Day 17 - Katherine to Darwin

NOTE: Please accept my apologies for having taken 2 days to put up this post. I returned in Sydney and I left the bike in Darwin, as it was planned. The second stage of this trip, Darwin to Perth will start on the 8^th of August.

This is the last day of the 1^st stage of this trip. I reach this level with a small degree of apprehension. It’s been a great experience, one that I will never forget. However, I get this feeling that I did it all too fast. There is so much to see and experience out there; I really had no idea.

On the one hand, the decision of which machine to use was a good one. I put a lot of emphasis on comfort and reliability. This proved to be correct. I have met other people on adventure bikes that gave them the opportunity to visit some remote areas on dirt roads, whereas I avoided dirt roads like the pest. What they told me is that in the beginning, they visited a lot of stuff that was on dirt roads. However, whenever they were back on the highways, there were in pain, as the long distances made their bikes a torture to ride.

I did not have that problem; I missed some things, not that many, but the rides on the highways, which were the bread and butter of this trip, were done in perfect comfort and style.

When I arrived to Katherine, I met Trev, who was camping just next to me. He is 79 years old and is living his dream, he bought the biggest tourer Beemer, that he could find (a K1600) and is riding all over Australia at his leisure, on this own, like me. He is my hero.

Here is Trev, with his trusty steed.

...and going on his way. I hope our paths cross again sometime, fellow traveller.

He told me some stories of his trip. He had a fall some time ago during a rainy and windy day, his bike did not want to make a bend and it spat him off. The bike ended upside down in a muddy ditch alongside the road. We are talking here a 500kg+ sitting upside-down in a hole. He thought he would have no chance of getting it out. Many cars stopped and then somebody said to him ‘No worries mate! I’ll just call a couple of mates and we’ll get you sorted in no time!’ He got on the phone and after a few minutes about 10 young farmers from the area came and got the bike out and up in no time.

This is something that I experienced firsthand and it surprised me no end. Coming from Europe and South America, I am used to people not stopping for anyone on the road. However, here in Australia people are so incredibly helpful and friendly. Before leaving for this trip I was worried that if something happened to me on the road, nobody will stop and help me, so I implemented a lot of mitigation strategies in case something like this happened to me and I am left out there on my own. I used to stop many times to take photos once something tickled my fancy, and there were many, many things that did that to on the way. Whenever I stopped, almost instantly somebody, sometimes even two cars will stop and ask me if I am ok, if I needed any help. It was just so reassuring! I learned to keep the camera very handy, just on my tank and as soon as I stopped, I would take my camera and keep it very visible, so that people will see that I was just taking photos and was not in any problem. Isn’t that incredible that you have to do that just to stop people from trying to help you? That’s the nature of the Australians; a nice bunch of people.

This is even more true here in the outback, if I remember right, it was John Flynn (the founder of the Royal Flying Doctors) who said something along the lines of how the huge distances of the Australian outback makes people be very friendly and helpful to each other.

In the morning, I visited the Katherine Hot Springs, I had a dip in one of them and the feeling is something out of this world, I do recommend trying this at least once you your lifetime.

The hot springs at Katherine





Then it was onto the road again, this time to my final destination for this leg of the trip, the capital city of Darwin.

On the way to Darwin, the Stuart Highway was a continuous stretch of repairing crews that had only 1 half of the road open at a time, so I kept having to stop and wait for long periods of time. As soon as I could I took the scenic route and avoided most of these stat and stops.

Constant stops due to road repairs on the Stuart Highway

Chose the 'roads less travelled', but more scenic routes

This is what I am talking about. No traffic, no stops, no road trains, a lot longer....

Gong on these routes gave me the opportunity to find other, unexpected discoveries, like humongous termite mounds, like nothing I've seen before.

Gigantic termite mounds

The road less travelled

By taking these roads you find places like this.

Just before the night broke, I arrived in Darwin and I booked into the Discovery Campground. Very expensive, the most expensive I have paid since I left Sydney, $45 for a small space for the night, whereas I was paying $10-$18 everywhere along the route. On top of that, it wasn’t really a well setup camping and it was the only one that I saw that locked the camp kitchen at 9PM. Very strange and restrictive. This is a camping where I will not return or recommend.

The next day, I had a full day to burn, so I did a lot of sightseeing and attended to the Dalai Lama conference at the Convention Centre. It was very interesting and it’s nice to hear such a wise man talking. I hope I learned something.

The Dalai Lama in Darwin. He's been in Oz 8 times, but this is his first time in Darwin, lucky me.

