Day38 - Monday 8/11/10 - Weather, Clear and fine 20 degrees

Leave Vincentia at 11.30am for Nowra then onto Sydney and Home to complete the whole ride and park the bike.
Arrive at Kurnell at 3.30pm approx and unpack and relax.
There will be a final entry in this blog soon when I have had a bit of time to think and try and put the right words down to explain how good the ride and group we went with really performed.
Thanks to all who have followed the blog and by now you all know that I am no wordsmith but have tried to give anybody interested an insight into how the days have gone.
Thanks to all who have looked at the blog over the 5 weeks.
The Around Australia Ride Group raised in excess of $310,000 dollars for the Steven Walter Foundation,
this money is for Children's Cancer Research.
The final entry will be soon thanks again.
John Scott 

Day37 - Sunday 7/11/10 - Weather, Clear and fine all day 19 degrees

Laurie and I leave Thredbo at 8.30am and head for Sydney travelling through Queanbeyan and onto Bungendore and Braidwood down the Kings Highway to Batemans Bay. The first stop is at Bungendore for lunch then onto the coast for Laurie to ride all the way home. I am stopping at Vincentia where I am meeting Tracey My wife, and Sarah my daughter for an overnight stop and catch up at a friends weekend house.
Total klm's 15,097

Day36 - Saturday 6/11/10 - Weather, Fine to start 9 deg then rain later

The ride around Australia has officially finished, this is the start of the normal Snowy Ride we do most years to raise money for the Steven Walter Foundation, this year Dot, Steve's Wife and Laurie a friend have come down to meet us and enjoy the weekend.
Laurie and I decide to ride up to Charlotte's Pass and have a look at the good roads and conditions for riding in the area, when we arrive at Charlotte's Pass Laurie tells me its his first time actually seeing snow and being in it, the temperature is -3 degrees out of the wind and well below this while we are riding, this seems funny to me because while we were on the ride around Australia when we passed the turn off to Marble Bar the temperature was recorded at 42 degrees and here we are at Charlotte's Pass and the temperature is now -3 degrees.
We have booked a test ride on two new Honda's back at Thredbo and leave quickly to get back to Thredbo, the test was good for both of us, Laurie rode the new Honda 1000 sports bike and I rode the new 1300 Cruiser.
The afternoon saw the weather change to showers and the official part of the day was washed out so we had dinner at the local pub and then an early night.
Total Klm's 14, 635

Day35 - Friday 5/11/10 - Weather, Cloudy then clearing to fine 18 deg

We leave Lakes Entrance after breakfast at about 7.30am and head for Orbost and onto Cann River  for fuel, here we cross the Victorian border and head for  Bombala where we are supposed to stop and have morning tea, on arriving we have a cup of coffee and fins out the Police are going to meet us in Nimitabel and give us an escort into Cooma.
When we get into Cooma we find out the whole main street has been blocked off and we have been dedicated an area in front of the park for us to park and be met by the local Mayor who said a few words and tried hard to talk individually to most of us, the people along the main street as we came in all cheered and blew their horns in their cars making the group feel very welcome, most at this stage said how emotional they had started to feel.
The police came back and led us all the way into Thredbo where we also had an area set out to park, then up onto the BBQ area for a Sausage sandwich and beer preparing for the kids from the Children's Hospital who have survived Cancer to give us an unexpected medal for completing the ride, if we thought the group was emotional before this, most were having trouble containing their emotions.
Total Klm's 14,492



   

Day34 - Thursday 4/11/10 - Weather, Cloudy clearing then showers, 16 deg

We left Lorne and finished the Great Ocean road off then headed for Melbourne, we were not sure of the right way to go to avoid the freeways so Albert led us around the outskirts and onto Trafalgar where one of the riders has a sponsor with a takeaway business so we all went there for Lunch.
All the way along the great Ocean Road I have been looking for whales but have not seen one, not even a dolphin? must be the wrong time of the year because everyone tells me this is the place to see whales?
Then we headed for Lakes Entrance which is the last time this group will have a meal together,we all agreed it should be fancy dress, it helps when Karen being a good sport went to the local Op Shop and bought some ties for us to wear.
The accommodation at Lakes Entrance is really good, the Bellevue on the Lakes has outstanding rooms and the dinner is really good as well.
Total Klm's 14,089

Day33 - Wednesday 3/11/10 - Weather, Rain clearing 15 to 18 degrees.

