Sunday 19th April - Darwin
Chris had her first ride on the Honda this morning, as we headed south for Litchfield National Park. The weather was overcast, and the temperature in the mid thirty's, so conditions were reasonable pleasant. We came across a fatal accident on the Stuart Highway just south of Accacia. Traffic was diverted onot a side track for about one kilometre as police and emergency services dealt with the aftermath. It was quite sobering. We turned off the highway and stopped at Batchelor for fuel and something to eat. There were a couple of local Ulysses club
members there, and we chatted for a while. You find old blokes on bikes everywhere!!. The road into Lithfield was great and my first real chance to try the bike on a decent series of corners. I did have to be a bit restrained with Chris on the back. We visited the beautiful Florence Falls, and then went back to Buley Rockhole where there were many families gathered and swimming in the system of refreshing rockpools. We had no bathers with us, and decided that swimming in our undies amid the familys and small kids was probably not on. We headed back inot Darwin via one of the caravan parks on the edge of Litchfield which served great food, and had a snack and a much needed cool drink. There is much to explore in Litchfield and we will be back some time in the future.
Saturday 18th April - Katherine to Darwin
I left Katherine at 8.30 am on my own. Peter was heading home to Kunnanurra with his Moto Guzzi, so we parted ways. It was an easy 300 km run to Darwin, and I had mu only encounter with a roo so far. It was hardly a danger as it hopped across the road about 100m in front of me. With luck, that will be a close as I get. Chris had flown up to Darwin to meet me, and we met at a shopping centre. Deb and Greg were there also, and they have kindly put us up for a few days. We all headed for the Darwin Wharf for an evening meal and sat on the water's edge eating local Barra and salad, and sharing a bottle of wine. Excess chips were thrown to the schools of huge moonfish that live around the wharf. It was a lovely night.
Friday 17th April -Threeways to Katherine
I had planned to leave the Treeways Roadhouse quite early and was up before the sun. That plan fell to bits when I met Peter, a drilling contractor from Kunnanurra who was returning home from Brisbane vis the Barkley Highway with a Moto Guzzi. He collects them and had found a limited edition bike at a good price. We chatted over breakfast in the roadhouse and decided to ride together for the day. As we headed north the vegetation was changing from desert to tropical, which was nice to see after the sparse vegetation that I had been seeing across western Queensland. Peter's pace as a little faster than I was happy with, and I would often lag behind, only to find him waiting for me somewhere down the road. At Katherine we called into the local Tourist Information Centre seeking accomodation. Alan at the Info Centre was a fellow Ulysses member and directed us to a caravan park where we took a standard cabin to share to costs. Pete and I sat outside and chatted over a couple of beers for some time, and then decided to toddle off to the park kiosk to get some take-away for tea. The kitchen was shut and we had to settle for a couple of pies that looked like they had been sitting in the heater for 48 hours, and washed them down with a couple more drinks and come good conversation. It was fitting end to a great day. I am enjoying every kilometer of this trip and am meeting some great folk.
Thursday 16th April - Cloncurry to Threeways
This was the day and the road that I had been apprehensive about before I stared this adventure. I have read some horror stories of this road, described as narrow and potholed, with
crumbling edges and alive with dangerous road trains. Nothing could have been further from the truth. The road was in good condition and quite wide. There was plenty of room for passing road trains, and no danger posed with those travelling in the opposite direction. Cloncurry to Mt Isa was through spectacular hilly country. I stopped for lunch and a toilet break at Commoweal, and was shocked to see something moving amongst my deposit. Was it something I had done??? Turned out to be an unfortunate green tree frog, a resident of the toilet bowl. I'd be finding a better home. Most of the damaged portions have been repaired, including at the Rankine River where the road had washed away both sides of the huge bridge. This was a long hot day on quite uninspiring and flat country, and I rolled into Threeways at 4.30pm havin covered nearly 800km. The fuel range of the Honda is an impressive 500 kilometes or more, and fuel availablitly was not an issue on this lonely stretch. I was quite tired and instead of putting up the tent, decided to grab a cheap accomodation unit and sleep in a bed again.
Wednesday 15th April - Charters Towers to Cloncurry
Four inches of rain overnight! I'm gland I was in a bed and not in the tent. I spent a great night with Ann and David, and had a lazy breakfast before heading off. The day was an easy run and I finished up in a pretty ordinary cabin in a run down park.
