Jeremy: Hay Races!

It feels like a kind of peak to the whole trip to actually be here at the hay races after deciding we were going to try and make it here back when we were in alice springs. What a day! It's just after the last race, and I'm not going to lie, it's been a really hot day and beer has been easier to come by than water, if you catch my drift. So, I decided a blog post was due before it got too late for me to concentrate, although to be honest I may have left it too late!
I rode down to hay this morning in the heat, so that we could leave straight from here to shepparton in the morning. Not a great start, I was covered in sweat before we even got to the race course! It was nice to try the bike out at speed without bridget or any luggage on the back though.
We didn't do too badly with the betting, we finished 16 dollars up by my reckoning. We sweltered away in the heat, but have had a wonderful day. Lots if laughing and merryment, and I'm pretty sure bridget got a fair bit of drawing done which you might get to see tomorrow! In the meantime here's a few photos of us with our gracious hosts ed and rachael, and the field here at hay race course.

Jeremy: it's nice to take a break.

So, our tent ended smelling like incense all night, which sure beats the hell out of petrol and rancid butter. Other than 2 wee kids who were pelting around on their dirtbike this morning at 5 o'clock, we had a lovely nights sleep. The big meal of mei goreng we had at the lovely local indonesian restaurant and the couple of whiskeys we followed it up with might have helped... The campsite here has soft grass too, which none of the other campsites (bar uluru) have had in the last few weeks have had. Today the petrol smell seems to have disappeared, thank goodness.
We decided later last night that we were going to give burra another night. After our stint of covering close to 1600kms in the last three days we decided another rest day was due, and we're pretty lucky to have landed in burra for it! It's really a lovely town, still full of beautiful old stone buildings, lots of nice old antique shops to mosy around in and little coffee shops and restaurants in which to relax. It's been a very relaxing day of reading and laundry, with some poking around in the town museums this morning. In the town hall they have costume rooms up the back of the theatre for poeple to try out some period dress. Bridget got all dolled up in a ridiculous big stripy thing. She still looked quite fetching though!
We reckon we'll push on to renmark tomorrow, and see some of the national parks around so bridget can do some drawing.

Jeremy: One more day of desert to go, then corners!

I'd forgotten how nice it was for a motorcycle journey to involve corners, till later today. Granted, I still didn't have to slow down for these particular corners, but I had to actually lean the bike over a bit which is more than can be said for anywhere else we've been lately, and they reminded me how much they help you focus too. It's just been pack up, turn right onto stuart highway, get bike to 110kph, do that for 80kms, pull into rest stop (where there is just a bin and a table, if the table hasn't been burnt or the bin hasn't had a shotgun shell put through it) wait for ten minutes, pull out of rest stop, turn right onto stuart highway, get bike to 110kph, go for 80kms etc.. Most of the time on the way up into a head wind. It's tiring, and boring. Just in a straight line at 110, for as long as your head can take the wind, and your fuel lasts. Can't wait to have to slow down for a corner tomorrow!
I made a few mistakes today. I put it down to tiredness and sore hands, but I could just be a bit uncoordinated... I was filling up the jerry can with fuel for the run from coober pedy to glendambo (i didn't want to repeat our feat of running out of fuel again) and I slipped with the nozzle and poured a whole squirt of fuel over the bottle, which then ran down onto the sleeping mat and sleeping bag that it was strapped to. I rinsed it all with a bit of water as best I could, but here I am in the tent tonight writing this blog post and the tent has the rather strong aroma of petrol permeating it. Not only that, but the tent smells like stale milk for some reason. I think something must have got jammed in with it by accident 3 days ago when we slept in it last. I could go on about the food too (just truckers food everywhere (burgers, chips, dimsims, egg and bacon rolls)) but all I've done is whinge here so I better stop moaning, just get some sleep and cheer up a bit!
While we were in Alice Springs (which was roasting, as you can see from the pictures) I went and got the chain on Norman seen to. I seemed to be making a bit more noise than it had at the start, and remembering how often I used to lubricate the chain on my old bike which was every 300kms or so (i'd done 3000kms or something on Norman and hadn't even checked it) and also that new chains stretched a lot in the first couple of thousand kilometers, I thought it prudent to have someone who knew what they were about to have a look over it. I think I heard the word "floppy" a few times, so Norman got tightened up and lubed, ready to turn around and head back the way we came.
Cadney homestead was a wierd wee place, with a wierd wee cabin we stayed in, but we got a pretty good nights sleep and that's what matters really. There was an amazing rainbow after the storm we narrowly dodged, because of the really bright sunshine I think.
I'll let Bridget explain the last picture tomorrow...

