Slow Road to the Dig Tree (aka Road of Broken Bones)

Paul n Dixie

Part of the furniture
It appears you blokes have been caught in the act...
I reckon you were "framed" :wink:
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twowheeler

two wheels are best
DAY 8 – determined to get home today for evening footy watching from the couch.

After a freezing night :cold: , despite wearing all my clothes inside the sleeping bag, we got an early start, under a moon-and-fiery-dawn combo again :wink:




Bikes lighter now with no fuel or water loads, nor food supplies, we headed east along the track and promptly got lost.

Backtracked through private property (sorry) –




Knowing the Sturt Highway was only a few kms south as the crow flies, DeLewis took the lead and opened the ‘soft-wire’ gate immediately in front of us in this pic (hey, DeLewis once rode from Japan to London pre the Ewan & Charley Show, so we were following ! ) -




We went cross country then picked up a faint track, which consolidated and eventually popped out on the Sturt Highway here –




While all good fun, this had delayed us a couple of hours & it was 11am before we reached Red Cliffs via the back Menindee road. After refueling, DeLewis and I headed off to take a straight run home via the Calder, leaving the bigger bikes some more flexibility to choose alternative routes if they wanted (they went via Broadford & Yea).

So no more travelling pics :( . 7 hours of almost non-stop riding later, including unenjoyable freeway riding avoiding texting drivers with only 1 suspect mirror and a tired rider, I was welcomed home by deep autumn colours -




:clap: A sensational week’s ride with a great bunch of blokes :clap: (although we'll need to do it again as despite doing nearly 4000km, I didn't get a pic of Geoff riding - sorry mate).



POST SCRIPT –

Under Brenda’s :cdle steely gaze :mad: , a showered & freshened up me drove down to William Angliss Hospital’s A+E early the next morning -



After expert poking, prodding and x-rays, besides ligament damage to my left thumb, I was pronounced with 5 broken ribs (2-6 at the RHS back) and a punctured lung. That explains the crackling then -



It'll heal itself apparently.


Not so for the poor Husky though, stripped of all its luggage & paraphernalia, naked in its crookedness -





A great bike :thumbs: . It didn't miss a beat, starting first touch after being thrown down the road, then happily riding for a week in others’ dust as constant tail-end Charlie.
It’s getting assessed for insurance this week. The expert opinion is that it’ll be written off – we’ll see.



:endu
 
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farawayman

Long Timer
A great ride and fantastic photos, thanks for taking the time post it.
It brings some very pleasnt memories of past rides in this neck of the woods.

Must be time to pull the maps out again
 

Williamson

Part of the furniture
Well done on the ride, especially in very difficult circumstances. Good effort with ride report and pics too!

:clap::clap::clap::clap::clap:
 

asphalt

Tassie...where tyres are flat and nights are long
I’d wanted to do this trip for a long time, but not on my own for this one given the isolation and my inexperience at outback travel.

I think this is a dream for every biker who once want to drive, in.-and around the outback.

Big Lizzie.... 60 HP, Single cyl., rusted, worn but proud

its like to be a specification for my DR ?:killingme

The bike dug in & I high-sided off to the right onto the verge.
DeLewis was right behind me and said the bike somersaulted twice then landed square on its back several metres past me, scattering luggage, tent bags, seat rolls, etc, in all directions.

WOOUWW

I landed on my back & right-hand side. Dazed & winded, I don’t remember much initially. All my limbs moved.

You did not know of the brocken ribs

after expert poking, prodding and x-rays, besides ligament damage to my left thumb, I was pronounced with 5 broken ribs (2-6 at the RHS back) and a punctured lung. That explains the crackling then

.....................

An extraordinary report from the outback:wot:
I hope the pain is over now and the ribs are healing very well.
What about the puncture ???

Thank You for sharing the report and all the best for You, Peter
Hans
 

twowheeler

two wheels are best
Good effort with ride report and pics too!
Thanks Michael, it was a bloody good trip.



I hope the pain is over now and the ribs are healing very well.
What about the puncture ???

Thanks Hans. Pain is reducing (or maybe it actually isn't ! - I'm on prescribed pain killers :needashot ).
The lung puncture is a bit harder to assess as it doesn't show up well on x-rays. It'll need another hospital visit for a scan, like they do to peer into pregnant mums' wombs.

All good. I've got the bug for more remote travel, without the off though :wink: .
 

jo

I'm a wimp!
Love your pics and story.
Really good to hear that you've made it home with your imjuries.
 

glitch

Mapping the next ride...
Staff member
Thanks. It's easy to write & take photos on a trip like this one.


Naw, it's not. Most wouldn't have even thought of a camera.
And if, they wouldn't have taken the time and effort to put those shots together the way you have. Forget about busted ribs, pain, no sleep etc etc etc
in the first place.

Awesome effort, brilliant pics...and all wrapped and tied together beautifully.
Real class and craft...and giving Bernard's yardstick "Birtles" yarns a run for the money, whoohoo!!

A big thanks!!!

:clap::clap::lao


Just started the 3. lap of this....what an enjoyable read and oogle.
 
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