Tuesday 14th April - Cairns to Charters Towers
I dropped the bike at Cairns Honda at 7.45 for it's 1,000km service, and it was ready by 9.30. Away a last!!! Cairns is lovely, but I've been so keen to get going again. The 350km run to Townsville a snap on the new bike. It's comfortable, and has an impressive fuel range. While in
Townsville I rang my cousin Ann who lives in Charters Towers. Ann and her husband David were in Townsville building a vegetable garden for their daughters who live there. I spent the arvo in Townsville and left at 4.30 for the 130km run to Charters Towers. I was worried about kangaroos, but saw none. Shortly after crossing the Burdekin River Bridge (It's hard to believe that it went under water in the recent floods) I struck very heavy rain, right on dusk. It only lasted a couple of minuted and I was pleased to be past it. We spent a lovley evening, catching up on family gossip. Ann and I have not seen each other for over 30 years, so there was lot to chat about, and photos to be exchanged.
Monday 13th April - Cairns
Rain. Rain. Rain. I watched the Easter Campes packing up in the heavy rain and they did not appear to be having fun. I did some washing, repaired by torn Draggin Jeans and had coffee in the afternoon with Vernon. It was a lazy last day in Cairns and I'm keen to get going again oince the bike has been serviced.
Chris had her first ride on the Honda this morning, as we headed south for Litchfield National Park. The weather was overcast, and the temperature in the mid thirty's, so conditions were reasonable pleasant. We came across a fatal accident on the Stuart Highway just south of Accacia. Traffic was diverted onot a side track for about one kilometre as police and emergency services dealt with the aftermath. It was quite sobering. We turned off the highway and stopped at Batchelor for fuel and something to eat. There were a couple of local Ulysses club
members there, and we chatted for a while. You find old blokes on bikes everywhere!!. The road into Lithfield was great and my first real chance to try the bike on a decent series of corners. I did have to be a bit restrained with Chris on the back. We visited the beautiful Florence Falls, and then went back to Buley Rockhole where there were many families gathered and swimming in the system of refreshing rockpools. We had no bathers with us, and decided that swimming in our undies amid the familys and small kids was probably not on. We headed back inot Darwin via one of the caravan parks on the edge of Litchfield which served great food, and had a snack and a much needed cool drink. There is much to explore in Litchfield and we will be back some time in the future.Saturday 18th April - Katherine to Darwin
I left Katherine at 8.30 am on my own. Peter was heading home to Kunnanurra with his Moto Guzzi, so we parted ways. It was an easy 300 km run to Darwin, and I had mu only encounter with a roo so far. It was hardly a danger as it hopped across the road about 100m in front of me. With luck, that will be a close as I get. Chris had flown up to Darwin to meet me, and we met at a shopping centre. Deb and Greg were there also, and they have kindly put us up for a few days. We all headed for the Darwin Wharf for an evening meal and sat on the water's edge eating local Barra and salad, and sharing a bottle of wine. Excess chips were thrown to the schools of huge moonfish that live around the wharf. It was a lovely night.
Friday 17th April -Threeways to Katherine
I had planned to leave the Treeways Roadhouse quite early and was up before the sun. That plan fell to bits when I met Peter, a drilling contractor from Kunnanurra who was returning home from Brisbane vis the Barkley Highway with a Moto Guzzi. He collects them and had found a limited edition bike at a good price. We chatted over breakfast in the roadhouse and decided to ride together for the day. As we headed north the vegetation was changing from desert to tropical, which was nice to see after the sparse vegetation that I had been seeing across western Queensland. Peter's pace as a little faster than I was happy with, and I would often lag behind, only to find him waiting for me somewhere down the road. At Katherine we called into the local Tourist Information Centre seeking accomodation. Alan at the Info Centre was a fellow Ulysses member and directed us to a caravan park where we took a standard cabin to share to costs. Pete and I sat outside and chatted over a couple of beers for some time, and then decided to toddle off to the park kiosk to get some take-away for tea. The kitchen was shut and we had to settle for a couple of pies that looked like they had been sitting in the heater for 48 hours, and washed them down with a couple more drinks and come good conversation. It was fitting end to a great day. I am enjoying every kilometer of this trip and am meeting some great folk.