Next to the Convention Centre there is this ‘wave’ pool where there were a lot of people having fun. I guess this is a reflection of a city with beautiful beaches, but where you cannot relax on the sand or you might find yourself eaten by a ‘saltie’ (a salt water crocodile).

The wave pool next to the Darwin Convention Centre

I left the bike on storage until the 8 of August, when I plan to start with the second leg of the trip, Darwin to Perth, following the west coast of Australia.

Here is where I left the bike

I left Sydney with 12,000km’s on the clock. I am now at 19,000, so the first leg of the trip clocked at 7,000kms exactly.

7,000 kilometres on the first leg of the trip.

The trip so far

Will be back ont he 8 of August. See you then!

Day 13 - Alice Springs to Uluru

Day 13 - Alice Springs to Uluru (formerly known as Ayers Rock)

This morning it was raining. The girl in the pub told me that it only rains about 2 days a year in here and today is one of them. Anyway, I take what nature gives me with a smile.

I checked the bike systems, as I do every morning for safety and I noticed that the tread on the tyres was wearing more on one side than the other. Have a look at this:




This is the rear tyre, seen from the back of the bike. See how the tread is more worn on the right side than the left?

This is because of the camber of the road; i.e. the road is higher in the centre and lower on the sides, this is so that rain drains quickly to the sides. the problem with camber is that the road is tilted to the left on the forward lane, the bike runs perfectly vertical, so the right side of the tyre touches more tarmac than the left; can you see that? With cars, this is not a problem, because the tyres are flat and the car just runs tilted to the left and people get used to it. But with bikes, the problem is that if you run long distances, then the tyres wear irregularly and eventually the bike starts to push to the right, rather than going straight; this can become dangerous. Additionally, if you try to turn right, it does it very easily, but if you try to turn left it struggles. My tyres haven't reached that stage yet. I will have to modify the way I ride to compensate this. In other words, I have to zig-zag and ride on the wrong side of the road whenever possible.

Left early to Uluru. I calculated 5.5 hours to get there. I should be there by 2PM. They told me not to leave before about 8-8.30, as there are camels, emus and large kangaroos on the route to the rock (all big).

Filled the tank in Alice Springs, I expected that because of the competition, prices should be reasonable and they were, paid $1.76/litre.

The Stuart Highway, the same one that I took from the north to get to Alice Springs is the same one I have to take now to the Rock, at least for the first 200km's. For some reason, it was fantastic coming from the north, but now going south from Alice Springs is crap, really badly built, it is bumpy and irregular.




Turn off from the Stuart Hwy to Uluru

Anyway, not too soon, I turned off after 200 clicks and the road was a lot better from there on. I didn't see any camels, but I did see a lot of cows next to the road. The vegetation became very sparse and the soil is very red and dusty.

After some time, I got really excited, when I saw what I thought was Uluru in the distance. I just couldn't believe that I can see it at 147km from it! It must be really huge! I took lots of photos.



'Fools' Uluru

Then it hit me... I'd seen hundreds of photos of Uluru and this mountain is the wrong shape, additionally, it doesn' appear like a rock, it's more like a mountain. Clearly, you could not see anything at 147km's. It's just too far. I felt a bit silly. I should have known that.

Trying to find mobile signal - unsuccessfully...

Then, at about 30Km's (a more reasonable distance) I saw the real thing!

 

Much closer, about 13 k's

Now it's the right shape and it is clearly a rock, with no debris on the sides.

I arrived at the Cultural Centre and I wanted to get in, but there were a lot of people around and I didn't feel confident to leave the bike with the tent and the sleeping bag outside (when I was with the team of bikers, one of them put his helmet on the bowser while refuelling, when he returned after having paid, the helmet was gone; it happens in Australia, too.

For these occasions, I had prepared a 'cage'. Have a look at this.

The 'cage'

Now I am ready to leave the bike anywhere! Good thing I did a risk assessment before leaving and I identified this risk early.

At the cultural Centre they told my that it was too late to attempt the want that I wanted to do, but I decided to attempt it anyway; if it gets dark, I just carry a torch and a jumper with me. Dingos? She'll be right, mate!

Here it is. This is where I parked the bike and the part where people climb it. This is what I wanted to do.

There you go! This is the climb, not an easy feat.

Then I saw this sign. Apparently the aborigines don't like people climbing it.

And this one

I didn't know that the aborigines saw as a very disrespectful thing to climb their sacred rock. After reading this, I could not do it and decided that I should respect the elders.

That....and...

