Proper preparation prevents poor performance so they say, but when you embark on any adventure fate always has the last word in your destiny.
Ok, so I cheated the the first 12,000 miles and flew out of a cold UK winter into the warmer climes of a Sydney summer on 2 January 2012. Having spied a second-hand 1150GS for sale for some months via the excellent BMW Touring Club of NSW web site, I took it for a test ride only to find that the driveshaft was slipping. Despite the expertise of it owner (and BMW wizard) Graham Furgeson of Clubman M/cs of Tempe, a two-week wait for the replacement part to arrive from Europe was not on my intended schedule.
Week 1. Sydney to The Great Ocean Road (GOR)
I finally left Sydney and its 3 million inhabitants behind me on 21 January and started my clockwise trek on two wheels around this massive continent. The idea being that I would avoid most of the 'wet' season up north and gently aclimatise myself to the heat.
On the first day I crossed the Snowy Mountains via the, mostly gravel, road between Nowra and Cooma in pleasant 25.C sunshine. Not unlike a jaunt on a British summer's day; with plenty of trees to shade you from the sun.
Dropping down from the Great Dividing Range to Corrryong in Victoria the temperature shot up to 35.C; as if someone had opened the proverbial oven door.
Relief came on entering the alpine region around Bright. A skiing resort in the winter and paraglider's heaven in summer. This region is steeped in history surrounding the 1850s gold rush and abounds with all the stories that go with man's greed for the shiny stuff; from anti chinese-race riots to the poverty which most prospectors faced when they're dreams failed to materialise.
In the area South of Wangerratta Ned Kelly and his gang disregarded the law for many years until his luck ran out in 1880. At Glen Rowan a life-size diorama of his last stand at Annie Jones's hotel sits eerily on the edge of town.
Despite the hospitality of a couple in Melbourne, I only stayed an afternoon in this pretty city. It was an involuntary stay as my GS was temporarily barricaded-in to allow the annual Australia Day parade to pass by. That evening I raced south and arrived just in time to see the daily march of the penguins at Philip Island.
The ferry across Port Philip Bay from the Mornington cut out a long detour through Melbourne.
Ahead of me lay the Great Ocean Road. Built by returning soldiers from WW1, this road is a true feat of engineering and man's ability to overcome natural obstructions. It has everthing a motor cyclist could ask for stunning views and windy bends.
Week 2 G.O.R to Broken Hill
After being mesmerised by the beauty of the G.O.R. I headed inland at Warrnambool to get a taste of outback Australia; destination Cameron Corner.
Passing the towns of Penhurst, Ouyen, Mildura and Wentworth the countyside got steadily more arid until I reached the semi-desert area around Broken Hill. Broken Hill is famed for it's mineral wealth and a giant spoil heap, 300 feet high by 7 kms long, dominates the landscape for miles. Incongruously perched on top of the spoil heap is a cafe with great views.
I rested at Broken Hill for a day to take in the history of this isolated community. Just out of town in the village of Silverton is a museum run by Englishman Adrian Bennett and his wife dedicated to the Mad Max 2 movie.
The museum is a must for anyone who grew up in the 80s and saw these films. Most of the movie was filmed in the surrounding area.
Craving for even more outback adventure I topped up my supplies and headed north on the gravel road to Cameron Corner. In heat of 30.C plus I waited for the cooler evening air before setting off. Refreshed after over a week of non-stop travelling, I was well prepared for the arduous trek before me.
Contrary to popular belief this desert area was prone to road closures due to heavy rainfall. The penalty for being caught on a closed road can be anything up to $A1,000. Driving on such a road deteriorates the road even further thus the hefty fine.
For the four hours I rode that evening I only passed one other vehicle. Camping that night I got a true feeling of solitude in the Australian 'bush'. With a massive canvas of stars above my head, it is a memory that will stay with me long after the red dust has disappeared from my boots.
The Silver City Highway linking Broken Hill to Cameron Corner. Welcome to the Outback.
My fully-loaded GS. Note the missing TT oil & fuel bottles. TT has only one outlet Down-under, remarkable for a place which was made for adventure bike riding. I brought my own panniers & frames from the UK as these are both expensive top buy in Oz.
Before the sun gets too hot I 'kill' the 200 kms to Tibooburra, about half-way to Cameron Corner, before taking shelter from the midday heat. Fuel stops are notably few and far between in this part of the world and every drop of fuel is precious; this is also reflected in the price. In a typical urban area it's $A1.50 per ltr (£1/ltr), but out here its over $A2/ltr.