We left Mont Gambier at 7.30am and headed for Lorne for the night, during this section of the trip fuel and stops are no problem which is different to many of the places and areas we have just come from.
We travelled through rain and into clearing weather, this was very welcomed by the group as most have been really looking forward to riding along the Great Ocean road to Lorne.
The stops are great and the scenery is some of the best seen on the trip so its hard to decide which stops you miss out on, but there was no way we could stop at every one.
The road is in average condition and we found it still wet from the morning showers so we had to slow the travel down a bit which is not what motorcycle riders want to do but we all arrived in Lorne without any problems, probably better luck than management.
The accommodation here at the Lorne Beachfront accommodation is really good, the bikes are under cover and the rooms are great with views over the beach.
We ate at the local pub, again most of the group had a social drink and started to exchange details as we only have one more night before we get into Thredbo on Friday.
The Police will meet us at Nimitabel and escort us through the main street of Cooma all the way to Thredbo for a lunch then our final dinner and the normal Snowy ride starts.
We have been told that we have raised over $300,000 dollars since starting the ride around Australia and we expect this figure to grow, a couple of the riders have agreed to have their beards shaved off after 30 years of having them if we can raise $10,000 dollars for the foundation, at this stage we have raised $8,000 dollars towards this event already and expect that on the Saturday at Thredbo we will be able to maybe double it.
We arrived in Lorne today at about 4.30pm, although we had only 400 klm's to do it was all the stops that took the time, who cares it will be a while before we are back this way again.
Total klm's 13,656

Day 32 - Tuesday 2/11/10 - Weather Rain and 15 clearing to 19

We left Lyndoch Hill at 6.30am and this was the first place to offer us to have a continental breakfast in our rooms to allow us to leave whenever we wanted.
This was a good move because some want to leave really early even when we have short days, the likes of Big Jim who knows no other hours, but the ones before daylight to start a day have the chance to catch up on a meal before leaving.
The weather was cloudy and started to rain before we left the Lyndoch Hill retreat, this no longer worries any of us as we have all gotten very used to heavy rain, during the day the rain cleared and the sun was a welcome sight.
We decided to leave the main highway and take the scenic route along the coast which we found a non event as most of the stops were not too exciting except for Beachport which was a really nice little town.
When we got to Mount Gambier at around 2.30pm we were told the Melbourne cup had already been run and the winner was announced, the time differences that we have been facing while changing states has confused more than one of the group.
Before booking in we decided to have a look at the local sights, the blue lake and the surrounding gardens were great, then back to the Quality Inn International and got our rooms organised.
I decided to use this as my last washing stop before Thredbo, so straight to the laundry only to find one washing machine and dryer for the whole complex, the dryer was just about useless so the next best thing was to take the wet washing back to my room and set the air conditioner to full, set up the clothes line and by morning all was dry.
The meal at the dining room here was good and so was breakfast the next morning, some of the group didn't look too good the next morning which may have been due to a little bit too much socialising the night before??
Total Klm's 13,206

Day 31 - Monday 1/11/10 - Weather, Clear with a cool breeze 20

We went into Gawler for the morning to look around then came back to Lyndoch Hill where we were picked up by a coach and taken on a winery tour.
The first stop on the tour was a lookout that allowed us to see just about the whole Barossa Valley and then onto the first winery Simpatico wines, a lot of wine was ordered when they told us they had free delivery to the door, then we went into Tununda for lunch at the CLUB restaurant and then back to another winery called Langmiel for more tasting and purchases.
The rest of the group headed out on short rides around the Barossa, some ventured to the Biggest Motor Museum which was also close by, all in all another good lay day had by all.

Day30 - Sunday 31/10/10 - Weather Overcast then clearing to a top of 19d

Leaving Port Augusta at around 6.30am we headed for Gawler taking a detour along the coast road instead of the highway then crossing to Gawler and onto Lyndoch Hill the weather had finally cleared in the afternoon.
We were all invited to lunch at Peter Cherry's place where the Goldwing club had organised a local Honda dealer to show us the latest VFR and Goldwing with a lot of accessories.
the lunch went well and then we had another auction to raise more money for the foundation, the auction went very well and one of the support crew finished up offering his time to detail a bike in the main street of Cooma this raised $800 coming from one of the trip riders.
We then went back to the rooms at the Lyndoch Hill retreat  which were very nice and the meals here were good, this is the first place we found to offer us a continental breakfast in our rooms delivered the night before so we could leave early.
The owners gave us a couple of nights accommodation and some wine to auction which went off very well with the whole group throwing in to buy it for Phil Walters, Alan and families who we all agreed did a great job organising the whole trip.
Total Klm's 12,715

Day29 - Saturday 30/10/10 - Weather, 11-17 degrees heavy rain all day

We left Ceduna at 7.00am after hoping the rain might clear for a while with no relief in sight we got into the wet weather gear again and started off for the day.
The first fuel stop was at Wudina which was the first thing I actually saw through the rain, here I had trouble giving the service station attendant the money for the fuel , I was shaking from being drenched and cold.
These conditions did not let up all day and I really did not see anything more for the rest of the trip, the couple of coffee breaks we made were welcomed and both of us agreed not to rush back onto the bikes.
When we reached Port Augusta the accommodation was reasonable and we set up all the wet clothes in front of the airconditioning units to dry, then went out and joined the veranda party the rest of the group had started, seems that even when the conditions are bad the team all have to have a drink.
This must be a tradition that most riders live by, at the end of a good or bad day the first thing required is a beer to wash the dust and dirt out of your mouth?
Total Klms 12,369 

