Uluru

We have spent a layday at Uluru, taking in the vast monolith which dominates the landscape from every angle. Plenty has been written about Uluru - when you're standing in its shadow it is truly breathtaking.

We had an easy ride from Erldunda Roadhouse via Curtin Springs (the Owner wanted to call the Station Stalin Springs - he was a big fan of Joe's - and was persuaded by his sons to go for something a little less controversial), and arrived in Yulara, the Uluru resort town, early afternoon. Peak season has yet to start but the place is packed. Bruce and I got up at 5am to get a quiet spot for the sunrise on Uluru, and were rewarded (through not following the road directions) in having a quiet layby to ourselves.

In the pre-dawn, we could identify the planets Mercury and Venus, with Mars setting in the west. The sunrise was spectacular - one more ticked off the Bucket List. We walked right around Uluru, 10.8km in the morning cool. I rode out to Kala Tjulu (The Olgas) this afternoon and walked up one of the canyons. Totally different geology from Uluru. I did a really short detour on to the dirt road to West Australia, beating a hasty retreat back to tarseal lest I end up with 310kg of road bike on its side in the bulldust.

Tomorrow we will break camp and ride to Kings Gorge for the night - the days picked up riding up from SA are coming in handy now.

The Antipodean Mariners

Uluru

Space

It's hard to decribe the sense of space of Central Australia, the change in our environment yesterday from coastal to outback has been breathtaking. Going back through my photos last night I realised that sending Snapchats to family had left me with just one usable shot.

We doubled our mileage yesterday, making it through to Coober Pedy after 550km. A relaxed ride out from Port Augusta had us in Woomera by midday. Woomera was the post-War centre for the British Empire's rocket development and testing programme, and at its peak housed thousands of scientists, military personnel and their families in what must have been one of the most locations on the planet. The museum really engages the visitor and documents when Australia was at the forefront of Cold War research and development. 

Well before Pimba and Woomera, we passed huge white salt pans. Lake Hart forms part of the Woomera Defence Area and cover thousands of square kilometres, contrasting the gently contoured bushland with a whitewashed sea. I had a 'Priscilla' moment when the Walkman played a track by Baroque opera singer Simone Kermes as I rode across the horizon-to-horizon low bushland.

We were pushing the envelope when we rolled into Coober Pedy on sunset. Speed dropped for the last hour as the local fauna became more active - we saw two emus along the roadside and a few head of cattle. Luxuriously accommodated in an underground hotel, dug into the sandstone where the temperatures are constant year round. Today's target is the Eldoundra Roadhouse, turnoff for Uluru and 463 km from Coober Pedy.

The Antipodean Mariners

Coober Pedy

Jumping off

Sitting in Port Augusta as the light fades, we prepare for tomorrow's 'jumping off' - our last major outpost before Cairns in about two weeks time. Today's kilometres have been another easy day, just 208 km plus the two hour ferry trip from Wallaroo to Cowell. We stopped in Whyalla and took in the town and steel mill from Hummock Hill lookout. Whyalla had a thriving shipbuilding industry from WWII to the late 1970's, and both Bruce and I sailed on BHP-built ships in our seagoing careers. The Maritime Museum has the first vessel built - HMAS Whyalla - preserved as a static display 2 km from the foreshore where she was launched in 1941. Bikes are running like a dream, weather is good and temperatures bearable. Tomorrow's destination is Woomera and the rocket testing range. Another easy day and then some serious distance to Coober Pedy.

The Antipodean Mariners

Bound for South Australia

Strickly speaking we have already made South Australia, but this is my favourite sea shanty from the era of the square-rigged sailing ships.

We crossed in to South Australia passing Nelson on the Victorian border and followed the coast north through the Southern Ports precinct of Beachport, Robe and Kingston - all founded in the early 1800's, peaked in the age of coastal shipping then faded away with rail and road transportation. Most continue as tourist curiosities and fishing ports.

Beachport's 700m jetty

We ran along the Cooyong wetlands, formed as a huge brackish lake network formed from the outflow of the Murray River. Great flocks of pelicans in V formations whirled over the lake shore as if preparing for winter migration. Overnighting in Meningee on the shore of Lake Albert, we upped camp and crossed South Australia to the Yorke Peninsula to Wallaroo in a day. Coastal salt marsh transformed into wheat belt and long straight roads took us through harvested fields and the occasional stubble burnoff on the horizon.

Paddlewheeler on the Murray River - Murray Bridge

Harvest in at Kadina SA

Overnighting in Wallaroo for the Sealink Ferry to Cowell in the morning and then a short hop to Port Augusta. This will be our stepping off point for the Red Centre and last chance for last minute purchases and final checks. Distance at end of Day 3 - 1,249km.

The Antipodean Mariners

Wallaroo SA

4th April 2017

Road trip pre-pack

Les than a week to go now, and the bikes (Triumph Trophy and BMW F800ST) are fully prepared for a month of riding. Serviced, fresh oil, new tyres and accessories fitted, there is just the pack and test ride fully loaded next weekend before we head west. Bruce, my co-rider, arrives in Melbourne on Friday evening.

