Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia

I had a few days off work between Christmas and New Year, so I decided on a quick tour to get a little bit of summer.

Monday

Set off at 9:30 and stopped at Omeo for lunch and fuel. On the way between Swift Creek and Omeo I ran into swarms of locusts and as is to be expected, the bike and I wore quite a few a them. Not a pretty sight.

To make the trip as interesting as possible, I decided to take roads that I hadn't traveled on yet, yes, there are still a few left. I took the Omeo-Corryong road. The first 33km of road are sealed and travels over some very beautiful plains, rather unexpected. After that comes 70km of unsealed road. The first 20km follows the creek and is fairly flat. The next 30km is a slow rise to the top of the ranges followed by a fairly rapid fall to Nariel. I have a friend who'll be up here starting tomorrow for the annual Nariel Creek Festival. The valley is fairly typical of most alpine valleys, very picturesque, with flat floors, rising hills all around you and good roads.

The next part of the trip was to follow the Murray for as long as I could. Through Corryong, Tintaldra and then back to Albury via Walwa and a host of small towns. Took the Riverina Highway for about 50km before diverting through Corowa, Mulwala, Tocumwal to reach Finley. I have a musician friend who lives in Finley so I thought I'd chase him up. Well Finley was in the grip of the Christmas-New Year shutdown, just about everything was shut except for the motels. Hmm, Tocumwal was buzzing with people so I headed back there. Heaps of cars with canoes and kayak's, must the the Murray Marathon.

Had dinner at a pizza restaurant, garlic pizza Mexican/Hawaiian and a bottle of wine. Now all I had to do was to find a motel for the night. The sun had gone down and when I started up the bike I noticed I didn't have a headlight beam. Great! Plan B, use the fog lights. Switch on the fog lights and only travel about five metres when they fail as well. GRR! Time for Plan C: push the bike to the nearest motel. Two long blocks and much huffing and puffing I mange to push the bike into the reception area of the Kanimbla Motor Inn. Fortunately they were not booked out so I'm right for the night. Friendly folk here.

My next job is to work out why the fog lights failed. I had already half determined that maybe the happy folk at Southbank Motorcycles had somehow stuffed up the repair to the left hand light. They had replaced a connector that had shorted out and I thought they had used the old style connector that leaves the positive exposed at the back. A quick investigation revealed that not to be the case, the connector is of a new type that is completely covered. Sorry Southbank Motorcyccles. Hmm, must be in the other light. I pull the back off the light and sure enough there's the problem: The earth wire has detached itself and I guess touched the positive and 'poof', blown fuse. On closer investigation I discovered that the earth connector had fatigued and had snapped in half leaving a cylinder on the earth point and a crimp point on the earth wire. For some unknown reason the earth wire is half the length of the active wire and there just wasn't quite enough wire to get it all back together. I had the bike parked in front of the motel room and the road surface was reddy-brown scoria. My initial plan was to trap the earth wire between the post and the cylinder, but that failed when I dropped the cylinder, there was no way I could find it in the scoria by torch light. Plan B, I managed to get some garden plant wire (you know that green stuff you tie plants to stakes with) from the owner of the motel. I stripped back the plastic, doubled it over and reconnected the earth wire. I trapped one end of the wire in the spring that holds the bulb in the socket and for the other end just wrapped it around the earth wire with insulation provided by my old friend gaffa tape. I must have looked quite a sight working away with the torch in my mouth hunched over the bike.

Had a well earned shower and off to bed.

Tuesday

Up at 7:00 and had breakfast.

Walked to the Shell station and bought a new light bulb for the headlight. A few minutes work and the bike is 100% again.

Took the back road from Tocumwal to Deniliquin, 60 km of which 20 km is dirt. Onto Moulamein, Kyalite and stopped at Balranald for fuel. Had lunch at Mildura. I usually have lunch at Subway which is part of a Mobil station near the central round-a-bout but had a lot of trouble finding it. After several U-turns I found the Subway sign but no Mobil station, it has been closed, no wonder I couldn't find it. I asked one of the staff where the Mobil station had gone and was told it had been gone since March.

Next planned stop is Broken Hill. I filled up at Wentworth with intention of riding straight through, but that wasn't how it eventuated. I had a hot head wind and doing the legal 110 kph I had the uncomfortable feeling that I might just fall a little short, so I stopped at Coombah. The first item to deal with was too cool down, my goodness it's hot, and that wind gives you no respite at all. After about half an hour I filled up and completed the trip.

I stayed at the Comfort Crystal Motel on the main road. For some reason I think I've stayed here before. The staff were very friendly and I made use of their internet access to inform me tomorrows weather prediction. The water would have to be the central point in my stay here. This is the only motel that does not have a pitcher of cold water in the refrigerator. Sure they had bottles that you could buy, but where's the service? I tried drinking the tap water instead and think I've found the reason: My what an interesting aftertaste. Maybe I should go with the bottled water? The shower was even more interesting. I started off with a little bit of warm water to take away the shock of the cold water. I shouldn't have bothered, the cold water seemed as hot as the hot water!

