Sunset Motorcycle Adventure
Our Sunset Motorcycle Adventure around Australia began in Sydney in October 2005. First, we rode the two Hondas (Africa Twin and TransAlp) out to Western Australia and spent two months there. In January we crossed the Nullabor and then Bass Strait, and spent February & March in Tasmania. Most of April we were in Melbourne before heading North into the Outback in May. After three delightful weeks in Alice Springs, we reached tropical Darwin in mid-June. After this we headed 3000 kms south and east to the Tropical Queensland coast in July, before slowly making our way southwards back to Sydney in September 2006.
David & Sabine Hamilton, New Zealand 3216 October 2006 Email: [email protected]
Sunset Motorcycle Adventure
Contents Page
1. Great Ocean Road, October 2005 ...... 1
2. Across the Nullabor by train, November 2005 ...... 5
3. Western Australia, December 2005 ...... 8
4. Across the Nullabor by bike, January 2006 ...... 12
5. To ‘cool’ Tasmania, January, 2006 ...... 17
6. Overland Tasmania, February 2006 ...... 21
7. Australian Ulysses AGM, March 2006 ...... 25
8. Around Tasmania, March – April 2006 ...... 30
9. Melbourne Respite, April 2006 ...... 34
10. Onwards to Alice, May 2006 ...... 39
11. Alice in May - Pure Magic, May 2006 ...... 43
12. Darwin: Mid-winter in the Tropics, June-July 2006 ...... 47
13. The Sunshine State: Queensland, July 2006 ...... 51
14. Tropical North Queensland, August 2006 ...... 55
15. Central Queensland, August – September 2006 ...... 59
16. Back to where we started, Sydney, September 2006 ...... 62
17. Reflections ...... 65
Sunset Diary 1, 21 October – 16 November 2005 Elapsed time since 21 October 2005: 4 weeks Journey distance from Sydney: 2,483 kms, plus 2,300 on train Great Ocean Road We left Hamilton via Freedom Air on Friday 21 October on a cool, dark, drizzly morning and were greeted by similar weather in Sydney. The Qantas Freight guy who provided excellent help in getting the bikes through Customs and out of the cargo sheds explained that rain was forecast for the next week, “after seven years, the drought has broken”. Reading so much about bushfires and water shortages over much of Australia in recent years, we can’t begrudge this respite for the parched Aussies but it has not been the best of riding conditions for the start of our extended ride around Australia. Cool, wet and windy best describes the weather over our first three weeks, interspersed with the odd warm, dry day.
Bikes loaded and ready to leave Hamilton home The weather hit us hardest on the ride into Adelaide yesterday with strong winds, frequent heavy showers and temps closer to 10C than 20. For the first time on the trip we flagged camping and shouted ourselves a cabin at the Adelaide Shores campsite. The storms cleared and gave us perfect weather for our stay in Adelaide – warm, dry and sunny and we took advantage of the excellent (FREE) computing facilities at the State Library to catch up with news, emails and our diary.
What a dreadful shock it was to learn of the sudden death of Rod Donald last week. We learned of the passing of David Lange in August about three days late after coming off the Cape Reinga Track and so it was with RD which we learned about after
Page - 1 a few days in Lower Glenelg NP (National Park). We were impressed with RD in his TV interview with Kim Hill the week we left NZ. A huge loss to public life in NZ.
So far, we have travelled 2400 kms along the NSW, Victoria and SA coasts. Despite the unkind weather things have gone pretty well. No major problems to date, the bikes have not missed a beat and until last night we have camped every night. The campsites and national parks have been pretty quiet which is always a bonus. Travelling as we have, weekends are no different to weekdays and it comes as an unwelcome surprise to find that you cannot get into some attractive spots at weekends due to an influx of locals. So it was at Wilson’s Promontory National Park (known as The Prom to locals) – fabulous spot but unfortunately only just recovering from a massive bushfire earlier this year. Unfortunate to learn that the bushfire was caused not by vandals, delinquent picnickers or smokers but by the Parks Dept people themselves – a controlled burnoff became uncontrolled – the date, you wouldn’t believe was 1 st April 2005!!
Camping at Mimosa Rocks National Park, NSW
Our first night was spent at Werri beach just south of Wollongong, nice spot but the tone was set for our first month when a hailstorm struck about 10 minutes after setting up camp. Lonely Planet alerted us to Mimosa Rocks NP for the next couple of days, a
Page - 2 fabulous beach park named after the Mimosa which sank on the rocks some 140 years ago – the Captain claimed he hit uncharted rocks but the location of the wreck suggested he was sailing too close to the coast. We then spent nights at Eden (NSW) and Lakes Entrance before going to The Prom for the Melbourne Cup long weekend (Question: Why is Melbourne always hit by massive sickness the first weekend in November? Answer: The first Tuesday is a Public Holiday for the horse race and so a sickie on the Monday yields a 4-day weekend!!). We had five days off the bikes when doing the southern loop walk on The Prom; after that we took the ferry from Sorrento on Mornington Pennisula to Queenscliff, thus avoiding Melbourne city itself.
Following a couple of days in Geelong, the riding highlight of the trip so far was the Great Ocean Road between Melbourne and Adelaide. Special, and fully justifies all the superlatives describing it – pity about the weather.
Another great view on Great Ocean Road
Petrol has varied in price from $1.16 per litre in Sydney to as high as $1.40 in remote spots. Disappointing that ice cream cones are not easy to come by, and when they are, they’re quite expensive, in fact things generally in Australia seem to be a bit higher than NZ, from groceries to camping. When riding we like to stop for an ice cream in the afternoon and single cones come in at around A$2.50 compared with NZ$1-1.50 at home.
Our Aussie waves are developing well (nb. The Aussie wave has nothing to do with greetings or surfing, but is used frequently to disperse “friendly” flies).
Page - 3 We managed to get the bikes on the train to Perth thus avoiding the long, long ride across the Nullabor Desert – at first they wanted to charge us the same as for two cars, but eventually we found a sympathetic bikie on the railway desk who agreed to take our two bikes for the price of one car. So now we are baking in Perth – 32C today.
Perth 15 November 2005
Page - 4 Sunset Diary 2, 16 November – 3 December 2005 Elapsed time since 21 October 2005: 6 weeks Journey distance from Sydney: 3,279 kms, plus 2,300 on train Western Australia
Our journey out to Perth had a strange start for we arrived at Adelaide Railway Station about 6 hours before the arrival of the Indian Pacific not knowing whether we had a 3- day train ride or 7-day bike ride across the Nullabor ahead of us. In the end Sabine managed to persuade the guy on the desk that it was both illogical and unreasonable to charge the same for two bikes as two cars – and they agreed to allow our two bikes to go for the price of one car. Helped that the guy on the desk was a bikie himself.
A relaxing train ride, generally travels at 60-80kph giving plenty of time to take in the scenery. We left Adelaide on Sunday evening – delayed for an hour by a carriage derailed whilst shunting and arrived in Perth on Tuesday morning. On the Monday evening we had three hours to wander around the gold mining town of Kalgoorlie. Tuesday morning takes you through the impressive wheat belt, which had just been harvested, on the run-in to Perth. Recommend the train trip if you get the chance.
We spent a couple of days Perth – very hot temperatures into mid-30s, so any thoughts of tripping north where it would likely be even hotter were abandoned in favour of heading south and hopefully cooler temperatures, as it turned out. On the run south from Perth there are masses of new housing developments – you can buy your spot of “paradise by the beach” at a dozen or more spots, 30-100kms south of Perth. They’re extending the motorway too, so that will give you a quick commute to your job too!! (Thanks, but no thanks).
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Refuelling stop for the Indian-Pacific at Cook in the Nullabor Met with son Robert’s friend from Palmerston North BHS days, Chris Ridge, wife Jo and family who live on a fabulous bush property close to the wine growing centre of Margaret River. They looked after the bikes for us while we walked the Cape to Cape Track from Cape Leeuwin to Cape Nuturaliste, all 120kms through the National Park. Hard going at times along the beaches and cliff tops but super views with some whale watching and much satisfaction in completing the walk.
We are now in Karri Forest country about 150kms south of Margaret River and mightily impressive too. Huge stands of Karri trees – a variety of eucalyptus that reaches to 100 metres tall. There are three trees with spikes in the side in the form of a ladder that you can climb to the top – we both made it to the 25 metre platform and thought better of going higher. Went back the next day to see if we had the courage to go higher only to find them doing maintenance on the tree, so we weren’t put to the test.
All goes well for us and the bikes. Had what I thought was a disaster in Perth when the key broke inside one of the Givi pannier locks. Had visions of never being able to open it again. Fortunately a very able locksmith quickly sorted it out and soon had us
Page - 6 on our way with a set of spare keys too at very reasonable cost. In telling the story to another guy, he said this wasn’t a disaster, just a minor inconvenience. Must remember to keep things in perspective in future.
Sabine enjoys another great view on the Cape to Cape
Pemberton, WA 3 December, 2005
Page - 7 Sunset Diary 3, 4 - 30 December 2005 Elapsed time since 21 October 2005: 8 weeks Journey distance from Sydney: 4,079 kms, plus 2,300 on train Western Australia Now 8 weeks into our Australian Sunset adventure; only there have been too few sunsets so far. The day we arrived in Sydney it was dull and drizzly, the guy in the Qantas Freight office told us that 7 years of drought had at last broken and that has been the main weather theme to now. There is a delightful ABC radio programme on Sunday mornings run by a laid-back character Macca who takes calls from "Australia All Over". From everywhere people are saying how green and fertile the countryside is looking - some farmers even complaining about it being too wet for haymaking - but then that's farmers for you. One lorry driver who regularly crosses the Nullabor even suggested that cattle could by run on the Nullabor, it was looking so green. All this rain is good for the country, but not the best when you are motorbiking and camping. So far, sunhats have been used as much for keeping heads dry and / or warm, as the sun off.
What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger.
After two days of rain at Shannon NP in early December, we decided to abandon the bikes until the weather improves and do some walking along the Bibbulmun Track (BT), a long distance track from Perth to Albany inspired by the Appalachian Trail in US. The BT is a real gem. Nicely organised with clear route markings and neatly designed shelters that accommodate 10-15 hikers located every 20kms, 4-6 hrs walk between each. We decided to take it a week at a time and see how we got on, starting from Albany heading north on 8 December. First objective was Denmark, a small town 80kms north along track. First day takes you past a wind farm on the Albany coast cliffs that supplies 70% of Albany's (pop 30,000) electricity from 12 turbines. I have never thought of Australia as being windy like NZ, but the southern coast all along from NSW to WA has been quite blustery, and I guess you don't put millions of $$$s into wind farms unless justified!! Incidentally, we were reminded of current controversies in NZ when seeing lots of "No Wind Farm" and "No Pylons" protest signs in Victoria - we all want electricity but not generated too close to home.
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Sabine climbing the Bicentennial Tree, Pemberton WA – here she is about half-way to the first platform at 25m which is one-third of the climb to the top!!