The riding is also hard and takes it's toll at the end of the day. The 200 kms is done 'up on the pegs' and in conditions ranging from gravel (more like ball bearings) to pure sand. Average speed is about 30 KmPH and you're aware that one slip could mean the end of the trip due to handlebar clutch or brake damage. 300 Kgs of bike & luggage is also hard to pick up on your own.
Another section of the Silver City Highway near Tibooburra
At 4pm it's back to the road, which from Tibooburra onwards is mostly sand. I slept well that night; I was exhausted.
Next morning, after a few kms of sand riding I reach Cameron Corner, a remote Roadhouse on a piece of land on the boundary of NSW, Queensland and South Australia. I rest for a few hours at the Roadhouse taking in a well deserved cooked-breakfast and chatting to the owners.
The GS never faultered in its first test of hard dirt riding and the oil level is as it was when I left Sydney.
Boundary demarcation plate at Cameron corner
From Cameron Corner the road west is closed, so it's back to Broken Hill on the 400 kms of dirt. 50 Kms out of Cameron Corner my attention is drawn to a roadside memorial to Bradley Holmes. A GS rider who died here a few years back in a freak accident when he thrown from his bike and it landed on top of him. Rest in peace Bradley.
Later in the day, still up on the pegs my concentration lapses for a few seconds and I'm on the deck, but the only damage is a broken indicator; I'm lucky. Two days later I'm back on the tarmac (and civilisation) at Broken Hill and well and truely done in. On the 5 February I celebrate my 49th year on the planet and splash out on a bottle of red wine.
A section of wild dog/dingo fence which runs around the state boundary of NSW. It's total length is in excess of 8,000 kms !
Week 3 Broken Hill to Coolgardie
Having recouperated from my Cameron Corner excursion it was a pleasure to be back on the flat black stuff and making progress west. Passing Port Augusta I started what was probably the most boring part of my trip; the Eyre Highway. The highway is the pre-curser of that other Australian feature the Nullabor. If the trip to Cameron Corner had been physically exhausting, then the Nullabor was a mental endurance test. The name is made up of two Latin words, 'Null' meaning nil and 'abor' relating to trees (as in aboratum).
Ok, so I cheated the the first 12,000 miles and flew out of a cold UK winter into the warmer climes of a Sydney summer on 2 January 2012. Having spied a second-hand 1150GS for sale for some months via the excellent BMW Touring Club of NSW web site, I took it for a test ride only to find that the driveshaft was slipping. Despite the expertise of it owner (and BMW wizard) Graham Furgeson of Clubman M/cs of Tempe, a two-week wait for the replacement part to arrive from Europe was not on my intended schedule.
Week 1. Sydney to The Great Ocean Road (GOR)
I finally left Sydney and its 3 million inhabitants behind me on 21 January and started my clockwise trek on two wheels around this massive continent. The idea being that I would avoid most of the 'wet' season up north and gently aclimatise myself to the heat.
On the first day I crossed the Snowy Mountains via the, mostly gravel, road between Nowra and Cooma in pleasant 25.C sunshine. Not unlike a jaunt on a British summer's day; with plenty of trees to shade you from the sun.
Dropping down from the Great Dividing Range to Corrryong in Victoria the temperature shot up to 35.C; as if someone had opened the proverbial oven door.
Relief came on entering the alpine region around Bright. A skiing resort in the winter and paraglider's heaven in summer. This region is steeped in history surrounding the 1850s gold rush and abounds with all the stories that go with man's greed for the shiny stuff; from anti chinese-race riots to the poverty which most prospectors faced when they're dreams failed to materialise.
In the area South of Wangerratta Ned Kelly and his gang disregarded the law for many years until his luck ran out in 1880. At Glen Rowan a life-size diorama of his last stand at Annie Jones's hotel sits eerily on the edge of town.
Despite the hospitality of a couple in Melbourne, I only stayed an afternoon in this pretty city. It was an involuntary stay as my GS was temporarily barricaded-in to allow the annual Australia Day parade to pass by. That evening I raced south and arrived just in time to see the daily march of the penguins at Philip Island.
The ferry across Port Philip Bay from the Mornington cut out a long detour through Melbourne.
Ahead of me lay the Great Ocean Road. Built by returning soldiers from WW1, this road is a true feat of engineering and man's ability to overcome natural obstructions. It has everthing a motor cyclist could ask for stunning views and windy bends.
