Dirt and Trail July 2020

A 2nd rest day was spent at
Broome, rejuvenating in the
tropical waters.
I left Broome, with the
temperature at 43 degrees.
This was one of the hardest
motorcycle decisions I have had
to makebecause I had to head
across the north of Australia and its
famous Outback. I had 2 choices,
turn back and ride the 3000 km
trip back to Perth or continue the
4000 km journey from Broome,
on the West Coast of Australia, to
Townsville on the East Coast of
Australia. Leaving Broome, I was
still in high spirits, but when the
sun set on the 1st night of leaving
Broome, I set up camp on the
side of the road and prepared my
2-minute noodle and beef stew, in a
can, dinner.
I was 700 km’s from Broome in
the middle of nowhere.
That night, as I climbed into my
tent, I realised just how vulnerable
I was. Here I was, lying in a tent, in
the bush, on my own, with nobody
for hundreds of km’s around
me. It is then that I realized how
insignificant we actually are in the
bigger picture of things. I closed
my eyes and went to sleep. In
the early hours of the following
morning, at about 4 am, I was
awoken by the most horrendous
noise I have ever heard, I thought I
was being attacked by some kind of
creature.
Once I got to my senses, I
realised that the rumble was a road
train (massive truck rig) coming
past at a high speed.
Continuing along to the western
Australian/Northern territory
border, I realized just how remote I
was. The next few days was spent
riding through the outback, from
sunrise to sunset, it was miles and
miles of absolute nothingness.
Yet, the night sky is absolutely
magnificent. The stars are so
bright and appear so close, that it
feels as if you can touch them. At
night I just lay on my sleeping bag
looking up counting the hundreds
of satellites. The days were
becoming hotter, the nights colder
and the fuel more expensive and
further apart.
Whilst crossing the Outback, the
temperature was starting to reach
48/49 degree mark. I was carrying
extra fuel as the tank range was
insufficient to make it between the
At the halfway mark. Sydney.
Aus is not
all desert...
Dont ask
me - this
is the Big
Mango...
road houses for fuel stops. I remember
climbing off my bike to refuel and the soles
of my shoes were melting on the road
while I was busy.
It was so hot that I could have brewed a
nice cuppa tea from my hydration pack.
About a 1000 km’s before the East Coast
of Australia, while sitting and enjoying a
muesli bar lunch, I noticed liquid on my
tyres. Iit looked as if a dog had marked its
territory. On closer inspection, I realised
that it was the bonding liquid that holds
the tyre onto the rim, was leaking out
from the heat, and that the front tyre was
deflating.
On leaving Perth, I had procured 3 gas
canisters for tyre inflation. Remembering,
at the time, how much I paid for them in
dollars and bitching to myself about the
price, I was now happy that I had acquired
them. The 1st one that I used worked, so
I could easily continue with my journey.
However, a few km’s down the road, I
noticed the bike was shuddering and the
tyre had deflated again. It was so hot that
the tyres would not stay up.
The next 2 days was spent riding from
5 am till 8 am in the morning and then
parking underneath any tree that I could
find for the rest of the day. Until it was
cool enough, at about 4 pm, to ride again
till 7 pm at night.
The billions of flies, were constant
companions.
I remember leaving Perth when my mate
threw a face net at me with the words
“you’re going to need this” and I was
irritated, knowing that I was packed to
capacity and now he was adding another
item, that I had to carry. Im sure glad that
I did.
Finally, +- a 160km’s from Townsville, on
the East Coast Australia, the gas canisters
were finished and the tyre was no longer
sitting on the rim, it was flat.
I left the bike on the side of the road,
packed my most valuable items into my
backpack and proceeded to walk towards
Townsville. After about 5 km’s a car came
past, stopped and offered me a lift.
I had a good laugh! Typical youngsters,
they were drinking bourbon mixed with
PowerAde. After about 40 km’s we entered
a very small town and I noticed a vehicle
repair shop. The owner was very helpful,
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