OzSTOC
OzSTOC Ride Reports, Pictures & Videos => RIDE REPORTS => Topic started by: Kev Murphy on October 31, 2016, 09:26:22 AM
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During a reshuffle and clean up, one of my old notebook travel diaries emerged... Cant travel like this any more?
We used REAL road maps then, no such thing as a GPS
Karratha Saturday, 22 Dec 1973 8am. We want to be home in Whyalla for Christmas.
Jeff and I picked up our bikes yesterday afternoon after new tyres and chains fitted.
Want to be loaded and on the road hopefully before midday today.
4.23pm Arrival at servo east Carnarvon. Saw two big eagles over a roadkill.
Coffee break. Refilled jerrycans as well... turbos were a little thirsty? trip meter 636 km
Departure 4.39pm
8.31pm Geraldton servo. Hot shower at truck stop facilities and a fast meal for the day. trip meter 476 Km
Departure 5.30pm
9.57pm through Joondalup, bypassed Perth city, refuelled and heading for Great Eastern Hwy. trip meter 422 Km
Sunday, 23 Dec 1973 1am
Arrived Merredin. Trip meter 239 Km.
Tent up, and sleep. 1773 Km total for yesterday
Awake at 7am, coffee, refuel, and mobile by 7.30am
Splash and go from the jerrycans near Coolgardie and arrived Norseman 11.20pm.
Mobile again 11.45am.
Bloody truck pulled out from Kambalda turnoff and almost wiped out a car in front of us.
As we passed the truck, the driver looked as tho he hadn't slept in a week!
Refuelled and topped jerrycans at Cocklebiddy truckstop.
Arrived Eucla 7.pm
Refuelled and meal break. Hot shower (Dont use soap, water is too hard)
Trip meter1173 Km
Can sniff the border, almost into SA.
Left Eucla 8pm, Ceduna is target for today.
Arrived Ceduna 1am Monday morning, tent up and crashed for the night.
Trip meter 1669 Km
Monday 24th Dec 1973
Slept til 9am. Refuelled and topped jerrycans, will have enough to make it home.
Mobile at 9.30am. A bit later than planned, must have needed the sleep.
Arrived home at 2.15pm. trip meter 458Km
3900Km in around 36 hours travelling time, and home in time for Christmas.
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Thanks for sharing Kev, a great read :like can't imagine what traveling across the Nullarbor would have been like in the 70s. Have driven across, Melbourne to Perth a total of 18 times starting in mid 90s, a great deal has changed since then, have never ridden across though, planning on doing that sometime in the future.🤓
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WA side was sealed in 1969 all the way from from Norseman to Ceduna, being a 9 year project.
Part of the HWY on the SA side of the border was still unsealed until about 1976, and it was a horror stretch for travelers. I wrote off the turbo Honda 900 there when I hit a roo in late 1975 between Eucla and Ceduna.
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Thanks for sharing your short trip down Memory Lane Kev.
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My first trip across the Nullarbor was in mid 1975. A mate, Stevo, was talking about a trip to see some mates, taking his clapped-out HK panel van, he wasn't sure it would make it so he asked if I wanted to join him. Might've had something to do with me having a relatively new HQ PV.
Didn't record anything in a diary, don't remember much, bit of a blur after 41 years, except for door-to-door was 48 hours for approx. 3,500km (the HQ could set the pace of the motorcycles), fuel costs were around $100 each way, hit a roo somewhere near Norseman (bit of damage to the HQ), drivers and passengers in EVERY on-coming vehicle (there weren't many) waved, if we stopped for a pee/stretch/whatever, other drivers would stop to see if you were okay, approx. 200 mile (HQ's speedo / odo were in miles) of dirt, stopped to see if an elderly couple (I think they were in their 50's) were okay, they were and we got a cup of billy tea and a biscuit.
Mmmmm ....... it comes back to me.
Here's the HQ and Stevo at Kimba (pie, sausage roll and a choc milk for breakfast).
(http://i643.photobucket.com/albums/uu159/williamson_photos/Perth%20Trip%201975/At%20Kimba_zpsbag1ddxf.jpg) (http://s643.photobucket.com/user/williamson_photos/media/Perth%20Trip%201975/At%20Kimba_zpsbag1ddxf.jpg.html)
At Border Village (I think, please correct me if I'm wrong).
(http://i643.photobucket.com/albums/uu159/williamson_photos/Perth%20Trip%201975/John%20Stevenson%20at%20Border%20Village_zpsqqe9szpq.jpg) (http://s643.photobucket.com/user/williamson_photos/media/Perth%20Trip%201975/John%20Stevenson%20at%20Border%20Village_zpsqqe9szpq.jpg.html)
Poor quality pics due to me using a Kodak 110 Pocket Camera.
Skip to 2003, next trip was with my Dad, Jim, and a few mates. Dad wanted to re-enact a trip from Swan Hill to Perth he took in 1930 with his Mum and Dad in a Model T Ford. What my Dad wanted, he usually got.
