Phillip Island

May 7th

The home of the Australian round of the MotoGP and the World Superbikes that is also hosted here too.The Grand Prix has been back at the Island since 1998 when it came "home" after being held at Eastern Creek near Sydney, which I visited last week. I've been here twice before to watch the races, Valentino Rossi winning both times, I actually got to hold and have my photo taken with Rossi's winning trophy in 2003, as I was waiting in Melbourne airport to return home to New Zealand, I spotted Vale's ontourage with the trophy and asked to see it!

Today Phillip Island was empty, no sound of the thundering 800cc MotoGP bikes hammering down the Gardner Straight at over 320kph, or the wizzing 2 stroke 125's and 250's. The visitors centre and museum was open,I had just missed the 11am tour, so after grabbing some lunch and gettin some washing done back at Amaroo Park, I went back the 8kms to the track to catch the 2pm tour. There was only me and one other guy, who was more interested in the V8 Supercars that race here in the Aussie championships. We were led by a very nice young lass, who obviously had done her homework on the history and the general goings on around the place, she even said she had met Rossi on more than one occasion!

We were led from the vistors centre out to the main media centres above the pits where it all happens on race day. One room was where there were heaps of monitors that scan every part of the track, the cameras pointed around the track can be operated here by a game type joystick and can zoom in, scan up, down, left & right to check on any incidents that may happen, its also where all the race officials are gathered. I saw the media and corporate rooms where the TV companies do the commentary, basically all the places that you cant get to see normally and real good view over the pits and up and down the start/finish straight.

The best place was where all my hero's get to stand, the podium! It was still decked out in the sponsor logos from the World Superbike weekend that was held in March, obviously I had my photo taken on the top step! :)Hopefully I will be back here in October to watch the MotoGP, when all this will be buzzing with 95,000 race fans, its just a great weekend, but this was something a little different and still very enjoyable.Back to Amaroo Park, out for a burger and chips and a walk around the town, which again, comes to live during race weekends, its streets are deserted tonight!The Great Ocean Road beckons tomorrow, though the weather doesn't look too flash, but like Billy Connelly says, "there's no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothes, buy a raincoat and live a bit!"

Cann River to Phillip Island

May 6th

It was a cold start to the day, fire still smouldering, I think that bugger could have gone for a week! Said my goodbyes to Mark and Ben and headed west.I'm remembering mum today especially, as its a year since she passed on, I like to think she's still lookin out for me.

Today was really a head down blast to 'The Island' Lakes Entrance is a pretty place and did stop there for a little while, it seemed to have a "settlers" feel to it, judging by lots of historical statues.I was soon into the Gippsland district of Victoria, lots of forests here, lots of Kangaroo and Wombat signs too, Mark at camp said he hit a Wombat once on his Harley, he rode it home, in a fashion, but just to say that you really dont want to hit one of these things, they are solid! But the countryside was real nice. I stopped for a really great homemade burger in Yarram, no Maccas crap here! :)

Heading out towards Wonthaggi the wind was really getting up, especially as I was nearer the coast and its getting a lot cooler, the jacket liner and winter gloves have been put on today too, so thats an indication, I even bought a neck warmer at a bike shop earlier, a guy outside noticed the sticker on the screen of the bike "The Rock FM" a great Kiwi rock radio staion, he said he'd just come back from wellington NZ and said it was warmer there!I was in San Remo before I knew it, the gateway to Phillip Island and then the bride was in sight, time for a photo.

And onto the Island, this is hallowed turf! the great Grand Prix circuit lives here, I've been here twice before to watch the MotoGP, so it was pretty familiar, not only that, but I checkced in to the same place I stayed, Amaroo Park, though a bt cheaper this time around as they do special MotoGP weekend packages here. This time it was $30 per night in a four shared dorm with breakfast, sorted. Two other guys sharing the room, one from Scotland, working here for 2 years and an expat Kiwi livin in melbourne. I went for chinese take out tonight, not much to write about really, so I wont. I'll go to the track tomorrow.