The first week on the BT was a mixture of cliff top and beach walking with lots of stunning views along the coast. Plenty of wildlife especially wallabies, birds, lizards
Page - 9 and a few snakes. We had a bit of drama at Irwin Inlet when a south bound walker advised us that it was possible to cross at the river mouth at low tide rather than walk round for four hours across the dunes and use the specially provided canoes by CALM (delightful acronym for the government department, Conservation And Land Management). When we arrived at the river mouth the flow was much too strong and we ended up camping and waiting 18 hours for low tide, and after a nervous night got wet bums as we made the crossing at 6am. The second week took us into the Karri and Jarra forests inland but by this time my back was protesting too much and we stopped walking at Walpole having done 200kms of the track. The whole track continues to Perth, 960kms all up.
Stirling Range ahead, highest part of WA
Flies are a real nuisance this time of the year. They don't bite but when it gets hot they love to crawl all over your face. The iconic Aussie cork hat seems to be a myth for I have not yet seen even one worn for real. One Aussie told us he deals with flies by ignoring them - they were literally crawling all over his face when talking to us - trouble was he may have ignored them, but it was difficult for me to ignore the flies on
Page - 10 his face and concentrate on the conversation!! I resorted to buying an Aussie Veil - (fair dinkum Kookaburra Brand, made in China) covers your whole head, leaves you looking like a cross between a beekeeper and Queen Victoria - but works well, so long as you remember you've got it on when drinking or blowing your nose otherwise things can get a bit messy!!
Whilst on the Track, we left the bikes with a Ulysses guy in Albany, Bob Rees - a great help and comfort knowing they were secure and safe. Bob has a super collection of older bikes that he has restored, even a 1924 AJS among BSAs, BMWs etc in his sheds. Learned that the 2006 Aussie Ulysses AGM will be held in Tasmania in March when we plan to be there, so have registered for that. It lasts a whole week and not just a weekend as does NZ Ulysses AGM.
Had a quiet Christmas in Albany and Stirling Range NP waiting for the Voltaren to work its magic and my back to come right before we head east to Esperance in January. In retrospect, it was a mistake to continue walking on the Bib Track when I first felt back pain, thinking I could walk it off. Can't get away with pushing the body in my 60s as I could a few years back. Bugger.
Albany, WA 30 December, 2005
Page - 11 Sunset Diary 4, 31 December 2005 to 19 January 2006 Elapsed time since 21 October 2005: 13 weeks Journey distance from Sydney: 7,159 kms, plus 2,300 on train Across the Nullabor (Bikes) Happy New Year. May 2006 be as good or better for you and yours than 2005. Do you realise that we are now into the second half of the first decade of the 21 st century? Doesn’t seem possible. Although the fuss over predicted Y2K meltdowns etc don’t seem like yesterday to me, they don’t seem like five years ago either. My Mum, who turned 90 last May, is convinced that since she passed 70, the years have gone by twice as fast. To confirm her belief she explained to me that this time last year she was only 89, and now she is looking down the barrel at 91!! Can’t argue with that.
We had a memorable final day of 2005 walking up Bluff Knoll (1000m) the highest mountain (hill) in WA. This was partly to celebrate my recovery from back pains that had plagued me for two weeks since coming off the Bibbulmun Track. A lovely cool, windy day and a bit more of a hike than either of us expected. On New Year’s Day we headed east over the plains of the wheat belt towards Esperance.
The West Australian wheat belt is a huge grain growing area (literally several hundred kms east-west and north-south) which compensates in size for comparatively low yields from poorish soils. We met a couple of young men from England and Germany who had recently completed two-month long holiday jobs driving headers (or harvesters). Both had agreed to go back to the farms in February to do the spraying and planting for next year’s crop. The Yorkshire farmer’s son said he was harvesting yields of 2.2 tons to the acre; at home they get 10. But the farmer was happy with anything over 2 tons which was break-even.
Esperance is a lovely coastal holiday resort about 500kms east of Albany and 750kms SE of Perth. Unfortunately we arrived to yet more cool, wet and windy weather and retreated indoors to the backpackers for 3 days while we waited for it to clear. We had heard lots of good reports about camping at Cape Le Grand NP, 50 kms to the east, and headed out there. Nice spot but very congested so after just one night we decided it was time for the trek back over the Nullabor Plain.
Page - 12 As a postscript to the weather experienced in WA, we learned that December 2005 was the coolest December in Perth since 1923. It was also unusually wet on the Nullabor in early January. A farmer interviewed on the rural report ABC radio programme at 6.30am on 3 rd January reported that on his Station (farm), 500 kms east of Kalgoorlie, he had recorded 143mm of rainfall to date for 2006 (that is, in 2 days and 6 hours) and he had 70mm for the whole of 2005!! The trans-Australia railtrack runs through his property and the ballast under the track had been washed away for about 1 km, closing the line.
Pause for a picture before starting the 90 mile straight
The treeless part of Nullabor Plain extends for just a short 20-30kms, about 200kms east of the WA / SA border near Eucla. However, the sense of remoteness in crossing a wild and largely uninhabited outback extends some 1400kms from the town of Norseman WA to Ceduna SA. We left Norseman on 7th January and reached Ceduna on the 9 th , doing about 4-500kms per day. Petrol is available from roadhouses every 200kms or so; the range on the TransAlp is about 300kms so fuel wasn’t a problem. Price was as high as 165c per litre in the remotest part compared with 120c per litre elsewhere. Across the plain we camped once in the bush and another time at a rather dusty Caravan Park. Normally in January, the weather when crossing the Nullabor will be hot, and windy especially in the afternoons. We were
Page - 13 fortunate in having cool, cloudy conditions and even some light drizzle. In parts the carnage of wallabies and kangaroos was quite shocking – one motorist we met at a roadside park said he had counted 50 bodies in the space of 1 km. Not a good look. Wallabies and kangaroos come out mainly at night and for this reason we kept our riding to between 8am and 5pm.
After Ceduna we stayed at Kimba (claims to be Halfway across Australia – 2100 kms from Brisbane and 2200 kms from Perth) and passed through the desolate Iron Knob (no sign of Molestrangler or Sheila), and Port Augusta which calls itself the Crossroads of Australia for here the east-west Eyre Highway meets the north-south Stuart Highway to Alice Springs (1200kms away) and Darwin (2750kms). Very strong winds after Port Augusta brought a premature halt to our day’s riding and the serendipity of finding Beautiful Valley Camp Site at Wilmington SA which had a lovely bush camping area with an exuberant dawn chorus from galahs, cockatoos, kookaburras, magpies et al. – we stayed an extra day.
Then moved east and south for a night at the quaint mining town of Burra and after to Morgan, Waikerie and then Renmark in the Murray River Valley. The longest river in Australia, wide and slow at this point, a bit like the Nile, and the source for the huge irrigated fruit growing area, Riverlands. Reminded me of the citrus and sugar cane growing area of NE Swaziland. Amazing how the scenery is suddenly transformed from brown, sparse and dusty to deep green, rich and fertile. We enquired about renting a Houseboat for a week on the river and discovered that this will be much more affordable if we can find some like-minded spirits to share a larger boat in May?
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Morning tea stop on the Nullabor
Have made numerous comments on the weather to date (unusually cool and wet) but summer has come with a bang this week on Riverlands with forecast maximums of 35-40C each day and minimums in the low 20Cs. One extreme to the other.
Now approaching 100 days of our Australian adventure and so far things have gone well. It’s a worry beforehand wondering how things are going to turn out. Being on the bikes, we are forced to live very simply compared with 99% of our fellow travellers. We camp most nights on caravan parks alongside mainly caravaners many of whom have elaborate setups, airconditioning, satellite TVs, barbeques, electronic insect zappers, the works. To avoid tediously taking down, packing, unpacking and then putting up our tents on a daily basis we try to stay at least two nights at each location, unless there is a good reason to move on.
When on the road, we generally aim to start between 8-9am and ride for up to 2 hours before stopping for morning tea – to economise we usually brew up at a roadside park rather than stop for the preferred cappuccino and muffin which at $12-15 a stop makes a hefty dent in our budget if done on a daily basis – special treat now, once a week. A sandwich lunch between 12-1pm and a couple of hours’ more riding usually
Page - 15 gets us to our destination. We aim to cover 2-300kms per day travelling at about 90kph which is fast enough considering our heavy loads, three panniers on each bike.
After both bikes have run perfectly for the 7000kms covered so far, the TransAlp began firing on only one cylinder yesterday at Pinnaroo, 100kms from nearest Honda agent. Have arranged for transport there tomorrow, Friday. Can’t help thinking that this problem may be related to the service the bikes received only on Monday this week at another Honda bike shop, 250kms back. Bugger!!
Pinnaroo, SA 19 January, 2006
Page - 16 Sunset Diary 5, 20 January to 7 February 2006 Elapsed time since 21 October 2005: 16 weeks Journey distance from Sydney: 8,549 kms, plus 3,700 on train To ‘cool’ Tasmania Weather continues to dominate our adventure - after Perth experienced its coolest December in 80 years, Adelaide was heading for its hottest January on record culminating in four consecutive days with temps over 40C and one day, or rather night, having a minimum of 34C - yes, minimum!! That's no fun when you're camping and we retreated to an airconditioned cabin on the campground. We were staying in Loxton SA, a neat township on the Murray River, waiting for the TransAlp to be repaired. Loxton is about 200kms north and east of Adelaide and temperatures there are somewhat higher than Adelaide which benefits from the cooling effect of the coast.
Iron Knob SA, no sign of Sheila, Molestrangler’s companion (NZ MC Trader & News)
Page - 17 The TransAlp problem was interesting. The Honda expert in Loxton, Quincy Voigt, quickly diagnosed a failed CDI (Capacitor Discharge Ignition) unit. A reconditioned one was ordered from Adelaide, fitted, and the bike appeared restored to good health. However, when we recommenced our journey the problem recurred, fortunately only 10kms out of Loxton and we were able to limp back to Quincy's workshop. On checking my email, there was one from Paul Bradstreet, a Honda V-twin enthusiast living in Margaret River, whom we had met a week or two earlier in Esperance. I emailed Paul about our problem and he indicated that the problem might recur because of a design fault with the TransAlp. The CDI units sit directly below the seat and with age, the seat sags, rests on the CDI units and causes them to short. So thanks to Paul, when a second CDI unit was installed (this time a genuine Honda part), the seat was raised by half a centimetre with some wedges and hey presto, so far so good ... Rather worryingly, Paul advised that there is a common problem with the Africa Twin (my bike); the fuel pump is given to sudden failure, so ... oh no.
On the day we collected the TransAlp after the first repair I bought a Lotto ticket, the gods smiled, we collected $30 which contributed 10% towards the repair cost. Unfortunately, this tactic did repeat when I bought another ticket after the re-repair.