More problems finding food. I usually go to the tourist restaurant on the mulloch heap in the centre of town, but as things turned out, they were refurbishing. For some reason they have Boxing Day today as well? Not sure of the logic there.

'Line of Lode' Broken Hill miners memorial (left) and visitors centre (right)

I finally found the only non-fast food place open at Cafe Alfresco. Garlic bread, soup, steak and a bottle of wine.

Went back to the motel and tried out the camera. No signs of life at all. No problems, I have two sets of spare batteries. Hmm, they're dead too! I know what my first task for tomorrow is.

Tired from the days activities so I had an early night.

Wednesday

Up at 6:00 with the intention of taking some picture of the Mundi Mundi plains just out of Silverton. First fresh batteries, so I tracked down an open service station and bought fresh batteries and tested that the camera worked. Drove to Silverton and onto the lookout just out of town. I took a set of pictures covering 360 degrees and which I'll try and merge together to form a continuous view.

Mundi Mundi Plains 360° view

Back to the Motel and had breakfast.

Set off around 8:00 and travelled down the Barrier Highway. I had formed the opinion that there was a mountain range all the way to the Flinders Ranges, that was wrong too. The hills stopped at the South Australian border and it was not far from the experience I had on the Nulabor plain. Gradually the flat gave way to undulations and then hills and then the Flinders ranges. I left the Barrier Highway to pass through Peterborough and onto Orroroo. The map showed a partially sealed road between Ororroo and Hawker that looked interesting so I took it. I'm so glad I did as I found to my delight that the road was sealed all the way and was possibly laid out by a drunken surveyor as the road was mainly long sweepers, hardly any straight stuff at all. If you get the chance try it out.

Had lunch at Hawker. The place where I wanted to buy lunch was closed, so I had to use the other store and had two rounds of sandwiches made up. I watched quite a few tourists try the store I tried first only to come back to this store.

Onto Wilpena Pound. Lots of kangaroos around and even a few Emu's.

Glad to find the resort had accomodation available at surprisingly reasonable rates. I really have no idea why it costed me a fortune last time, maybe the extras?

Walked up the first 2km of the Olsen Baghe track. I looked at those steep grades before me and chickened out. Having a shower was a dream, the water was so cold and pure. Ummm, lovely spring water.

I had a similar meal to last nights meal and was pleasantly surprised to find it was cheaper. How do they do that?

I'm glad the background music doesn't have and "Duff Duff" stuff like it did last time. I'm most impressed this time around, I'll be back, perhaps when it's cooler. Watched a bit of TV as that's a novelty for me. Still heaps of junk on there.

Thursday

Up at 7:00 and had breakfast in the restaurant.

The resort area has been 'taken over' by a large flock of Corrella's. They are quite a vocal bird and have been harrassing the tourists. They are trying a technique of random cannon firing to scare them way. I didn't here and bangs but I sure heard the birds. They sound like sheep on Helium: High pitched baahing!

Baahing Corellas outside my room.

Time for a few transits of the Flinders Ranges. First from Quorn to to Strirling, then Horrocks Pass (twice) and finally the Port Germain Gorge road. I took a few pictures of Spencers Gulf from the Horrocks Pass rest area, hope they turn out.

Spencers Gulf

Continued on and arrived at Claire. Bought lunch ( A few salad rolls. Double cut if you don't mind) and then headed for Brooks Lookout. The view is great but the perpetual problem are the flies, my they are persistent and in swarms. Everytime I go there, there are the flies. Maybe I need to find another scenic spot? Must be another sight to behold, me trying to eat and swatting at the flies with my glove. It's something like the rubbing your head and stomach trick. Coordination is the key, that and a few choice words.

Back to Clare and went to the Clare Country Club for an up market finale to the tour. I was most surprised when the gentleman at the desk remembered me from last year. I took the room, dinner and breakfast deal. Last year I had really enjoyed the steaks. Let me say I was more than disappointed to discover that they've reviewed their menu and now have a focus on seafood/chicken: YUK! No beef at all! What is that? Nothing ventured, nothing gained I'm hearing so I submit to the trial.

Last year I found the best bottle of Reisling ever: Kilikinoon, a magnificent drop. I rode out to their plot and sadly weren't open. I then went to the Seven Hills bottle shop and bought ALL of their stock. Sure it sounds extravagent, but it was only five bottles.
Drove into Claire and went to the Safeway Liquor store. I asked about Kilikanoon and was informed "Well, yes. Last year when we were BWS we could have helped you. Under Safeway everything has been rationalised, only big movers are kept!" You know that's a really sad reflection on the power of large stores. Even at home I notice that the 'hard to get items' that taste the best, etc, are slowly but surely taken from the shelves.

Arrived at 7:00 and undertook my trial by chicken. I'm sure the only thing that got me through my ordeal was the Kilikanoon!

