The final leg

Day 24 Warburton to Tjukayirla

Repairing the front tyre. Note the “outback” jacking system – very effective.

In case you were thinking what a $90 / night “outback cabin” looked like. - Very luxurious and spacious and designer decorated - not!

  

We met up with a very interesting Dutch couple doing a 16000 Km trip around Ozz.

See their website

http://www.crisscroz.nl/home.html

  

10am tea break.

  

   

One of the guys taking time out during a tea stop to read a magazine. Must be in serious need of intelligent mental activity or something!

Advertising outback style.

RFDS landing strip just outside. Tjukayirla Roadhouse.

Met a real Sheriff (check the badge on his hat) on his way to setup court in Warburton.

The gates into the compound behind the Roadhouse.

Doing a quick repair to the bike frame before we head off to Laverton.

It rained and stormed the whole night and we experienced the loudest thunder ever. The ground actually shook!

Day 25 Tjukayirla to Laverton

Water from the previous night’s rain. Now for mud, mud and more mud.

At 10am the sky was clear and we set about having a BBQ of note.

  

Just a couple of small pieces of meat…..

It was so hot that we were tempted to get out of our wet weather gear. Thankfully we decided to keep the gear on – 15 minutes into the next section, the heavens opened and we drove for some 200 Km in pouring rain! This was no fun at all.

When we arrived at Laverton there was virtually no accommodation because the rain had prevented anyone from leaving. Eventually we secured accommodation at extortion rates, but we would have paid anything to get out of the wet and cold. Laverton is NOT our favourite place.

Day 26 Laverton to Menzies

The next day it was still cold but fortunately we only had a small section of dirt to do to Kookynie.

  

Even the moose is blind in one eye and smokes

All sorts of things advertised for sale but the gentleman owner told us we were too late! 13H00

Quick photo before we depart this thriving hub!

At the information bureau in Menzies we were directed to a homestead where we could camp. The homestead was some 65 Km out of town on a farm that CALM had bought from the owners who could not make a living on it any longer. It is manned by volunteers and is a fantastic place.

One of the volunteers – Bill booked us in and took our $9 each for the night! Good value.

Day 27 Menzies to Kalgoorlie

We reluctantly depart the homestead for Kalgoorlie.

One of the many interesting buildings to be found in this town..

Super Pit at Kalgoorlie

  

No need to waste time getting your pint after work.

Day 28 Kalgoorlie R and R

The famous 2 UP Stadium

 Day 29 Kalgoorlie to Perth

We arrive home safe and sound to families who are happy to have us back!

This was a truly epic trip with experiences and memories that will be with us forever.

We extend our thanks and gratitude to our friends, families and each other for making this so good.

Cheers till our next adventure……………………………..

Camels, corrugations and howling dingoes

Day 22: Uluru to Warakurna via Docker River







The much-anticipated road was ahead of us. The plan to re-route was abandoned so we set of for Kata Tjuta (The Olgas)

From the Olgas we hit the dirt road and for the first 15 kms it was a fair bit of red sand, but we managed and then the corrugations started. They were so bad that we struggled to keep our eyes focused!






We spotted some camels on the road.

We were very, very surprised at the general condition of the road.






We stopped to buy lunch at Tjuntinanta known as The Docker River community store. Not a place you would want to live!

We decided to proceed further than planned because the road was so good and the wind was from the east and in our favour.






We stopped to rest in a riverbed next to a ghost gum.

Trevor sitting under the tree in the sun, like a local.

We arrived at the roadhouse on Sunday afternoon and found it closed. We booked a backpacker room and decided to make Sunday lunch, a braai (barbie) using Docker River chops and bread and Diet Coke to quench the thirst - No alcohol because this is another dry area. Being good law abiding guys, we complied.

Making sandwiches for “padkos” tomorrow.

We spoke to some locals and it is absolutely mind blowing the tax money that is being paid to consultants etc. You have to hear and see it to even remotely grasp the magnitude of the travesty!

Luckily we were able to view a good sunset to end another good day.






Day 23: Warakuna to Warburton






Next morning we waited at the petrol pump to fill-up with Opal fuel. Trevor was inside paying and unbeknown to him some fella had commandeered his bike and helmet.

The wind was again in a favourable direction so the trip was uneventful except for one puncture. A shard of quartz damaged the front tyre.

At Warburton one of the guys took a $90/night cabin and two camped. Guess who took the cabin!

Checking out Alon Rathbones’ bike. This is one of our friends that were a couple of days ahead of us and had a bad fall. This is again testimony to the strength of these machines - only some cosmetic damage.

One of the many funny stories:






Remember Dinkie the singing dingo?






Well, one of the guys videoed the whole performance. A couple of days later while two of the guys were still sound asleep, and he being a very early riser, proceed to replay the howling of Dinkie the dingo while holding the video recorder very close to the ear of the guy who took flight at Montecolino Bore when a real dingo came sniffing around our camp. You can only imagine what happened! We will laugh about this forever and a day.






Tomorrow we head to Tjukayirla Roadhouse

The going gets tougher.......

Day 16: Coober Pedy to Cagney Roadhouse via The Painted Desert Road

This really looks like a painting.

Crazy man! Scotsman peddling from Aberdeen to Adelaide and then some.

One of the many victims of the strong crosswinds…..

Day 17: Cagney Roadhouse to Stuarts Well Roadhouse and Dinky

Teatime on the road.

Monument to a disastrous Canonball road race. A number of people died when a Ferrari motorcar went out of control at high speed. This race took place on a normal road while in normal use!

Feeding time at Stuarts Well Roadhouse.

Dinky the dingo.

After supper, Dinky the dingo entertains the punters. This dingo has become world famous for his “singing”

Day 18: Stuarts Well Roadhouse to Chambers Pillar

The road to Maryvale

Entering the community of Tjikikala

And then the deep sand started…….

50m from the campsite and having just done 130km, two of us parted company from our respective bikes!


One ended up under the tree.

the other, just hit the sand when he saw the first guy under the tree

Result. One slightly sore knee. Guess which one.

Oh yes, the pillar.

Camping at the pillar. No tents, just sleep on a table.

Addit: The team now has its own Flying Doctor!

One of the guys hit deep sand at 65kms/hr and was literally caterpulted off his bike.
Result - grit and sand in every nook, cranny and oriface. One broken mirror and various items bent into new shapes. Otherwise, all good!!

Day 19: Chambers Pillar to Alice Springs

Replace tyres and general maintenance.


Our resident chef created the entrees for the dinner we were invited to, by the folk we met at Chambers Pillar – Yen, John and Sally.

A welcome “home style” cooked dinner.

Day 20: Alice Springs to Uluru (Ayers Rock)

On the way, we stopped at a lookout point called Mt Connor. There were a number of tourist busses and within minutes, we were being photographed by many crazy photographers, eager to snap away at anything.


This was a hard days riding with lots of wind again. At least we know were all the sand is going to – Sydney.

Uluru is so busy, it’s unbelievable.


Camping bikey style. No tent.

Was it cold? – you bet.

Guess who!


Day 21: Uluru Camp and R&R

Sunset at the Rock.

Hundreds of cars and many, many busses bring tourists to view Uluru.




Benches to rest on the way around the rock

Contemplating!

Time to retire.

The next part of the trip promises to be more challenging than the entire trip to date.

Three of our friends who did this next part of the trip a week ago had very bad luck and only one eventually drove into Perth. One decided to go via the RFDS and the other to Kalgorlie Hospital and then train to Perth. With this news we are not very excited about the next couple of days!




Tomorrow we head to Docker River.