Day28 - Friday 29/10/10 - Weather Cool clear and 18 deg

We left Border Village and headed for Nullarbor the roadhouse not a town at all this proved to be another short day and we used it to look at the head of the Great Australian Bite which was around 12 klm's off the road, during the day it was interesting to see how close the Eyre Highway comes to the sea then at other points seems to be a long way away.
We stopped and took photo's of the vegetation because most people we talked to before leaving think the Nullarbor is really inhospitable and flat with little vegetation, this is very w2rong and we even got drowned with huge rain showers that came across the hills.
We arrived into Ceduna at about 3.00pm and the accommodation was good at the Ceduna Foreshore Motel.
Total Klms 12,369

Day27 - Thursday 28/10/10 - Weather, 18-1 deg, cloudy and stormy

We left Balladonia at 7.00am and headed for the usual fuel stops which are all road houses that sell beer and all the other requirements of any truck driver.
The straight flat road continues as far as we can see and is very boring we start to look forward to a crest or a corner so we can discuss it across our bike to bike radios, this is where you really appreciate the music that we also have playing through the headsets, at least it breaks the trip up a bit.
The fuel is not badly priced here at around 161.2 a litre compared to the Northern Territory where we paid 180.5 at Barkly roadhouse, and were told if we didn't like it push the bike on to the next stop and see what they have to say.
There is an interesting point I will have to raise with some well travelled riders, this is why some roadtrains push you to the outside of the road when passing and some suck you in towards the wheels, then there are the ones that don't even make any wind what so ever???
We arrived at border village at about 2.30pm and the accommodation was unbelievably cramped, we shared the room,and when the single and double beds were set up we could not open the fridge door, like everyone we just made do with the rooms and moved on in the morning.
We ate at the roadhouse and found the meals were really good which was a bit of a surprise.
Total Klm's 11,410

Day26 – Wednesday 27/10/10 – Weather, Cloudy likely to rain 20 deg

We left Esperance after breakfast at the Motel and headed for our first stop for fuel at Salmon gums 108 klms away then continued on to Norseman and arriving at Balladonia at around 1.30pm.

At breakfast everyone had been talking about a 30 klm tourism drive around the headland at Esperance and they all told us it equalled the Great Ocean Road so we decided not to miss out and head over and have a look, the drive was very nice and showed off a lot of the smaller bays and beaches all around the headland but to us it did not come anywhere near the Great Ocean Road, still it was worth the detour.

Then we headed out of town and the rain started it was an interesting ride as we could see the rain the right and on the left but the bit we were riding on had no rain for a while then it all clouded over and the bucket sized rain drops started for about 30 klm’s and then stopped again, just enough to get us to put our wet weather gear on then bake when the sun came out again.

The lightning strikes across the fields were clear and direct and the wind that followed us all day was really a big hindrance because when you lean into it to compensate and then it suddenly disappears it means that the bike goes from one side of the road to the other really quickly. Battling this and the heat meant that again we appreciated the short day and when we arrived at Balladonia we were not surprised to see the basic accommodation.

The team went to work setting up a few bars on veranda's around the motel and when we found out the price of a six pack of beer was $25.00 each we asked about the whole carton only to be informed the carton would incur a cost of $60.00 each, we agreed it was up to the individual to get their own beer.

On the way into Balladonia I was following a truck which Steve had passed and I decided to pass it myself, when I went out to pass it the driver swerved off the road onto the verge and sent a plume of dust and rocks up which I could not see anything through so I had to pull up quickly on the wrong side of the road and wait until it cleared, this was the worst situation I have been in on this ride and hope this is the last time it will happen.

The ride has been really good and the group are all working very well together looking out for one another and generally being on good behaviour even when we are all really tired some days, it’s a good thing that we respect each other and have a bit of a laugh now and then.

Any body who rides and does anything wrong has to wear a frilly toto dress for 24 hrs, so everyone else knows he or she has done something wrong, this can be as easy as forgetting your false teeth and leaving then in the motel room then ringing one of the support vehicles to go and pick them up for you or dropping your bike and not being able to pick it up as some of the riders have done all in all it’s a lot of good fun.

We left Esperance after breakfast at the Motel and headed for our first stop for fuel at Salmon gums 108 klms away then continued on to Norseman and arriving at Balladonia at around 1.30pm.

At breakfast everyone had been talking about a 30 klm tourism drive around the headland at Esperance and they all told us it equalled the Great Ocean Road so we decided not to miss out and head over and have a look, the drive was very nice and showed off a lot of the smaller bays and beaches all around the headland but to us it did not come anywhere near the Great Ocean Road, still it was worth the detour.

