Wednesday 28 July, 2010- We had a great ride from Richmond to Townsville on Sunday, remarkable only in how nice it was. The last bit was back into some lovely, hilly, twisties, and we didn’t mind the ten seconds of rain. It is good to be back in civilization….

We spent a rest day in Townsville museuming and walking on the Strand. It was overcast, and threatening to rain both days, very unusual for this time of year, but for old time Oregonians it was like being back there.

We rode to Cairns yesterday. A bit of traffic, but got to see where all the Oz sugar and bananas come from. Also, it was a perfect example of Blane’s Rule For Life #11 – “It is better to put on rain gear before it starts raining rather then after it has stopped raining.” Let’s just say there was opposition in the ranks to the suggestion that we don it, and five minutes later it was much too late to worry about it. Tropical rainstorms are remarkable events….

Today we took a wonderful old train up to Kuramaba in the Atherton Tablelands. Very nice day.

Friday 23 July-Good ride, into Queensland (QSL). The last 100 km of the Northern Territory was a beautiful high plateau grassland, stocked with cattle. The first 100 km of QSL was a dead kangaroo slalom course. We were glad to get to Mt. Isa well before dusk. On further east tomorrow, arriving at the Pacific coast (the east coast) on Sunday – unless we head north for a day or two first.

July 22- Thursday: an “interesting day.” A surgeon told me one day, “You know, Blane, then last thing you want to be is an interesting case.” The day started off clear, chilly, and a bit blustery. We had a great ride going for about 310 kms, when we stopped to de-layer. As we started off I thought Sue was having a bad problem, so stopped and jumped off my bike. I neglected to realize that I was on a sloping shoulder, and as I slammed the kick stand down, it hit pavement and retracted. The fully loaded bike, of course, fell over, but politely didn’t hit me. So aside from a broken left front turn signal bulb, the bike subsequently decided to repay me for ignoring it by refusing to start. It seems a clutch handle relay had been popped off. I, thinking the problem was a kill switch broken in the “off” position, or a broken starter switch, or a damaged kick stand relay, attacked those issues – and it still wouldn’t start. Sue went off to find a rescuer at the road house 98 kms back, and I kept fiddling. If you look at the map you see we were WAY out there. After about 3 hours Colin and Lynn, from Victoria, stopped in their caravan, and asked what was the problem. Colin said, “I have bikes. Would you mind if I had a look?” Within five minutes he found the disconnected relay plug stuffed back where I had been looking without seeing it under the clutch handle. Five minutes, I might add, of happy, and friendly, and relaxing banter. To prove that was the problem, he asked if I had a paperclip, put each end of the paperclip into each of the relay openings, and told me to press the starter. WONDEROUS motorcycle noise was heard! Then, after diligent searching he found where the plug attached under the clutch handle, reattached it, and I was mobile again! Then they drove off to find Sue, soon found her, but the truck driver didn’t have his CB radio on, so they couldn’t flag her down. Anyhow, by now it was near the ‘roo dodging time of the afternoon, Sue and I, and then by now superfluous rescue truck returned to Barkley Homestead Roadhouse, where we thanked the Lord that there are wonderfully friendly, and mechanically adept people in this country who will stop and help others. Happily we met up with them at the roadhouse, and had the chance to develop our friendship more.

Wednesday 21 July-At Tennant Creek, with great online access, so can post a few pictures of the Katherine Gorge walk, rellies in Darwin, and subsequent travels south.
Daly Waters barbeque lived up to expectations. We both agreed that crackers, cheese, and soup will be fine for tonight!
Cooler today, 59F when we started, 71F when we stopped. Lovely bush country to ride through today. It went from many, high, thin trees, very closely spaced, to a few high trees interspersed with essentially high bushes and spinifix, to more open savannah. Petrol stops available every 100 kms or so. Tomorrow, as we turn due east, they are every 200 Kms or so. Strong crosswind today, which will be a headwind tomorrow. Thank goodness for large (22L) petrol tanks. Speaking of fuel it was $7.00 a gallon today. Saw lots more motorcycles today, 12, which is 3 times the total we had seen previously.