The climb appeared very, very steep, with only a makeshift chain to grab,
I did not have the correct (grippy) shoes for something like this, I only had the bike boots,
It appeared very dangerous. The EH&S dwarf in my head screamed at me that if I do it, I am an idiot.

Anyway, the respect for the elders is reason enough not to do it.

The next option was to walk the whole perimetre of the rock, about 12km's (3.5hours). It was late, and it definitely will be dark by the time I finish, so I started quickly, without thinking too much.

When I say without thinking too much; I mean, wihtout thinking at all; I left without the torch and without water and without a jumper. Yes, I know...

I kept stopping at all the nice visuals and taking photos and taking it in, which made the walk a lot longer. Suddently I see a 'you are here' sign and I ahd only done about 1/3 in 2.5 hours. So I started to pick up the pace.

Obviously, after a while I was very thirsty and cold and couldn't see much in front of me (it was overcast). I found water (a gift from the aborigines, who know how important it is) and I used my mobile as a torch.

The views, nevertheless were impressive, I have no words to describe them, and the photos do not portray it either. You really have to be there and see it in person.


A great rock

The wholes in the rock are apparently made by a very strong marsupial

'wave' shape caused by water erosion



water cascading from above

I found this near the rock, I think it is ...... a..... bird! Yes, that's it a bird of some kind.



more waterfalls, see that while little thing in the middle? just above he centre, to the left?

It is this. I don't know if I did this photo to find out what the little white thing is or to brag about the power of my tele lens.

cascading water in steps

The aborigines say that this is the female part of the rock, I wonder what gave them that idea.



Arent't they cute? Come in, they don't bite!

Doesn't that look like a brain? I don't know. Since I lost my mind, I see brains everywhere, juicy brains. Maybe I am becoming a zombie; that'd be cool, we zombies are in fashion now and get the best chicks. - (see what I mean about losing my mind!)

Beautiful seats every 2 kilometres or so

The spanish speaking people out there will know why I found this funny.

A nice postcard. Amazing what erosion can do

An that's it. After that it was dark and my camera battery went flat anyway ( and so did my mobile, which was not funny at all)

While I was walking I was thinking that the bike is alone in a lonely carpark in the middle of the bush. Anyone could come with a truck and load it. At that moment, I saw a truck going on the road next to the mountain, this road only leads to the carpark. I was still 2.5 kilometres to the carpark, I grabbed a branch and, even as I was exhaused from the walk, ran the whole 2.5Km's to the carpark ready to defend my bike with the branch; to find in the end that the truck belonged to some teens having fun, they hadn't touch the bike. I just collapsed on the grass and stayed there for 1/2 hour or so catching my breath and enyoying the milky way.

From then on it was going to the camping site, which I found very reasonable at $18 a night, putting up the tent and refuelling the bike at $2.21/litre the highest so far, what a rip off.

Probably the most expensive bowser in Australia

The menu at the local joint

I decided to grill my own rump

Day 12 - Barkly to Alice Springs

Today I got up very early, the earliest since I started this trip. The reason? The group of people I was hanging out with, is a bunch of go-getters and they start the day early (not like me). Anyway, I am not complaining, that's a good thing.

Early I also got an SMS from Mary celebrating our anniversary (not really an anniversary; this we celebrate every month, the 17 is the day we started as a couple). Hopefully we'll never stop celebrating this every month.

I find cats everywhere, after a discussion with the attendant at the Roadhouse, I find that there are so many ferals cats that they are killing all the local fauna. They have even called the ARMY to kill them. Makes you wonder how well organised the cats really are!

In the beginning there was a price of $10 dollars for anyone that killed a cat, all you had to do is bring the tail. There was so much money given away that they had to reduce it to $5.

The team, just before leaving Barkly

...and the fairest of all, deserves a picture by himself.

We started the day buying petrol at $2.11 a litre; then headed to Threeways with no obstacles, in fact no trees, no hills, no even curves ont he road. About 1/2 after leaving Barkly, we encountered the first 'dangerous curve ahead' sign. In fact it was barely perceptible and I wouldn't class it as a 'curve', but I can understand why they put this sign; after having the steering wheel (handlebar, in my case) locked in the same position for 1/2 hour, it is possible you might miss it and keep going straight.

The trip would have been inconsequencial if it hadn't been for one of the bikes breaking down. I was the last one on the group and I saw the bike in front of me (a Beemer) slowing down. It developed a grinding noise withint he shaft drive (grinding noises inside a mechanical device is not a good thing, take it from me). So we struggled to Threeways and there we called road service and organised a tow to Darwin. Poor Kevin had to spend the last 1000kms in the cab of a truck.

