Following this:
http://www.austouring.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1734
we just couldn’t let sleeping dogs lay, aye??
Sooo…here’s part2 of the yarns.
Much dreaded, much anticipated, some half-arsed planning…and a whoozy feeling in the gut.
All of the previously enthusiastic bunch had pulled the pin for one reason or another.
After the Fraser Island stint of the previous ride (links above) and knowing what’s in store at the Cape, even “Ironbutt”-Goodie had quit
“no way, it’s just too much…physically at least, it’s murder!”.
….and, as always, groaaan, she was right on the money!!
That just left yours-truly for the 2770km Cairns-Cape York- Cairns on the
110cc Postie-rocket… no escort, no backup, no help, no fallback but a $25 pre-paid mobile phone which wouldn’t work 95% of the time up there…
Humphhhh…bloody crazy, the whole thing.
I’m also getting too old for this shit…
Carry EVERYTHING!....food, tools, spares, camping-gear, pots/pans and God-knows-what…
Bugger it, it’s been whizzing around my head for years, and this thing is ON!!!!... even if I only make it 50k’s up the road before the little donk falls to pieces….
2 months before the date, some emails right out of the blue….and there are 2 other fruitloops who’ve heard of the “plans”
….Glen from Brisbane and Rohan from Hobart.
They both shoot off to the local auctions buying bikes and get knee-deep into the prepping… repair-manuals and pics fly back and forth via a storm of emails to help with the details.
The meet is set for Sat. 23 August in Cairns, I’m flying up a day earlier, getting one of our 2 posties out of storage to get the bike ready, replace the broken spoke from the last day of the previous trip 5 months earlier, stick new rubber on the back and if there’s enough time, cut the knobs of the front-hoop down with the Leatherman to stop the rubbing on the front mudguard-stays
…Rohan comes in the afternoon, Glen the next day.
The last night at home…and Mum’s way of saying” Farewell”….
LOVE YA, mum!!
Enough time for Rohan and I to get the bikes out of the warehouse after their transport from respective home-bases.
The previously posted 17kg-box with spares, tools, tyres and other gear had arrived on time,
many thanks go to the Coconut Holiday Village for storing it (also through the 3 weeks we spent at the Cape)
Servicing went smoothly, only the fresh rear Vee-Rubber hoop seemed to be the 16.5” racing version… the sucker just didn’t want to slip on despite lots of sweat and swearing and wet soap.
It’ll be a bitch to get off/on having a flat “out there!!”
“G’day” then to Glen’s FNFAST
Rohan’s “Honda Factory Racing XR”
and my own “Plain Jane” with the whining gearbox after the emergency engine swap a few months ago…..and a bastard of a 16.5” rear tyre!
NOW WE’RE COOKING !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
From a freezing cold 4.30am start in Melbourne and single digit temps to 33C around noon in Cairns….welcome to FNQ (Far North Queensland).
Day 1 closes with black fingernails after the servicing, the seafood-buffet at the Coconut Café and a sixpack of coldies
Why doing a Cape Run on Posties?
Cause anything else is for SOFTCOX
To be continued...