senfiddy
Tour Pro
http://tinyurl.com/nwd5xhMap of Day1
http://tinyurl.com/q38hwx
It was a very chilly start to the day but WTF? we're tough bikers right?
We met Friday morning at The Amberlight and after a delicious and nourishing breakfast, we headed off.
Because KevS has a Zumo, he was leader. Here he is studying the GPS after only 10kms.
In fact the planning of the weekend was entirely Kev's. He wanted to see the Pub at Silverton via Broken Hill and he thought that the best way to get there was by riding the Morgan Mail Route.
The Zumo was having a bad day and wanted to take us far out of our way just to use highways as much as possible. This procedure hadcost us some time so we ended up using the highway to Morgan after ignoring the GPS and heading for Truro.
Just shy of Morgan
We filled our tanks and 5l containers because the next fuel was over 350kms away.
Kev switched to Shonky Maps for the dirt back roads and we entrusted our future to the Zumo. (The Bitch)
The Mail Road was a lot of fun. In great condition and the perfect intro to the world of fully laden touring on dirt.
I will have to admit that I was fearful of encountering deep sand along this road because Mule and sand just don't get on!
And the Scala embodied cry of "Sand" reached my ears, my heartrate quadrupled in a split second. But my hours of sand riding research kicked in -
Maintain or increase pace, relax your grip, let the 'bars wander where they will (soooo much easier thought than done) steer with your knees or with your feet if standing.
Fortunately the sand was only in short stretches and your humble correspondent maintained,relaxed, let wander and knee-steered his way through successfully.
The wildlife was at times also a concern but Kevs lightning reflexes and suberb bike handling skills averted tragedy, especially when the world's largest goat wanted to be impaled by Kevs front wheel.( I saw a black shape about the size of a pony rush into the bush - it was a BIG goat!)
Then we were at the NSW border
The sand was deeper after this point due to a slack maintenance program but by then I loved sand! Couldn't get enough!
At about 4.30 in the afternoon we reached the Highway to Broken Hill and had a boring 100k ride into the sun.
Did I mention that it was boring?
We arrived in BH in the VERY late afternoon and after refilling ( Mule ran out of fuel about 50ks short of BH)
continued the ride to Silverton.
If you want to see images of the area watch Mad Max films - I've got nothing.
Kev can at least say that he had a beer at the Silverton Pub because his hopes of a meal were dashed. A dried out pie Sir?
My choice (serves me right for being a freakin' vego) was a cheese and gherkin sanger or......SFA.
We eventually found an Italian type eatery in BH ate great meals and retired to a cabin because I can't erect a tent in daylight let alone in the pitch black of the country-side. :stupid:
http://tinyurl.com/nzgsy4 Day 2
The Bitch had us running around in circles in the morning looking for a Coles supermarket where I hoped I would find some vegetarian sausages for tonight's meal over the campfire. We found a WW that stocked nada (serves me right for being a freakin' vego).
So it was around 12 by the time we got here:
The plan came to be: ignore the sign on the side road saying "Entry to ...............homesteads only - No thoroughfare" and just see if it really meant what it said.
It was a top road and after 50ks we got to turn around and do it again after politely being refused access to the out going road.
We rebelled and stopped for lunch.
Back on the highway heading for Yunta, boredom set in
Oh boy. Here's Yunta!
Hmm! A future trip....
It was nearing 3pm so after fuelling up we went looking for a camp spot.
To our immense satisfaction, we happened upon a friendly cocky (or is the female variation a cockess?) and she kindly agreed to us staying here:
Where Kev was able to indulge his addiction to campfires.
The view from my room
The view from Kev's room
http://tinyurl.com/mrhrvu Day 3
Adieu...
It was a very pleasant and relaxed ride on some fantastic roads as we headed homeward.
However, sometimes life has a habit throwing a spanner in the works ( thankfully only a very small one on this occasion)
My bike after repairs due to being downed by a kangaroo
The kangaroo paid the ultimate price.
I have a sore elbow and wrist
Mule has some very cracked plastic, broken mirror and clutch lever. Oh and a totalled Givi pannier
Approaching Burra
Now some greenery after all that desolation. Approaching Lobethal for a coffee being parting company.
http://tinyurl.com/q38hwx
It was a very chilly start to the day but WTF? we're tough bikers right?