Jeremy: uluru, kata tjunta and lots of heat

So, today we finally saw Uluru, and the Olgas. We saw Uluru last night but it was from quite a distance and we were on camels, which was lovely but distracting as we'd just witnessed one of the women riding with us get thrown off her camel. Apparently the ants are mental at the moment because of all the rain, and the camels were all stamping their feat as we rode along to get them off. This is normal behavior but the camel infront of us took it a little too far, and actually jumped and bucked his rider off. Lucky she was ok, because it's a long way down off a camel, but every subsequent stomp of everyone else's camels was met with a tightening of the grip on the saddle. Not as relaxing as it was supposed to be I think.
After waking up a little late, we got some stuff for breakfast and lunch, and promptly decided that we were taking a bus trip to see kata tjunta today, there was no way we were putting all our leathers on and riding there in 35 degrees. So, we got on an air conditioned bus which took us to kata tjunta (the olgas) where we walked up through a gorge and then drove around uluru before watching the sunset there. Very nice and civilised. We've decided to go on to Alice Springs tomorrow, to try and escape the heat for a night or two at a backpackers. I think we're feeling a little too guilty about all the money we've spent on camels and busses to go all out on a hotel, and everything else here is very expensive too so these past 2 days have been quite a drain on the budget. Oh well.
We nearly ran out of fuel again yesterday on the way in. after paying an absolute fortune (photo below) for fuel at ebeneezer roadhouse, I think I must've just neglected to fill the tank properly. Too busy watching the dollars mount up. We set off, and after stopping for lunch at curtin springs, we accidently set off the wrong way. After 9 ks in the wrong direction it was Bridget who pointed it out (don't know what I was doing, looking for camels or something) and we turned round, adding nearly 20kms to the trip. I still figured it would be fine, but with 50 kms to go to yulara, I had to switch to the reserve, which only has 45kms on it at absolute maximum. I was panicking, already making up stories in my head to try and explain to the racv how 2 days after I had to call them to top up the tank after we ran out I needed them to do the same again. Oh, and this time we had an empty jerry can on the bike too, just to make it even worse. Just then, we caught up to a huge coach, and I just tucked in behind it and stared at it's tail lights for the next 52kms. It actually sucked us along the road all the way to yulara where we managed to roll into shell with a shot glass of fuel left. We were so lucky that coach appeared, because the head wind was fierce and there was no way we would have made it.
The jerry can isn't empty anymore.

Jeremy: adding up the distances...oh yeah, and we ran out of fuel.

Yep, it's a long way to go still, and I think we are tired today because we're sitting here looking for ways to make it all a bit shorter. Alice springs is first on the cut list, and we're still in discussion. I reckon uluru and kings canyon may just about do us, we've still got 17 or 18 days to go to see it all and get home, 20 with alice springs added. Camping has made it a little more difficult to stick it, just because as the campsites have got a littke more rough, so have the nights sleep. In glendambo last night we had a very picturesque camp spot but the ground where we pitched the tent was really hot from the sun all day so even though the night air got quite cold the heat from the ground radiated up through the ground sheet and the tent was boiling all night, and the ground was really, really hard. Needless to say, i've had better nights sleep. It was a beautiful spot though, and the pub was a nice place to relax in, so it was quite good really, I'm just whinging. I'm also tired.
The landscape has been breathtaking for most of the way, and we've only had to dodge the one little emu today. Clearly got a bit frazzled by the bike and didn't know which way to go, and chose too late and poorly. Lucky for him/her we were going about 20kph by the time we reached him, so no harm done, maybe scorched the tail feathers a little on the exhaust. I still haven't seen a live roo, plenty of dead ones (and cows) though.
So, we ran dry on fuel today too. A little embarrassing, but I always knew it was going to be close. I didn't factor in just how much drag the two of us and all our gear apparently make at 110kmh. 250.9kms is our range at that speed, and I won't be forgetting it. We'll have to get a wee fuel bottle for the way back, just a small top up and we'll be fine. The bike coughed and spluttered a whole lot to get going again too, (after the rac man came and topped it up) a very clear message from norman that "this behavior is not to be repeated, or my battery might not be so ready to run the starter motor for a whole minute and a half while the fuel slowly trickles back in to get you going again". Anyway, you live and you learn the hard way.
We had a look around an opal mine today which was interesting, although I think my highlight was a cool old film set of a crashed space ship out the front of one of the museums. Apparently lots of movies are filmed in the desert around here. The motel where we are staying is lovely, it's just called the "underground motel", and I can't wait for a night in a bed!

