions of Queensland as a dry flat land. We stopped outside of Springsure to admire the towering lava cliffs of the Minerva Hills. There us a National Park and Canyon network behind but we didn't find out about these until we were about 100 km past Springsure.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA5vXpDXkwMozrKTOIhlRECojDGcc4nuUWLdz7X3mfxR_jUUCAnj1mU8NK9-hpHe4UAenZ9Ew8EtkYhdkH2IPDaMJ7UmpTBHYuRmO7WyOW_KaVAKLi-jbsrkjesiWkfBo5MzFW98B4T0k/s1600/20170420_095919.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA5vXpDXkwMozrKTOIhlRECojDGcc4nuUWLdz7X3mfxR_jUUCAnj1mU8NK9-hpHe4UAenZ9Ew8EtkYhdkH2IPDaMJ7UmpTBHYuRmO7WyOW_KaVAKLi-jbsrkjesiWkfBo5MzFW98B4T0k/s320/20170420_095919.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Riding into Rolleston, we were surprised to find a big posse of bikes parked in the main street. The posse turned out to be a collective of mental health professionals who do an annual ten day ride running mental and physical 'wellness' clinics for men in rural Australia. Bruce got the full suite while I had a coffee and had a chat with a mental health nurse about my new employment status.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHYoHjFxjbLnH67H61gRzvL3r362XQFyM1VH9q7011DdGupN8UIvsLRLV0T0WY5sI6OzWb1-Sk_N0cNnOg8NODtbMUJKHUM8WGp_CXt16j0olgLzM8znBv3zPirZAZ48DUsGmOEXe1Fd4/s1600/20170420_111227.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHYoHjFxjbLnH67H61gRzvL3r362XQFyM1VH9q7011DdGupN8UIvsLRLV0T0WY5sI6OzWb1-Sk_N0cNnOg8NODtbMUJKHUM8WGp_CXt16j0olgLzM8znBv3zPirZAZ48DUsGmOEXe1Fd4/s320/20170420_111227.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Last night in Monto was our last meal together. Bruce, my road mate, is heading east to Brisbane, Coff's Harbour and Grafton while I follow the Country Way toward Canberra and a night with son Alex on ANZAC Day.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3zOfceD1PQxL1In2sWeKwANBUfXVlpu6muYxWEXKRhY5OqqzkxpOoyiGEs5WiYYebfqzTB7e2jE2T5mk8X7KOAs1bGZhfU7g5au-lKc5I1LiAgq-f4EQduxtyhsJ-Tfd1fbOGjumCxKg/s1600/20170420_184649.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3zOfceD1PQxL1In2sWeKwANBUfXVlpu6muYxWEXKRhY5OqqzkxpOoyiGEs5WiYYebfqzTB7e2jE2T5mk8X7KOAs1bGZhfU7g5au-lKc5I1LiAgq-f4EQduxtyhsJ-Tfd1fbOGjumCxKg/s320/20170420_184649.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">One of the things about a road trip is that it can only be experienced and relived by those who did it, and we have had some cool experiences together - thanks, mate!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Antipodean Mariners</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">7,644 km together </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div>The Antipodean Marinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07634447361115609766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5495501381449242270.post-77674955626754106732017-04-20T06:25:00.001+10:002017-04-20T06:30:43.923+10:00Park life<p dir="ltr">The Grey Nomad season ticks along all year, but really picks up in May after the end of the 'wet season' and cooler temperatures in the Outback and Queensland. To give you an idea of the relative numbers of Nomads, here's the powered van site area in Emerald...</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKajQchylMoIP3Lyn1Ic1ZmP_9cdW1MJZeCaoYzGokpytGJ6nqKfnr9lHRNf5RU9Xsnq31vQ1JAItkYNS_eZD396mLw6utDJJdy7S3IMab8NndDBhOOwPubKli0qEDkQr5sCuvL2TtUJQ/s1600/20170420_061950.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKajQchylMoIP3Lyn1Ic1ZmP_9cdW1MJZeCaoYzGokpytGJ6nqKfnr9lHRNf5RU9Xsnq31vQ1JAItkYNS_eZD396mLw6utDJJdy7S3IMab8NndDBhOOwPubKli0qEDkQr5sCuvL2TtUJQ/s320/20170420_061950.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">...and here's how we are living in the camping area adjacent. Luxurious! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIKRayClWNyeI5KfHX54ltQX7gNDla6tW9Al6kdaiPVpy3AnVgw5u-A82femvduRL18AxPk28BiIr4jgI5mjPhMNDXVa-J2E3u2SsbQlV3SkcPc_HzG8weO4h_M1lB_cflVPkKsVg1TWU/s1600/20170420_062011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIKRayClWNyeI5KfHX54ltQX7gNDla6tW9Al6kdaiPVpy3AnVgw5u-A82femvduRL18AxPk28BiIr4jgI5mjPhMNDXVa-J2E3u2SsbQlV3SkcPc_HzG8weO4h_M1lB_cflVPkKsVg1TWU/s320/20170420_062011.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Antipodean Mariners </div>The Antipodean Marinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07634447361115609766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5495501381449242270.post-90216342187979916372017-04-19T19:46:00.001+10:002017-04-19T20:07:47.659+10:00Kilometres in the bank<p dir="ltr">Over the last two days, we have been working our way south from Atherton, through Innisfail, Townsville, Charters Towers and tonight in Emerald. The Bruce Highway was narrow, congested and slow, and we took the first opportunity to head back inland to the Central Queensland Tablelands. We are living well again now that we are back in the reach of supermarkets, and have a well oiled routine of one setting up camp while the other buys in the night's meal and wine. Last night was Greek chicken, potato salad and beetroot with a Sauvignon Blanc - we finished the last of the Johnny Walker with coffee.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFwxTgKr8yzG5MlhdS-7PJfeGTTfPvJvOlFkC1VNFzg5ceq3bKCR9PDFXzK2n86HfC0PYlbelfC-t825f3YEtj8-1XKDBk4Qly_6UiHDEOK8CDVCbPOR3R3Tr6kYslS9blBCj7KSLmHRg/s1600/20170418_203604.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFwxTgKr8yzG5MlhdS-7PJfeGTTfPvJvOlFkC1VNFzg5ceq3bKCR9PDFXzK2n86HfC0PYlbelfC-t825f3YEtj8-1XKDBk4Qly_6UiHDEOK8CDVCbPOR3R3Tr6kYslS9blBCj7KSLmHRg/s320/20170418_203604.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Charters Towers was last night's stop - maybe where my father-in-law was evacuated to as a child during WWII? Again had the whole grassed campsite to ourselves while the caravan park heaved with 4WD's and caravans.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHlBJNJaNHQ5SA3kalN3odWwLKSu7VRNSJ7OkOYJCyy964QyE9oLVy-yGmbtUVM1Ugo8M7RjKDrnBN8j2n3TC-q0owB8Em3B7Hxg-LQ0upOeHTDlsgGWiAjLFdn_O7Wsm_QhEgZC7WykU/s1600/20170419_062134.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHlBJNJaNHQ5SA3kalN3odWwLKSu7VRNSJ7OkOYJCyy964QyE9oLVy-yGmbtUVM1Ugo8M7RjKDrnBN8j2n3TC-q0owB8Em3B7Hxg-LQ0upOeHTDlsgGWiAjLFdn_O7Wsm_QhEgZC7WykU/s320/20170419_062134.jpg"></a><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">In Clermont, the local mining museum had a huge dragline bucket from the coalfields courtesy of Rio Tinto Coal.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG_Fl_hwHUmtb7uSp5r69fe7DbupOwVuDjozfjc5xLyaE7PXTas8lWVVwrzuntjWNh9EG5qgrYji44eOtjsIn8BgmUJVADjC7_EVDW2nEm333-pp8UgoBs0V-9WldUpPRhKrE_4IZYcFg/s1600/20170419_153617.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG_Fl_hwHUmtb7uSp5r69fe7DbupOwVuDjozfjc5xLyaE7PXTas8lWVVwrzuntjWNh9EG5qgrYji44eOtjsIn8BgmUJVADjC7_EVDW2nEm333-pp8UgoBs0V-9WldUpPRhKrE_4IZYcFg/s320/20170419_153617.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Our destination over the next three days is Coff's Harbour, NSW and then separate routes back to Melbourne next week. The country continues to change, the weather gets cooler and the land gets greener. We are still loving the small country towns and seek them out in our route planning. We over 7,000 km across Australia now.