Then we headed out of town and the rain started it was an interesting ride as we could see the rain the right and on the left but the bit we were riding on had no rain for a while then it all clouded over and the bucket sized rain drops started for about 30 klm’s and then stopped again, just enough to get us to put our wet weather gear on then bake when the sun came out again.

The lightning strikes across the fields were clear and direct and the wind that followed us all day was really a big hindrance because when you lean into it to compensate and then it suddenly disappears it means that the bike goes from one side of the road to the other really quickly. Battling this and the heat meant that again we appreciated the short day and when we arrived at Balladonia we were not surprised to see the basic accommodation.

The team went to work setting up a few bars on veranda's around the motel and when we found out the price of a six pack of beer was $25.00 each we asked about the whole carton only to be informed the carton would incur a cost of $60.00 each, we agreed it was up to the individual to get their own beer.

On the way into Balladonia I was following a truck which Steve had passed and I decided to pass it myself, when I went out to pass it the driver swerved off the road onto the verge and sent a plume of dust and rocks up which I could not see anything through so I had to pull up quickly on the wrong side of the road and wait until it cleared, this was the worst situation I have been in on this ride and hope this is the last of this kind of thing to happen.

The ride has been really good and the group are all working very well together looking out for one another and generally being on good behaviour when we are all really tired some days, it’s a good thing that we respect each other and have a bit of a laugh now and then.

Totral klm’s todate 10,884

Day25 - Tuesday 26/10/10 - Weather Cloudy cool starting out at 14 up to 24

Leave Albany at 7.00am and head for Jerramungup for fuel and breakfast, then onto Ravensthorpe for another stop and stretch before arriving at Esperance at 1.30pm.
The country side today went from low scrub as far as you could see to Clear fields of lush deep green hay,  the road was not especially good in patches and I was surprised at the size of the township of Esperance.
We stayed at the Comfort In Bay of Isles, the name is obviously taken from the bay opposite which is littered with islands. The predominant sight here is the port and wharf which we have been told is used to fill ship with Nickel from surrounding mines.
The township is clean, and again the lack of graffiti is standing out, whatever the Western Australian Government does to Graffiti artist it certainly works to deffer them.
We ate at the restaurant in the motel and are preparing to head for Balladonia in the morning, these short days seem to be easy and we believe from here the rest of the trip is all reasonably short days of only 500 klms each.
Total Klm's todate 10,456 

Day24 - Monday 25/10/10 - Weather, Overcast and clearing to 23 deg

Leave Margaret River at 7.00am and head for Albany first stop Pemberton for breakfast and fuel, looked at the Gloucester Tree which has spikes driven into it which are used to climb it to a platform where people used to spot bush fires.
The country side was heavily wooded with huge Karri trees, these are extremely straight and very tall and close to the road. The area is old country style and the soil has changed from red to dark brown.
We got to Albany at 1.30pm and found the Emu Point Motel and Apartments which were old but clean and neat, they were situated a long way from the city centre and there were no shops open for dinner so the group got maxi taxis to a local restaurant.
After checking in we decided to see the sights such as the Whale Station and went on the tour, then wound our way back around the bay into town.
Total Klm's 9,976

Day23 - Sunday 24/10/10 - Weather, Clear sky warm sunny 25 Deg

Lay day and Winery tour, the wines were mostly dry and not to my liking but the chocolate factory was interesting and the country side was good to see with somebody else driving, at the brewery at the end of the day we had trouble finding a beer to as the beers on offer were not to our liking.
we ate at the restaurant in the motel both nights and generally got everything ready to continue to Albany the next day.
Total Klm's 9,507

Day22 - Saturday 23/10/10 - Weather Clear Sky with Breeze 15-25 Deg

Leave Scarborough at 7.00am and head for Margaret River skirting the coast all the way South saw some stunning beachside areas with ideal lifestyles to go with it.
Beautiful homes and shopping precincts with good coffee shops with a real European feel, this theme flowed through most of the towns we went into on the way to Margaret River and left us thinking they needed further investigation with more time to spend.
Arrived at Margaret River at approx 1.30 pm and found the Australis Margaret River Accommodation, went into town and looked around, the village itself was nice and reminded us of the Hunter region years ago without the commercialisation.
Total Klm's to date 9,440

Day21 - Friday 22/10/10 - Weather, Clear sky cool and around 25 degrees

Today was a rest day and bike service day, so we have both had the tyres changed on our bikes and oil and filter change done ready for the run home.
After we picked up the bikes we went sightseeing around Perth starting at Kings Park for the view back to Perth City then Down to the coast at Fremantle for lunch and a walk around the Maritime Museum and Marina.
This gave us a chance to check the bikes and prepare for the next couple of days, we leave for Margaret River in the morning for a wine tasting tour and stop overnight.
Total Klm's 9,150

Day20 - Thursday 21/10/10 - Weather, Overcast 14 to start climbing to 18

We left Geraldton at 7.00am and headed for the first fuel stop being Dongarra, and then left the main Highway and headed for the coast running through leeman and onto Jurien Bay for good sightseeing and coastal views. At Jurien bay the turn off to the pinnacles was showing another 37 Klms each way and we did not know if the road was dirt or tar so we left for Perth and settled into the Sunmoon Resort and Observation Resort for the next couple of nights.
Dinner was not booked and we ended up in a Thai place with the rest of the group for this meal.
Total Klm's 9,090.
  

