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A motorcycle trip from Perth
to a bulldust hole
on a track
somewhere in the
Northern Territory
(and return)
by
Kim Epton 

“The best laid schemes o' mice an' men Gang aft a-gley.”

 


Kim and his Tanami


As the day of departure approached we realised that the time available to finish preparation of the bikes was too short.  And although the day of departure was postponed from Thursday to Friday to Sunday there were still jobs left undone.

Nothing critical, nothing important but just tasks that would provide comfort in the knowledge that they had been completed.
 


As events transpired nothing that had been left undone had any adverse effect on the trip.  Finally, Monday was the day……..

Changeable spring skies threatened as we left Perth – an off road motorbike journey across the continent to the most northern point of the country, Cape York, and back.


George and his Tenere
 
George was on a Yamaha Tenere and I was riding a radically altered Honda Dominator – rebadged as a ‘Tanami’. 

Both bikes were single cylinder, big bore thumpers modified to carry a huge load – we intended to be self sufficient with regards to food, fuel, water, spares, camping gear and any thing else necessary for the 14,000 kilometre journey. 
 


Kim and George just before leaving suburban Perth
 
 A journey that, after bashing the bitumen from Perth to Laverton, would take in the Great Central Road to Yulara, the Simpson Desert, the Channel Country to the Gulf and then to the Cape, returning via Cairns the Atherton and Barkly Tablelands, Alice Springs and the Gunbarrel Highway.  It was a large part of the country, a big ask, a big adventure – perhaps we had ‘bitten off a bit more than we could chew’.
 

The bone chilling ride to Kalgoorlie and on to Menzies was a ‘shakeout’ – as are most first days of any big trip – motorbike or otherwise.

Familiarise oneself with the bike, re-adjust the load, race around Kalgoorlie buying forgotten, desperately-needed items, get the gear right, switch on, get with the program, get into touring mode.

 


George thawing out at Laverton
 
Preparations Out of Perth Into the Desert Schwerin Mural Crescent Kulgera to Finke Tank Repair Crash Aftermath