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Antipodean Mariners</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div>The Antipodean Marinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07634447361115609766noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5495501381449242270.post-88338359552309186812017-04-18T20:24:00.001+10:002017-04-18T20:48:54.523+10:00Encyclopedia Britannica (Improve yourself) <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This post has very little relevance to our road trip. At an unnamed and inconspicuous roadside rest stop we found a full collection of the Encyclopedia Britannica's 1991 Edition. Rendered obsolete by the Internet, and with some poor Mum and Dad probably still to make the 300th easy payment of $19.95, the volumes were languishing in four cardboard boxes in the bush, unloved and unwanted.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUi-o2UhyVcvyk99oTY8MtpYg_bDjKFIYANo8uNM7ERxRVCAAUrK9B_68HPucSNfe15cP8WSIOavEpRhN-tt5AJaUey8kxuxMHBPzZFPb1bcDFrdasRl7F9r9aW5iHyw5yZwpkZIoLPYA/s1600/20170416_154945.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUi-o2UhyVcvyk99oTY8MtpYg_bDjKFIYANo8uNM7ERxRVCAAUrK9B_68HPucSNfe15cP8WSIOavEpRhN-tt5AJaUey8kxuxMHBPzZFPb1bcDFrdasRl7F9r9aW5iHyw5yZwpkZIoLPYA/s320/20170416_154945.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It seemed sacrilegious to leave the abandoned tomes to the White Ants, and with very little better to do with our day, we set about create a little oasis of knowledge for our fellow travelers. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL5o71c-Ehuqs6e2M4NrQfv9_wD5tYV8tGK1Nx_VpP_xGRYt6xQL3NwY_jPHcYYR2QjPne405qDNSXWGe2TovrHl8fdeLjGCddB6FrKK1RX7y6uz2bTubhOP-rwdlccneDrLRlJhQRkfw/s1600/20170416_155613.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL5o71c-Ehuqs6e2M4NrQfv9_wD5tYV8tGK1Nx_VpP_xGRYt6xQL3NwY_jPHcYYR2QjPne405qDNSXWGe2TovrHl8fdeLjGCddB6FrKK1RX7y6uz2bTubhOP-rwdlccneDrLRlJhQRkfw/s320/20170416_155613.jpg"></a><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">When Bruce got noisy, I had to remind him that he was in a library.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyPwBm1Mb19uVUtmZ0sEWuxkfHl4gVP3VNOvZjgEEsuIsyJJYCJi_qiyGpA2enCR8h50kBpZQ9RtXWWCqiNDwsYc4CKKp07JJuNyfhJ23YDk5YWYW2h5C5JqNQNahmtcVhWn0oz5LkZkM/s1600/20170416_155704.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyPwBm1Mb19uVUtmZ0sEWuxkfHl4gVP3VNOvZjgEEsuIsyJJYCJi_qiyGpA2enCR8h50kBpZQ9RtXWWCqiNDwsYc4CKKp07JJuNyfhJ23YDk5YWYW2h5C5JqNQNahmtcVhWn0oz5LkZkM/s320/20170416_155704.jpg"></a><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We left instructions for the next users of the Rest Stop - in a 'worst case' situation you could even use it for dunny roll.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhP3rQod5NO1sY8KLDNZPXoJ_nfeJ-FLzm5UJhfyjdP4XavpzvGW2FPJUlPsxrOl4O-MuicyXPRxw-WIuiMKYYh7HJidsI_4SD4Kg9ZT97ZdWBnofykfUbFl9ONfaAXlE3yRDU-41gOzw/s1600/20170416_155953.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhP3rQod5NO1sY8KLDNZPXoJ_nfeJ-FLzm5UJhfyjdP4XavpzvGW2FPJUlPsxrOl4O-MuicyXPRxw-WIuiMKYYh7HJidsI_4SD4Kg9ZT97ZdWBnofykfUbFl9ONfaAXlE3yRDU-41gOzw/s320/20170416_155953.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Antipodean Mariners</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div>The Antipodean Marinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07634447361115609766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5495501381449242270.post-69998280276053853752017-04-18T06:57:00.001+10:002017-04-18T07:49:17.288+10:00Turning point<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Yesterday was a day of extreme contrasts as we left the open savannah and Brahman cattle and ended the day amongst sugar cane and banana palms.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We were packing up yesterday morning and found a little tree frog had taken up residence in a kit bag. We splashed him down with a few drops of water and released it back into the undergrowth near our campsite. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzKA9plI97fNeTFj2Z_RPng88WTNDWhKbczKtQGz3YQcfSwUVcUgJV6bGU83THeK1QXH0OXLeFF6K48eQjZMR97YvkVJkQ13fEgGPuub0xQgzutleYoDNnkQcVBXMr0n2orgjpJfIUd7A/s1600/20170417_101619.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzKA9plI97fNeTFj2Z_RPng88WTNDWhKbczKtQGz3YQcfSwUVcUgJV6bGU83THeK1QXH0OXLeFF6K48eQjZMR97YvkVJkQ13fEgGPuub0xQgzutleYoDNnkQcVBXMr0n2orgjpJfIUd7A/s320/20170417_101619.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The road climbed up to the Atherton Tablelands and with a lot of traffic heading back to the coast after the Easter Holiday. We were forced on to the shoulder by one road train and followed a lot of caravans and camper trailers. The tool kit came out for the first time this trip but not for our bikes. A Land Rover pulled up behind us in Mt Surprise, loaded up with a family and camping paraphernalia. They had blown a radiator hose and were going nowhere. We were able to make the hose pressure tight with self-binding silicon tape and cable ties, and we last saw them (still driving) in Atherton heading for home in Cairns.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCBskmWXMjPk-wkeiY_Hxy80QGhFuj0YOktFrpw11VTayiSYij1zxoExax0X10nHHrk8zc_nOH7V9xxEBJ5js1H7LFJLiS2Mw4zd3dtwqI7AoMmhRK3k224Ad3RkrHMSQ4y2fDScMGo5M/s1600/20170417_143433.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCBskmWXMjPk-wkeiY_Hxy80QGhFuj0YOktFrpw11VTayiSYij1zxoExax0X10nHHrk8zc_nOH7V9xxEBJ5js1H7LFJLiS2Mw4zd3dtwqI7AoMmhRK3k224Ad3RkrHMSQ4y2fDScMGo5M/s320/20170417_143433.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Atherton Tablelands were cool and lush - a temperature drop from 34C to 19C in a day's ride and even a few spots of rain. Atherton was the most northerly point of the road trip, and at 16:15 the point at which we started heading south back to Melbourne. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8JlLQcbwhAtn1xTvb3RK2clo5zLLLqt_586KnJVNmIrCYwa9w6zUdbAH_eAPVXoG3NXKA1AtA2dGjFhokiwjKWGjxQJbvGK8OK8pPW5Uv3rJg3SOXPFVhUxXq8fMP68aOr2h1BMmxZns/s1600/20170418_070806.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8JlLQcbwhAtn1xTvb3RK2clo5zLLLqt_586KnJVNmIrCYwa9w6zUdbAH_eAPVXoG3NXKA1AtA2dGjFhokiwjKWGjxQJbvGK8OK8pPW5Uv3rJg3SOXPFVhUxXq8fMP68aOr2h1BMmxZns/s320/20170418_070806.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We are following the coast to Townsville and then heading back Inland to Charters Towers. Heavy tropical rain this morning.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Antipodean Mariners</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div>The Antipodean Marinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07634447361115609766noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5495501381449242270.post-46128060148412539832017-04-17T07:08:00.001+10:002017-04-17T09:04:57.199+10:00Gulf and Savannah <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Every day presents us with a new perspective of Australia, and yesterday's run through the Gulf of Carpentaria and Savannah country was truly breathtaking.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1XuA2KhcdmcOti4JNuVDRge_PkqxJ-mSDL4Olfs_qZ7S7NCZCDJSliMQu-_0aj5ilYDF_m0DlfQnfNBctPlBqyEmDq03zB4Ooy4kIeb-1_fBonM_IxC0mYY9EhRNmijLYo_jvYI4JWoc/s1600/20170416_102133.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1XuA2KhcdmcOti4JNuVDRge_PkqxJ-mSDL4Olfs_qZ7S7NCZCDJSliMQu-_0aj5ilYDF_m0DlfQnfNBctPlBqyEmDq03zB4Ooy4kIeb-1_fBonM_IxC0mYY9EhRNmijLYo_jvYI4JWoc/s320/20170416_102133.jpg"></a><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Karumba was a short 70km hop from Normanton, and as soon as we rode out of town the brackish water tributaries and wetlands were teeming with birds - cranes, egrets and other wading waterbirds. Looping back we followed the railway line which is still in use today by the Gulflander rail car. The line was unique for being laid on steel sleepers with no ballast, and which was capable of surviving the frequent floods which would have washed away conventionally built track. The Black Bull siding is maintained as a 'tea and cake' stop for the Gulflander.