Day19 - Wednesday 20/10/10 - Weather, Clear becoming overcast

Leave Carnarvon for the first fuel Wooramel Roadhouse then onto Billabong Roadhouse where the walls were covered in pictures of many tattoos, we did not actually know the significance of the photos and did not ask, but the owner of the Roadhouse gave $200 to the Foundation.
They actually had a full size eagle in a glass enclosure, I am keen to get a photo of the ones on the road that actually stare you down as you pass, they do not fly off they watch as you have to go onto the wrong side of the road to get away from them , they are very big and we have only seen one so far but we have both agreed that when we see the next one that refuses to budge we will stop and photograph it.
Arrived at Geraldton about 12.30 and had lunch with the local Police who put on a BBQ which seems a contrast to the Police in Rockhampton and Mt Isa who went out of there way to book everyone they could.
We had a few sausages on bread and soft drinks, local TV Stations came and interviewed a few key members and while writing this we saw ourselves on the local news.
We then left for the accommodation at the African Reef Resort, we are looking for the African part and also the Resort side of things, the only wildlife so far is an insect crawling up the wall behind the TV.
All in all the day was an easy ride and most felt happy to be moving down the west coast closer to Perth.
Total Klm's 8,576

Day18 - Tuesday 19/10/10 - Weather, Clear dry and Hot.

Leave Port Headland at 5.00am after breakfast in the dining room and the temp is 16 degrees head for Roebourne Roadhouse for the first fuel stop, Steve has been road testing a new Goldwing for this distance and was uncatchable until we met at the first stop just over 200 Klm's.
Honda allocated this bike for anybody to test while on the ride most comments say great bike but not quite what they were looking for yet we have quite a few on the ride?
The next stop was Fortescue River where we got more fuel and had a good stretch, then back on the bikes and onto Nanutarra Roadhouse for the next fuel stop and lunch.
The last fuel stop for the day is Minilya Roadhouse and then into Carnarvon for the night.
The main differences here in Landscape is that in the Northern Territory they actually burn back about 30 metres off the road so you can see whats likely to jump in front of you but here we find the bush encroaching very close to the road.
I had an interesting stare down with an Emu today his mates had run off but this one in particular was happy to stay on the road and check me right out, not sure which way he was likely to run I slowed to just about walking pace to pass while he seemed intent to look at the bike up and down then front to back.
This is the biggest kilometer day on the whole trip and now completed the rest seem like normal day rides.
Total klm's 8,084

Day17 - Monday 18/10/10- Weather, Clear sky no clouds and 36 degrees

Leave Broome at 6.30am head for the first stop which is a roadside stop organised by the support crew for those that need fuel, I have decided to carry 4 litres so we don't have to wait for the support crew if we are in front of them which has happened a few times.
It's hard to believe that after so much straight road across the top of Australia we have encountered unbelievably long and straight stretches down the west coast but here the temp varies so much one minute you can feel the heat coming up under the helmet from the road the next you can smell the salt of the sea  which is close by and the temp drops, the variance's are huge.
The straights are incredible we set the throttle locks and the speed drops off because there is a slight incline in the road then when you finish that straight and top the crest there is another 20 or 30 klm's of straight road waiting for you on the other side, very boring and hard to deal with, a lot of bikes have had the rear tyres changed and the ones that haven't are waiting to get to Perth to do so, the flat spots on most rear tyres are incredible.
The most significant change in the landscape is that there are no hills or mountains in this section just huge parcels of open grazing land that goes on to the horizon on each side of the road.
We stopped at Sandfire roadhouse for breakfast and fuel, interesting breakfast, a huge home made sausage roll and a water to keep the hydration up.
Then onto Pardoo Roadhouse for another fuel stop and more water then into Port Headland for the overnight  accommodation at the Hamilton Motel which is owned and run by one of the mining companies, its easy to tell as there are mining vehicles everywhere but the accommodation is good and the rooms are fully equipped with washing machines and dryers in each, the dinner was great and the kitchen will be open for us at 4.30 in the morning which is good as we have 870 klm's to do tomorrow.
Total Klms todate 7,214 klm's

Day16 - Sunday 17/10/10 - Weather, Clear Windy about 31

Another lay day in Broome the Metropolis without the people as Steve calls it.
Going to watch the Moto Gp With Wes and a few of the others over a couple of beers
which seems to be the norm for this group, as most afternoons we meet and wash the road dust out of our throats with a couple of beers.