With the TransAlp restored to health we intended to continue south and east and spend a few days in the Grampian mountains before taking the ferry to Tasmania. Unfortunately, the extremely hot temperatures persisted and numerous bushfires developed including a big one in the Grampians themselves. The bushfires were serious affairs, it appears started mainly by lightning strikes but, sadly, one or two arrests of suspected arsonists were made. Some comfort that NZ is not alone in having folk who indulge in imbecilic anti-social behaviour.
We planned to spend Australia Day in Horsham, Victoria but it was so hot that we pressed on to the ferry at Melbourne. Fortunately, we were able to transfer our ferry bookings, left Melbourne on a Thursday evening with temps in the high 30Cs and arrived next morning in Devonport Tasmania to more civilised low 20Cs. The contrast between Tasmania and the rest of Australia is stark. In fact, in so many ways, Tasmania is much more like NZ than Australia; roads, countryside and climate especially. Macracarpa, oak and horse chestnut trees; narrow, windy country lanes,
Page - 18 paddocks measured by the metre and not kilometre, intensive market garden cropping, green grass and dark fertile soils instead of brownie yellow tufts emerging from reddish dusty ground and moderate climate all give a feel that is more north island NZ than mainland Australia. Northern Tasmania between Devonport and Launceston reminds us of the Bombay Hills around Pukekohe and Pokeno. The distance between townships on the mainland is often 100kms plus or minus compared with tens of kms in Tasmania.
Visiting natives to Loxton SA Caravan Park
The 2005 NZ Election was held shortly before we came away last October. Much of the debate was about NZ's (poor) economic performance and how we lag behind Australia on important economic statistics. Many argue that NZ must lower taxes, have less government red tape and improved infrastructure especially roads. It's amusing to follow the political commentary here and observe all the same arguments. Australia is predicted to fall to 18 on the OECD league table and there are loud voices arguing for lower taxes (top rate 49%), less government red tape and improved roads etc. Australia earns 10% of its GDP and 35% of its exports from mining and, it seems to me that without this, there would be little to choose in the economic stakes between Australia and NZ. In some ways Australia appears behind NZ. We were surprised to
Page - 19 see so many older (and presumably more expensive) staff working in fast food outlets and supermarkets compared with NZ where these jobs seem to be done more by young casual workers. Strangest of all is buying apricot jam imported from Poland, Denmark and Argentina, when Australia must be a more efficient producer of all the ingredients (sugar and apricots) than any of the countries it is buying from. Another curiosity of our globalised world perhaps.
Since arriving in Tasmania, we have been exploring the north and east and have spent a few days each in Narawntapu (formerly Asbestos Range) and Mt William NPs, and also Launceston. Very pleasant. We have booked to do the Overland Crossing from Cradle Mountain to Lake St Clair (Tasmania's Milford Track) later in February and will have a wander around the north-west before the Ulysses AGM in Ulverstone in early March. It's all go.
Launceston, Tasmania 7 February 2006
Page - 20 Sunset Diary 6, 8 February – 6 March 2006 Elapsed time since 21 October 2005: 19 weeks Journey distance from Sydney: 9,772 kms, plus 3,700 on train Overland Tasmania
Time flies when you’re having fun. After leaving Launceston we intended spending a few days exploring the Walls of Jerusulem NP up on the Central Highland lakes plateau but a cold snap came through and we were easily persuaded to stay on the coast and so headed out to the far north-west and the Arthur River NP. A wild and remote area, not unlike the South Island west coast, which is hardly surprising since it takes the brunt of the prevailing westerly winds coming off the Southern Ocean. We struck it lucky weather-wise, windy and showery, but mild temperatures. We camped for three nights there and enjoyed some bracing walks along beaches which we had to ourselves.
Next we went to Queenstown, a total contrast to its NZ namesake - a run down 1950s style mining town overshadowed by bare, eroded mountains still showing the scars of mining and logging by earlier generations. A neat rack-railway over the mountain and out to the coastal resort of Strahan gives it a foot in the tourist market but at $97 a ride
Page - 21 was out of this tourist’s price range - but there were plenty of takers without me.
Bridge at Arthur River, Tasmania west coast, prior to closure for much-needed maintenance The Overland Track is Tasmania’s “Milford Track” – 80 kms long and runs from Cradle Mountain in the north to Lake St Clair in the south, passing through some spectacular country. The track is well maintained and runs mostly at a sub-alpine level of 800- 1000 metres with a high point of 1200 metres, and opportunity for side trips to Cradle Mountain summit, Mt Ossa (1600 metres, Tasmania’s highest) and others en route. The OT is so popular that you have to book to get on it and pay $100 for the privilege. So for the first time in some 50 years of going into the mountains and back country I was asked to show “my pass” by a Ranger whilst on the track itself. What has the world come to?
Once on the track you are allowed to spend as much time as you wish and we spent 8 days (we’re retired and in no hurry), whilst most others walked through in 5-6 days and one fellow even passed us taking just 3 days. There are huts every 15kms or so, but like many others we preferred to camp each night. Sabine did several side trips whilst
Page - 22 I caught up with some reading at the camp, and contended myself with simply completing the basic Overland Track itself in one piece. I was apprehensive about my back holding out after our last long walk in WA, but this time the back was fine (thanks Paul B, your advice works well for me) although I was pretty tired by the end.
Ranger Brian checking our Parks’ Pass ($84) and Track Passes (2 x $100) at Waterfall Valley – Barn Bluff (1559m) in background
For the most part we enjoyed excellent weather on the OT, warm and dry, not too hot, no flies!! and great views. On the penultimate day, we were soaked by a heavy storm and so were not denied, on our final day, the true OT experience - putting on wet socks and boots in the morning. We left the two motorbikes at Lake St Clair and took the TassieLink bus round to the start, and for me this 5 hour bus journey was, by far, the worst part of the whole trip. Windy roads and drivers intent on demonstrating their
Page - 23 ability to drive 50 seater buses like rally cars left me feeling very much the worse for wear.
We are now into our fifth month since leaving NZ last October, and as well as needing R & R after the OT, we went to Hobart for R & M to equipment - new boots for Sabine, repaired boots for me, sleeping bags dry-cleaned, stitching to the tent etc.
We then spent 2 days in Mt Field NP at the Lake Dobson alpine chalets before going our separate ways for 10 days - Sabine to do some serious bushwalking in the remote Western Arthurs NP while I attend the Australian Ulysses Annual Meeting at Ulverstone (near Devonport).
Devonport, Tasmania 6 March 2006
Page - 24 Sunset Diary 7, 6 - 24 March 2006 Elapsed time since 21 October 2005: 22 weeks Journey distance from Sydney: 11,735 kms, plus 3,700 on train Australian Ulysses 2006 AGM, Ulverstone Tasmania Our one year post-retirement cruise around Australia caused me to miss the NZ Ulysses AGM in Blenheim, but provided ample compensation by enabling me to attend the Australian AGM in Ulverstone, Tasmania in the second week of March. Yes, a whole week, Monday to Monday with 3,000 participants, compared with a weekend for usually around 500 attendees in NZ.
Early arrivals get the pick of the campsites at the Football Oval
Ulverstone has a population of around 10,000, so the hosting of 3,000 guests for a week has quite an impact on the community and immediately on arriving it was obvious that the whole town had got behind and involved in the event. Never before have I seen motorcyclists made so welcome in a community. But then the economic benefits are substantial; the Tasmanian Sunday newspaper even included an 8-page supplement on Ulysses.
There was financial and other support and sponsorship from public and private agencies for the event which was jointly hosted by the Cradle Coast Cruisers and North West Coast Ulysses branches. The Tasmanian State and Local government and the Tourism Board all provided support as well as many commercial firms. The ferry company Spirit of Tasmania provided special deals for participants taking the 12-
Page - 25 hour trip across Bass Strait from Melbourne, and put on extra services to cope with demand.
Ulysses took over the Ulverstone A&P Showgrounds and the (Aussie Rules) Football Stadium for the week. The Showground was the centre of activities for the AGM and the venue for the majority of campers, around 100 trade display stands including a full range of bikes available from all the major manufacturers and a huge marquee which held the main entertainment events and the formal dinners on Friday and Saturday. The football oval was dedicated to camping and cafeteria style food services.
When I registered on the Monday morning I was asked whether I wanted to stay at the noisy or quiet campground. I elected for the peace of the football ground and found a nice spot protected from the wind by the advertising boards under the football posts. At the football ground participants could camp either in their own tents or stay in tent city in one of 80 tents provided by the organizers. Several huge road train container type trailers fitted with showers and toilets were parked at both sites for the week. An anticyclone settled over Tasmania giving dry, but occasionally cool and windy, conditions throughout. A welcome contrast to our camping in the rest of Australia so far was the absence of both flies and mozzies!!
The AGM involves a huge amount of organization and the detail attended to is impressive. Services required for a week long event that we don’t have to concern ourselves with in NZ include laundry, refuse, internet, mobile phone re-charging, refrigeration for medicines, shuttle buses between venues, a huge effort on security, and food and entertainment for seven nights and not just two. All bikes were given unique identifier tags that corresponded with owners’ wristband and were checked whenever bikes were moved in and out of venues. An army of over 300 volunteers helped keep things on track; registration, security, marshalling, information booths, entertainment, food and drink etc. Participants themselves were also invited to volunteer for duties. Inevitably though, I suspect that what participants saw on the surface was just the tip of a huge iceberg of organizational effort.
The programme seemed to split into week and weekend components. The highlight for many during the week was the Test Rides. Participants could sign up for an 18
Page - 26 kms, 20-minute ride on any of the 100 or so bikes on show. Groups of around 10 went out each hour with a lead rider and TEC. The route took us through urban and motorway conditions so there was opportunity to put the bike through its paces in a variety of conditions. I took out five bikes, three Japanese and two European, but for me, this proved more helpful in deleting rather than adding to my fantasy wish list.
The Tasmanian Department of Health provided a free health “pit stop” consisting of short, simple and unobtrusive measures of things like blood pressure, flexibility, stress levels etc and gave individual advice based on the results at the end of it. Nice one.
Short (100-200 kms) and long (200-400 kms) rides around northern Tasmania were arranged for each weekday with a maximum of 30 bikes on each. Tasmania has excellent motorcycling roads although, in my view, signposting leaves a lot to be desired so just as well that each ride had a local leader familiar with the intended route. For International Women’s Day on the Wednesday a special ladies only ride to Sheffield, the mural town, was organized.
Some 60 trade displays included a variety of direct motorcycle related products such as tools, tours, tyres, luggage, clothing, magazines, insurance etc and some rather unusual and unexpected ones (honey, cosmetics and erotic leather products!!). “Last Ride” funeral hearse, an H-D with flatbed sidecar, was on display and an enterprising lady and sewing machine was stitching badges to leather and cloth waistcoats and hats at $4 a pop.