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6rlrj7PwbwAbsSUQdFNuBpTVjRQcKCLWQHWBK8NalV3Dzu-qreWy6Luc672DOT1XVLYUxcjcTAreK_qbkcrQO06q9I7t_vbGr4c8UaDoTNoxgI5R1xaLzvsssgRx3TWr8eSQ_4J7Cwuo/s1600/20170416_131405.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6rlrj7PwbwAbsSUQdFNuBpTVjRQcKCLWQHWBK8NalV3Dzu-qreWy6Luc672DOT1XVLYUxcjcTAreK_qbkcrQO06q9I7t_vbGr4c8UaDoTNoxgI5R1xaLzvsssgRx3TWr8eSQ_4J7Cwuo/s320/20170416_131405.jpg"></a><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A lot of the Savannah Way is sealed with a single centre lane with wide gravel shoulders. We were lucky with Easter that traffic was light, and there were no road trains, as they stick to the centreline and all other has to pull off onto the shoulder to pass. It made for a nice photo though sitting in the middle of the road.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV1SZyz07vyYa1SxbJhT41vmYwmphrbGiqFHONLePdlZ-PyzlleJTzk8lz5MZhtURDhfmlgf62sGDeD8d87mBfOt-DZeT7tjCz53O8xofIpmjVYodQ9C1J46ukBYYYjZjiesRPqpbPONE/s1600/20170416_161839.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV1SZyz07vyYa1SxbJhT41vmYwmphrbGiqFHONLePdlZ-PyzlleJTzk8lz5MZhtURDhfmlgf62sGDeD8d87mBfOt-DZeT7tjCz53O8xofIpmjVYodQ9C1J46ukBYYYjZjiesRPqpbPONE/s320/20170416_161839.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We pulled of the Savannah Way, just outside of Georgetown, at site of the Cumberland Gold Mine and settlement. The mine was famous for extracting capital from it's London investors for ever diminishing gold for each ton of ore mined. Just the chimney for the boilers and lake remain as a reserve for birds (and a few cattle). A curious lizard came out of the undergrowth to check us out.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikhzHumZu35oC68eNghaX04P05VezcAs9BQapDeQPgn5_PutVtZTek3rTy7HmOg0AP7GSW56lmzAMFSs8iin3JgAK48K9PeJk9Nrzd-oQMg1ZMzbMTt_nat7v7BzyUl5tFVAZv3aNAd10/s1600/20170416_164230.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikhzHumZu35oC68eNghaX04P05VezcAs9BQapDeQPgn5_PutVtZTek3rTy7HmOg0AP7GSW56lmzAMFSs8iin3JgAK48K9PeJk9Nrzd-oQMg1ZMzbMTt_nat7v7BzyUl5tFVAZv3aNAd10/s320/20170416_164230.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnhGy9oarOWb238qKLK4shXvZKItkXcxCKiJghhrCa8yOzVNaj6bxBkDW-EYbekKDVjZ9Tmo03dgO39aW9b4Ep9qa76Qt1ALRhsEeORMyHqPg4LMFgYNSGCc4ltFrdsolVF5J-9iK8ZXg/s1600/20170416_164705.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnhGy9oarOWb238qKLK4shXvZKItkXcxCKiJghhrCa8yOzVNaj6bxBkDW-EYbekKDVjZ9Tmo03dgO39aW9b4Ep9qa76Qt1ALRhsEeORMyHqPg4LMFgYNSGCc4ltFrdsolVF5J-9iK8ZXg/s320/20170416_164705.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNKK8C7jgwl-uOsqDGLuQuU1P79qThhqGYBpWDwgL4ETjVu6gLlYNYJ2FwzHYbhruErEttv6rgJ586jqJwSSkP_ylv3ydNM0hSiqv6WqT94gU_YK9M05tuBNaZFcocmjCK7hoWbpcTzHo/s1600/20170416_165923.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNKK8C7jgwl-uOsqDGLuQuU1P79qThhqGYBpWDwgL4ETjVu6gLlYNYJ2FwzHYbhruErEttv6rgJ586jqJwSSkP_ylv3ydNM0hSiqv6WqT94gU_YK9M05tuBNaZFcocmjCK7hoWbpcTzHo/s320/20170416_165923.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The pub's kitchen in Georgetown was closed for Easter and so we cooked up a storm in the campground, washed it down with a bottle of red and half a bottle of Johnny Walker around the mini-fireplace. Today's destination is Atherton Tablelands behind Cairns.