20 July, Tuesday. We are in Daly Waters, NT, and it is quite a place. Unfortunately the broadband strength is too weak for me to post any pictures. Will keep trying, as have quite a backlog, including a few from Katherine Gorge, Darwin, and Mataranka Homestead, and this place which has a special crossing for chooks (chickens).
Tonight we signed up for a "barbie" - 1/2 beef and 1/2 barramunda. Barramunda is a fish caught up here that everyone raves about. I thought the raving was more or less just hype, until I took my first bite. Best fish I ever ate. Can't hardly get enough!
The ride today was short, to give the crew a chance to get ready for the upcoming slog - one more day south to Tennant Creek, and then three days heading to the Pacific coast at Townsville. We decided to post-pone the trip to Uluru (Ayer's Rock) and pick it up from the southern approach when we head back west on the bottom of the continent. We have been spoiled by the beautiful, warm weather, and gorgeous blue skies. 75-80 while on the road today - 32-40 at Uluru. That will also give us a chance to visit Coober Pedy, in the state of South Australia, the underground city in the central opal mining region. I have always looked for an excuse to do so....

Online issues hopefully settled

If you ever want to renew your faith in the goodness and kindness of human nature, take a long road trip, preferably on a motorcycle, through Australia. As we were heading to Katherine, about an hour and a half out of Fitzroy Crossing (FC), we stopped to have some water at a rest area that allows camping. As we dismounted a gentleman walked out of his camper, and very politely told us that his wife had the kettle on, and asked if we would like a cup of tea or coffee. We readily assented, and for the next hour had the great pleasure of making new friends, not to mention good coffee, and delicious chocolate cookies. Peter and Trisha are from Brisbane, (on the east coast) and have been on the road for 10 weeks. They plan to arrive in Perth in another 10 weeks, and then head home across the Nullarbor. Peter was in the RAN (Royal Australian Navy) so we had stories to share. He also told me about a good 3G broadband network that reportedly covers most of Australia. The answer to internet availability! Don't know why I didn't know about this before.
Anyhow, after an absolutely delightful hour of chatting, and exchanging contact information we headed on to Katherine, in search of the "Telstra Turbo 3G Pre-paid" software and USB hub. We finally found it in Darwin 4 days later. We reportedly got the last unit between Darwin and Alice Springs! Very popular, it seems. So have since been waiting for the company to get me online after registering. They are suppose to give me 1 GB free, and I am not to purchase any more time/bytes till that appears in my account. The account balance is still zero, but this is apparently still working!
We arrived in Darwin Thursday the 15th, and have been exceptionally well looked after by Sue's cousin Gaye, and her daughter Kim. It has been so much fun we have decided to stay another day, and not leave till Monday. We have also gotten to know Kim's partner Brian, an avid off-road motorcycle racer, and his parents Elma and Murray, and Murray's brother Snowy, are visiting from New South Wales. Murray and his brother are retired butchers, and have many very funny tales about the people in his small farming community. Gaye put on a barbeque for them, and we were fortunate to be here to share it.
Had the bikes serviced while we were here, with new rear tires, oil and oil filter change. We had intended to have ALL four tires changed, and had called 3 weeks ago to get it setup. Unfortunately, they neglected to see if they actually did have the tires in stock after assuring me that they did - and they did not. Oh well - fortunately we still have 3mm tread depth on both front tires, so we should be able to get to Cairns on the old ones without a problem.
Darwin is a large and bustling city. Commerce is booming. Tourism is the main industry, and they must be doing very well, judging from the size and character of the houses.
We had a scrumptious sea-food buffet last night at a local restaurant. Topped off with plum pudding, and chocolate ckae. Life is indeed good!
While we were eating our delicious meal, Murray and Snowy went to the "footie" game. Their team, the Melbourne Bulldogs were playing a game here, and won to their delight. Afterward they went to the races. I asked Snowy how the races were. He replied, "I went to the races, and went home and slept like a baby - I laid awake for an hour, then I cried for an hour!"
I will get some new pictures up after I get back from Mass, but now it is out the door to get there...