Day15 - Saturday - 16/10/10 - Weather Clear Dry Windy 33

Broome lay day, sight see the Port and Wharf then out to Cable Beach check tyres make a few adjustments  and shop walk around town have dinner at the Roey Pub. Easy day and recovery time.

Day14- Friday- 15/10/10 - Weather, Hot and Dry 37 Deg.

Leave Fitzroy Crossing 6.30am and avoided another mass ride which we feel are dangerous as most riders are not comfortable riding close together.
Head to Willare Bridge Roadhouse for fuel and Breakfast, interesting stop off the road as  the entrance was chopped up and wet I went carefully through it but thought it could be fun, only to see Toasty run through at full throttle making all the noise with straight through pipes and his back wheel spraying mud everywhere.
Good look and riding on a 1700 Yamaha Cruiser, not made for these conditions.
Arrive at Bromme at about 11.30 and booked in to the 2 bedroom apartment next to the beach, what a hard life after a short run.
Total Klm's 6,499 to date.

Day13 - Thursday 14/10/10 - Weather, Overcast with rain.

Left Kununurra at 6.30am and headed for Doon Doon roadhouse but we decided not to stop and went on to Turkey creek for Fuel and breakfast then Halls Creek for more fuel. I had to top right up here as the next stretch was 290 klms between Halls Creek and Fitzroy Crossing, there was a roadside stop organised but again we were in front of the support vehicle that was going to set it up, so we pushed through to Fitzroy Crossing and got 17.5 litres into a 17 litre fuel tank, basically I was running on fumes but got there.
At this point we were told about Tony who stopped to stretch and remove his wet weather gear on the side of the road, his bike fell on him breaking both bones in the lower part of his leg. When the support vehicle got to him, Jack the paramedic on board went to work putting a splint on the leg and contacting the ambulance who took him to Fitzroy Crossing then moved him onto Darwin. What we think will happen from here is he will be flown to Perth for a specialist to set the leg and he might pick us up and complete the ride in a support van, all yet to be decided. His bike and gear is on the trailer behind one of the four support vehicles.
I had a huge moment myself when venturing onto the side of the road there was enough signage to say the sides were slippery but I thought the bike wasn't heavy enough to worry, wrong the bike sunk to the rim and slipped everywhere for about 10 meters then back on the road and never to venture there again.
Accommodation at Fitzroy Crossing is good at the Fitzroy River Lodge, interesting here they don't serve full strenght beer until after 4.00pm and then after 6.00pm thongs are not suitable in the bar???
Total Klm's 6,099

Day12 - Wednesday - 13/10/10 - Weather, Rain all day.

Left Katherine at 6.30am the rain was heavy, eventually found the road out of the place, first fuel and breakfast stop was at Victoria River then onto Timber Creek where we met a couple of Road Train drivers who warned us of deep water laying across the road in the causeways between here and Kununurra.
This proved to be good information and the roadside signage was a bit concerning as it showed the depth could get to 1.5 metres, when you look around and think for the water to get to that level it would have to cover a huge amount of ground because it is so flat around this area.
There was supposed to be a roadside stop manned by the support crew but everything was good at this point so we continued into Kununurra, arriving at about 1.00pm.
We found the room and sorted the wet gear out and had lunch, when we went back to the room to we found there were motorbikes in corridors alleyways and just about anywhere you could fit a bike so long as it was out of the rain. Management seemed very tolerant to us as a group and nothing fazed them, we walked around the town and that took about 1/2 and hour then back to the pub for dinner and the usual drinks with tales of the many kilometers travelled.
Total Klm's 5,435

Day 11- Tuesday 12/10/10- Weather Clear and hot mid 30's

Left Mataranka and went on to Katherine where we met the riders interested in going to the Gorge, at  Katherine we set up a group ride along the Gorge road for the camera crew who were following us in a helicopter, we still have not seen this footage but hope it will be on the final DVD.
When we asked about a boat ride into the Gorge at the visitors centre around 10.30am we were told the next one went at 1.30pm, so we opted for a helicopter ride over the first 3 Gorges at 12.00.
David Cooke decided to come with us on the flight even though he told us he wasn't a good flyer, Steve as usual did his best to give Dave cheery thoughts about the flight, as it turned out the helicopter was not much bigger than an egg cup and the pilot was still at school I thought. All in all we survived and decided this probably was the best way to see the Gorges.
The new accommodation at Katherine that we arranged was a 2 bedroom apartment really nicely setup and maintained, because we had moved to Katherine it took about 100 klm's off the next days ride.
Total Klm's 4,891 Klm's  

Day10 - Monday 11/10/10 - Weather, Clear hot 34 degrees.

