Lodgings around OZ

[Keef Cambs]

Hi gbags.

Glad to hear that your still planning on heading to far flung lands.

I think that we enjoyed the west more than the built up east. North of Perth around and up into the Nothern Territory. Although we went around the other way.
The big emptiness of the place was stunning.
We enjoyed the trip to The Horizontal Waterfall.
Camping at road houses.
Kings Canyon just down the road from Ularu was a high light too.
A visit to a V8 Supercar race was up there, if that’s your thing. And Bathurst race track is a public road so you can ride the legendary circuit for free. The adjoining museum was brilliant..again, if that your thing.
Tasmania was fantastic. A 12 hour ferry ride from Melbourne.
Most of the people we met were friendly and laid back (obvious stereotype I know).

You probably know that you’ll need a carnet. I found it a painful process to get road insurance for the bikes. Each state has a different approach to foreign vehicles. New South Wales gave the compulsory third party cover free of charge if you enter there but I never actually found out if that was valid in the other states and territories.
The comprehensive element was easy to purchase from a broker as they just go on the make and model of the bike and its value.
Luckily we never needed to claim so all was good.
The bike will need to be spotless on entry, MotoFreight helped out with that and we had no problems. Sea freight was a good price but we paid the same again in fees on arrival so airfreight would have been about the same price. That was in 2018 though.

New Zealand was much easier if you fancy going there as well while you’re down there. We used GT Logistics in Auckland who were superb.

Sorry, I’m rambling. Australia was brilliant. I don’t think that it’d be possible to not enjoy it.
Be sure to post pictures if, sorry, when you go.

All the best.

I am planning to ship my GS to OZ then on to NZ next year - any tips for lodgings around OZ and did you have any close encounters ref fuel stations distance ?

—————-

Moved.

Richard

 

[Wapping]

any tips for lodgings around OZ….

It’s a big place, you might well need to narrow it down a bit.

PS Rather than dig up a year old thread, there is a separate sub-section for accommodation.

Understandably perhaps, the Australian accommodation sub-section doesn’t see as much traffic as say, “Tell me and my six mates, great digs in Walsall”, but it’s there for you to use.



PS To answer your second question:

In Australia, the longest sealed bitumen road travel distance between petrol stations is often cited as the stretch along the Eyre Highway in Western Australia, particularly between the towns of Nullarbor and Eucla. This stretch can be around 200-300 kilometers (approximately 124-186 miles) without a petrol station, depending on the specific route taken. Travelers are advised to plan refueling carefully and carry extra fuel when traversing remote areas like this. Always check current conditions and available services, as they can change.

 

[OnHellas]

I am planning to ship my GS to OZ then on to NZ next year - any tips for lodgings around OZ and did you have any close encounters ref fuel stations distance ?

I’ve put a link here to my trip report from back when we did a similar thing to you.
7 months in Australia and 4 in NZ.

As for accommodation….sometimes there wasn’t much of a choice. Especially in the outback. I’d say definitely take a tent.
Roadhouses generally have a campground and we’re OK in our experience.
We registered for their free healthcare too. I can’t remember how and where but it might be in my trip report.
Also a ‘membership’ card for the commercial camping company (Top 10 I think) was worth the money.
Booking.com was our friend too.

I’ve put the link to the NZ part of our trip too. I think that there is info for the shipping company that we used (GT Logistics I think) from Aus to NZ and onward from NZ to the USA.
MotoFreight did the UK Aus and USA to UK shipping for us. 10/10 for both companies.

An Australian lap attempt.....anti clockwise - Adventure Bike Rider Forum

New Zealand...4 wheels good, 2 wheels better? - Adventure Bike Rider Forum

 

[OnHellas]

Fuel stations.
The longest distance between fuel on our trip was about 180 miles. Not a problem for our F800GSs, especially at 55/60 MPH.
However, we carried a RotoPax fuel can with the potential for another 5 litres (ish) which we filled numerous times but never actually needed to get us out of trouble.
Nice to have the option as a back up though.
As a rule we would fill up before we needed to just in case the next fuel stop was closed/dry/whatever.

I hope that that is some kind of help/useful in your planning.

 

[OnHellas]

It’s a big place, you might well need to narrow it down a bit.

PS Rather than dig up a year old thread, there is a separate sub-section for accommodation.

Understandably perhaps, the Australian accommodation sub-section doesn’t see as much traffic as say, “Tell me and my six mates, great digs in Walsall”, but it’s there for you to use.



PS To answer your second question:

Hence me suggesting carrying extra fuel capacity.
The Nullabor wasn’t a problem, or boring as many people say. Even the longest straight bit of road.

You’ll also find that people help each other in the remote places. Being so remote you have to rely on each other so your extra fuel may end up helping someone else.

 

[Vulpine2]

Top 10 alos operates in NZ. And when in NZ, join the 'Bunk a Biker' FB group. Yet to try it but looks promising - I hope to report back in a month or two...

 

[Keef Cambs]

Hey really appreciate the tips - I’ve got a cost of shipping the bike looks about £1500 each way ish still got to firm up on the Oz to NZ bit - or is there an advantage ship Uk to NZ then nz to oz then Oz to Uk ???