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Antipodean Mariners </div>The Antipodean Marinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07634447361115609766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5495501381449242270.post-68178195842665224252017-04-15T20:41:00.001+10:002017-04-16T07:30:41.434+10:00Tropic heat<p dir="ltr">We have moved from Nevada-like desert dry to tropical wet in just two days. After a quick pack and the morning at the Mt Isa Experience, we didn't hit the highway until about 11:00 and made Cloncurry about 12:30. The local Woolies provided with us with a healthy lunch of Caesar salad, cabinosi and orange juice in the local park.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The temperatures on the road have been a steady 34C and we are taking water stops every hour or so to stretch. Heading north from Cloncurry, we had to keep a weather eye out for Brahman cattle, wallabies and the occasional lizard on the lightly trafficed Developmntal Road to Normanton.</p>
<p dir="ltr">We got in just on sunset, and had a slow setup talking bikes with a fellow traveller who had ridden around South America over a year. Normanton has thousands of small (baby) cane toads clustered around any light source, all competing for a meal of the flying bugs.</p>
<p dir="ltr">They threw us out of the Purple Pub at 8pm closing, and we came back and <u>had</u> a swim in the dark - the perfect end to a long, hot day on the road. I had to throw the tent fly off in the middle of the night to get some breeze through and it was 29C at dawn this morning. </p>
<p dir="ltr">We'll skip through Karumba and then pick up the Savanah Way to Georgetown. Two weeks today since we rode out from Melbourne. </p>
<p dir="ltr">The Antipodean Mariners</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3aQv7tqjW_HSiBGVbHg0MFMI37EEwak_y6ibBjqNY0vLl4qP1L7VgOdQv_KmQVMLeewOZ3zq28ALijU5UW9YfxDDg_e6o5TEz5rxICvn6S0-axsWq8LczYKZ0YL0EQPPI1BV7I0VQE4g/s1600/20170415_124700.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3aQv7tqjW_HSiBGVbHg0MFMI37EEwak_y6ibBjqNY0vLl4qP1L7VgOdQv_KmQVMLeewOZ3zq28ALijU5UW9YfxDDg_e6o5TEz5rxICvn6S0-axsWq8LczYKZ0YL0EQPPI1BV7I0VQE4g/s320/20170415_124700.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgbPZicvn7aosiMo8WNh7IqOFJOxH9GgTIk91Oc9Wl_pzpcjbbT2LjFW_p0hrjO8_QuK54edCLgLi4DmYIxJ7TVt03wPauOWpgiezY4tJ1EGZtpZN2Gi4DQs_NBJVHapXKKpF_QA8m1cI/s1600/20170415_170111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgbPZicvn7aosiMo8WNh7IqOFJOxH9GgTIk91Oc9Wl_pzpcjbbT2LjFW_p0hrjO8_QuK54edCLgLi4DmYIxJ7TVt03wPauOWpgiezY4tJ1EGZtpZN2Gi4DQs_NBJVHapXKKpF_QA8m1cI/s320/20170415_170111.jpg"> </a> </div>The Antipodean Marinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07634447361115609766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5495501381449242270.post-29483989879917264532017-04-15T06:41:00.001+10:002017-04-15T07:11:23.260+10:00Crossing over<p dir="ltr">Yesterday's run from Barkly Roadhouse to the Queensland border was the first time that I have used the term 'boring'.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The lush, high grass and trees of the Barkly Tableland abruptly stopped at the Soudan Well, giving way to kilometres of open, brown grasslands. A road sign proclaimed that this was the beginning of the catchment for Lake Eyre in SA, and it was hard to tell whether the country changed or whether this was as a result of the bush being cleared for cattle grazing.</p>
<p dir="ltr">It was hot - 34 to 35C most of the day - and we met a cyclist riding from Townsville to Perth at one of the roadside rest stops. He was looking for shelter for the night, and we gave him the bad news that there was not a tree in sight for next 100km. We were drenching down our tees and jeans wherever we could find a water tank, the evaporative cooling at 120km/h nice for about the 40 or so minutes it took to be completely dry again.</p>