Left Tennant Creek at 5.30am because I did not set my clock to the new time zone, stopped for fuel and breakfast at Renner Springs.The outside of this stop looked like a lot of other roadhouses along the way but the inside showed it must come alive during the wet season when people get stuck at the stop. The bar was probably the most interesting I have seen in a long time and was certainly the focus point of the whole roadhouse, the rest of the decor could have come out of the 70's except for the demountable shower and toilet facilities.
Then onto Daly Waters which is just off the highway but well worth the stop as the photo's show, the service station was serving fuel which is run by the hotel and both look like the could fall down at any stage, the bar here is interesting as they have a big display of Bra's and Jock over the top of the main bar and currency from all around the world stuck to the walls, at least the drinks were cold and refreshing.
We looked at one of the WW2 air fields that are still usable if an emergency required it to be used, there are quite a few of these around this area.
Arrive into Mataranka Homestead at about 1.30pm, we had a good look at our accommodation and the bathroom facilities which was 1 shower and 1 toilet for more than 15 people, the room didn't have a window to the outside just onto the hall way and smelt the bed was just a dirty mattress on a wire frame and the aircon was non existant. We decided to look at the Territory Manner Caravan Park and Motel which a fellow had told us about at Daly Waters the day before, when we got there we asked to look at the room before taking it and was asked where we had been booked into before arriving at their door they just smiled and did not comment.
This new accommodation was excellent and the staff could not do more to help we left very happy with our stop.
Total distance travelled 4,731 Klm's

Day 9- Sunday 10/10/10 - Weather, Rain then showers clearing to very hot.

As we were leaving Mt Isa at 6.30am we turned onto the highway and stopped to adjust the radios when we heard a loud bang followed by 2 more bangs, when we looked back we saw a road train had smashed the traffic lights we had just been parked at waiting for them to change.
We stopped at Camooweal for fuel and breakfast then onto an organised road side stop where we met the support crew for a fuel top up and stretch.
The next stop is Barkly Roadhouse where we had lunch and were told the road ahead was blocked by water in some causeways, form this point on the weather had cleared and was really hot for the rest of the day.
We arrived into Tennant Creek at about 3.00pm and noticed the bottle shop had bars over the windows and doors and were served out of a hole in the bars.
The accommodation for the night at the Bluestone Motor Inn was reasonable but old at least the air conditioning worked.
Total combined Klm's 4,129

Day 8 - Saturday 9/10/10- Weather Overcast and about 26 degrees

Leave Richmond at about 8.00am after the group photo's and ride by session, this time we have had breakfast before we leave. First stop Julia Creek then onto Cloncurry and MT Isa stop for the day arriving at about 1.30pm, short easy day ready for the ride to Tennant Creek tomorrow.
During the afternoon we have been told that another 7 riders have been booked today and this is becominga problem that we will discuss tonight.
The Burke and Wills Motel is good and we are booked to have dinner and breakfast here but we all want an early start so we will have to discuss this as well.
Combined distance 3,454 Klm's

Day 7 - Friday 8/10/10- Weather Overcast but hot and still about 31 deg

Leave Townsville at 6.30 am and ride to Charters Towers arrive there at 8.30am and stop for Fuel and breakfast, ride on through Pentland and Hughenden onto Richmond at 2.00pm where we are booked to stay the night.
Order of events was a swim then to the pub for a beer with the whole group, they are very social group who seem to love a beer at the end of a hard days riding,then back to the Ammonite Inn Motel for dinner and bed.
Combined Distance 3,037 Klm's

Day 5 & 6 - Wednesday/ Thursday - 6/10/10- Weather, Sunny hot 30deg

Leave Mackay at 6.30am stop for breakfast at Bowen and lunch at Ayr then arrive at Townsville at 1.30pm.
Nice to have a two night stop and the Aquarius on the Beach was really nice my room was on the 12 floor directly overlooking the beach and supplying a nice sea breeze.
Thursday was a wash and recoup day we walked the 3 kilometers to town centre and back then got onto the bikes and went to a bike shop so I could buy a light weight coat as the one I had was far too heavy even with the lining out.
We went up to the top of Castle hill and took some photo's and had a swim basically relaxing, I did a repair job on my bike's fuel cap, it was not breathing so the bike was starving for fuel at crucial times not a good thing but easily repaired.
Combined travel distance 2479 klm's

Day 4 - Tuesday 5/10/10 - Weather, Mist to Fog then clearing to really hot

Leave Bundaberg at 6.30am ride to Miriamvale for Breakfast and then onto Rockhampton at about 10.45am stop for lunch at Marlborough and finish day at Mackay at 3.30pm.
Accommodation at the Central Tourist Park was very ordinary and the cabins were rough, Dave Cook suggested Glenn Martin and myself join him for a couple of beers at the Oemio pub as he was there about twenty years earlier and thought it was a great place, great views out to sea and nice spot.
We dined at the RSL club and drowned a few sorrows as 11 of the group got booked on the way into Marlborough.
Combined distance travelled 2,089 Klm's.