Week 2 G.O.R to Broken Hill
After being mesmerised by the beauty of the G.O.R. I headed inland at Warrnambool to get a taste of outback Australia; destination Cameron Corner.
Passing the towns of Penhurst, Ouyen, Mildura and Wentworth the countyside got steadily more arid until I reached the semi-desert area around Broken Hill. Broken Hill is famed for it's mineral wealth and a giant spoil heap, 300 feet high by 7 kms long, dominates the landscape for miles. Incongruously perched on top of the spoil heap is a cafe with great views.
I rested at Broken Hill for a day to take in the history of this isolated community. Just out of town in the village of Silverton is a museum run by Englishman Adrian Bennett and his wife dedicated to the Mad Max 2 movie.
The museum is a must for anyone who grew up in the 80s and saw these films. Most of the movie was filmed in the surrounding area.
Craving for even more outback adventure I topped up my supplies and headed north on the gravel road to Cameron Corner. In heat of 30.C plus I waited for the cooler evening air before setting off. Refreshed after over a week of non-stop travelling, I was well prepared for the arduous trek before me.
Contrary to popular belief this desert area was prone to road closures due to heavy rainfall. The penalty for being caught on a closed road can be anything up to $A1,000. Driving on such a road deteriorates the road even further thus the hefty fine.
For the four hours I rode that evening I only passed one other vehicle. Camping that night I got a true feeling of solitude in the Australian 'bush'. With a massive canvas of stars above my head, it is a memory that will stay with me long after the red dust has disappeared from my boots.
The Silver City Highway linking Broken Hill to Cameron Corner. Welcome to the Outback.
My fully-loaded GS. Note the missing TT oil & fuel bottles. TT has only one outlet Down-under, remarkable for a place which was made for adventure bike riding. I brought my own panniers & frames from the UK as these are both expensive top buy in Oz.
Before the sun gets too hot I 'kill' the 200 kms to Tibooburra, about half-way to Cameron Corner, before taking shelter from the midday heat. Fuel stops are notably few and far between in this part of the world and every drop of fuel is precious; this is also reflected in the price. In a typical urban area it's $A1.50 per ltr (£1/ltr), but out here its over $A2/ltr.
The riding is also hard and takes it's toll at the end of the day. The 200 kms is done 'up on the pegs' and in conditions ranging from gravel (more like ball bearings) to pure sand. Average speed is about 30 KmPH and you're aware that one slip could mean the end of the trip due to handlebar clutch or brake damage. 300 Kgs of bike & luggage is also hard to pick up on your own.
Another section of the Silver City Highway near Tibooburra
At 4pm it's back to the road, which from Tibooburra onwards is mostly sand. I slept well that night; I was exhausted.
Next morning, after a few kms of sand riding I reach Cameron Corner, a remote Roadhouse on a piece of land on the boundary of NSW, Queensland and South Australia. I rest for a few hours at the Roadhouse taking in a well deserved cooked-breakfast and chatting to the owners.
The GS never faultered in its first test of hard dirt riding and the oil level is as it was when I left Sydney.
Boundary demarcation plate at Cameron corner
From Cameron Corner the road west is closed, so it's back to Broken Hill on the 400 kms of dirt. 50 Kms out of Cameron Corner my attention is drawn to a roadside memorial to Bradley Holmes. A GS rider who died here a few years back in a freak accident when he thrown from his bike and it landed on top of him. Rest in peace Bradley.
Later in the day, still up on the pegs my concentration lapses for a few seconds and I'm on the deck, but the only damage is a broken indicator; I'm lucky. Two days later I'm back on the tarmac (and civilisation) at Broken Hill and well and truely done in. On the 5 February I celebrate my 49th year on the planet and splash out on a bottle of red wine.
A section of wild dog/dingo fence which runs around the state boundary of NSW. It's total length is in excess of 8,000 kms !
Week 3 Broken Hill to Coolgardie
Having recouperated from my Cameron Corner excursion it was a pleasure to be back on the flat black stuff and making progress west. Passing Port Augusta I started what was probably the most boring part of my trip; the Eyre Highway. The highway is the pre-curser of that other Australian feature the Nullabor. If the trip to Cameron Corner had been physically exhausting, then the Nullabor was a mental endurance test. The name is made up of two Latin words, 'Null' meaning nil and 'abor' relating to trees (as in aboratum).