Among the participants, I was surprised by the large number of trikes and bikes pulling trailers that attended. It was great fun to wander around the campgrounds checking out the huge variety of bikes and rigs; old and new, large and small, simple and sophisticated, and stopping occasionally to chat with proud owners. Several trade displays featured firms offering trailers and camper trailers, and one firm was geared up for selling and fitting tow bars to bikes while you wait (about $300-400 for the tow bar and $100 for fitting).
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Assembling for the Opening Ceremony at Anzac Park
The most important part of any AGM is the opportunity to socialise and meet old, and make new friends. A delightful, friendly atmosphere permeated the event throughout. Participants came from all Australian States and there were a few overseas visitors from Norway, South Africa, Canada, USA as well as NZ. Even with our limited time in Australia I was able to catch up with Ulyssians met earlier in our journey in other parts of Australia. One of my most charming encounters was with 73-year old Harold from Victoria riding a R80 BMW which he bought new on the day he retired in 1991. He had recently passed 500,000 kms riding over most of Australia in that period. A while ago he thought about trading for a new one, but deciding that modern bikes are too fancy and complicated, had the bike re-conditioned including all the bearings renewed. He’s now into his second half million kms on the R80. Lovely.
The more formal part of the programme was on the weekend with an official opening on Saturday and closing ceremonies on Sunday; a grand parade on Saturday and the AGM meeting itself. Ulysses Australia is supporting efforts to improve the quality of motorcycle servicing by sponsoring an award for the Apprentice of the Year, won this year by a young mechanic from Hobart who received a new, sporty 125cc Aprillia. The grand parade on Saturday morning passed down Reibey St., the main shopping street of Ulverstone, and it seemed like the whole town was out to watch. It took 45
Page - 28 minutes to pass; I counted 600 bikes in the first 15 minutes, so there must have been close to 2,000 bikes all up. Prior to the closing ceremony on the Sunday morning, a non-denominational service was held at which three couples were married.
Next year, the Australian AGM will be held at Coffs Harbour, about half way between Sydney and Brisbane, in the last week of May. If you’ve got the time and the dough, well worth attending.
Swansea, Tasmania 24 March 2006
Page - 29 Sunset Diary 8, March - April 2006
Journey time since 22 October 2005: 24 weeks Journey distance from Sydney: 12,079 kms, plus 2,300 on train
Around Tasmania While I attended the Ulysses AGM in Ulverstone, Sabine, who couldn’t face a whole week devoted solely to motorbikes, did some serious bushwalking in the Western Arthurs. She was keen to do the 11-day loop walk which she had had to abandon in December some 17 years ago, when a snowstorm forced her to shelter for three days in the tent waiting for whiteout conditions to clear so she could find her way out. Hopefully, this time in March she would complete the walk. But things went wrong again on two counts.
Cloudy, wet and windy on the summit of MT Hartz (1250m) First, after two lovely days at the start it rained non-stop for four days and she had to wait in the tent for it to clear. To add to her woes, she had acquired some new “second hand” boots the previous week in Hobart at the recycled recreation shop. She was delighted to discover some top-of-the-range Swiss Raichle boots in good nick that fitted like a glove for just $65 in comparison to the $3-400 prices for lesser quality new boots. Unfortunately, after several days in the wet the Vibram soles literally peeled off and she had to make a lattice work of cord to hold the boots together so she could walk out. A craftsman bootmaker in Hobart did a nice job for
Page - 30 $30 putting the boots back together. The wet weather in the Western Arthurs occurred while it had been dry all the week at the Ulysses event on the north coast at Ulverstone.
Following our separate weeks at the Ulysses AGM and the Western Arthurs, we met with Ted Delahunty in Hobart, my colleague from Massey days, who retired to Tasmania 20 years ago. We also spent a cool, wet weekend at Mt Hartz NP, 50kms south of Hobart.
Our final exploration of Tasmania was the east coast. Generally, drier and warmer than the rest of Tasmania and so it proved. We spent 4 pleasant days hiking and camping on Maria Island (pronounced Mar-eye-ah), a former penal colony but abandoned after a few years partly because prisoners found it too easy to escape. Then, about 50 kms further north we went to Coles Bay and Freycinet NP, another delightful spot including the renowned Wineglass Bay. Here, whilst doing the 3-4 day loop walk, we had one wet day that confined us to the tent. I had the radio with me, was able to get good reception and it happened to be the day that Tony Blair made an address to the Australian Parliament justifying the invasion of Iraq.
I was interested to hear his explanation; I had never heard Tony Blair speak before and had been shocked that he had been able to take Britain into Iraq over the heads of both his party and parliament. For me, he was trying to defend the indefensible; it was wrong three years ago and events since then have simply endorsed that. However, I thought he explained his position very well even though he had made a terrible mistake. The people in the three aggressor countries, US, UK and Australia, have had the opportunity to change their leaders since the invasion but have re- elected them all!!
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Perfect weather on Maria Island – Darlington jetty
For our final week in Tasmania, Sabine wanted to do some bushwalking in the Walls of Jerusalem NP which I thought might be a bit too cold for me so I spent the time in Launceston and Devonport while she headed off into the hills for a final Tasmanian adventure. However after continuous snow during day three she retreated to the coast.
Our 11 weeks in Tasmania came to an end just before Easter when we took the ferry back from Devonport to Melbourne. When we arrived at the end of January, we found refuge from the scorching temperatures in South Australia and Victoria. It’s hard to think of Tasmania as part of Australia, it’s so different from the mainland, and so much like NZ; climate, countryside, roads and towns especially. I read that average incomes are 10% lower than the rest of Australia and prices seem to be a good bit higher especially petrol and accommodation. So that must make things a lot tighter financially for ordinary Tasmanians compared with other Australians.
New Zealanders are forever comparing themselves with Australia particularly on matters economic and sporting, then berating themselves when the comparison is unfavourable. Fairer comparisons would be made with individual States because, by population, NZ is smaller than NSW (6.6m); about the same size as Victoria (4.8m) and Queensland (3.6m), and larger than WA (2.0m), SA (1.5m), Tasmania (0.5m) and NT (0.2m). Take away the contributions of the mining industry and the economic powerhouse of the Sydney region and NZ would compare favourably with anywhere in Australia.
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As we leave, Autumn is much in evidence, cooler and wetter, trees turning golden and time for us to explore Melbourne and Victoria before heading to the warmer temperatures of Northern Territory.
Devonport, Tasmania 6 April 2006
Page - 33 Sunset Diary 9, April 2006
Elapsed time since 21 October 2005: 27 weeks Journey distance from Sydney: 12,239 kms, plus 2,300 on train
Melbourne Respite At the Ulysses Convention in early March I met John Belknap from Wisconsin, USA who has a similar background to mine; recently retired academic with a passion for motorcycles and national parks, riding in Australia for the first half of 2006, and like us, on a restricted budget with economy the order of the day. John introduced me to www.housecarers.com – a website designed to bring together people who need their property looking after, and others who are willing to live-in while they are away.
This was particularly attractive for me since at about the half way point of our 11- month Sunset Adventure around Australia I was ready for a break from camping and travelling. Via the website we agreed with a family in Melbourne to look after their Jack Russel terrier and two cats while they are away on a three-week holiday back home in Brazil.
Sadly though, a week before we were due to start, we learned that a friend at home is seriously ill. We decided to leave Tasmania a week earlier than planned – it was getting quite cool anyway – and make a quick visit home to Hamilton before starting our house caring in Melbourne. Sad as it was to see our friend so poorly, we were grateful for the opportunity to chat with him. It was also lovely to go home for a few days, catch up with many friends, see my six-month old grandson Liam in Auckland, check through five months of accumulated mail, apply for new NZ driving licences (both our licences had expired in past two months) and take an illicit ride on my Honda ST1100 – I had forgotten what a superb bike it is. We walked in Hamilton Gardens one morning and concluded that this magnificent park is the equal of anything we had seen on our travels around Australia over the previous five months. Frank Sinatra sang many decades ago, ‘it’s nice to go travelling but so much nicer to come home’.
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Eucla: Half-way across the Nullabor in early January I was apprehensive about our trip when we started last October, not least because I may have taken on too much – almost a year away from the comforts of home, riding bikes and camping week after week might prove too hard, physically and / or mentally. Travelling this way, we are dependant on having reasonable weather and on the whole it has been good, although there have been periods when it hasn’t (too cold and wet in WA in early December; too hot in SA and Vic in late January and too cold in Tasmania in late March). And, of course, on a motorbike you are that much more vulnerable; it’s satisfying to get this far without mishap and with everything more or less on track.
We carry two lightweight MacPac tents (Microlight and Apollo) and have camped four nights out of every five so far. The other night we have treated ourselves to
Page - 35 backpacker accommodation at $50-60 a night compared with $20-30 on caravan parks. On the financial side, Lonely Planet advises at the budget end, to allow $45-60 per day average all-up for travelling in Australia, and so far this has proved about right for us. We use two main travel guides; Lonely Planet and the Australia Motorcycle Atlas by Peter Thoeming, and in addition, we pick up local maps etc at Visitor Centres. Luggage is limited to what we can carry in three Givi panniers on each bike. Few clothes, two pairs of footwear each, about 2-3 days’ worth of food, small Kovea stove and gas cartridges, stainless steel cooking pot, Thermarest carrymats (expensive, but highly recommended), MacPac sleeping bags, medical kit, transistor radio, cameras, battery and phone chargers, a few bike tools and spares and the “office”; books, documents etc. and that’s about it. During our recent 5 days at home in NZ it was nice to wear some different clothes, and sleep in my own bed again.
Travelling by motorbike and camping is harder than that done by most of our fellow travellers on caravan parks who are either in campervans, motorhomes or 4WDs pulling caravans. The bikes create a lot of interest especially when people see the NZ plates. Often the start of interesting conversations; Sabine observes that bikies are a bit like dogs who have to sniff around when meeting kindred spirits on the road. On campsites, we have met interesting characters you would not meet if staying in more up-market accommodation. We think of Brian, the transvestite (make-up, skirt and painted nails), who we met at a campsite close to the Nullabor, hitching with a caravan from Sydney to Perth but WITHOUT a vehicle – he was seeking people willing to tow him westwards; he had got so far and was confident of reaching his destination. Appearances deceive, charming fellow. In St. Helens, Tasmania, we met Barry from Melbourne who, that day had visited his brother’s grave for the first time in 8 years. After, he called into the local RSL club, on the off-chance that he might meet someone who remembered his brother Maurie who had collapsed and died while pulling pints at the club in 1983. He was directed to two old guys in the corner who remembered him; one produced a pen-knife from his pocket - given to him as a keepsake by Maurie’s widow. Lovely.