<p dir="ltr">We crossed into Queenland just before 15:00 and took the obligatory border photo. Passing through Camooweal, the country got hilly and the roads got windy just out of Mt Isa, and we rolled into the mining town just before 17:00. Good Friday, and everywhere was shut. Took our first (unplanned) 'alchohol free' day and had to make do with two chicken curry and rice ration packs in the caravan park.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The weather is changing, with the cold, dry desert mornings giving way to milder and slightly more humid dawns. Today heading to Cloncurry and then north to Normanton and Karumba, a port town on the Gulf of Carpentaria. The burramundi are running, and the fishermen are flocking there to get up in to the mangrove tributaries.</p>
<p dir="ltr">We have been on the road for two weeks now - chronologically half way. Yesterday's run 450km, 4,936km behind us as we ride out for Cloncurry.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The Antipodean Mariners</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA412eko5uLhqQCHDLM91qcW9mrEDha4qJDjaDjPiEOkSjaagmJ7HIN2tTz_pBXKVpCheslsc85MDOTGEzfPcYTLed6bidkZPsYjm5kz0WJpoWlrTYhUOAai3TYMaEbwT07vnltgL-4po/s1600/20170414_141241.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA412eko5uLhqQCHDLM91qcW9mrEDha4qJDjaDjPiEOkSjaagmJ7HIN2tTz_pBXKVpCheslsc85MDOTGEzfPcYTLed6bidkZPsYjm5kz0WJpoWlrTYhUOAai3TYMaEbwT07vnltgL-4po/s320/20170414_141241.jpg"> </a> </div>The Antipodean Marinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07634447361115609766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5495501381449242270.post-16827826145347600922017-04-13T19:25:00.001+10:002017-04-14T10:17:31.482+10:00Eastbound<p dir="ltr">Yesterday was another day of big kilometres and high speeds as we try to claw back some days after Uluru and Kings Canyon. We have made the decision to abandon the Tablelands Highway from Cape Crawford to Barky Station, and have instead turned right at Threeways NT and are eastbound for Queensland.</p><p dir="ltr">We stopped yesterday at the Rev. John Flynn Memorial at Threeways NT. John Flynn was the founder of the Inland Mission Service and the Royal Flying Doctor Service. John Flynn's life was biographically researched and published by my late father-in-law, Dr Scott McPheat, and Flynn's life was a big part of Ali's family's history as well.</p><p dir="ltr">We met a fascinating character at Barkly Roadhouse in Peter, an Aussie living in London and reconnecting with the land of his birth by circumnavigation of the continent on a Honda CB125. Starting in Perth and crossing the Nullabor, he is now heading north to Darwin at a steady 65 km/h and will ride through the Pilbara back to the start point. Proof that you can see a lot with very little in the way of equipment and possessions. </p><p dir="ltr">The Roadhouse is an oasis of grass and shelter trees, and has been one of the best stops on the road trip. Today's target is Mt Isa, about 520 km.</p><p dir="ltr">The Antipodean Mariners</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLC8vP7AyGNcPvmdnD1eXrnbykmVa8jqXXX4rSGWe0O5ZFWDe_Wp7ht5o07jdsPm4S8BS27rWG0apfaAz2GL_7eFdlTBylHHPy3mqEl2dGqUDFxYVoPkQWFCLDYLQewCoGjYfpAa1-SZ0/s1600/20170413_063028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLC8vP7AyGNcPvmdnD1eXrnbykmVa8jqXXX4rSGWe0O5ZFWDe_Wp7ht5o07jdsPm4S8BS27rWG0apfaAz2GL_7eFdlTBylHHPy3mqEl2dGqUDFxYVoPkQWFCLDYLQewCoGjYfpAa1-SZ0/s320/20170413_063028.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The view from my tent yesterday morning</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Z4NfChuPmPRJkHM6d7CZZVagtB7KFwiS1FYq37a1uO4BStszbCAWSxWJugGQFdY9XJBX6-LBzH-6ccipcEeFrmkQ4rmPamibkxaAokZXmhU5Qt8E2KYeUByXHLsSihRNp98YFAp6yW0/s1600/20170413_124014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Z4NfChuPmPRJkHM6d7CZZVagtB7KFwiS1FYq37a1uO4BStszbCAWSxWJugGQFdY9XJBX6-LBzH-6ccipcEeFrmkQ4rmPamibkxaAokZXmhU5Qt8E2KYeUByXHLsSihRNp98YFAp6yW0/s320/20170413_124014.