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A motorcycle trip from Perth “The best laid schemes o' mice an' men Gang aft a-gley.”
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| Schwerin Mural Crescent |
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Both George and I are experienced campers and we didn’t take long to get going in the mornings. I was ready first and I picked my way through the clumps of spinifex out onto the gravel road and headed east, getting a five minute break on George so my dust would dissipate. He later reminded me that the most dangerous times on our hugely unbalanced bikes were at low speed (such as getting back onto a road from a bush camp) and that I should have waited to ensure that he made it onto the road OK. I stored that verbal kick up the arse as a very valid point and a mistake that would not be repeated in the future. We rode through Giles without stopping. The Mulga Park Road intersection came up a few kilometers later. To the right was the original Gunbarrel Highway. |
| Our route was to the left – a sandy stretch lined with desert oaks. If it wasn’t for the bark of the bike and the sound insulating qualities of the helmet I’m sure I could hear the sibilant sound of the desert wind whispering through Casuarina decaisneana. | |
| At Docker River George was unsure if I had gone into get fuel or continued on. He rode into the Community to enquire. Meanwhile, I had continued past the turn off, intending to stop at Lasseter’s Cave, further ahead. Since the Schwerin Mural Crescent we had been travelling with two 4WDs, passing and re-passing them. Rounding a bend just past Docker River one of these vehicles had unaccountably parked next to a bog hole that straddled the entire width of the track! | | ||||||||
| A metre wide strip of relatively smooth dirt immediately next to the 4WD was the only way through. Fortunately the driver didn’t open his door as I zipped past at 90kmh, brushing his outside rear view mirror. There then occurred one of those co-incidences that happen often enough to make one wonder about their rarity. We met three Israelis travelling from Adelaide to Perth with the intention of riding the Gunbarrel Highway. Two of them were riding ………. a Dominator and a Tenere. They cast an envious eye over our purpose-modified bikes as they compared them to their mounts that they had to keep in basically stock standard condition so they could more readily sell them when they arrived in Perth. After a short period of chat best wishes were exchanged and the Tenere and Dominator departed in the opposite direction to the Tenere and Dominator. | |||||||||
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| Red sandhills are one of the most common sights of Central Australia but a sight that is nearly as common, particularly around The Rock, is that of tour coaches, closely followed by Britz, NQ and Maui campers. We pulled up on the concourse of the Yulara Shopping Centre and George headed to the bar for that cold beer he had promised himself. Dressed in brightly coloured nylons and motorcross boots we stood out from the crowd. Sitting in the plaza under the shadecloth we were the centre of attention for many of the tourists.
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