Hi,
Done it in 2012 and doing it again in Aug-Sept this year. Big difference is last time I went anti-clockwise and included an interior loop through Ayers Rock, Mt Isa and Longreach. This time I'm going clockwise and doing some slightly different roads where I can.
I give the bike to Mainfreight in mid-July and follow in late August. I'll put a post out with the proposed itinerary closer to the date to see if any OzStocers want to tag along for any bits along the way.
Here's the 2012 post...
I reside in the cooler climates of NZ but lived over your way for 20 years. I’ve just completed a 27,000km ride in and about your fine land in April-May this year on my 2011 ST 1300.
Shipping the bike across the Tasman under ‘carnet de passages’ was remarkable easy. I must say all praise be to Mainfreight as I was able to go from the early morning Wellington-Sydney flight straight to my waiting bike at Mainfreight's Botany depot. After a brief unpack I was riding south through Royal National Park by 11.00am.
I chose to camp at most of my overnight locations. The tent I bought across with me had occasion to fall off the back of the bike on the second day and subsequently got run over by a following truck. That required a quick stopover at the Kathmandu sales to purchase a new one.
The first 2 weeks and 9,160km were spent doing an interior 'loop' which was basically Nowra – Canberra - Snowy Mountains - Murray Valley Highway – Melbourne – Bendigo – Adelaide - Ayres Rock - Alice Springs - Mount Isa – Longreach – Coonamble and back to Sydney.
After a couple of night in the Blue Mountains it was on up the East Coast in the general direction of Queensland again. Torrential rain around the NSW central coast forced a couple of shorter day’s riding than planned and major roadworks for most of the rest of the way up to Rockhampton slowed progress even further. When in Cairns I did the Mount Molly loop up to Daintree and back down to Townsville. I used to live in Townsville and rode a GSX 1100EFE back then so know the Atherton Tablelands as some of the world’s best riding (second to our South Island West Coast on a sunny day of course).
When I left Townsville for the next stretch I was optimistically hoping my back tyre would make it to Darwin. Unfortunately by the time I got to Mt Isa with 1,600km still to go, some suspicious looking lines had appeared which indicated the steel belt wasn't far below. Ended up having to pay a premium for a new one at the Honda shop in Mt Isa. Shouldn’t complain though as the worn tyre had giving me 19,290 good kilometres.
Our oldest son was working in Darwin so I spent four days there which included doing the Kakado NP loop. I couldn't get out to see the Aboriginal rock paintings due to some residual flood waters across the road. For the benefit of others I can reliably inform you that your bike will safely ford a 400mm deep flooded road, but don’t try it if the staff gauge is reading 600mm.
After Darwin the Kimberley's were great scenic riding all the way across to Broome. At one point there was even a sign warning me of 5km of winding road where I had to slow down to 110km/hr to take one of the tighter bends!
Broome I limited myself to a lunchtime stopover - seen one European tourist in skimpy bikini, seen 'em all...
I must say it’s a long, long way from Darwin to Perth and I still fail to see why so many Kiwis are moving to Port Hedland as there’s certainly nothing around there that caught my eye. The beauty of riding that piece of road with no sound system in my helmet is I’d solved most of the worlds’ problems in my head by the time I got to Perth. The brain had somewhat return from its zen-like state once I’d got to WA’s south-western corner around Margaret River where the riding was simply awesome.
The Nullabor was pretty cool. Two days to cross with a well deserved beer and some jovial conversation with the local truckies at the Border Village pub. Over the next bit into SA I did get somewhat ‘cliffed out’ stopping and looking at every viewing area of the Great Australian Bight from the WA border through to Port Lincoln.
Through the Adelaide Hills and Coorong I refreshed my teenage memories of riding my red 1983 CB 750 through this part of the world.
Around to Victoria and the Great Ocean Road. Cliffs and coastal erosion had somehow lost their novelty value by the time I got to the 12 Apostles although that road on a sunny day was brilliant.
Melbourne, Portsea, Lakes Entrance and up to Nowra was some excellent riding as it was mid-week with almost no other traffic and not a cloud in the sky. I guess it does get pretty congested along here on weekends though – you guys would know.
Then it was up to Nowra to my father-in-laws place to give the bike a good clean before dropping it off at Mainfreight in Sydney for the return cruise home. It has since been safely returned to my doorstep complete with a few green bugs still stuck in the air filter.
All up the score was:
Distance: 27,193 km
Fuel: 1,233 litres - Ave 4.5 L/100km or 22 km/L. (Sounds a bit low so I may have not recorded a couple of fills)
Fuel stops: 76 or thereabouts.
Maintenance: 2 front & 2 rear tyres. 3 engine oil & 1 hub oil changes.
Average days riding: 735 km
Longest days riding: 11 days of between 900 & 1,110 km
Time in the country: 7 weeks
Days actually riding: 37
Nights in the flash tent: 32
Hottest temperature: 38 degrees somewhere around Pt Hedland.
Wildlife collected: Nothing bigger than a parrot
Closest call: Dingos with their suicidal tendencies chasing dinner beside the highway
My controlled experiment for the trip was to see if your Toll way number plate recognition system picks up NZ registered vehicles travelling under carnet. To date I haven’t received anything in the mail reminding me of the occasional toll I may have ‘omitted’ to pay. I hope the same holds true for any average speed cameras I may have taken liberties with.
Cheers,
Rob
