My First Long Ride - November 15th-25th Roughly

[Gadget]

Jason,

Please avoid Brisbane from the 11th to the 16th of November as the G20 has lots of permanent and temporary road closures.

How far you ride each day is really up to you.  It also depends on what you want to stop and look at along the way.  If you are aching too much or yawning, you need to stop for your own safety.


As for places to stop, if costs are an issue, check out cabins in Caravan Parks or Hotels.  If cost isn't a problem I prefer a minimum of 4 star.  I would plan on at least one Motel night at about half way to ensure you get a good nights sleep.  A good nights sleep will help reduce fatigue.


Don't over do the Gatorade and don't over drink water either.  Drink if you are thirsty.  Going down the coast you shouldn't get too hot, so you shouldn't be sweating too much.

Be aware that south between Coffs Harbour through to Macksville there is a fair amount of road works so a lot of 80, 60 and 40 zones.

[StinkyPete]

For my journey I have some questions:

1. What to take (Am getting a camelbak)
2. Tools repair kits for tires anything?
3. Hotels / Places to stop sleep
4. How long should i ride for each day or try and cover without over doing it.
5. Drinks, ive seen different drinks that are could for riding like Gatorade or something

Hi again Jason.   Most of your questions have already been answered in earlier posts, but don't "overplan" your trip, and just ride and enjoy the experience of motorcycle touring.  It's good that you're getting a service on the bike before you go, so that it's in good condition.    You won't need much to travel with and most first time tourers take far too much stuff.   A couple of spare jocks, sox and  a shirt can be rinsed and dried overnight.   Toiletries, meds (showing my age), spare footware, a map, wet weather gear, phone and charger,  some simple tucker for the road, and a Visa card, and you could keep going and do an OzLap.   A visa card and a mobile phone can solve most problems. 

In answer to your specific questions.....
1.  I don't use a camel back, but drink whenever I have a break.  I don't like the weight on my back.
2.  Make sure have a puncture repair kit, although punctures seem to be a rare occurrence and I've never had one in nearly 200,000km of riding.  Join the OzSTOC RAN before you go.  See  http://ozstoc.com/index.php?board=63.0
3.   Under each State listing on the Forum you will find Food and Bed recommendations.   I generally go for caravan parks, but its a personal choice, and recently stayed at in a cabin at the Glenrowan Caravan Park which is on your route.  Nice folk and cheap clean cabins
4.  Find your own comfortable daily distance and if you haven't done much touring, perhaps you could start with 500km which is a very easy distance.   If you find that is too easy, then go a bit further the next day.
5.  Sports drinks tend to get expensive if you are buying several each day, and water is free.

Don't forget our join SA/Vic overnight RTE at Nelson on the 6th December.  It's just down the road from Mt Gambier, and will be a good opportunity to meet a bunch of the Southerners.   

Cheers
Pete

[Marcus]

2.  Make sure have a puncture repair kit

^^^ This...OMG this^^^

Wallet, Phone charger, and clothes. That's all you need, full stop.
Don't over complicate it, You will never be far from a town with a servo/shop etc.

[Williamson]

2.  Make sure have a puncture repair kit

^^^ This...OMG this^^^

Picture this:

1.   ST1300, new tyre, Williamson & Mrs W, Omeo highway, flat tyre, mobile 'phone, ring RACV, two hour wait - does not equal puncture kit, 20 minute fix.

2.   CB1300, Williamson & Mrs W, Micalong Creek, nearest town Yass (one hour away), flat tyre, NO mobile 'phone coverage ....... 

3.   CB1300, Williamson & Mrs W, Bonang Highway, nearest towns Orbost (80km) Bombala (70km), flat tyre, NO mobile 'phone coverage ....... 

A puncture repair kit (includes mini compressor) is good, knowing how to use it is better ..........

[jf3000]

Bike is all serviced and feels OMG. Question about tolls, I cant seem to find anything on the net about tolls between Brisbane and South Australia, its almost like they only exist in QLD lol. How do I find out where the tolls are and how much its going to cost so I can load up the toll thingydo ?

[Kev Murphy]

Short answer, Adelaide doesn't have Tollways.

