nt
B
The trip to East Gippsland was a great experience and it has whetted my appetite for more adventure riding. Well, Greg likes to get out a bit and at one Saturday morning coffee recently, he floated the prospect of a trip to Outback New South Wales. A week in the desert! Now this would be very different, certainly for me. I have been up through the middle to Alice Springs, Ayers Rock and Hermannsburg, but that was either on the blacktop in a car or in an executive jet. (No, I am not kidding.) This trip would entail long distances on dirt roads in remote areas. Probably without facilities for executive jets :-) The vast, lonely expanses of the Australian inland beckon!
Thus the planning commences. A tentative route was proposed, refined and refined again. Dates were proposed, rejected and finally settled. Discussions have ensued over accommodation, tyres, what kind of gear to take (with emergency satellite communication devices high on the list); and oh yes, negotiations with our spouses! It will be a small group: Greg, of course; David H and myself. Greg will be taking his BMW F800GS, David his BMW R1250GS and I am still on my BMW F850GSA.
Our itinerary is as follows:
Day 1. Leave Melbourne, then Bendigo, Kerang, Swan Hill and we sleep in Balranald. 444 kms
Day 2. Baranald, Penarie, Oxley, Corrong, Humewood, Booligal, Hillston. 297 kms
Day 3. Hillston, Mossgiel, Ivanhoe, Wilcannia, Paroo Darling NP, White Cliffs. 452 kms
Day 4. White Cliffs, Nuntherungie, Acacia Downs, Silver City Hwy (Southside) Mutawintji NP, Broken Hill. 293 kms
Day 5 Rest Day in Broken Hill.
Day 6. Broken Hill to Menindee Lakes 120 kms
Day 7. Menindee, Tandau, Bindarra, WIllotia, Selma, Pooncarie, Top Hut, Zanci, Mungo Joulni, Chibnalwood, Turlee, Bindura, Hatfield - Penarie Highway, Balranald. 432 kms
Day 8. Balranald, Quambatook, Boort, Wedderburn, Bendigo, Melbourne 444 kms.
Planned departure is Sunday 18 April.
We decided it would be prudent to get in some training on sand, so on Friday 12 February we took ourselves down to the Anglesea Heath, which is to the north of the town. Hard work, but good value. We intend to fit in another day before departure.
* Please Note: Double clicking on most photos will expand them.
B
The trip to East Gippsland was a great experience and it has whetted my appetite for more adventure riding. Well, Greg likes to get out a bit and at one Saturday morning coffee recently, he floated the prospect of a trip to Outback New South Wales. A week in the desert! Now this would be very different, certainly for me. I have been up through the middle to Alice Springs, Ayers Rock and Hermannsburg, but that was either on the blacktop in a car or in an executive jet. (No, I am not kidding.) This trip would entail long distances on dirt roads in remote areas. Probably without facilities for executive jets :-) The vast, lonely expanses of the Australian inland beckon!
Thus the planning commences. A tentative route was proposed, refined and refined again. Dates were proposed, rejected and finally settled. Discussions have ensued over accommodation, tyres, what kind of gear to take (with emergency satellite communication devices high on the list); and oh yes, negotiations with our spouses! It will be a small group: Greg, of course; David H and myself. Greg will be taking his BMW F800GS, David his BMW R1250GS and I am still on my BMW F850GSA.
Our itinerary is as follows:
Day 1. Leave Melbourne, then Bendigo, Kerang, Swan Hill and we sleep in Balranald. 444 kms
Day 2. Baranald, Penarie, Oxley, Corrong, Humewood, Booligal, Hillston. 297 kms
Day 3. Hillston, Mossgiel, Ivanhoe, Wilcannia, Paroo Darling NP, White Cliffs. 452 kms
Day 4. White Cliffs, Nuntherungie, Acacia Downs, Silver City Hwy (Southside) Mutawintji NP, Broken Hill. 293 kms
Day 5 Rest Day in Broken Hill.
Day 6. Broken Hill to Menindee Lakes 120 kms
Day 7. Menindee, Tandau, Bindarra, WIllotia, Selma, Pooncarie, Top Hut, Zanci, Mungo Joulni, Chibnalwood, Turlee, Bindura, Hatfield - Penarie Highway, Balranald. 432 kms
Day 8. Balranald, Quambatook, Boort, Wedderburn, Bendigo, Melbourne 444 kms.
Planned departure is Sunday 18 April.
We decided it would be prudent to get in some training on sand, so on Friday 12 February we took ourselves down to the Anglesea Heath, which is to the north of the town. Hard work, but good value. We intend to fit in another day before departure.
* Please Note: Double clicking on most photos will expand them.