Jeremy: Trucks to Port Macdonnell

We're all rugged up here for the night, and glad we managed to get the tent set up and the bike under a tarp before the rain started. I think i'm going to have to give the front of the bike another clean tomorrow morning, the insect guts coverage is substantial.
Getting used to the feeling of 100kph for an extended period of time isn't as easy as I thought, what with the very large logging trucks blowing you about like a paper plane (i've started arranging us on the road with a little more room which seems to help) and the constant splatter and pop of insects impacting the visor on your helmet (as well as you shins, your hands, the crooks of you arm etc...) It's an interesting place to be. It makes all the little stops you make for a break seem that much more restful and interesting. We stopped to see a huge windfarm today, very interesting! It was a lovely day today weather wise too, the stop at nelson was particularly sunny and scenic with lots of lovely birds for bridget to draw and lovely water for paddling in.
The bike seems to be handling the whole thing very well, although a little more range would be good. We very nearly ran out again today before we got to portland although i kept it to myself (it wasn't even as close as yesterday so no need to worry bridget with it). I think 2 people and all our stuff for camping seems to be taking it's toll on the fuel consumption a bit. it's good to have made it to south australia at least, it seems like a good milestone.
Port MacDonnell seems like a nice quiet wee spot, with lovely beaches.
So, tomorrow to kingstone? or all the way to adelaide? Of maybe we'll just wait here until the weather gets a little better? I think the best part of this decision is that it doesn't matter! Yay for holidays!

Bridget- A Day Of Beach and Birds

It's only 8.30 but Jeremy and I are ready for bed, we're simultaneously writing our posts for today. Who will win the blog post race?

I'm feeling right at home here at our first stop in south Australia. It's the drizzle, I'm fondly reminded of camping holidays of my childhood in the west of Ireland.

Today we left warrnambool and drove to the delightful town of Port Fairy which I found out used to be called Belfast! So again I felt quite at home. After spotting a fish eating falcon at the harbour we headed on to the industrial town of Portland, then on to a place called Nelson where there is a big estuary full of birds. I tried to sketch while I got Jeremy to identify birds from my iPhone apps. We did quite well and even figured out that the little diving bird swimming close to us was a hoary headed grebe. A new one to me, I always feel proud of finding and identifying new birds.

Just up the road from our little grebe we crossed the border into South Australia and headed for a tiny wee place called Port MacDonnell which is where we are now. I can hear the waves crashing on the beach that we walked along earlier before dinner. Tomorrow is supposed to be a bit grim weather wise. We'll see what our options are then. Maybe another night here ( I think Jeremy Is hoping to get to sample the speciality Port MacDonnell cray fish if we do stay) or make a dash for it to Mount Gambier.

As for the photos, I'm sorry they occur in such random order, it's this app I use. There is no way of arranging them. So there they are, just a jumble of images of pretty seaweed, us, a couple of drawings and the map!

Pre-Trip Packing List/Suspension Trouble

Went for a ride out to James's (my groomsman) place last night in Leopold (about 20k's) then had to ride back in the dark and drizzle at about 12am. My first night ride on the bike was all good, a little bit squirrelly around corners because of the greasy road but otherwise OK.

So, what to pack for a 2-up camping honeymoon for 3-4 weeks? The night before our australian wedding celebration and we're still trying to find time to do any real planning for the trip. I've been looking around a few touring sites to make sure i don't forget to take anything obvious, but otherwise i think there may be a few late (Very very late) additions to the pack the morning of the trip.

Nothing a quick trip to rays tent city won't fix!

So far our list goes something like this:

Stuff to take Definite list:

2X Very Compact Sleeping bags

2X Sleeping Mats

1X Compact Single Pole Twin Tent (with small annex for gear at night)

1X Trangia Meth Stove (including bowls, Cutlery)

2X Head Torches (spare Batteries)

1X Fuel Bottle for Stove

1X Ground Sheet/Tarp

2X Heavy Duty 1ltr waterbottles

2X Lots of our Clothes (that's another list altogether)

Waterproofs

Insect Repellent

Sunscreen

Toilet Paper

First Aid Kit (including pain killers and hay-fever tablets)

Thermos

Swiss Army Knife

Lighter

Maps

Mobile Phones (and chargers)

Spare Bike Key

Earplugs

Waterproof covers for bags

Wallets/Purse

Camera (and charger)

ipod

Stuff to take subject to room:

1X Picnic Rug

Containers for food

I'm still working on it, but that's a start anyway. I guess I'm mindful that we'll be mostly riding fairly well used roads and we will be staying at caravan parks and the like so we'll have electricity and running water at most places we stay. We'll also be going through a few larger towns throughout the journey so if we need more stuff for camping etc. we'll be able to get it without too much bother.

We were having terrible trouble with the bike bottoming out on the road the other day with Bridget on the back, and i was starting to wonder if the old Shadow 750 can take the 2 of us and all our stuff.