Now, if there was some way of turning the map of NSW into origami, and bypassing the state, you would be able to avoid tolls there too.

Everytime I go anywhere near Sydney, traffic congestion forces me onto tollways, whether I want it or not.

Last trip through, I had two semis alongside, an impatient cage driver behind, impossible to change lanes, and a $14 fine in the mail for travelling 150 metres to the next exit.

[Gadget]

Here are the Toll Roads in Sydney:
http://sydneymotorways.com/toll-calculator/index.html

And here are the Toll roads in Victoria:
http://www.travelvictoria.com.au/victoria/tollroads/

[alans1100]

Question about tolls, I cant seem to find anything on the net about tolls between Brisbane and South Australia, its almost like they only exist in QLD lol. How do I find out where the tolls are and how much its going to cost so I can load up the toll thingydo ?

It can be quite easily done and very similar to the route your taking. If you had a GPS you could set it to avoid toll roads........even google maps (the old one) had that option.

[spanner]

On this one way trip dont bother trying to avoid tolls.

if you have a car following get them to write down the phone number that they display so people can pay via phone. The phone numbers are 24 hour service. When you pull up stumps for the night make the phone call and pa by credit card over phone.

easy peasey.

AVOID BRISBANE due to the god damned G20 rubbish!

just have fune and enjoy. Dont plan too much. Dont ovdr think the drinking issue. If you get thirsty find a nice shady spot, pull over, stretch your legs and drink a bottle of water you bought at the last servo.

[jf3000]

So I am leaving in about 10 hrs and I am on the forum  hmmmm I need sleep.

[Kev Murphy]

Safe travels, Jason

[Shiney]

Have a great adventure on your trip and take lots of pics

[ppopeye]

Safe travels


Sent from my iPad

[StinkyPete]

Jason,  I offer this "Motorcyclists Prayer" for your great adventure.

I pray that you will have the foresight to know where you're going
The hindsight to appreciate where you've been
The insight to appreciate the good and the bad as part of the adventure
And that it will only be the rubber that hits the road.

Ride safe and have fun.   

[Wild Rose]

Jason have a good trip mate, the start of your new adventure
Enjoy every moment, But remember no pictures and it didn't happen 
 

[jf3000]

Since the site can't seem to handle me uploading photos I'm screwed. So I'll tag ozstoc on Facebook.

[Brock]

What program are you using to access the site from your mobile, which mobile??

[jf3000]

Ill resize the photos.

Do I have decided to head along the coastal road to Sydney, then go around it and head down towards the great ocean road, out to Phillip island then back to kosciusko through the forest then over to mt gambier.

I plan on making lots of posts and photos here and facebook. I leave Sunday morning around 4am :) So excited.

[Biggles]

Ill resize the photos.

Do I have decided to head along the coastal road to Sydney, then go around it and head down towards the great ocean road, out to Phillip island then back to kosciusko through the forest then over to mt gambier.

I plan on making lots of posts and photos here and facebook. I leave Sunday morning around 4am :) So excited.

Shoot.  I thought you'd be there by now!

[Marcus]

Ill resize the photos.

Do I have decided to head along the coastal road to Sydney, then go around it and head down towards the great ocean road, out to Phillip island then back to kosciusko through the forest then over to mt gambier.

I plan on making lots of posts and photos here and facebook. I leave Sunday morning around 4am :) So excited.

Shouldn't you be going the other way? kosciusko, Phillip Island, Ocean road then my gambier?

[Nigel]

Not sure, but me thinks he`s geographically misaligned...........................MMMmmmm............................

[Kev Murphy]

... or slightly geographically confused.

[Gatey]

Could even be in the middle of nowhere.

[Shiney]

Ill resize the photos.

Do I have decided to head along the coastal road to Sydney, then go around it and head down towards the great ocean road, out to Phillip island then back to kosciusko through the forest then over to mt gambier.

I plan on making lots of posts and photos here and facebook. I leave Sunday morning around 4am :) So excited.

Awesome stuff mate, I look forward to seeing how the adventure goes

[jf3000]

The journey begins from Cleveland.