Batemans Bay to Cann River

May 5th

Leaving early this morning I took the more scenic coastal road, the south NSW coast is really beautiful, its a shame its getting so cool now but still very sunny. I'd looked on the map and decided that I would have an easy day and not ride too far, a place called Eden seemed a good place to stop only about 200k's down the road.I took a couple of detours onto the coast roads as the sights were so nice, stopped for a Macs chicken Caesar salad again for lunch in a town I fail to remember, but it was nothing significant.

I stopped in Merimbula for some fuel and to take a few pics of the shore. Reaching Eden and no sign of a backpackers I rode around the town for a bit but decided I didn't like the feel of the place, there was just something about it that didn't feel right, so I didn't stay, but it was only just after lunch, so I had time to find somewhere else. Crossing the border into Victoria a few K's later and it instantly felt a lot cooler, in fact I was starting to get cold! Queensland seems a very long time ago now. There was a lot of lingering smoke in the forests too, not sure if it was a few fires still smouldering or new ones, intended or not, but you could see the charred edge of the forests in some places and this is not where the real bad ones were.

It was getting time for a rest stop so I arrived in a one horse town called Cann River, just as I came out of the store, two other guys on bikes pulled up, one on a lovely GSX-R1100 and the other on a much newer GS500. They were pretty social towards me, which I have to say is a relief. I don't want to start on about the motorcyclists waving/nodding to other motorcyclists thing, but I must say that I have noticed a serious lack of it here, like they really don't give a shit that you are on a bike too, not that I guess it really matters, but it is nice to recognise those with a similar interest and after all, I think there should be a certain degree of commraderie between us, especially here as I think they need it with proposed government restrictions and legislation on this and that, so I think it is actually important that we as motorcyclists acknowledge each other. I'll continue to wave or nod atpassing bikers, whatever they ride. Who did I borrow this soapbox off? :)I asked the two guys if they were staying near here, they said there was a campsite just up the road that was free! that'll do me and I was ready to stop anyway. We all pulled into the camp just off the road, its a public campsite and you may have to pay if one of the rangers calls by, but its only about 5 bucks if he does.It was real nice to have some company especially camping, Mark and Ben were on a three week roadtrip from Ulladulla NSW to Coober Peedy in South Australia, the opal mining town, where they live underground, goin there just out of interest and somewhere to ride and why not! With tents pitched we started to build a fire, the fire restrictions had been lifted in this area, so it was safe to do so and what a fire it was! not out of control but a real good hot one. It was that good that it took the interests of a nosey possum who walked by to inspect!

The two guys cooked their dinner on it, while I used the trusty stove,their sausages looked bloody nice though, more appetising than my packet Carbonara. We had a real good laugh around the fire talking and jokin and generally shootin the breeze, while keeping the fire stoked up with some pretty hefty logs, but thats how it got the real heat going, just as well, the temperature had really dropped and had got foggy. It was a cold nights sleep and on the solid ground again, but well worth it and it was free :) thanks to Mark and Ben for that one, cheers lads, ride safe!

Manly to Batemans Bay

May 4th

Manly was actually a real nice place, lots goin on, well plenty of bars and places to eat, another surfers lair. But as I said the backpackers was pretty grotty and they charged me $10 to park the bike in their garage!So on I go, heading towards Sydney city. It actually took me a wee while to find my way out of Manly, for some reason I just couldn't get out, wrong turns, dead ends until I eventually did a very un-man-like thing, I asked a bloke for directions :) I got out! followed signs for Sydney, heaps of traffic everywhere comin from every angle until I hit the main motorway and before I knew it, I was riding over the harbour bridge, its quite a sight I must say and an image that will stay with me for a very long time.

Glancing over to my left at the opera house and the harbour, then the road sweeps left and real close to the opera house, I wish I could have stopped and took a photo, but you all know what it looks like and I didn't fancy losin my way around Sydney for the sake of a dodgy snap! I've been to Sydney before and seen it all up close and took pics, it was a great feeling though and continued out through the city on the motorway.