Thursday 16th April - Cloncurry to Threeways
This was the day and the road that I had been apprehensive about before I stared this adventure. I have read some horror stories of this road, described as narrow and potholed, with
crumbling edges and alive with dangerous road trains. Nothing could have been further from the truth. The road was in good condition and quite wide. There was plenty of room for passing road trains, and no danger posed with those travelling in the opposite direction. Cloncurry to Mt Isa was through spectacular hilly country. I stopped for lunch and a toilet break at Commoweal, and was shocked to see something moving amongst my deposit. Was it something I had done??? Turned out to be an unfortunate green tree frog, a resident of the toilet bowl. I'd be finding a better home. Most of the damaged portions have been repaired, including at the Rankine River where the road had washed away both sides of the huge bridge. This was a long hot day on quite uninspiring and flat country, and I rolled into Threeways at 4.30pm havin covered nearly 800km. The fuel range of the Honda is an impressive 500 kilometes or more, and fuel availablitly was not an issue on this lonely stretch. I was quite tired and instead of putting up the tent, decided to grab a cheap accomodation unit and sleep in a bed again.Wednesday 15th April - Charters Towers to Cloncurry
Four inches of rain overnight! I'm gland I was in a bed and not in the tent. I spent a great night with Ann and David, and had a lazy breakfast before heading off. The day was an easy run and I finished up in a pretty ordinary cabin in a run down park.
Tuesday 14th April - Cairns to Charters Towers
I dropped the bike at Cairns Honda at 7.45 for it's 1,000km service, and it was ready by 9.30. Away a last!!! Cairns is lovely, but I've been so keen to get going again. The 350km run to Townsville a snap on the new bike. It's comfortable, and has an impressive fuel range. While in
Townsville I rang my cousin Ann who lives in Charters Towers. Ann and her husband David were in Townsville building a vegetable garden for their daughters who live there. I spent the arvo in Townsville and left at 4.30 for the 130km run to Charters Towers. I was worried about kangaroos, but saw none. Shortly after crossing the Burdekin River Bridge (It's hard to believe that it went under water in the recent floods) I struck very heavy rain, right on dusk. It only lasted a couple of minuted and I was pleased to be past it. We spent a lovley evening, catching up on family gossip. Ann and I have not seen each other for over 30 years, so there was lot to chat about, and photos to be exchanged.Monday 13th April - Cairns
Rain. Rain. Rain. I watched the Easter Campes packing up in the heavy rain and they did not appear to be having fun. I did some washing, repaired by torn Draggin Jeans and had coffee in the afternoon with Vernon. It was a lazy last day in Cairns and I'm keen to get going again oince the bike has been serviced. Sunday 12th April - Cairns
Rain. My bee stung eye was so swollen that my right eye was almost closed when I woke up. It was a squeeze to get my helmet on my now odd shaped head. The kids in the park look at me like I'm the elephant man. I went for a ride and DROPPED THE NEW BIKE DOING A "U" TURN. Not Happy Jan!!!! I know EXACTLY what I did wrong. Stupid, Stupid, Stupid. Fortunately damage is limited to a scrape on a sacrificial bump strip and a little ding in the right muffler. I am very angry with my self, because it was a total lapse of concentration and a total lack of skill. Today I rode all through the Atherton Tablelands, which is a very beautiful area, with some magnificent bike roads. The lookouts had great views, and I could see 30 meters into the fog as the weather was crap, and matched my mood after dropping the bike. On return to Cairns I went to the Hospital to get my fat bee stung face checked out. After a two hour wait iI was reassured that it would settle, was not life threatning, and was given some medication to reduce the impressive swelling.Saturday 11th April - Cairns
Rain, Rain, Rain. I rode to Atherton, Mareeba and through the surrounding areas, putting some
miles on the bike before its first service on Tuesday morning. There is lots to see and do on the Atherton Tablelands. Near Atherton I copped bee sting near the corner of my right eye. I had just opened my visor for some fresh air. I immediately took an antihistamine and I react impressively to bee stings, and expect that my face will swell quite a bit over the next day or so. I was caught in a huge downpour just as I started down teh steep and winding Rex Range Road. It was a treacherous ride and I was glad to get to the bottom. I've been spending my evenings with a lovely Dutch couple wha have been touring Asia, NZ and Australia for seven months.
I can't believe you dropped you new bike! Great update Dad. Sounds like the last 8 days have been quite an adventure. Hope you're enjoying your time in Darwin with Mum, Gerg, Deb and Charlotte. WIsh I could be up there.
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