The conversation went something like this…..

H: Well Billy can’t………..

D: Yeh….I just heard…..bugger eh?

H: So we better go do it while we can…..

D: OK….OK…..done deal……..when?

H: September is the best time they reckon……

D: Bike Week……and keep going then?

H: Yeh, that'll work….

D: How many of us.....

H: 3, you...me...and Rossco........

And so on……. 

Billy Thorpe had just handed in his final cheque and it seemed that now was as good a time as any, to do a few of those things we always talk about. before it was too late…….like riding a Harley round the block. 

Plan was to do the ole National Highway #1 where we could (the sealed bits), and outside or the ocean side of #1 when we could practically as well…we wanted to go right round as best we could….start on the coast and go back to that starting point…. 

So the time came…..and Hooky and I met Rossco at Willow Tree. We hit the end of the Freeway, our first touch of National Highway #1, near Maitland, then went up the coast. First night at Coffs Harbour. Next day was an easy run up to the Gold Coast and a couple of days at Bike Week. Another good show by Maverick and Michelle and all associated with it.

The pictures will tell the story. Basically the route was then through Brisbane and up to Cairns and then Cooktown, then across to Karumba in the Gulf, down to Cloncurry and through Mt Isa, then Camooweal and on to the 3 Ways, turn North and up through Katherine to Darwin. Backtrack down and turn west heading to Fitzroy Crossing and Broome, then south via Carnarvon, Geraldton and thru Perth, Bunbury, Albany and Norseman. Over the boarder and across the Nullarbor following the coast then via Streaky Bay, Port Lincoln and then into Adelaide. Depart SA via Mt Gambier and into Warrnambool and then the Great Ocean Road into Geelong and Melbourne. Then up the coast via Lakes Entrance and Cann River into NSW following the coast thru Bateman’s Bay, the ‘gong and through Sydney then up the freeway to our start and end point.

Highlights? We had a few.

Running into Glen and Izzy and their AMC crew on a Father’s Day run at the Ettamooga Pub, just a couple of hours into our journey after Bike Week and seeing the funny look on their faces when we told them we were heading for Newcastle.

Near Carmilla riding into fading light in mist with the smell of a lot of roadkill in our nostrils (scarey shit) trying to squeeze a few more kays into the day after saying rule #1 was we were not going to ride after 4.30pm no matter what…….yeh…..right again!

The magic of riding up the coast from Cairns along the beaches to Port Douglas and on to Cooktown and back again in the tropics but freezing as we hit Queensland’s highest town of Ravenshoe. At the wind farm just before there, Rossco made the comment, "No wonder it’s cold, someone left the  fans on." Right!

Having many a triple road train thunder past on the single lane Beef Development Road with bugger all to spare, but enough, only to be nearly taken out anyway by a grey nomad towing a caravan with no idea.

Termites and more termites. Emus, water buffalo, the giant water bottle boab trees, goats and kangaroos, Malley fowl, bright red landscapes and miles and miles and miles of fires. And did I mention termites?

A flat tyre in the middle of nowhere. 5 tubes pinched and a tilt truck driver from hell.

The hundreds of brolgas on the flat endless plains out of Normanton and the Karumba sunset over the Gulf. The thousands of goats of every shape, size and colour perched on their rocky outcrops amongst the stands of Old Man Saltbush, that saw us on our way down from Normanton to Cloncurry and Mt Isa.

The breathtaking beauty of the Victoria River escarpments at sunrise. A river 140kms from the coast with an 8-metre tide and 1.3m barramundi and bloody big saltwater crocs.

The various roadhouses. Burke and Wills, Barkley Homestead, Turkey Creek, Victoria River, Timber Creek, Willare, Surefire, Overlander, Nullarbor, just to name a few.

The huge diversity of every hour, from the harsh rawness of a Western Australian iron hard, hot, dry and dusty, towering, rocky, raw red pile of stone to the antique beauty in the soft light of gentle Port Fairy. The shining, pitch black rocks, seemingly dumped over the edge by some giant truck, of Black Mountain. The pink crystal lakes of the Coorong and the bright yellow sandstone of the 12 Apostles.