Out on the south east side the traffic had calmed and I was on the road to Wollongong and pulled over at a bike shop as the oil needed a bit of a top up. I think these KLR's have a tendency to burn a bit of oil at least I hope its not anything more sinister, though it does have a tiny oil seep from one of the engine cases that I should have attended to. Demitri at Scotts Motorcycles (who had some very nice Yamaha SR500 specials on display, topped the oil up will enough to put it on the upper level, a quick chat with him and off again.It was basically a blast down the main highway to Batemans Bay. I wasn't sure it it was a bit far for the day's travel, but I got to Batemans in plenty of time and settled on a campsite again, with no undermat, I must get one :) I met a French guy who was cycling from Sydney to Melbourne who was also checking in to camp, what ever posesses someone to do that? I just dont get it, doesn't seem like much fun to me. I think I should be across the Victoria border tomorrow.

Paramatta to Manly

May 3rd

Eastern Creek used to be the venue for the Moto GP and for those that remember when Alex Criville took out the Aussie Mick Doohan on the top of the hill in 1997? I think. Of course Philip Island in Victoria is now used instead. The 'Creek is just down the road from Paramatta, so I got up and rode out there, just to see it, not go in, there was a car racing event going, I watched from outside where you could actually see a lot of the track, for about half an hour, then decided to navigate my way to Bill and Amanda's for lunch. It was bit early to be heading there, but my track record is not too good, so to be early was a bonus. When I got to Glenhaven I called Bill to get more directions to his house, he was driving at the time and was only two mins from where I was so he met me and led me in.It was great to see Bill, Amanda and Charlotte their daughter again, first time in twelve years. They were having lots of friend around to say thanks for all their support over the past few months, as tragically they lost their son Stuart in February. He joined the British army in the Rifles regiment only a few months earlier, he was posted to serve in Afghanistan and was killed whilst on operations. We toasted a tribute to Stuart and to the friends in support, life is so precious.

I had a wonderful lunch and drinks, thank you so much Bill and Amanda.I'd thought of riding to Katoomba in the Blue Mountains as I knew there was a backpackers there and really wanted to avoid central Sydney to find one.

Katoomba was too far and Manly on the north east side of Sydney seemed a better option. I again managed to navigate my way through the Sydnet maze and came to Manly, a very cool place and a great surf beach too. Found the backpackers and it was still light! though this particular backpackers is a bit grotty, the bathroom is miles away, but I do have the room to myself and free internet! so all is not lost. Now, where to tomorrow?

Forster to Paramatta

May 2nd

I didn't start out too early today, by the time I'd got my arse outta bed, packed up, cuppa tea etc, etc, it was about nineish. I hit the road that would take me through the "lakes" road that had been recommended to me by Ben in Coffs Harbour, not a bad road, but not as good as he'd made out, I'd been on better in the past few days, but he was very new to motorcycling and I'm sure he'll discover some gems of his own. Heading on the main coastal highway towards Newcastle I, yep, you know whats coming! DETOUR! of course, whats the point otherwise? I may as well have bought a car. I was actually thinkin about a cheap campervan the other day, you know, accommodation included! but then there is the fuel economy too and I have worked out that the KLR is doing 61mpg! thats 21.74kms per litre! I have a fuel calculator on my laptop and I had done exactly 300kms when I fuelled up with 13.8 litres. Not bad fuel economy eh! and anyway, this is a bike trip, its the point of it really, so no, I'm not getting a campervan! Where was I? oh yeah, detour. East towards Maitland and then onto Singleton to ride down the "Putty Road" as recommended by Bill in Sydney. Bill is an old friend of my sister and someone who I visited when I was here in 1997, May in fact! I was invited to call by and see Bill and Amanda who lived in Glenhaven, a north west Sydney suburb and have some lunch with them, a very lind offer, so I was heading somewhere near to them where I could find some reasonable accommodation.

