Kangaroos

[Pukmeister]

Hi to the Antipodean members (especially Motomartin). I'm bringing my GS with me to Perth in September and was wondering about the risks of riding at night, with wild Roos on the roads etc.

Do any of you ride at night ?

Do I need to be careful even in urban areas in case skippy and pals wants to try his luck with a bit of jaywalking ?

How safe is it ? My bike will be my main transport between the Rockingham suburbs and the Garden Island Naval Base where I'll be working, so any late shifts or unexpected late work will require night riding to get home.

I know it's a lot darker in Aus than the UK is at night once away from cities due to a lack of light pollution ( much too big a country to have street lighting everywhere), but I'd quite like to do a few bush camp outs and trail rides.

I don't fancy crossing the path of a Road train, my guess is they stop for no one.

 

[Pukmeister]

Bump ???

 

[GSwadd]

Hi Puke.

The worst times for Roo's are early hours of the morning and dusk which are the hardest times to spot them anyway. Mostly they graze on the fresh grass on the roadsides and get startled by your approach and bolt for the light where they can see....generally yours. You can buy little stick on whistle things that you can't hear but are supposed to alert them before you get there. You just need to keep alert for movement off to the sides of the road and be ready with the brakes. I have lived in country areas all my life and have had a few frights but nothing serious. In urban areas you don't need to worry about them as they are not roaming our streets as everyone thinks. Wild pigs could be a bigger threat depending on location as they are black as midnight anyway! Don't know Perth area well enough to comment on your route as all my experience is based in North Queensland.

Hope all goes well with the move.

 

[Pukmeister]

Cheers GSwadd, that puts my mind at rest after all the early morning roadkill I saw in QLD last Easter. I was expecting evening and night riding to be a complete no-go after seeing the bits of roo all over the road.

3 weeks to go until we fly, getting restless and a bit scared now.

 

[cookie]

don't mention the spiders.

 

[kevhdr3]

I had Roo shoos on my bike when i toured OZ in 96/97 (36000kms) & rode past Roos at the side of the road who took no notice. I wouldnt ride at night in the outback/bush but others mite know better. As for road trains if they are coming the other way pull over & let them pass most people do its safer & wont cost you much time . Apart from that have a great time i did .
Kev

 

[(RIP) Kaister]

hi adam

i've no idea -sorry - but where i live theres lots more wildlife around at just before dusk and dawn.

once its gone dark they all go to beddy-byes.

i'm sure the locals will put you right as it depends on your exact location and route relative to 'roo habitat.

you really don't want to be hitting a roo.

 

[ausgsa12]

Brisbane to Perth via Darwin

Gday Adam and other OZ riders, arrived in Perth friday met Nat from LWD forum and stayed at his place went to bike show saturday and met other LWD'ers.
Had a top road trip 8200 klms if i had a dollar for every dead roo and cattle i seen i could have a shed full of new bikes..seriously!. I had a bunch of horses run across the road 50 metres in front of me in Kakadu in NT and heaps of roos in Western Qld in the day time which is unusual.the main worry on the trip was cattle as aprox 6000klms is unfenced road,i did about 600klms of night riding at 60klms per hour in the Pilbara any faster would be suicidal. If you hit a roo or cow at night and are injured you may have to wait a very very long time to get help let alone medical attention.they had a fatal up north recently when a wild camel strayed onto the road.. and the black cattle are very hard to see at night.Will post a few more pics over the next couple of days.Both photos taken in the Kimberly WA.The GSA ran sweet and now has 43000 very enjoyable klms on it.Cheers... Geoff

[/IMG]

 

[GSwadd]

Errr...yes, did I forget to mention a lot of country areas have unfenced paddocks for cattle and sheep? Mostly you ride across a cattle grid (a small bridge made from railway lines at right angles to the road with gaps between so cattle can't cross it) in a fence-line and then you are on your own with the cattle, sheep, goats, roos, wallabies, wild pigs, emus, wombats, dingos, etc.... Just stay alert and try not to travel so much at dusk and dawn.

Who mentioned the spiders? Or the Tiapans... King Browns... Tiger Snakes.... Black Snakes.... Death Adders...

 

[Triton]

Hi Adam,

Everything that has been said above is true but on a more local level .... Around Rockinham you are fine only dogs, cats and kids and for the most part even heading north into Freo or Perth is the same. However, GI itself is one of the only habitats of the Tammar - this is a small Kangaroo thing about a foot high and closely related to the lemming for its suicidal tendencies! And the operate in Pairs. They are regulars on the 10km run into the base (once you are physically on the island) and again come out at dusk. They are to be expected throughout the night too. They are no issue for a car and probably no problem for the bike as long as they don't knock you off balance.

If you go south Margret River way - great country but popular with skippy and his mates at night as well.

Best bet is to aim to be in a pub from about 4:30 till 7am

Shayne

 

[ausgsa12]

Gday Triton,thats very sound advice its always good to wash down that dust with a few ales at the end of the day....Cheers

 

[Tiger2]

I love W.A, mostly up the top end around Newman (Pilbara).
Many a great day, and night spent riding till you ran out of gas.
Old man use to go mad at us for that.
Open garage, get bike out..recall it being some yam 80cc dirtbike, and away we went. Miles of nowt, then a friggin roo.
Mind you they make a good meal if the roadtrain or plane couldn't get through the flooded rivers or land at the washed out runway (road, back then 70's)
Lucky gits, told my little lady when we have cash(never) were off on a road trip around Oz

 

[slojon]

The biggest danger is a common one to us all no matter where we live, car drivers.
However, don't ride at dusk or too close to dawn if you are in a rural area, or Canberra. If you are on a visit why ride then anyway when you can't see the world go by. You should be in a pub having a beer and meeting the locals. Roos are bad, cattle, sheep, horses, camels are worse, wombats are really bad.

 

[Steve the Kiwi]

I worked in th forestry in WA working 12 hour days so was always driving home / work in the dark. I must have hit 6-7 roos in 3 months and saw them on a daily basis. This is in scrub though not near town etc. I swerved a little to try and miss one once - the bastard dented my door where he hit so from then on i used my "roo bar" on the land cruiser as it was intended and just drove on... if they were in my way then boof! ( a lot of accidents happen when people swerve a bit too much.)
Can't say I'd be keen to hit a 60kg roo on the motorbike!eek

 

[Jaws100]

an when they hit the booze .....................