A couple of flat footed cops, a Superintendent and an Inspector no less, with little to do than talk to a couple of ole bikers, wondering why they are the lowest paid workers on the North West Cape…..they couldn’t figure it out, but well, you know, one of those “if I have to explain you wouldn’t understand” things……….gotta wonder just what they did wrong that put them back on the beat in that god forsaken part of the world…bit my tongue when that question came to mind…..

The Nullarbor and the 90 Mile Straight, the longest straight in Australia (where my speedo kinda played up a bit) and naturally the Great Ocean Road.

Crossing great rivers. The Burdekin, the Norman, the Flinders, the Georgina on the Diamantina, the mighty Ord, the Victoria and the Margaret. The Robe, the Gascoyne and to see the vast fresh waters of the Coorong and to finally, nearing the end, crossing the mighty, sentimental Aussie favourite, the Snowy, just to name a few.

The huge boats of pleasure in the ports, tuna funded in Port Lincoln and outright indulgence in the ancient city of Fremantle. Extravagant yachts funded by diggings from the earth, and drillings or catches from the seas.

From desolate wind blown sandy plains and then suddenly, cool green waving crops, and as quickly, the bright blue of  the sea. An amazing kaleidoscope of landscapes that gets you time and time again when least expecting it.

The giant majestic Western Australian Karri trees with huge girths that reached to the sky forming almost religious cathedral type archways for us to ride through and the low splashes of amazing colours of the wildflowers carpeting the country when it opens up.

The look of disbelief on Rossco’s face when told the price of a string of pearls.

The look of disbelief on Rossco’s face after he’d looked into the eyes of Dr Koch and sucked on her finger at Streaky Bay. (OK, I made that bit up. She was the lady dentist who removed a tooth for him and honestly, we tried not to laugh when he got back to the pub. He was stark white and looked near dead! Hahahaha……oooooooooooooops!!!!!)

The look of disbelief on Rossco’s face every 100 kilometres or so from the pain of his arse being on fire wondering what the bloody hell he paid so much money for. That seat will be on Ebay by now……….

The look of disbelief on Rossco’s face when he thought he was going over the cliff into the Great Australian Bight......

The look of disbelief on a few indigenous faces when Rossco walked in to the bar of the Fitzroy Crossing Inn dragging the biggest brown snake ever seen. Was easy to get a drink at the bar after that. Fastest dispersal of patrons ever.

The look on our faces, when the whole crowd in the Gassy Pub at Carnarvon turned and snarled, when I tried to add a bit of balance in the one sided barracking of an AFL quarter final. West Coast Eagles versus some Victorian club. Yelled out "Go the Pies" Soon after believing discretion was the better part of valour we quietly left. (I was told in no uncertain manner to "Go back to Victoria where you came from you fucking arsehole" which was probably the nicest thing said to us there........) Passionate lot over their footy they were!

The elation of getting out of yet another State without a speeding ticket.

And so, so much more………….I'll let the pictures tell the story........

A few statistics. About 10 kays short of 17,000 round trip. Less for me with the flat. 27 days of riding and 4 days off including 2 for Bike Week.  Total days away 31. A steamy 40 degrees at Fitzroy Crossing and a chilling 4 degrees riding out of Eden. Dearest beer $7 at Fitzroy again, cheapest Melbourne at $3. Cheapest fuel was 119.9c at Mt Lindsey (Qld) and the dearest, twice, across the Nullarbor (SA) 179.9c.

A rough costing of the trip goes something like this…..We averaged 16.2 kms per litre. 1050 litres, average cost of $1.46, adds up to about $1550.   Accommodation, mostly triple share about the same, $1550. Add in tyres, 3 each around 250 and 3 oil changes at about $100 each and that’s another Grand gone. Throw in “sustenance”, be it food and/or grog at about another $100 a day (well yeh, ok, was a bit more, we did some thirsty work remember) and ouch…..damn....knew I shouldna added that up………we did do it well though I admit.

And yup, remember Billy Thorpe? He can't do it but you can.......................and yes, I would again...........