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Lake St Clair: Finishing the Overland Track, late February There has been plenty of downtime during our travels and we have read many books and played many games of Scrabble. We were slow to discover the goldmine of books in the op shops where you can pick up some great reads for 50c or $1, compared with $5-10 in the second hand, and $20-50 in new bookshops. We have read many Australian stories, travel adventures and also re-read some tales by Wilbur Smith and Jeffrey Archer (published prior to his incarceration by Her Majesty; he lives like one of the rogues in his books). We carry a Travel Scrabble with electronic dictionary to verify words – insufficient space on the bikes to carry a dictionary book. The disadvantage of the electronic dictionary is that it does not give definitions so you miss out on learning meanings of new words. Sabine and I are generally pretty even and have increased our aggregate scores over the months. We have made few seven letter words, although in one game Sabine managed consecutive ones – mailout and
Page - 37 hooning – but, neither was verified by the Chambers electronic dictionary. ??
During our house caring, it has been irritating to see that the daily temps in Auckland (+/- 20C) have been a good bit higher than those in Melbourne (+/-16C). It has been pleasant to enjoy some home comforts again, comfy bed, warm house, varied food, fluffy towels, comfy chairs and Aussie Rules footy on TV. We have enjoyed exploring Melbourne in autumn, relaxing and taking the dog for walks. The three-week break from camping and travelling has been welcome, but I’m looking forward to Northern Territory in May, although not so keen on going back to more porridge, dehydrated peas and powdered milk!!
Taylors Lakes, Melbourne 24 April 2006
Page - 38 Sunset Diary 10 - May 2006
Elapsed time since 21 October 2005: 30 weeks Journey distance from Sydney: 14,652 kms, plus 2300 kms on train
Onwards and upwards to Northern Territory After our rest in Melbourne, in the second week of May we headed across Victoria and South Australia to Port Augusta and the Stuart Highway. This runs north-south between SA and Northern Territory - it’s 2750 kms from Port Augusta to Darwin, add another 600 if you divert to Uluru (Ayers Rock) on the way, as most travellers do. We intended to travel via the Grampian Mountains but it was so cold and wet when we left Melbourne, there was snow in the Grampians, that we gave them a miss again; when we came this way in January we abandoned our intended visit because of bushfires and extreme heat.
I enjoyed the break from travelling and camping in Melbourne, even though we had many “ditto” days in the diary, something we had not experienced over the previous five months. Our suburb at Taylors Lakes, close to the airport is 25 kms from downtown Melbourne with a convenient train service (every 20 mins and $9 return into town) run by Connex, the French firm trying to knock the Auckland railway system into shape. Whilst in Melbourne the weather was not that good – rather cool and wet - Melbourne had its coldest April for 10 years, whilst New Zealand enjoyed its warmest one for 25 years. Hmm.
Our house was comfortable with all mod. cons. on a newish green fields housing estate. As in New Zealand there has been a huge housing boom in Australia over the past two decades. I commented earlier about the many new housing estates extending as far as 100 kms south of Perth and it seems to be much the same around Melbourne. I was interested to read the views of George Megalogenis in his new book, The Longest Decade, on the Keating–Howard years. He emphasises the similarities in the two periods of government, even though one was Labour and the other Liberal.
Megalogenis discusses the McMansion housing boom; lots of large new houses being built and so it was around Taylors Lakes with many of the houses far too large and elaborate for the small sections on which they are built. The quality of workmanship
Page - 39 did not look that great in places and this reminded me of the comment by a Swiss builder we met on the Abel Tasman Track a few years back. He had worked for a couple of years in NZ. I asked him how he had found it. OK, he said, but here (NZ) you build houses (to last) for one generation, whereas at home we build to last for many generations. Hmm.
Another McMansion in the Melbourne suburbs – huge house on a small section (and that transmission line) Megalogenis describes the Howard administration as “frequent flyer” government; all the rewards go to those who are successful whilst others, more in need of help, have been neglected. Several Australians we met in our travels lamented the way Australia has become a mean society under Howard. They were thinking of the harsh treatment of illegal immigrants, the failure to reach a fair settlement with the aborigine peoples, the hard line taken with East Timor over oil and gas revenues and the cynical military involvement in Iraq.
On a completely different level this resonates with me over pensioner concessions. Many private and public organisations give concessions (discounts) to pensioners for things like travel, cinema and even coffee in some cafes; but, for the most part, these concessions are allowed only to Australian pensioners. Initially, I assumed that the government was reimbursing the organisations for the cost of the discounts and so it seemed fair, if a little mean-spirited. But I have since been told that there are no
Page - 40 reimbursements to the organisations and it is difficult to avoid the conclusion of simple discrimination against foreigners.
There is an interesting balance of government in Australia right now. The conservative Liberal / National coalition enjoys strong support at the Federal level, and all the State governments are controlled by Labour and most with very strong majorities.
Dusty Coober Pedy in perfect weather It took us 8 days to travel the 2400 kms from Melbourne to Alice Springs. The first three days were pretty miserable; cold, wet and windy for the most part as we headed north to Mildura and then west to Renmark and Port Augusta. We were so cold after 4 or 5 hours’ riding that it wasn’t a hard decision each day to forsake camping in favour of motels or cabins on campgrounds. At 6am one morning we watched live on TV the remarkable rescue of the Beaconsfield miners.
After Port Augusta there was a marked change to blue skies, warm temps and calm days, in fact perfect riding weather. Sunglasses came out for the first time since January – not to say that we didn't have good weather in Tasmania, just that the glare is so much greater in the Outback. The Stuart Highway north to Alice Springs is an
Page - 41 excellent road; wide and smooth with comparatively little traffic. Strangely, there were only two small sections of road maintenance over a distance of some 1400 kms – in New Zealand, almost every main road seems to be continually subject to maintenance work of one kind or another.
Port Augusta (pop 13,000) in South Australia is the last significant town before entering the Outback on the Stuart Highway. Port Augusta is rather shabby and run- down. We got the oil changed on the bikes there. After two days (800 kms) we reached Coober Pedy (pop 1200) – the Opal Capital of the world – but CP makes Port Augusta look tidy and smart. CP township is dusty and unappealing with lots of spoil heaps in every direction from decades of mining activities. What a pleasant surprise then to find Alice Springs (pop 26,000), a further 800 kms inland, a tidy attractive town with excellent amenities – a veritable Oasis in the Outback, and so far no flies and no mozzies. Between CP and AS we camped in the bush one night and for the first time in our 7 months in Australia heard the cries of dingos.
The weather is so pleasant in AS, we plan to stay for a week or so.
Alice Springs 18 May 2006
Page - 42 Sunset Diary 11 - May 2006
Elapsed time since 21 October 2005: 32 weeks Journey distance from Sydney: 15,060 kms on bikes, plus 3,700 on train, 4WD
Alice in May – Oasis in the Outback – Pure Magic
Over the past three weeks we have enjoyed our best spell of continuous good weather throughout the whole trip. Alice Springs in May is pure magic. Clear crisp days 20- 24C max each day, and wonderfully clear night skies with temps falling to 5-10C, bit chilly but not unpleasant. August is the other good month. Locals tell me that in June and July it is cooler and busier as school holidays generate more tourists. The air is so dry that even with clear night skies there is no dew; I can’t ever recall that before.
Another surprise is the hilly terrain – I had always thought of the desert outback as being quite flat apart from the iconic Uluru, but around here the McDonnell Ranges
Page - 43 extend over 200 kms east and west of Alice Springs. Lovely bushwalking and some superb gorges left by rivers that cut through 50 million years ago. Geologists believe that the whole area was under water 800 to 400 million years ago and since then the sea has receded and the land has thrust up. Alice is now 600 metres ABOVE sea level and Ayers Rock village, 500 metres with Uluru itself 350 metres high.
Morning tea in Ormiston Gorge We spent three weeks in Alice Springs (named after the wife of the Telegraph Supervisor Todd) and visited Ayers Rock and the East and West McDonnells. Distance-wise, this is a bit like staying in Taupo and visiting Auckland, Wellington and Napier whilst there, for we covered over 2000 kms during our stay. Our first week we went out to the East McDonnells, camped at Trephina Gorge for a few days and did a spectacular ridge walk to the John Hayes Rockholes. The second week we went 100 kms west and spent most time at Ormiston Gorge, walked up to Bowman’s Gap and camped a couple of nights up there on our own. Peaceful.
For the first and only time on our trip we suffered a loss from opportunistic thieving. On the bikes, you are very aware whenever you stop and park, despite any precautions you may take, of being quite vulnerable to those who may take a fancy to your possessions. So far, thankfully, no problems on that count. We were sitting in the shadow of a gum tree enjoying the afternoon sun playing Scrabble when a bird about the size of a starling and the colour of thrush hopped around inspecting our campsite. Had a play with various items, picked up our teaspoon and flew off up the
Page - 44 gorge – cheeky devil. Next day, back at the Visitor Centre the Ranger said it would have been a Bower bird.
King's Canyon on another superb day For our final week, we hired a 4WD and went further afield, 400 kms to the south and west, on gravel bush roads to Kings Canyon, Uluru and the Olgas. Sabine had been to Uluru before, and I was a bit wary of being snared in an expensive tourist trap – loads of people and even more dollars to be lifted off you at every opportunity. However, it turned out to be a splendid week. First night at Palm Valley camp, then 200 kms around the unsealed Mereenie Loop Road to Kings Canyon – much less well known than Ayers Rock but really stunning – huge gorge about 300 metres deep with a splendid walkway around the top – plenty of rippled rocks, evidence of when this was once the sea bed!! Then on to Uluru (Ayers Rock) and Kata Tjuta (The Olgas). Well worth, the long journey there and back. We hit it lucky at the campsite; 300 staying that night but next month, school holidays, the campsite is booked to capacity, 2000.
I felt a bit of a wimp for hiring the 4WD for our trip to Uluru; two young fellas from NSW
Page - 45 on a TransAlp and BMW F650 who camped next to us in Alice went out on their bikes the day before us. They arrived back last night with bikes and themselves quite battered and bruised having come off several times on the sandy tracks. It wasn't exactly a case of schadenfreude (German for pleasure at someone's misfortune), but we felt better about hiring the 4WD.
The one sour aspect of Alice (and Coober Pedy and Port Augusta too) has been the sight of many bedraggled aborigines hanging around the towns just sitting and doing nothing, often a smell of booze about them. Often too with bandages etc over injuries, thin stick-like legs giving them a Lowry drawing appearance. Glazed looks on faces, rarely respond when you say hello, they seem totally separate and alienated from the rest of society. We have hardly seen an aborigine person in employment. When we were at Uluru there were clear requests in brochures and signage that people should not climb the rock because it is sacred to aborigines. Yet, it seemed that 99% of visitors took no heed and climbed anyway. I couldn't help thinking that this disrespect was not unrelated to the lack of integration so apparent in the towns.
Winter has arrived, last two nights it's been down close to zero, but no frost because there is no moisture in the air. Today, we head north for the warmer temps of Darwin, crossing the Tropic of Capricorn about 30 kms up the road.