Day 3 - Monday 4/10/10 - Weather, Overcast but Mostly Dry

Official start of the ride.
Leave Tenterfield at 8.30am after having group photo's for the press releases at the Tenterfield Rail Museum.
Head onto Bundaberg through Warwick, Toowoomba & Goomeri, arriving at Bundaberg at about 4.00pm.
Stay at the Bert Hinkler Motel, good accommodation and big rooms, dinner at the motel and breakfast booked for 7.30am but we are leaving early to beat the heat so we will have breakfast on the road.
Combined distance for 1,383 Klms.

Day 2 - 3/10/10 Weather, Overcast patchy Drizzle

Leave Tamworth at 9.30am and head to Armidale for breakfast, stop of at Guyra looking for Tracey's old house which we could not even find the street let alone the house, we think that all the indicators I was given to check have changed or looked different in the rain. Moved on through Glenn Innes and stopped at Tenterfield at 2.30pm.
Book in and meet the group over dinner, many different bike and personalities but all in all they seem to be a good group, time will tell.
Combined Distance is now 762 Klm's.    

Day1- 2/10/10 Weather, Overcast Patchy Drizzle then Rain

Leave Sydney at 6.15am for Tamworth travelling through Scone at 12.00 lunch time where we were pulled over and breathalysed it appears the Police are actually getting the same bike as Steve's so they wanted to talk to him about his bike and the test was just a ploy. Then we got into Tamworth at about 2.00pm with a heap of time to spend we decided to do the Tourist thing and look at the Golden Guitar and shop.
The City Sider Motel was good and we then had dinner at the local RSL Club.
Travelled 452 Klm's.

The Count Down

Tyres Changed, Last minute adjustments done, pack and leave on Saturday morning the 2nd October 2010 at 6.00am for Tamworth overnight, then onto Tenterfield to meet up with the rest of the group on the ride.

Sponsorship for the Big Ride

A Message from John Scott & Steve Hickey


John and Steve have found something else to occupy themselves when not attending to OH&S issues.

But this time we are asking for your help to support a wonderful charity with the soul purpose of taking care of Kids with Cancer.

The Steven Walter Foundation

Steven Walter Foundation’s purpose is to organise and run events to raise money for childhood cancer research and support of children with cancer.

Steven Walter lost an 8 year fight with cancer and requested that a charity motorcycle ride www.snowyride.org.au be organised to raise funds "so that one day no other kid will have to go through what I’ve been through".

The Steven Walter Foundation’s “Answers for Kids Cancer" program. The Answers for Kids Cancer program is the first of its kind in Australia and its goals are to improve survival rates for children with cancer and reduce the side effects of treatment.

Your donation will support the rapid progress of discoveries made in the laboratory directly to benefit patients. An example of the power of doctors and scientists working together is a national clinical trial where children being treated for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, the commonest childhood cancer, are having their treatment guided by a highly sensitive genetic test for relapse risk. In less than five years this study has already led to dramatically improved survival rates for children

To Support this Great Cause

This year in early October we will be setting off for five weeks on a huge adventure. We and over 50 other motorcyclists will be riding around Australia from the 4th of October to the 5th of November - our goal; to raise money for the Steven Walter Foundation’s new "Answers for Kids Cancer" program.

Our personal distance from Sydney around Australia and back to Thredbo is calculated at approximately 14,000kms.

Our average day on the road will be between 500 to 550 kilometres, with the longest day currently scheduled as Broome to Karratha at over 800 kilometres. Steve will be riding a 2003 Yamaha FJR 1300 Sports Tourer, and John will be on a 2002 Yamaha XVS1100 cruiser, both very comfortable bikes but after 800 Kms in a day we will ache from head to toe.

Beyond personally funding our own (substantial) costs for this trip, we are each asked to raise a minimum $2,500 towards the "Answers for Kids Cancer" program. With a lead time out to October we are hoping to raise $5,000 each.

All donations above $2 are tax deductible and will go directly to the Steve Walter Foundation. No donations will go to funding our trip. That will come out of our own pockets. To donate please visit the sites below to make a credit card donation or see us to arrange a cash receipt. http://www.everydayhero.com.au/john_scott

or http://www.everydayhero.com.au/steve_hickey

Thank you for taking the time to read this message and we do hope you can donate to assist this great cause. If you would like more information ring Steve 0439 448 977 or John 0418 645 580

Also, if we could ask a big favour…that you pass this message on to as many people as you can to assist us in reaching our fundraising goal for these kids.

Once again thank you Steve and John