Threeways, in case you wonder, is the junction of the Stuart Highway (the road between Darwin and Adelaide, half point is Alice Spring) and the Barkly Highway (the one we were in).

Arrived at Threeways

The Threeways roadhouse

At Threeways we refuelled, had a coffee and said our farewells, as I planned to go south to Devils Marbles, whereas the rest of the team would go north to Darwin. 

 

I didn't say it, it is written on the sign. Anyway, now you know where it is

My plan was to spend the rest of the day at Devils Marbles and then see the sunset and the sunrise there, before heading back to meet the team somewhere else near Darwin.

I left them and I went pass Tennat Creek, which is a town where the majority of the population are aborigines. anyway, nothing special about this town, so I just went through it.

The entrance to the Devils Marbles National park

Devils Marbles is an incredible place, it's just about 130km south of Threeways and nex to the small town of Wauchope (I couldn't even find this town in the GPS, but it does exist, I saw it).

Devils Marbles is a place with giant boulders that are precariously piled on top of each other. I had a lot of expectations about spending a lot of time in this place.

When I arrived, my jaw just dropped. they were fascinating. They did not appear natural, but the creation of some crazy excentric multi-millionaire; but not, they are actually created by some weird natural processes.

Our first Marble, they lend themselves to a lot of funny caricatures

There! that's what they look inside

Where did I put my hat? Ah, there it is!

Lets put this one over...here!

Hi Mum! Look what I did!

Look Mum! another one! Ain't I smart!

Ooops! I think I broke one!

I might have been impressed, but after about 1 hour of walking aroung I got a bit tired of them and I couldn't imagine spending the rest of the day there, so I grabbed my map and looked at the time I had left. A crazy idea crossed my mind 'How about I make it to Uluru and the Kings Canyon?' This was not part of the trip because is spot on in the middle of the continent, but with such good roads and the lack of roadkill in the NT, I went for it!

So i left at about 1PM and planned to reach Alice Springs just about 1hr after sunset. this is a calculated risk, as driving at night on in Australia is a bit suicidal. however, on the way here I noticed that there were no roadkill, wich suggests that there are not so many animals and also because I had a very expensive set of LED floodlights that I purchased just for occasions like this. So I went.

Beautiful, but time to leave

From there, this is what the road to Alice Springs looks like the whole way, just flat as far as the eye can see

What did I say...

Welcome to the dark side...

A little rest, flat, flat, flat...

The road to Alice Spring is just magnificent. I havent seen roads like this neither in Queensland or NSW. It had a limit of 130km/h and it was definitely designed for speed. Just a few years ago there was no speed limit on this road. It is straight, smooth and the curves are long, and soft, almost sensual. I loved it! so I proceeded to program my cruise control at 130 and I set for a relaxing trip and exhilarating trip (and legal).

However, the firs time I had to refuel, I made the numbers and I realised that I had spent about 25% more fuel than when going at 110. I tried again a few more kilometres and a made the calulation again, to make sure, and the value came the same, I was getting a lot less mileage per litre; so I bit the bullet and (biting my lips) reprogrammed the cruise control at 110kmh. One of the factors helping this decision was that at every fuelling stop, petrol is at about $2.10 to $2.20 a litre.

On the way I stopped a the 'centre of Australia' marker, as placed by the explorer Stuart. Interesting, and lots, lots of flies, but I expected this, so I had my akubra with a net around it. It worked like a beauty.

On the way I stopped at Tea Tree and called a few camping sites in Alice Springs, the prices varied from $38/hr to $12/hr. Lucky I called first and I found the cheapest one.

I arrived in Alice Springs at about 8PM. No incidents, other than lots of cows on the sides of the road and some of them killed by trucks. I wonder... if they spent so much money on such a good road, why didn't they put the icing on the cake by placing some fencing on the sides of the road? Go figure. Einstein said once that there are only 2 infinite things, the universe and human stupidity, and he wasn't so sure about the universe (or something like this). This just makes the road dangerous, when it would have been so easy to make it safe.

Here is where I am right, the point where the centre of gravity would be, if there was one for a continent

Half way from 3ways to Alice



This is the monolith marking the centre of Australia, according to Stuart

 I know the hat with the net looks stupid, but if you saw how many flies there are here, you'd do the same.

This is where Alice Spring is. This is where I am right now.

Tomorrow, I'll get early and go to Uluru (Used to be called Ayers Rock). I am not sure if there will be interne there.