Alice Springs 5 June 2006
Page - 46 Sunset Diary 12 June - July 2006
Elapsed time since 21 October 2005: 37 weeks Journey distance from Sydney: 17,400 kms on bikes, plus 3,700 on train, 4WD
Darwin: Mid-winter in the Tropics We reached Darwin on 17 June after leaving Kakadu NP sooner than intended because it was too hot for me, at least, for camping. But Darwin is rather warm too; this close to mid-winter; I wouldn't want to be here in summer. I have to admit that Sabine has an alternative theory about why I am feeling jaded from the heat – too much World Cup Football. The matches are broadcast live during the night here (10.30pm, 1.30am and 4.30am kick-offs) and we have been on a few campgrounds with TVs.
Crossing the Tropic of Capricorn, 30 kms north of Alice, but still 1500 kms to Darwin 30 kms up the road from Alice Springs, the Tropic of Capricorn is crossed but it was a further 1200 kms and 3 days to Katherine before I felt warm. Quite chilly when we left Alice and remained cool for riding, even in the daytime, for several days. I was fearful that Darwin might be crowded because hundreds of Aussies in their Landcruisers pulling caravans were heading in the same direction. En route we took a day off from riding at the Bitter Springs hot pools at Mataranka – very pleasant.
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Sabine takes in the last of the thirteen gorges on the Katherine River We stayed a couple of nights at the YHA in Katherine (300 kms from Darwin) and then did a 3-day walk along the Katherine Gorge over the Queen’s Birthday weekend, camping by ourselves at Smitt’s Rock, which is at the 5 th of the 13 gorges. After Katherine we headed for Kakadu NP and intended spending a week or so there before reaching Darwin. But it was getting too warm (and the mozzies too hungry) for camping for me and in the end we spent only a couple of nights in Kakadu before finding ourselves an air-conditioned room at the YWCA close to the centre of Darwin.
Darwin is a tropical tourist mecca. Lots of palm trees (oil and coconut), jacarandahs, bourganvilleas, frangipanis in full bloom etc. The main street – Mitchell St – has dozens of pubs, restaurants and cafes with pavement tables and large screen TVs geared to the World Cup. The place comes alive in the evenings, although not our scene. We spent three weeks in Darwin partly because of the wait to get new tyres fitted to the bikes and a final service before the long 3000 km trek east to Queensland. We did some of the tourist trips and particularly enjoyed the Deckchair Cinema, Mindil Beach Sunset Night Market and Tour of the NT Parliament Building. I hadn’t realised that NT is not a State of Australia; it’s a Territory which means that any legislation it passes can be over-ruled by Canberra. Two pieces of legislation have been cancelled
Page - 48 to date; voluntary euthanasia and ban on radioactive dumps. There are many monuments in Darwin to its wartime history and the attacks it suffered from the Japanese military. We were amused to read that some of the shipwrecks in Darwin Harbour were removed in the 1960s by Japanese scrap metal firms. Along the Stuart Highway, there are lots of signs to historical sites related to the war especially hospitals and aerodromes (quaint word, we don’t see nowadays).
In the last week of June there were many firms advertising “Fireworks” for sale and this seemed rather strange as we are several months away from what I know of as traditional fireworks’ times of November (Guy Fawkes) and January / February (Chinese New Year – Darwin has strong Chinese connections). All became clear on Saturday 1 st July when NT’s 28 th Independence Day was celebrated; discharge of fireworks is regulated to between 6pm and 10pm on the Day.
New tyres for the bikes were obtained from Brisbane and took longer to arrive than anticipated; so we went into Litchfield NP (about 100 kms to the south) and planned to walk the Tabletop Track, a four-day bushwalk. Unfortunately, when we got out there we were advised that the Track was closed – had not been re-opened following the rainy season. Every cloud has a silver lining and, as a result I was able to watch all the World Cup Quarter Final matches which I had been resigned to missing. We returned for a final week of comfort at the Darwin YWCA, had the new tyres fitted and I much enjoyed watching a rare comprehensive NZ cricket victory over Australia in an ‘A’ team one-day match in town (win by 8 wickets with nearly 10 overs to spare – can’t get much better than that).
Throughout our time in Darwin the daily temperature was around 30C and at night 20C. I found it rather too warm at first but got acclimatised after a while. No rain, in fact our last rain was a morning of light drizzle in Alice Springs on 22 May. Quite a contrast to NZ, which has been having a severe winter. The NT Weather Bureau announced that June was the coldest month on record for NT as a whole, and Darwin suffered? a lowest minimum temperature for the month of 14C!!
On 10 July, following the World Cup Final, we head south back along the Stuart Highway en route for Queensland. Directions are easy – south for 1000 kms, turn left
Page - 49 at Tennant Creek, then east for 2000 kms via Mt Isa until we reach Townsville on the coast. Darwin, NT 7 July 2006
Page - 50 Sunset Diary 13 July 2006
Elapsed time since 21 October 2005: 40 weeks Journey distance from Sydney: 20,500 kms on bikes, plus 3,700 on train, 4WD
The Sunshine State: Queensland We left Darwin on a warm, sunny morning immediately after the World Cup Final (live broadcast finished at 6.15am Monday) feeling rather sad about Zizou's exit; knowing what was said to him would at least help to understand, if not excuse. The bikes had been serviced by the Honda agent and new tyres fitted ready for the final segment of our journey around Australia; across Northern Territory and Queensland, and back to Sydney for the end of September.
We had a pleasant 250 kms ride for our first day and camped at Edith Falls in Nitmiluk NP some 50 kms before Katherine. The site was so nice we stayed two nights and Sabine enjoyed several swims in the rock pools below the falls (much too cold for me). Our next day was eventful for several reasons. Late in the afternoon about half-way between Darwin and Mt Isa, some 700 kms from each, the Africa Twin suddenly stopped. It seemed like fuel starvation to me and I recalled the advice of Paul Bradshaw from Margaret River in WA, whom we had met in January, that these bikes have a well-known (but not to me) problem of sudden fuel pump failure. So it proved.
The next problem occurred when I took Sabine’s bike into Elliot (pop 600) 30 kms to the south to seek help. I dropped it – our first and only “off” during our entire trip (so far!!). Oh dear. I was making a turn at walking pace on a dirt track, went into some soft sand which I couldn’t see because of the blinding sun, and was over in a flash. Bugger. Fortunately, no damage to me or the bike.
We camped in the bush by the bikes; had a good night but as we were packing up at dawn there was a sudden heavy downpour and we got soaked – fortunately, it wasn't cold – July 14 and our first rain since May 22 in Alice Springs, so can't grumble. The local mechanic came out early morning, carried the bike into Elliot and sorted the problem out within an hour. Points in the fuel pump had fused together; he cleaned them up and we were on our way. I had had visions of being stuck in Elliot for a week or more waiting for spare parts so was greatly relieved.
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Rescue for the Africa Twin, 30 kms north of Elliot NT Mt Isa is about half-way between Darwin and the Queensland east coast and we thought it might be a good spot to break our journey for a few days especially as Lonely Planet described it as “a town of striking beauty”. When we crossed into Queensland, some 200 kms before Mt Isa, a roadside sign advised putting clocks forward 5 years and 30 minutes, but the first impression of Mt Isa is that it would be more appropriate to put them back 50 years. The third largest silver producer in the world the place is dominated by the mine and almost every structure, apart from the mine, has a temporary pre-fabricated look and feel to it; as if everyone is geared for a runner immediately the ore runs out or the bottom falls out of the metal market. On top of that it was pretty cold there too with night-time temps down close to zero and a biting wind chill. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and Mt Isa’s escaped us.
Cloncurry is a small mining settlement about 100 kms east of Mt Isa and here a choice of routes can be made. Straight on to Townsville on the east coast, turn right to Longreach where there is an excellent Qantas aviation museum or left to Normanton on the Gulf of Carpentaria. When it came to the crunch the decision wasn’t hard; it was pretty cool in Cloncurry even in mid-afternoon and so left we turned hopefully for warmer temps in the Gulf. This route would bring is into Queensland via the Atherton Tablelands and Cairns.
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Mt Isa – a town of striking beauty, beauty we failed to see The highway from Darwin to Queensland is long, flat and straight, more or less. There is the occasional incline and bend but that's how it is for some 2000 kms. In NT there is no speed limit but most drivers kept to around the 100-110 kph mark with the odd flyer – the traffic was fairly light and for much of the time, there isn't another vehicle in sight to the horizons, forward or back. It can catch you unawares when suddenly you find someone overtaking who wasn't in the mirrors a few seconds earlier. The road surfaces are excellent; wide and smooth; so much better than NZ roads which are narrower and seem to forever being repaired, particularly the main highways. Why this is so, I don't know. The Australian roads take some heavy pounding from the 53 metre long road trains – are the Australian roads built to higher specs? Is the earthquake activity in NZ a factor? The Matilda and Savannah Highways north and east of Mt Isa are not so good, with several hundred kms of strip tar – single lane of seal, with gravel edges which require great care when passing oncoming traffic, especially road trains!!
After a couple of days of pleasant, warm weather in Normanton we continued east for another 600 kms until we reached the Atherton Tablelands just south and east of Cairns. We were greeted by a light drizzle and locals tell us that it has hardly stopped raining here since Cyclone Larry came through in late March; there is plenty of evidence all around of its passing. The countryside in the Atherton Tablelands reminds us of the Waikato, lots of green paddocks and Friesian dairy cows and scenic
Page - 53 countryside, a total contrast to the Outback we had passed through over the previous two weeks.
On reaching Atherton Tablelands there was a continuing light drizzle which caused a retreat into a motel for a weekend at Ravenshoe, the highest town in Queensland (900 metres). After the rain cleared we spent a delightful three days at Lake Eacham on one of the best campgrounds we have found throughout our entire trip. But this was probably influenced greatly by it being so quiet and peaceful there. And so at the end of July, in fine weather we crossed the Atherton Tablelands, spent a couple of hours in touristy Kuranda before dropping down into Cairns, and the campsite at Lake Placid.
Cairns, QLD 28 July 2006
Page - 54 Sunset Diary 14 - August 2006
Elapsed time since 21 October 2005: 42 weeks Journey distance from Sydney: 21,100 kms, plus 3,700 on train, 4WD
Tropical North Queensland
Page - 55 We struck it lucky with weather in Cairns; at this time of the year, warm and dry is the norm but following the passing of two cyclones, “Larry” in late March and “Monica” in April, the rain has hardly stopped. We arrived in last week of July, stayed for 10 days and enjoyed the longest spell of dry weather in Cairns this year. For accommodation we camped four days at a delightful spot on the Barron River, Lake Placid, 15 kms to the north of Cairns; three days at a campsite close to town with several groups of rather noisy youngsters and then final three nights at a pleasant backpackers, Geckos, right in town. Highlight of our stay for Sabine was a day’s snorkling on the GBR (Great Barrier Reef).
Cairns has an official population of 120,000, about two-thirds the size of Hamilton, but the first impression is that it is at least two, if not three, times the size of Hamilton. Tourism is big business and in full swing at this time of the year. At least 30 big jets pass through the airport each day. We were struck by how much more reasonable prices are in Cairns than in the Outback over the past couple of months. Petrol, fruit, vegetables and food generally are much lower and The Australian newspaper even sells for its regular price of $1.20 and not loaded with 50 or 100% surcharge as in Alice Springs and Darwin.