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Devils Marbles</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA3d7A_Ni4Pu4qLzowqRDBwaPgnaNrWCwgdFCSDfdmREJ-6QK1XPipte7ycvxAsmTntkTRzPr985_2M9K8sx40JNWcgGzR3SqyZnet9gDhaFPK0ztxfOEeeOsb8sbWa1pcBdsGv_yj_VE/s1600/20170413_123156.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA3d7A_Ni4Pu4qLzowqRDBwaPgnaNrWCwgdFCSDfdmREJ-6QK1XPipte7ycvxAsmTntkTRzPr985_2M9K8sx40JNWcgGzR3SqyZnet9gDhaFPK0ztxfOEeeOsb8sbWa1pcBdsGv_yj_VE/s320/20170413_123156.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3uePr3YpLNM1zZiYLurk6tulKI65HfFq5ybhxlvm1K6K2ifgIq4lMAB6m-bl9BUcXTPZvX8HHQb2OR_ludREcCPfqDsTiJSzYyItVOM4QdCbeka4pemNiHHKVDh07kR6od9PsIn79nMo/s1600/20170413_152453.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3uePr3YpLNM1zZiYLurk6tulKI65HfFq5ybhxlvm1K6K2ifgIq4lMAB6m-bl9BUcXTPZvX8HHQb2OR_ludREcCPfqDsTiJSzYyItVOM4QdCbeka4pemNiHHKVDh07kR6od9PsIn79nMo/s320/20170413_152453.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Rev. John Flynn Memorial - founder of the Flying Doctor Service</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd97w_u2XMJrm2O1cOlXvg5xTI_7DQKJle1FqX1hG-_aSYl_OL-jDE-93IUg_B5MO2Wa2nZx3EtMEhbD_ARTu6mk1dKL9ZDKdOD0WH-zjnHURSq5MMPSzPRJUJx8i9W3kPP465STC9QCc/s1600/20170413_152521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd97w_u2XMJrm2O1cOlXvg5xTI_7DQKJle1FqX1hG-_aSYl_OL-jDE-93IUg_B5MO2Wa2nZx3EtMEhbD_ARTu6mk1dKL9ZDKdOD0WH-zjnHURSq5MMPSzPRJUJx8i9W3kPP465STC9QCc/s320/20170413_152521.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguPKvN0CV-lzMUljcusFeCpgvT2me0-YakPvUmRCQsOqJSoSRXlXZC5j0-FJRFSDBSezAvfsgl3YAfPHJYmhmbytTcjRBz0Lm0VEeL1WNLb4nDkwCZQDvNhRU9Bg_vRJUFiGHDP78TvWU/s1600/20170414_085449.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguPKvN0CV-lzMUljcusFeCpgvT2me0-YakPvUmRCQsOqJSoSRXlXZC5j0-FJRFSDBSezAvfsgl3YAfPHJYmhmbytTcjRBz0Lm0VEeL1WNLb4nDkwCZQDvNhRU9Bg_vRJUFiGHDP78TvWU/s320/20170414_085449.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Peter, riding a Honda CB125 around Australia</div>The Antipodean Marinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07634447361115609766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5495501381449242270.post-5138017749722382332017-04-12T18:38:00.001+10:002017-04-12T18:38:56.403+10:00Aileron NT<p dir="ltr">Not much to blog today. We had a late start from Erldunda Roadhouse, and groceries to buy in Alice Springs before the larger towns dry up in the NT. Alice was well stocked and we were only stopped for about an hour. The roads are soooo straight that we resorted to slow slaloms along the centreline. Speed limit is 130km/h and we were overtaken a few times by even quicker locals.</p>
<p dir="ltr">We skipped lunch and the next road house at Aileron appeared on the horizon at 16:00 as the shadows were getting longer. Two other riders heading south were stopped for the night and told us that the next two towns north were pretty rough.</p>
<p dir="ltr">We have set up shop in a nice grassy spot, made a cuppa and set out for Tennant Creek for tomorrow.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The Antipodean Mariners <br>
3,898km in</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcmgzwU5By3_bw7DnspsdGC-iBEVOmuOMyZhmCeMj2lIsClemrforOn63RBejIc7XMzvltBi7hbJpsukk8rYp1CX2mx4Pv5UJUzcMN_E3tt4NHOaKFiyeDNpYsDOn3f4_CRddYGMAU9T0/s1600/20170412_174045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcmgzwU5By3_bw7DnspsdGC-iBEVOmuOMyZhmCeMj2lIsClemrforOn63RBejIc7XMzvltBi7hbJpsukk8rYp1CX2mx4Pv5UJUzcMN_E3tt4NHOaKFiyeDNpYsDOn3f4_CRddYGMAU9T0/s320/20170412_174045.jpg"> </a> </div>The Antipodean Marinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07634447361115609766noreply@blogger.com1