Here is the crew at the Swan Hill Pioneer Village just before we departed.
(http://i643.photobucket.com/albums/uu159/williamson_photos/Model%20T%20Perth%20Trip/grouppic_zpscf4ecc28.jpg) (http://s643.photobucket.com/user/williamson_photos/media/Model%20T%20Perth%20Trip/grouppic_zpscf4ecc28.jpg.html)
This one is in Alan1100's backyard, I'll let him tell you where.
(http://i643.photobucket.com/albums/uu159/williamson_photos/Model%20T%20Perth%20Trip/OffthebeatentrackintheFlindersRanges.jpg) (http://s643.photobucket.com/user/williamson_photos/media/Model%20T%20Perth%20Trip/OffthebeatentrackintheFlindersRanges.jpg.html)
We had to re-enact the climb up Eucla Pass.
(http://i643.photobucket.com/albums/uu159/williamson_photos/Model%20T%20Perth%20Trip/IMG_0710.jpg) (http://s643.photobucket.com/user/williamson_photos/media/Model%20T%20Perth%20Trip/IMG_0710.jpg.html)
And a visit to the old Eucla Telegrah Station.
(http://i643.photobucket.com/albums/uu159/williamson_photos/Model%20T%20Perth%20Trip/IMG_0708.jpg) (http://s643.photobucket.com/user/williamson_photos/media/Model%20T%20Perth%20Trip/IMG_0708.jpg.html)
The trip home was eaiser.
(http://i643.photobucket.com/albums/uu159/williamson_photos/Model%20T%20Perth%20Trip/P0002518_zpsfgpjx8ar.jpg) (http://s643.photobucket.com/user/williamson_photos/media/Model%20T%20Perth%20Trip/P0002518_zpsfgpjx8ar.jpg.html)
We even made the media. At Port Augusta on the way to Perth.
(http://i643.photobucket.com/albums/uu159/williamson_photos/Model%20T%20Perth%20Trip/P0002055_zps9tvdy6kz.jpg) (http://s643.photobucket.com/user/williamson_photos/media/Model%20T%20Perth%20Trip/P0002055_zps9tvdy6kz.jpg.html)
We kept a log and a blog, I'll see if I can find it.
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Having ridden the Port Hedland to Adelaide route a few times and the shorter overland distance being 3860 plus I'm sure the longer coastal route would a lot more. Though If I think about, Karratha being 240k less and Whyalla 400km less then that's about the same distance you were doing around the coast as I was doing cross country.
The quickest time I did that was Xmas 2007 when I left Hedland about 6am on the Saturday 22nd and arrived home before midday on the 25th. Taking into account towing a trailer and sitting a lower speed (90 - 100) as well. Totally stuffed when I got back and never touched the bike again until I had to go back. Still miss those trips though.
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This one is in Alan1100's backyard, I'll let him tell you where.
([url]http://i643.photobucket.com/albums/uu159/williamson_photos/Model%20T%20Perth%20Trip/OffthebeatentrackintheFlindersRanges.jpg[/url]) ([url]http://s643.photobucket.com/user/williamson_photos/media/Model%20T%20Perth%20Trip/OffthebeatentrackintheFlindersRanges.jpg.html[/url])
I have no idea - though it looks fairly close to Horrocks pass.
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This one is in Alan1100's backyard, I'll let him tell you where.
([url]http://i643.photobucket.com/albums/uu159/williamson_photos/Model%20T%20Perth%20Trip/OffthebeatentrackintheFlindersRanges.jpg[/url]) ([url]http://s643.photobucket.com/user/williamson_photos/media/Model%20T%20Perth%20Trip/OffthebeatentrackintheFlindersRanges.jpg.html[/url])
..... close to Horrocks pass.
Correct!
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Up a little side road / track somewhere near the marker on this link.
https://goo.gl/maps/c4GBjdYUyEN2
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This one is in Alan1100's backyard, I'll let him tell you where.
([url]http://i643.photobucket.com/albums/uu159/williamson_photos/Model%20T%20Perth%20Trip/OffthebeatentrackintheFlindersRanges.jpg[/url]) ([url]http://s643.photobucket.com/user/williamson_photos/media/Model%20T%20Perth%20Trip/OffthebeatentrackintheFlindersRanges.jpg.html[/url])
I have no idea - though it looks fairly close to Horrocks pass.
I reckon it's Speer Creek Road, a few kms east of Davo's memorial, and looking east, with "HangGlider Hill" in the background. Close to here https://goo.gl/maps/mvkEekWj1yJ2 and on the little dirt road that cuts the corner.
Addition: I missed the prize by posting one second too late, and passed along that way at around 1045hrs today.
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You are a hard man to catch, Michael... I tried to phone you twice this afternoon, once at around 3.15, and again around 6.30.
When is a good time to call?
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I reckon it's Speer Creek Road, a few kms east of Davo's memorial, and looking east, with "HangGlider Hill" in the background.
I don't remember seeing what looks like a cliff in the upper RH side of the photo near the pass; might have a better look on the way to Kimba