Innisfail, about 100 kms south of Cairns, is the centre of the Australian banana industry and the whole crop was wiped out by cyclone Larry. Imports are banned and bananas now sell for $18 per kg but furthermore apples cost $5 per kg; commentators explain that the shortage of bananas has increased demand for other fruits, raising their prices too. I heard on the radio that bananas in Auckland are selling for NZ$0.99 per kg (imported from Phillipines). Mark Vaile, Deputy PM and Trade Minister, recently returned from the failed Doha Round free trade talks in Paris complaining about European, American and Japanese intransigence over agricultural subsidies; Australia’s own protectionist policies seem to be ignored.
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Innisfail pub; still missing much of its roof lost to cyclone Larry A builder on the radio commented on the huge size of new houses being constructed – he said the norm these days seemed to be 1000 sqr metres and he was even involved in some as large as 2000 sqr metres. I thought our house in Hamilton at 180 sqr metres including the double garage was rather large for two people, but it seems modest by Australian standards.
We left Cairns in the second week of August and headed south through the sugar cane country, first to Etty Beach and then to Cardwell, the transit point for five days on Hinchinbrook Island and the Thorsborne Trail. Etty Beach, just south of Innisfail, was hit by the full force of the cyclone and it was fascinating to hear the description and see the photos of the caravan park owner about their evacuation and return; terrifying days she will remember for the rest of her life.
Hinchinbrook Island is special; we took it easy on the 32 kms of the Thorsborne Trail taking five days instead of the usual four. We were fortunate to get on the Trail – the Parks Dept limits numbers to a max of 40 at any time. When I first went to the Parks office in Cairns, the Trail was fully booked for the whole of August. Sabine came along later that day for us to work out a Plan B at another Park, and during the day someone had cancelled and some slots became available which we quickly took. Very pleasant, easy walking, stunning views over pristine beaches with 1000 metre
Page - 57 mountain backdrops and some lovely camp sites. Particularly memorable was the crystal clear full moon on 9 th August and the very high high tide which at 10pm lapped to within a couple of metres of our tent in the bush at the edge of the beach.
Nina Bay, our first night’s camp on Hinchinbrook Island The weather is quite cool further south so we are reluctant to leave the tropics too quickly. After Hinchinbrook we spent two more days in Cardwell before riding 150 kms south through intensive sugar cane country to the “capital” of North Queensland, Townsville (pop, 150,000). The Labor leader, Peter Beattie, has called a State Election for Sept 9 th so that will dominate news here for the rest of our time in Queensland. By the way, Queensland itself is 6 times the size of New Zealand but has a smaller population, 3.8 million!!
Townsville, QLD 17 August 2006
Page - 58 Sunset Diary 15 - August-September 2006
Elapsed time since 21 October 2005: 46 weeks Journey distance from Sydney: 22,900 kms, plus 3,700 on train, 4WD
Central Queensland Since the last diary entry written in Townsville in mid-August we continued down the coast for 600 kms to Rockhampton (pop 60,000), spending a weekend in Mackay (pop 75,000) on the way. After that we left the coast and headed east along the Tropic of Capricorn for 400 kms to Emerald and Capella before turning south for Carnarvon Gorge, and leaving the tropics at the beginning of September. We entered the tropics north of Alice Springs at the beginning of June giving us three (winter) months in the warm and dry, appreciated all the more for knowing about the particularly cold and wet winter in the Waikato. We have also passed 300 days since leaving home and 200 days (or rather, nights) of camping.
Walking in Carnarvon Gorge Sugar cane is the principal crop for over 1000 kms running down the north Queensland coast. During the 1970s I spent nearly 10 years working in the sugar industry in Zambia and Swaziland so was interested to see sugar estates close-up again. Harvest is in full swing, but there is a sharp contrast with practices used in Africa 30 years ago; cane here is machine, not hand cut; harvested green and not pre- burned; and transported mostly by mini-railways and not trucks. Lovely to be
Page - 59 reminded of the sweet sugar smells as we passed by on the bikes
We have had a few ups and downs. Particularly enjoyable has been catching up with Richard and Heather Irons in Yeppoon (on the coast 40kms from Rockhampton), Diane and Bill Mathews in Capella, Sharon and Wendy (Ulysses Hamilton) in Emerald and tramping and camping in Carnarvon Gorge. On the down side, I had a flu-like fever for a few days, one of the new tyres fitted in Darwin developed ominous cracks in the casing and was replaced in Mackay, then the very next day the fuel pump on the Africa Twin failed again, giving up the ghost completely this time, 30 kms from Rockhampton. Richard from Yeppoon and bikie friend David Keith, organised a trailer etc in double quick time and rescued us from the side of a busy Highway 1. Rockhampton Honda shop fitted a new fuel pump.
Yeppoon (pop 10,000) is a gorgeous spot on the Keppel Bay coast. As a retirement gift to himself Richard has acquired a huge four bay "shed" and workshop equipped with metal lathe, compressor, welders etc to handle all kinds of mechanical constructions and repairs. Sabine received her first welding lesson and made her first join under Richard's tuition and supervision. West of Rockhampton we soon entered coal mining territory and reached Blackwater, which claims the dubious distinction of being the coal mining capital of Queensland. The road runs adjacent to a new electrified rail line which is full-on with huge coal trains (four locos; one pair up-front and another pair in the middle) heading for the port of Gladstone and export to Japan. The Bowen Basin coal seam extends for 1000 kms north-south in these parts, mostly accessible using open cast methods.
A highlight was the visit Sharon arranged to Ensham Coal Mine. Sharon was driving the bus for a school visit to this massive open cast pit with 4 draglines taking 8m tonnes of coal out each year, which is small compared with 2 or 3 times that in other pits. Our trip was almost aborted at the least minute when the School Principal asked if we had Blue Cards. These are issued by the Police to confirm that you do not have a criminal record and school staff these days have to be careful about whom they allow to associate with their children. We don’t have Blue Cards but after a brief chat the Principal allowed us to join the party. What has the world come to? A great day anyway.
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Emerald schoolchildren viewing one of the Ensham draglines at work Diane Mathews of Capella has done a lot of work tracing her family history, and has discovered that she and I are related; her great-great grandfather left Essex for Queensland about 1850. She made contact via the net with my cousin in Essex since we left New Zealand last year. By email I was able to contact Diane and we spent some enjoyable hours tracing our ancestors through the family tree. She has established that we are fourth cousins, once removed; we have a common grandfather, born before 1767, died 1835, who lived in Linton, Cambridgeshire, England. Fascinating.
We spent the first week of September at Carnarvon Gorge NP, about 300 kms inland from the coast. Lush vegetation, prolific bird life in a narrow valley beneath 200 metre high sandstone cliffs - a magical place. We spent a couple of nights 10 kms up the Gorge camping at Big Bend. A must see for anyone visiting Central Queensland.
The clock is winding down, only two weeks to go before we fly back to Hamilton from Sydney on 22 September. I’m feeling pretty jaded, mentally and physically, and ready for home; Sabine, on the other hand, is full of beans and could keep going for another year, I’m sure.
Roma, Queensland 8 September 2006
Page - 61 Sunset Diary 16 - September 2006
Elapsed time since 21 October 2005: 48 weeks Journey distance from Sydney: 24,556 kms, plus 3,700 on train, 4WD
Back to where we started, Sydney Our final two weeks were spent on a leisurely ride from Queensland back to Sydney keeping our fingers crossed that we avoid any last minute calamities, having come so far without major problems. We lost a few days in Roma Queensland recovering from bouts of flu (David) and sickness (Sabine) causing us to abandon an intended visit to Brisbane – also not keen to navigate through the heavy traffic there too. It can be quite tricky keeping two bikes together in busy city roads – so many speedy drivers ducking and diving can quickly separate you and in many places it’s difficult to find a spot to stop with heavily laden bikes.
The final camp of our journey at Gloucester, NSW So we charted a route south to Sydney through the back country roads avoiding the busy Pacific Highway. Had a very pleasant stay with Chris & Shirley Warn, friends from Swazi days, on their macadamia nut farm near Ballina just over the NSW border – one of the few parts of NSW where there isn’t a water shortage, very fertile and productive locality, terrific bird life and delicious nuts too!!
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A good clean-up for the bikes at Gosford The weather was good for our ride south through the New England back country towns of Lismore, Grafton, Armidale, Walcha, Gloucester (our last night of camping) and Gosford. We put the bikes through the waterblaster before the final run into Sydney, and air-freighting by Greenfreight International back to NZ. For the first of our three days in Sydney, the temperature was 30C, 11C above the September average, and the hottest September day for several years. Coincidentally, that evening we watched the splendid Al Gore film The Inconvenient Truth with its review and warnings about global warming. Strange that, despite recent good rains in many parts, Australia has a severe drought problem, but along with the US, has refused to sign the Kyoto Treaty. Incidentally, I wonder if many Americans now regret their choice of President in 1999? The world today would be very different if the result had gone the other way.
A sad week in Australia as State Funerals and Memorial Services are held for racing driver Peter Brock and TV crocodile personality Steve Irwin. The huge public reaction here to the loss of Irwin seems quite strange; everyone speaks about him as a great conservationist yet all the TV clips show him tormenting animals – wrestling crocodiles, teasing snakes and the like. I mentioned earlier the Queensland State election to be held on 9 September and how I expected this to dominate the Queensland news at least. How wrong I was. On the Saturday election day, end of
Page - 63 the week when Irwin had died on the Monday and Brock on the Friday, the election barely got a mention on the 6pm evening TV news.
One of our last lunch stops at Guy Fawkes Falls Nature Reserve near Armidale
Back in Sydney, the odometer on the bike had increased by 24,500 kms since leaving here last October. Unexpectedly, the price of petrol is about the same in Sydney now (117c per litre) as when we started despite there being some astronomical increases over the 11 months – the highest we paid was 181c in the Outback in July.
Sydney, NSW 22 September 2006
Page - 64 Reflections on our Ride around Australia
Around Australia Australia is a big country, almost 30 times the size of New Zealand which is itself about the same size as Britain. After riding around this continent you realise that maps are deceptive, giving the impression that Australia is roughly the shape of a rectangle with a long side east-west (Brisbane to Perth) and shorter side north-south (Melbourne to Darwin or Cape York). In fact, Australia is closer to being square shaped, because the distance from Melbourne to Darwin (3,800 kms) or Cape York (4,100 kms) is only slightly less than that from Brisbane to Perth (4,300 kms). Indeed, if you take the distance from Hobart, in the south of Tasmania, to Darwin it is the same as Brisbane to Perth, after allowing 200 kms for Bass Strait.
Outside of the main centres, invariably there seems to be about 100 kms (or 60 miles) between one township and the next. An Aussie explained the reason for this; when the country was being developed the horse was the normal mode of transport and 60 miles is about the maximum distance a horse can travel in a day.
