Has been on the bucket list of rides to do, however after the passing earlier this year of Long Distance riding friend Pat “Toura” McLean, this ride was in the planning. A chance to also pay respect to Davo Jones founder of FarRiders and IBA member and remember other fallen riders.
The plan was easy, almost a replica of my original SS1600 from 2010 – Sydney to Port Augusta but this time on my own.
Down to the local Caltex North Ryde for a start docket at bang on Friday 9th Sept @ 03:00am and signed witness form. Onto the M2, M7 and before long the Hume Hway into a clear night sky and cool temperatures, and yes, I said clear skies. Not much happening, lots of truck heading south, very boring inducing the old noddy factor. About 60 kays north of Yass Service Centre I had to pull off the road into a truck bay, lay down on the grass and grab 20 minutes kip. Safety first. Yass Service Centre for fuel and the slowest service ever.
Suns up, morning is alive, not long and into Wagga Wagga. Couldn’t believe the old Murrumbidgee Milling Co is being demolished for apartment buildings…history gone again. Outta town and onto the open road to Narrandera Roadhouse. It’s along the Sturt Hway here that I start to notice how much rain the area has had…..water is up to the roads edge and everything is green as green can be with the pop of brilliant yellow from the Canola fields.
Breakfast stop at the Narrandera Roadhouse @ 09:21am – fuel for Dudley and me. The sky is starting to look dubious, so ask around with a few of the truckies to how the weather is heading west. The response is a bit mixed but the common point was I was going to get wet…..the “to be determined” was how much. Well that little question didn’t take long to get answered and pretty much set the scene for the rest of the ride. There’s so much water over the road that you aqua plane every now and then. Ah the heated gear, yes, I had it on and yes it kept me warm but the neck design on my KLIM jacket leaves a lot to be desired – big fail.
No stopping at Hell’s Gate today….it’s too wet and the driveway is a quagmire.
Balranald Roadhouse 12:56pm for fuel, take refuge from the deluge and put on the wet weather jacket, change out of the wet balaclava into a dry neck sock and back out into the deluge. The rain was so heavy through Balranald that you couldn’t see the road surface (s’pose it also had something to do with the water that was on the inside and outside of my glasses and visor too) Soldier on.
The rain, well kept falling and on the odd occasion would stop for a bit before coming back with a vengeance. Pulled into the Buronga IGA Express for fuel right on school time….bad move Kimmie.
Watching the sky and I’m hopeful that the patches of blue, yes that’s blue stay with me and the sun stays up. At the Yamba inspection station, I am asked very nicely by the man if he could check all my luggage for fruit. Anyway, what do you do…time is ticking away. Thankfully after inspecting the top box only to find it nearly empty he was happy that I wasn’t carrying any fruit and let me go.
Across the river at Paringa and I encounter the Grey Nomad patrol. Don’t ask me where they came from, they just appeared. From here it’s where I start to play leap frog with a few of the trucks and one particular coach. The trucks were all pretty nice, it was like the Kimmie telegraph had gone out and most of them blinked me through……..that is except for this coach which would move over the centre to block the line of sight.
It doesn’t take long for the sun to start to set and I pull into the Blanchetown Roadhouse for fuel and dinner @ 17:52pm ACST. Check in with Karl and mention that I think I might be short on kays. With total confidence Karl says to me, “you’ll be fine but just re-check at your next stop or closer to the finish” thanks Sweety and then have some dinner…..well kinda, a Mrs Mac’s Pie with sauce and water. Note to self, don’t stop here for dinner next time. By the time I’m ready to leave it’s dark and now the night leg of the trip starts. It’s so totally different riding at night on roads you are familiar with but roads you aren’t bring a whole new challenge and awareness to you. Now this heated gear, how toasty am I….yeah baby. No aches, the shoulder is in good shape cos there’s been no cold stress through my body and helps manage the fatigue that so often I experience….loving it!! Why didn’t I invest years ago…..
There are no pics from here on, too dangerous to stop. The rain again comes and goes when it pleases making visibility difficult with rain on the glasses and inside the visor. There are so many trucks heading east and all there lights remind me of Optimus Prime…..so every heavy mover became Optimus Prime just to amuse myself. Unfortunately, there were no Bumble Bee’s out tonight. Through Nuriootpa and into Gawler for a corner docket before finding my way through Angle Vale Rd to the freeway heading to Port Wakefield.
Unknown territory here and I am totally relying on the GPS. Running numbers through my head and I’m obviously getting a bit tired cos I can’t add it up. Into Port Wakefield BP for fuel another docket @ 20:43pm ACST and the lady says “you’re game riding out here on your own. Have you come far and do you have far to go?” When I tell her when I left this morning and where I’m heading she just shook her head and smiled…as you do.
About 15km south of the Crystal Brook turn off my SPOT tracker batteries died….crap. No problemo, I have spare batteries! Now just to find somewhere to pull off the road and get the job done. A roadside truck parking bay serves well but with no lighting is a little, ah no, a LOT eerie and scary. I have the head torch in my mouth and my pocket knife out, watching over my shoulder for John Jarret. Job done and back out into the night and one the home stretch now.
Singing away in my helmet and watching the lights to my left I can feel the end and sense the awesome achievement that failing some disaster, I am going to achieve….it’s a feeling that only those who have completed these rides can understand.
Coles Express Highway 1 Port Augusta the final stop and finish docket for my SS1600 @ 23:03pm ACST – done and dusted.
ODO – 1726 kms
GPS – 1664 kms
Time: 20hrs
I’m happy and I’ve ridden this all on my own. Now to find my room next door and get some shut eye.