Finished up around 9:00 and went back to my room and watched Discovery TV. The first was the trials and tribulations of crab fisherman off the coast of Maine and the second was a 'race against time' to create a custom hot rod. The first trivialised the skipper of one boat against another. i.e. One skipper caught more than the other. The second was a real joke. How the employees of a custom hot rod shop accept the order to build of a hot rod to be delivered in five days. These losers were working against the clock for the 'love of it'! Family suffered, they suffered and for what? Still they were very good at what they did even making custom mag wheels using a numerical control lathe. Someone must have a heap of money to burn. The saddest part was where one of the employees rings his children to say he can't make a visit. He's divorced of course, but building the hot rod is the most important thing! Turned off the TV and went to sleep. (I still don't know if they finished the damn hot rod on time or not.)

Friday

Up at 5:30, pack up my stuff and have breakfast. I was careful about not setting off the smoke alarm. Took out the big DriRider bag to the bike and attempted to thread the fabric loops over the vertical part of the rack. Did I mention how quiet an peaceful things are this time of the morning? Well all of that changed when I set off the motion detector on the bike, there goes that tranquility!

Riding through Clare I noticed that the temperature was 15°C. Cool but quite pleasant.

I decided to take the lower route to Morgan via Eudunda. More variation in the scenery than the Burra-Morgan route.

Riding into the sun just isn't a pleasant thing. I stopped at Saddleworth and stuck on a piece of Gaffa tape across the top of the visor to reduce the glare from the sun. That's better, although next time I might try two layers, the red tape wasn't as good as it could have been.

Not a cloud in the sky and the sun was hot and bound to get much hotter. The BOM has predicted 43°C for Mildura.

Reached Mildura and had a Subway lunch and then pushed on to Ouyen where I called a temporary stop to the trip. The heat was getting to me and I was starting to lose concentration. I pulled at a rest side stop in town and waited for the heat to wane. I kept cool by pouring water over my head and letting the hot wind do its work. In retrospect I really should have taken the advice of another traveler and wait in the hotel across the railway tracks. I would have fared much better.

As each travelers showed up I'd have a short chat and that helped to pass the time. One lady told me of a recent experience that really annoyed her. She was third in a line of four cars and pulled out to pass the two cars in front of her. In the distance she spots a car heading her way and realises she doesn't have the time to complete the manouver safely. She blasts the horn to indicate that she wanted the car opposite her to slow down and let her in, I gather she didn't get much of a sympathetic response, hence her anger. Why do we have a road toll?

After four hours I decided to make a run for the south where I hoped the temperature was cooler. I stopped at Sea Lake for a drink, fuel and to stand under the cool air of the air conditioning system. The temperature seemed cooler, but not by much. I set off again and felt the first cool gust of wind as I was passing Bendigo and boy was the feeling a whole-body-experience. Just like jumping in the pool on a hot day, ah, what a welcome relief. Half way to Melbourne I changed my mind, I was positively cold. I struggled onto Officer where I did the last fill before reaching home. I conned myself that I could cope with the 'cold' and continued on, but stopped at Pakenham and put the winter gear on, I was just so cold. The temperature was 22°C but it felt like 12°C. I think all that baking at Ouyen was not a good thing. It's the pub next time!

Arrived home at 11:30, my what a long day.

I did say that I wanted some Summer and boy did I get it. I traveled 3,700 km in total.

P.S. I really have to hand it to the first explorers and settlers, they must have been made of steel. The Outback is still a very harsh place.

Footnotes:

• Before I left, I purchased two touring maps, one for Victoria and one for South Australia from the RACV. While I was there I was given a demonstration of the NavMan product. All the models in store didn't have a headphone socket. The lady informed me that you just "Enter the name of the place you want to go to and you're on your way" Yes, well that may be, but NavMan doesn't have Nariel or any of the towns in that area. I'm pretty sure you wouldn't want to go too far off the beaten track with this device and be left stranded.
  As a sub footnote, I really must say that the maps suffer from 'averaging'. A Cartographers term for simplifying maps. The Quorn-Hawker road is shown to end up at Hawker. In reality it ends 10km south of Hawker. If I was 'stuck', how would I describe my position from the map? This can be extended to modifying the relationships of roads at intersections for asthetic beauty. I'd rather a map that shows me the 'real deal' not some sort of smooth fantasy land.
  
  
• At one point through the tour I nearly came unstuck. Cars as you know have all the properties of 'Kitty Litter', i.e. It clumps! So do cars! Why do they have to travel in groups so close together?
  This situation happened at the merging of two roads. There was a little bit of clumping, but a young man on 'L' plates was a little too agressive in merging and caused a major flare up of brake lights. Situations can change in a hearbeat, never let your guard down for a moment. I think the advice "Patience is a virtue" would go a long way to these agressive drivers. Sounds like I'm on a soap box eh? Well I bought the soap, I'm having my say.
  
  
• The next day after I arrived home I find that quite of the few areas I have traveled through now have fires to contend with. I hear that a section of the railway between South Australia and West Australia has been washed away by severe rain. We sure live in a volotile region weather wise.