In planning, we scheduled our journey with an eye on the weather seeking continuous summer conditions – WA in November-December; Tasmania, February-March; NT in May-June; and Queensland in July-August. Overall, this worked out well although we did encounter some extremes at times – record cool temperatures and rainfall for WA in December; record high temperatures for SA in January were the most disruptive for motorcycling and camping. I was surprised at how windy Australia can be. I knew that Tasmania, like New Zealand, is windy, but along the southern coast from NSW to WA often we experienced windy conditions and at times, the winds were too strong or blustery for riding.
We gained the impression that Australian drivers, in the rural areas at least, are more courteous and relaxed than their NZ counterparts. If you are travelling at the speed limit, following drivers seem to be content to drive at a safe distance behind, whereas in NZ following drivers usually make a point of overtaking at the earliest opportunity, and sit close on your tail in the meantime, even when the vehicle in front is travelling at the speed limit.
Page - 65 Ourselves and our Bikes We are grateful for getting through our 11 months’ travelling and riding in good health and unscathed. Motorcycling has inherent dangers and we got through without any mishaps, accidents, or injuries. We had one mechanical problem with the 14-year old TransAlp due to a failed CDI unit, probably the consequence of the saddle sagging with age and causing a short in the unit, and one failure on the 8-year old Africa Twin (fuel pump) which was repaired at Elliot (NT) but gave out completely near Rockhampton (Qld). Full marks to Honda.
Healthwise, apart from David having flu for 3 days in final two weeks, we had no coughs or colds throughout or runny tummies, an affliction which seems to affect most long-distance travellers at one time or another. We had a few aches and pains from bush-walking and apart from that, the only major problem was David’s lower back strain in December after the Bibbulmun Track, which took two weeks to come right.
Petrol costs increased throughout, before dropping sharply in the final two weeks back to where they were when we started; $1.17 per litre in Sydney. The highest we paid was $1.81 at Barkly Homestead, NT in July. Fuel for two bikes costs about the same as one campervan, so fuel costs of travelling with two bikes is about the same as travelling by campervan or car; but much more fun, of course.
We saw only one other foreign registered vehicle throughout our time in Australia. This was a pristine, 32-year old VW Kombi that a proud young German mechanic had shipped out for his around Aussie trip even though the shipping costs were much higher than buying and re-selling in Australia.
Travelling and Camping Travelling by motorbike is fun but more challenging than the alternatives of car or campervan. Aside from the exposure to extremes of weather, every time you stop and park there are concerns about security and safety. Parking heavily laden bikes you have to be particularly careful about being on a flat, firm surface for it is easy to lose footing and for the bike to go over. The bikes themselves created a lot of interest whenever we stopped; there seems to be many envious drivers around who would prefer to be on their bikes but are consigned to cars.
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Camping and biking is hard over the long haul; very weather dependent; more Outward Bound than Club Med. Daily routine is built around daylight hours, which makes for some long nights in winter, with up to 14 hours in the tent. Restricted space in a two-person mountain tent leaves you marginally more comfortable than in economy on a long haul overnight flight, although most nights Sabine preferred to sleep under the stars .
You are limited in what you can carry to the contents of three Givi panniers each for clothes, food, cooking, bushwalking and camping gear for almost a whole year. Also, you have to have clothes for cool and wet weather as well as warm and hot. It’s surprising how little you can get away with if you put your mind to it, but it has been pleasant to wear some different clothes since getting home.
Travelling this way, we are dependent on having picnic tables for tea and lunch stops. Sabine is supple enough to be comfortable sitting on the ground, but I need a proper seat at least. In some States, there are picnic tables and seats at most roadside rest areas but not all. Eventually, we bought a camping chair in Darwin, rather late in the trip and this was excellent; should have taken one from the start.
Communications Internet is an important bonus available to long-time travellers now that was not around a decade or so ago. It was great to be able to keep up with news from home and friends and family. I thought about taking a laptop with me but worried about connectivity, security and extra weight, and instead carried a memory stick and used Internet cafes and libraries. Libraries were particularly good, with many offering free access for one hour per day.
A colleague set up a website for me on Yahoo Geocities which used MS Word files to update ( www.geocities.com/hillcrest_rd ). For long distance telephone calls we bought a Telstra ‘Say G’day’ card for $20 which gives 10 hours of conversation for 50c per call; worked well. I took a NZ Vodafone mobile phone planning to use their worldwide roaming service. However, this means that someone calling you from within Australia is charged for an international call, even for calls within the same
Page - 67 town; abandoned the NZ cellphone and bought the cheapest Telstra one available in Australia.
Budget and Finance Travelling for so long, you become aware of how much ‘Tourism’ has become an industry with a prime focus on making money for operators and lifting dollars off tourists at every opportunity; Visitor Centres often seem more interested in selling tours and accommodation than informing and educating about their region.
Travelling on a fairly tight budget as we were, $50 per day per person, we had to be careful. We camped as often as we could but campsites on Caravan Parks now cost $20-30 per night (for two) whereas it seems only a short while ago that the fees were around $10 per night; overall, we camped 207 of the 336 nights we were away. Our total expenditure worked out at roughly one quarter each on Fuel, Food, Accommodation and ‘Other’.
Money Savers (for those on a tight budget!!) * Big4, FPA and Top Tourist Parks caravan parks have loyalty clubs that cost around $20 to join and give 10% discounts at campgrounds; NZ Top Ten card is accepted at Australian Big4 sites. However, many of these campgrounds tend to have slightly better facilities than regular campgrounds and charge higher rates, so with the discount often you end up paying about the same as you would at other campgrounds. * Use YHA cards to get discounts particularly on rail, bus travel, and sometimes coffee shops and cinemas too. * Books from op shops cost 50c to $2, in second-hand shops $5-10 compared with new prices of $20-50. * Libraries in SA and NT offer free internet access, even to visitors. Libraries in other States often provide free access for Australians, but levy a small charge on visitors. * Rather than two 340mill Iced Coffees (2 x $3.50), buy one litre of cold milk ($2.50) then add your own coffee and sugar. * Rather than two single ice-cream cones (2 x $3-4.00), buy a 2 litre tub of vanilla ice cream ($4.00) when staying at backpackers; store in the freezer and use over several days. * Rather than two six-inch Subways (2 x $5.00), share one 12-inch ($7.00).
Page - 68 Sabine has an eagle eye for collecting foods that are free and might otherwise go to waste; mushrooms, coconuts, blackberries, citrus, apples etc were all harvested at one time or another, not to mention items in the ‘free’ bin at backpacker kitchens that have been off-loaded by other travellers.
I carried four different kinds of soap at the outset, but finished carrying and using only one which seemed to suffice for all washing, shaving, laundry and cleaning; shampoo. To save space, toilet soap, laundry liquid and a shaving stick were all not replaced when used up. Also carried a 5cm rubber disk cut out of an old car inner tube for the many occasions when plugs were missing at campground sinks.
Whilst away we rented out our house in Hamilton fully furnished and these monies helped to balance our travel budget.
Memorable Rip-offs * Getting off the Spirit of Tasmania at 7am coming into Melbourne I was worried about being able to find my way across the city in the morning traffic. The Information Office on the boat provided a simple A4 sized sketch map of a recommended route across the city but for a charge of 50c!! * A café in Devonport, Tasmania advertised fish and chips plus a beer for $10 all up, for orders before 6pm. I went in at 5.45pm to take advantage of the promotion and asked for some salad with the F&C. Very nice; but the total bill came to $19.50!! * On several occasions we needed to park the bikes securely when we went off for a few days on bushwalks. Almost all Caravan Parks were happy to do this for free on the understanding that we would be staying there on our return. The Big4 Caravan Park in Alice Springs provides this service for $6 per day for cars; the lady on the desk said she would ask the Manager if she would be willing to take the two bikes for $6 and instead of $12 per day. Thanks, but no thanks.
Getting the Bikes to and from Australia Greenfreight International was much cheaper and easier sending bikes by air than all the other quotes I had for sea or air transportation to Australia. Two months out, the best quote was from a Hamilton freight company at $600 each by sea, but required us to acquire and crate the bikes ourselves and hand them in two weeks before
Page - 69 departure. For Greenfreight at Auckland Airport we handed in the bikes two days before departure, in rideable condition (no disconnecting batteries, emptying fuel or oil, or removing panniers etc). Each bike was strapped to two wooden pallets, total weight 460kgs, and these were placed inside one aircraft container. Total cost NZ$633. Bikes carried by Qantas and were at Qantas Freight Office in Sydney when we arrived; we arrived at 8am, cleared Customs ourselves, bikes handed to us at 11am and we were on the road by 12 noon. Qantas charged A$160 for handling.
Logistically, our experience on the return trip was as good but financially, the exact opposite. Greenfreight in Auckland advised that it would cost more to send the bikes back because freight charges into NZ are higher than those out of NZ, so we were prepared for a charge of $1000 or perhaps even $2000. Our experience with Greenfreight Auckland had been so positive that I decided to ask the Sydney branch to air freight them back and didn’t get quotes either from them or other freight companies. Obtaining and following up on quotes is more difficult when you are on the move and reliant on internet cafes; also, I was feeling somewhat jaded and didn’t have the mental energy to seek quotes. What a mistake!! We left the bikes with Greenfreight International in Sydney and they invoiced us for $3388 – over FIVE times the cost of sending the bikes to Australia. By the time we learned of this charge, we were locked in and unable to do anything about it. Bugger.
Clearing the bikes in Auckland was easy. Quarantine gave them a close inspection and I was glad we had given them the waterblast treatment before freighting, Customs cleared the Carnet and stamped the documents. Took 2 hours all up; charges, $50 for Quarantine inspection; $52.50 to GFI for handling.
Final Thoughts At Carnarvon Gorge in Central Queensland, a Parks Ranger gave an interesting illustrated lecture about the region. In the historical section he described the friction between the local aboriginal tribes and the settlers 100-200 years ago. Although, the aboriginal peoples were generally forced off the lands, he mentioned that there was some notable resistance and in one township 27 settlers had been killed and in another 13. In question time, he was asked how many aboriginals were killed and injured in the conflicts and replied that this was a controversial subject and unknown. I
Page - 70 couldn’t help thinking about the parallels with Iraq today; in the western media we are given regular precise counts of the coalition soldiers killed and wounded – 2613 dead was the latest figure I saw – but no attempt is made to record or publicise the number of Iraqi dead and injured since the invasion in March 2003. Hmm. Everything changes but everything stays the same.
Our 11-month Motorcycle Adventure around Australia ended with a Freedom Air flight back to Hamilton on 22 September. Overall, the trip was a great experience, very satisfying and good fun although quite hard at times and I was pleased to see the green green grass of home; spring flowers, new lambs, cherry blossom, macracarpas, friends and family.
David & Sabine Hamilton 2 October 2006
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