The Wild Geese

Murrays Northern Trip
This is Murray's road-trip report sent in whilst travelling. This is The Story So Far, with more to come.

Brisbane to Cooktown

5 bikes: 3x 1200, 1x 1000, 1x 650

Left Brisbane. 9am 2/7/07. Now at Cooktown after two weeks via Roma, Carnarvon NP, Springsure, Tambo, Blackall, Barcaldine, Longreach, Winton, Hughenden, Charters Towers, Townsville, Atherton, Cairns, Cape Tribulation, Bloomfield.

At the beginning of the trip, cold nights and didn’t see a cloud for eight days. Camping each night, however a couple have opted for the occasional pub or motel. The book “Camps f” is a godsend for cheap camping.

Unfortunately, one of the group came down three times on sandy patches of development road near Tambo. The X-ray confirmed a stable ankle fracture. 1200 and rider back to the Gold Coast with RACQ Ultra. Woolscour tour at Blackall was a winner and also free camping behind the pub in Winton.

Characters everywhere. Travelled from Hughenden to Charters Towers with a pom on a 650 Suzuki with 80kg gear. Been on the road for six years, only worked fifteen months. Travels on $15 day including fuel. He has done the Americas to Cape Horn area. After Australia, Timor into Asia then China & Russia.

Another of our party returned to Brisbane from Cairns. 1200 Adventure and overloaded. Didn’t like any dirt and not the camping type. Getting the flu made the decision easier.

Of the three left, Ian from the Gold Coast left Cooktown this morning on 1200 for a speed run to top. Noel and I will visit the museum, check out historical cemetery then head into Lakefield toward Laura.

Disappointed with R100GS stalling then running on one in two creek crossings. As I tried to get out my new Michelin Sirac dug itself a hole in the round creek pebbles. I got off and it stood there by itself. With 40kg of gear I needed help to get to the other bank.

Don’t know how far up the Cape we’ll go, but I can see the value in light bikes with a backup vehicle.

Next is over to Karumba via Undarra and Normanton, then Burketown and Lawn Hill Gorge NP. 3,500km to date. Haven’t worn a watch for two weeks. Caught whiting on plastic worm near Townsville.

~ Murray

Cooktown to Mataranka

Total klm so far is 6,500 which includes 1,200 dirt, which includes 3,000,000 corrugations.

Three bikes left Cooktown. Ian on 1200 GS planned to go to top of Cape, but we later learned from the Laura store that a lone 1200 rider decided to save his bike and body and returned to Gold Coast. The 650 and I camped at old Laura homestead for the night and then started our trip via Undarra lava tubes across to Karumba. Haven’t been through these gulf towns since 1975. The Savannah Way concept has attracted the tourists and the towns are clean, tidy and green. Did great historic walk around Croydon, and passed the “Gulflander” railmotoring to Normanton. Normanton now has 1500 pop. as opposed to 1000, 30 years ago. These days, all bitumen from the Tablelands to Karumba.

Karumba is grey nomad central with fishing high on the agenda. Very few bikes but we are on minor roads. Met a guy on a 600 road twin who had arrived from Melbourne via Willcannia and Nocundra, Lawn Hill. That’s adventurous on a street bike. Our big dirt stretch started at Normanton and took us to Borrooloola in N.T. Lawn Hill N.P. beautiful, Domadgee sad. A couple of 400K distances without fuel, but the R100 GSPD thrives. Passed a couple of young American push bike riders! They do 100k a day.

So far the bike is perfect. Two new Michelin Sirac tyres in Cairns, 15-16klm /litre, fuel $1.60 to $1.80 ltr. with gear I just manage to get bike onto centre stand.

At Daly Waters, met a group of fourteen mixed Ulysses riders from Sydney. They were doing three week motel ride to Darwin. They showed little interest in two dirty BMW travellers, as they seemed to be more interested in gear, pubs, intercoms, ipods and how long to Tennant Creek at 180kph. (The 180 kph I overheard from two girls with attitude on rice rockets). Seriously, had a good chat with a guy on a “Lead Wing”.

My mate Noel has lost interest in dirt so it looks like Tanami and Gibb River Road is off the itinerary. After Kakadu, Litchfield & Darwin we’ll see which way the wind is blowing, but the trip will be shortened.

~ Muz Goose

And sadly it was too. Muz's GSPD100 came to grief with a belly fully of bits off the gear box or shaft and is coming home on a truck. Still, the adventure was just that and no doubt Muz will be at it again before too long. At least there is always Any Sunday to pass the time.

Category Rides ~ Category Dirt Rides ~ Category Long Distance