Monday, 12 July: We wanted to go north to warm up, so we went north - and it warmed up! 95 F for the last 4 hours on the road today. We are in The Kimberly - more of a savanna grassland than the Pilbara, with taller, but still thin trees spaced more widely apart. To the west of us are beautiful deep gorges, behind us (we are in Kununurra - pronounced can-na-NAIR-a)are a collection of amazing rocks at the Bungle Bungles. Unfortunately, most spectacular things are 20 to 80 km off the bitumen. The best way to really visit this spectacular west coast is with a 4-wheel drive pulling a caravan (trailer), so you can head out into the boonies, and explore to your hearts content. Only problem is that it might take years...
Last night at Fitzroy Crossing we had dinner with another Ray, this one a retired Aussie Navy man, his wife Jo, and son Tom who works at the Crossing Inn - the oldest pub in WA, by the way. Wonderful people. Besides trading innumerable sea stories, we solved all the worlds problems. Ray was up to see us off this morning. Many good people out on the road, most of whom seem to be delighted to spend hours entertaining total strangers. (They think I talk funny)
We were stopped on the road today for about 1/4 hour as stockmen were mustering a very large herd of cattle from one place to another. It was a HUGE herd, running four abreast, over 4 km long, sometimes on both sides of the Great Northern Highway. To control the herd they had two men on horseback in the bush, two helicopters in the air, and a man in a ute (pickup truck) on the road. Sorry I don't have pictures of the herd, but there was really no place to safely pull off the road, and we were in a convoy of vehicles.
Kununurra is situated on the Ord River Project, a water control system with a large dam, and a massive lake behind it. It seems to be a very prosperous town, and it is nice to be back where there is water - not too much available where we were for the last 2 days.
On to Katherine tomorrow, then a day exploring Katherine Gorge before arriving to vist Sue's cousin Gaye in Darwin.

11 July - Sunday: Having computer problems so this will be short. In Broome, where we spent our Honeymoon 21 wonderful years ago. Heading to Fitzroy Crossing today. Dodging the rain so far. Met Ray at a pullover 80 kms south yesterday. He is from Esperance, a couple of thousand miles south (where the first picture was taken.) He knows Sue's sister Bev. He also invited us into his caravan for lunch, being prepared by Elsie, his wife. We had just eaten, so had to decline. But that is ths kind of people you met on the road here. Have a "slippery and wet" detour after about 90 kms today, so we are delaying starting a bit to let the road hopefully dry out. After arriving had drimks with friends Terry and Jenny, Jenny's mother, and two of there good friends. A very nice way to spend an evening.

First chance to be at a computer, and at the Karratha Library.
We left 5 July, 13C, bright and sunny, and eventually got on the Brand Highway at Muchea, heading North. Had a lovely ride. although we never really warmed up too much. Rains have been few in WA (Western Australia), but still enough for the the countryside to be more green than brown. Near Geraldton the winter wheat crops are sprouting, and there were an abundance of cattle, sheep and a few goat spreads. Beautiful country.
Beyond Carnarvon on the 6th there were literally hundreds of dead kangaroos alongside the road. Interesting. Feasting on them were crows, and big wedge-tailed eagles. Huge! Slow to rise! Duck! Next time I must remember to pass them on their back side.
Soon into the WA dry country, as the pictures show. It is a combination of West Texas, eastern Oregon, northern Nevada, and southern Arizona without the cacti. And goes on and on, for days. And immensely beautiful. I love deserts, and was near pure joy most of the day. I can understand why Jesus went into the desert to pray, and the first monks went into the desert to meditate. Life is quite simplified -the only priorities are shelter, water, food (and in our case fuel, and dodging road trains) and they are so pressing that life's other distractions disappear.
Further north ocassional large, smooth rocks poke up, then a few low plateaus in the distance, and then nearer long, low, rounded hills slither into view. Gorgeous! We are both anything but bored!
Yesterday, the 7th, we arrived in the Pilbara mining area. Iron is king, followed by natural gas as queen. She is brought in from off-shore, liquified in a massive facility, and shipped out in 400 yard long ships. China, Japan, and India are buying.
Australia is booming. 5% unemployment. It is school winter holiday time for 2 weeks, and everyone we meet on the road is friendly and happy. Can't blame them. But they still think I talk funny.
We took a rest day today, and it rained, so fortune still smiles on us, as it has for 25 years.

PS: Double-click on the pictures to enlarge them.

We went on a shakedown ride yesterday through the east Perth Hills with friends Jan and Penny, and family Bruce and Di. It was a very good ride. The bike-to-bike com was inoperative, but we got it working today. Looking forward to tomorrow, and having fun figuring out this blog!