We met Friday morning at The Amberlight and after a delicious and nourishing breakfast, we headed off.
Because KevS has a Zumo, he was leader. Here he is studying the GPS after only 10kms.
In fact the planning of the weekend was entirely Kev's. He wanted to see the Pub at Silverton via Broken Hill and he thought that the best way to get there was by riding the Morgan Mail Route.
The Zumo was having a bad day and wanted to take us far out of our way just to use highways as much as possible. This procedure hadcost us some time so we ended up using the highway to Morgan after ignoring the GPS and heading for Truro.
Just shy of Morgan
We filled our tanks and 5l containers because the next fuel was over 350kms away.
Kev switched to Shonky Maps for the dirt back roads and we entrusted our future to the Zumo. (The Bitch)
The Mail Road was a lot of fun. In great condition and the perfect intro to the world of fully laden touring on dirt.
I will have to admit that I was fearful of encountering deep sand along this road because Mule and sand just don't get on!
And the Scala embodied cry of "Sand" reached my ears, my heartrate quadrupled in a split second. But my hours of sand riding research kicked in -
Maintain or increase pace, relax your grip, let the 'bars wander where they will (soooo much easier thought than done) steer with your knees or with your feet if standing.
Fortunately the sand was only in short stretches and your humble correspondent maintained,relaxed, let wander and knee-steered his way through successfully.
The wildlife was at times also a concern but Kevs lightning reflexes and suberb bike handling skills averted tragedy, especially when the world's largest goat wanted to be impaled by Kevs front wheel.( I saw a black shape about the size of a pony rush into the bush - it was a BIG goat!)
Then we were at the NSW border
The sand was deeper after this point due to a slack maintenance program but by then I loved sand! Couldn't get enough!
At about 4.30 in the afternoon we reached the Highway to Broken Hill and had a boring 100k ride into the sun.
Did I mention that it was boring?
We arrived in BH in the VERY late afternoon and after refilling ( Mule ran out of fuel about 50ks short of BH)
continued the ride to Silverton.
If you want to see images of the area watch Mad Max films - I've got nothing.
Kev can at least say that he had a beer at the Silverton Pub because his hopes of a meal were dashed. A dried out pie Sir?
My choice (serves me right for being a freakin' vego) was a cheese and gherkin sanger or......SFA.
We eventually found an Italian type eatery in BH ate great meals and retired to a cabin because I can't erect a tent in daylight let alone in the pitch black of the country-side. :stupid:
http://tinyurl.com/nzgsy4 Day 2
The Bitch had us running around in circles in the morning looking for a Coles supermarket where I hoped I would find some vegetarian sausages for tonight's meal over the campfire. We found a WW that stocked nada (serves me right for being a freakin' vego).
So it was around 12 by the time we got here:
The plan came to be: ignore the sign on the side road saying "Entry to ...............homesteads only - No thoroughfare" and just see if it really meant what it said.
It was a top road and after 50ks we got to turn around and do it again after politely being refused access to the out going road.
We rebelled and stopped for lunch.
Back on the highway heading for Yunta, boredom set in
Oh boy. Here's Yunta!
Hmm! A future trip....
It was nearing 3pm so after fuelling up we went looking for a camp spot.
To our immense satisfaction, we happened upon a friendly cocky (or is the female variation a cockess?) and she kindly agreed to us staying here:
Where Kev was able to indulge his addiction to campfires.
The view from my room
The view from Kev's room
http://tinyurl.com/mrhrvu Day 3
Adieu...
It was a very pleasant and relaxed ride on some fantastic roads as we headed homeward.
However, sometimes life has a habit throwing a spanner in the works ( thankfully only a very small one on this occasion)
My bike after repairs due to being downed by a kangaroo
The kangaroo paid the ultimate price.
I have a sore elbow and wrist
Mule has some very cracked plastic, broken mirror and clutch lever. Oh and a totalled Givi pannier
Approaching Burra
Now some greenery after all that desolation. Approaching Lobethal for a coffee being parting company.
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