I read a few forums on the subject, and read into the suspension set-up a little more. I worked out that i can change the suspension pre-load adjustment quite simply (with just with my hands in fact) and that if i set it higher the extra stiffness will accommodate Bridget and our gear without bottoming out. When i went to change it I found that it was set to 1, which is the softest setting. No wonder we bottomed out there on the way to tim's the other day! I've set it to 4 (out of 5) and it seems to be much stiffer, although i've still got to take bridget on it to try it out. I might have to jack it up to 5 once we get it loaded up. It was quite simple really, i just twisted it till the 1 on the bottom of the shock lined up with the swingarm, and then counted the clicks around till i heard 4. Then repeated with the other side. Anyway, i'll tell you how it goes.

Right, still got stuff to organise for the wedding tomorrow, gotta go. We'll post up some pre-trip photos on sunday.

To Get to Here Pt.2

Yep, all that stuff that Bridget wrote about below, that's what happened. It's all good now though, apparently i've emerged from said accident unscathed and with no cool scars to show for it. The being hit by a car thing, not the marriage.

I went and saw Norman this morning. He is a 1998 Honda Shadow 750, Green and Cream as mentioned before. He's in the workshop getting baffles put in the exhaust so it can pass roadworthy (It was too loud before), and getting a new chain and new sprockets installed. Hopefully it won't make him too quiet, i'd much rather everyone else could hear us when we're on the freeway, because you're hard enough to see already! Don't want it to be too noisy either though because it will just make the whole journey unpleasant, and also you look like a bit of a douche...

So we're still managing to keep the whole thing on a reasonable budget thus far, still have to actually try and fit all our gear into the luggage which came with the bike, and make sure that we even have all the gear that we need! We managed to get a bike which came with all that we need to go. Luggage rack, seat with backrest for Bridget, Saddlebags and tall gearsack and a windscreen. It even has some highway pegs too. So hopefully after all this work is done it won't need anything else before we go. Fingers crossed anyway...

Bridget has been very good trying protective gear on, although i must say that the majority of the gear isn't particularly stylish and she's quite picky about what she's even willing to try on in the privacy of a changing room, let alone wear out in public. Leather has never really been her look, but I'm sure we'll get her into something suitable eventually.

We'll be picking the bike up early next week, so we'll get some photos and stuff up as soon as we can, including some of us both on the bike hopefully. Maybe even a video? We'll also post a bit more of a plan of where we are actually going, because that might be handy.

We going to go on a couple of short trips next week and the week after to try and ease Bridget in to being on the back. Sure, the longest trip i've done was only about 4 hours in one day so it'll be an adventure for me as much as her. Soooooo excited though!

I managed to find one sneaky photo still up from Norman's original for sale ad, just a teaser for next week...

To Get To Today

I am Bridget, I'm going to write in green. Jeremy will write in a different colour, I'm thinking maybe blue, but I could be wrong. I'm from Northern Ireland, Jeremy is from Australia. We met about 6 years ago in Australia and about a month ago we got married in Northern Ireland. 


Now we've moved back to Australia after two years in Belfast and we're going to have a party with our friends and family here. After that party, sometime in about 3 weeks, we're going to go on our honeymoon.




Jeremy has been interested in motorbikes for a while now. I wasn't too pleased about this interest to start with. I'm still not altogether happy, and all those safety ads with their horrible photos don't help. But this trip was still all my idea. Mind you, Jeremy would hardly have been able to suggest it, so it had to be from me.


I sent him a text about 4 months before the wedding, something along the lines of 'hi lovely, what do you think about motorbiking to alice springs for our honeymoon?' I've never had a quicker reply!


It all seems to be working out quite well, he's organising the whole thing, which only seems fair since I organised the wedding. At the moment we've been looking for protective clothing for me, something which causes my family much amusement. I don't think anyone can quite imagine me in motorbike leathers and neither can I. Jeremy is being very patient with my irrational whims about it - no animal print - no sparkly bits - no bikery pictures or swirls on the helmet - no girly pink stuff. We still haven't actually bought anything yet.


The first time we went to look in the bike shops was the day after we flew into Melbourne. It wasn't the best start to this adventure. I was trying on jackets and jeans, surprisingly I was quite getting into it, Jeremy remembered the parking meter and said he'd go feed it. Jet lagged and confused he ran out in front of a car, screech of brakes, dent in bonnet, gasp of crowd, roll off the car,  onto the ground and up onto his feet again. Amazingly he was ok and probably doesn't appreciate me telling this story, but I feel it is part of our adventure and since he is all fine, just bruised and embarrassed, there is no harm.


Oh, and we've also nearly bought a bike, but since I can't tell you much more than it's green and cream and called Norman I'll leave that for Jeremy.




Wedding photo by Kat Mervyn.