My goal is to circle the whole of Oz inc Taz then into NZ north and South Island - then back to the UK - gotta be done am 67 next year time is a ticking - again to all thanks for the tips and helpful pointers - have started a note book so jotting bits down here and there - looking to work out best time not go not to cold to hot and not raining thanks again Keef

 

[Greg Masters]

Don't even think about camping. There are too many things is Australia that would kill you for being near them.

This includes the newly discovered 'Big Boy' (Atrax Christenseni) - a giant version of the world's deadliest spider, the Funnel Web.

In the north, always assume that there is a croc in every piece of water bigger than a puddle.

Don't swim in the sea - sharks, crocs, box jellyfish, stone fish etc etc.

Snakes are everywhere.

Cane toads are poisonous.

Red back spiders hide under toilet seats.

Kanagroos will jump out in front of you when riding.

Don't ride at night - you'll be stopping to clean the bugs off your visor every 5 miles.

Other than that, it's a great country!

 

[Santa-2512]

Don't even think about camping. There are too many things is Australia that would kill you for being near them.

This includes the newly discovered 'Big Boy' (Atrax Christenseni) - a giant version of the world's deadliest spider, the Funnel Web.

In the north, always assume that there is a croc in every piece of water bigger than a puddle.

Don't swim in the sea - sharks, crocs, box jellyfish, stone fish etc etc.

Snakes are everywhere.

Cane toads are poisonous.

Red back spiders hide under toilet seats.

Kanagroos will jump out in front of you when riding.

Don't ride at night - you'll be stopping to clean the bugs off your visor every 5 miles.

Other than that, it's a great country!

Spring loaded marsupials, is how the locals describe Roo's, and there big mean nasty feckers so stay the feck away from them

If a sign says there is / are dangerous animals beyond a certain point / area, dont adopt the brit "it will be ok" mentality

trust me there will be !!

 

[Greg Masters]

If a sign says there is / are dangerous animals beyond a certain point / area, dont adopt the brit "it will be ok" mentality

trust me there will be !!

A picture I took a year ago.

 

[EKIMYRF]

Don't even think about camping. There are too many things is Australia that would kill you for being near them.

This includes the newly discovered 'Big Boy' (Atrax Christenseni) - a giant version of the world's deadliest spider, the Funnel Web.

In the north, always assume that there is a croc in every piece of water bigger than a puddle.

Don't swim in the sea - sharks, crocs, box jellyfish, stone fish etc etc.

Snakes are everywhere.

Cane toads are poisonous.

Red back spiders hide under toilet seats.

Kanagroos will jump out in front of you when riding.

Don't ride at night - you'll be stopping to clean the bugs off your visor every 5 miles.

Other than that, it's a great country!

After living there for 25 years I can tell you the most dangerous creature in Australia by far is a pissed off Aussie wife

 

[Greg Masters]

After living there for 25 years I can tell you the most dangerous creature in Australia by far is a pissed off Aussie wife

I’ve seen a few on MAFS!

 

[John RTW]

If you stick to sealed roads you'll have no problem for fuel, if you go cross country like the Plenty Highway, you may find out some of the roadhouses have run out, sometimes this news is posted on a website or you might see a sign at the previous roadhouse. Always carry spare fuel and plenty of water! If you happen to have an accident you'll be happy to have spare water. The Aussies look after us regarding Hospitals and Doctors, no charge, regarding ambulances and air ambulances that's a grey matter, I think you'll definitely have to pay for an air ambulance out there, so get insurance if you can and the AA don't cover you for breakdowns in the bush. Skippy's, emu's and camels amongst other things are out to kill you on the road, they are not being friendly when they jump alongside you at the roadside, that's why the trucks have roo bars. Definitely don't swim anywhere unless you see the locals in there, unless they are aboriginal and then definitely stay clear as the crocs like to nibble on them. I did have to shout at a lass from Melbourne who missed all the warning signs to not swim due to big saltys, this was in Seisia, Cape York, such a shame as plenty of beautiful beaches up there. Tassie, is like a smaller version of the UK with plenty of rain so make sure you have your waterproofs for there. Plenty to see around Aus and make sure your bike is as clean as a new one, if not cleaner before sending. NZ is also a cracking place to go, although Aus makes both islands together look like the Isle of Wight. I think I had two years riding around Aus and still wanted more time to explore.

 

[ThreeDawg]

I am doing an Aus/NZ trip right now. We bought a bike in Aus (a 1200GS) and are renting in NZ. The costs for getting a bike across the Tasman can be considerable, but if you want to take your bike first to NZ you might want to contact New Zealand Motorcycle Adventures http://www.newzealandmotorcycleadventures.co.uk/. who will get your bike here cheaply. We used them and were very impressed a few years ago. Their prices are all inclusive - it can cost quite a lot to get your bike out of a port, so bear that in mind when comparing prices.

So far in Aus we have been from Sydney up the coast to Port Douglas, then down to Broken Hill and south to the Victorian high country (lovely) before heading back up to Sydney. That was 7 weeks and about 11000km. We booked ahead using an OTA (so we get Avios Points) without any difficulty, and prices are not too dissimilar to those in the UK. You do get a bit sick of bog standard motels though.

Next up, once we've finished the friends and family tiki-tour here in NZ it's back to Sydney for a month long trip to Tasmania then home.

Pay attention to the weather patterns...