Today has been an opportunity to pre-pack the camping gear which will ride behind me in a roll back. The camping kit will be the first off and last on the bike each day. Over-packing (too much kit) needs to be avoided at this stage of planning.

Camping kit: tent, stretcher, chair, gas cooker and pots, gas canister, trenching tool, collapsible fire stand, sleeping bag, pillow, micro-fibre towel, 5 litre fuel bladder and sleeping bag.

The top box and panniers will carry clothing, tools, electronics and basic rations. I have hired an EPIRB/Personal Locator Beacon which will relay a distress message and our GPS co-ordinates to RCC Canberra if we have an emergency in the Outback.

Seven more sleeps...

Antipodean Mariner
26th March 2017

Road Trip - the bikes

I can’t think of anything that excites a great sense of childlike wonder than to be in a country where you are ignorant of almost everything. - Bill Bryson

The planning for the road trip began conceptually in January when my end date, the 31st of March 2017, first appeared in my Redundancy Letter. The original plan was to do the ride solo, as I couldn't think of any one of my friends who could take a loosely-defined, month off work (and away from families) to indulge in this folly.

Road Trip Route Plan

But two weeks ago, friend did - a call out of the blue asking if I wanted a riding mate. Solo is good, but to be able to share the experience doubles the fun.

Australia's Wet Season (also the cyclone season) ends in April, so there is a slight chance that we'll get the tail of a tropical cyclone. However, the end of the wet season is likely to give us some of the best of Australia's Red Centre, as desert is transformed by the tropical rains to millions of square kilometres of bushland.

My riding buddy has entrusted me to buy him a bike for the trip, and 'we' have bought a 2011 BMW F800ST. The bike has the F800 panniers and will be fitted with a Givi V46 Top Box for extra carrying capacity.

The bikes - Triumph Trophy and BMW F800ST

The Trophy, as Mothership, has the Garmin Zumo GPS, Personal Locator Beacon and CB UHF radio. The next installment will be the Packing List.

Antipodean Mariner
8th March 2017

The Right Bike

The Antipodean Mariner is pleased to unveil The Right Bike - a Triumph Tiger 1050 SE.

Showroom new and ready to ride out...

A little short of two years since buying the Street Triple, the AM was faced with something of a perfect storm. Unexpected 'money from America' provided the means and circumstance provided the opportunity to showroom cruise, test ride and finally haggle a deal which put a new bike in the stable. Even at 51, the rush of riding away on a new bike with zero kilometres can't be beaten.

Headwaters of Lake Eildon, Victoria

Financially, trading the Street Triple probably realised the worst of depreciation but with youngest starting High School next year any more new bikes may a decade away.

The 'Tiger runs the same 1050 cc triple cylinder engine/transmission as the Sprint and, in the SE package, comes with ABS brakes, panniers, gel seat, centre stand and hand guards. Power delivery is sublime, riding position upright and appetite for tarmac huge. With 17 inch wheels it is no dirt bike - this niche is being filled by the Triumph Tiger Explorer 1200 released this year. It even commutes well!

Stripped bare

Five weeks in and 3,000 km on the clock, can't wipe the grin off my face yet.

AM

Triumph

No shipping content in this post but still a subject the AM likes to blog on.

Readers will know that the AM bought a Triumph Street Triple in 2010. Melbourne's Triumph dealership organised a ride day last month with all the current models. Originally booked was the new Tiger 800 adventure tourer and the 2.4 litre Rocket III, but this was unavailable on the day and subbed for an old school Bonneville T100.

Bonnie T100

First ride was the Bonnie, and a real surprise on how smooth the 865cc parallel twin engine is and how civilised a ride the was on the 16km city circuit. The twin doesn't have the fire breathing acceleration of the triples but was perfect as a commuter and weekend rides. With the lack of rider protection, it would probably be limited as a tourer but the ergonomics make it a worthy choice if you're not into Harleys or the metric cruiser scene. The AM was caught out by the fast idle on the dummy carb EFI blocks of the cold Bonnie, realising after about four sets of lights that it wasn't supposed to idle at 2,000 rpm.

The second ride was the new Tiger 800, released last year to complement the Tiger 1050. The 800's engine is derived from the Steer Triple's 675 and that's just what it felt like - a hotrod street bike engine in a trail bike frame. The acceleration is wicked, even with the detuned engine and it loves to rev. Best environment for this bike is windy, country roads at extreme lean angles. It's not as extreme as a motard, but tempts the rider to brake late and lean hard.

Thanks to Peter Stevens for organising the day and the logistics of getting the 20 or so riders signed up, breath tested and on bikes by 10:00 on a Saturday morning. On the basis of 3 years and about 30,000 km between bikes it will be end-2013 before the AM is back in the market again. Eldest is just about to get their full license and it looks like the Bank of Dad will be financing a used 600 Kawasaki ER-6n.

AM