Singleton is basically the start of the 170km Putty Road, so a great stop for lunch, a pub lunch too, chicken caesar salad for under 10 bucks, very nice too. The Putty is favoured by two wheelers around here and judging by the road signs about motorcycle safety, it was definately a thrashing ground. Very narrow and twisty at the top and I managed to get stuck behind a truck for about 10k's, with a guy on a Triumph Speedmaster joining be in my mirrors. An overtaking lane sorted the truck out and by now the road had started to open out a bit, not quite as tight, more sweeping bends, with a few tighter ones thrown in. I've really not taken to giving the KLR too much of a peg to peg work out, its not really the kind of bike I'm used to doing that with, I have a lot of heavy luggage on the back and the tyres dont give me a whole heap of confidence to lean her over too far, plus, on these roads, if you go down, it could be very messy!But, I did start to get into it a bit, not goin mad, but shall we say makin good progress. My sportsbike riding buddies back in NZ would have been salivating and would not have seen them for dust and knee sparks! But I did start losing the guy on the Triumph everytime a corner came up, he caught me back on the straights, I only go 100kph max on the KLR.

I pulled over at the halfway truck stop at the top of the road for a drink and a smoke, Mr Triumph went past and carried on.I arrived in Windsor at the end of the magnificent Putty Road, a real nice town which remminded me of England a bit, well it was called Windsor, a bit like a Kent village I've been to, lots of bikes too, some would have been on the Putty, which reminds me, I saw more bikes than cars on that entire 170km stretch of road, brilliant!Bill had called with a recommendation of a Hostel just up the road on the edge of the Blue Mountains, he found it on the internet and was a great setting in the forest and the hills, I called him back to get directions and set off, only about a twenty minute ride. It was about 20 mins away and in a great location, but was closed! and actually looked closed down! Turn around and go back, now it was getting dark, again, when will I bloody learn!

I headed for Paramatta and to cut a long story short, I spent about an hour riding around Paramatta with increasing saturday night traffic and getting in the wrong lanes, getting lost, not knowing where the hell I was, very tired and by now very agitated, so I stopped at the first and only motel I could find, In a city! another accom budget blown! I arrived not in the best of moods, very angry with myself for letting it happen, yet again! Nice room though, with luxuries like a TV and tea/coffee :)

Coffs Harbour to Forster

1st May
I'm getting a little ambitious with my destinations of late and arriving as its getting dark, then struggling to find some cheap accomodation. I'd initially set out today after consulting the atlas, to a place called Nelson Bay, thinking that sounds a nice place, I'll go there, even for nostalgia sake. Ben from the backpackers also told me that it was in fact, a very nice place too. So, I set off again, not heading south, but inland again to what looked a great route through the mountains.

I'll step back a bit to say that the weather was a little overcast and not as warm today when I set out, so thought it might be wise to get on the coastal highway and get my head down and ride. Ten minutes on the freeway and I'd had enough, I needed somewhere interesting to ride, not just a white line drag strip.Turning off the first available exit took me to where I'd initially intended to ride, out towards Dorrigo, Armidale and through the New England National Park. Climbing up through the Waterfall Way road was very windy and steep but also very interesting. I said earlier, it was not as warm today and climbing as steep as this, it was getting colder & colder until I reached the summit of Dorrigo at around 800m. Now that doesn't sound very high really, but high enough for me to change to my winter gloves & it had started raining, but only slightly.

Carrying on through to Armidale took me right across the ridge of the ranges, the rain never came to much but it was still bloody cold and I started finally decending to warmer climates, so I thought. Heading now south over the great Dividing Range down to Walcha and onto the Thunderbolts Highway towards Gloucester. Yes, Gloucester, I had to go through there didn't I! This was back to a more reasonable elevation and had now warmed up, back on with the summer gloves :)Before getting to Nelson Bay, Ben told me a another great road through the Lakes out towards Forster, so I headed that way, it was getting late in the afternoon now, probably around fourish, then I saw a sign that said Nelson Bay 170km! holy shit! that was too far, I'd already travelled about 450k's and this was too far, too late, I was very tired and needed to stop soon. So thats why I ended up in Forster and not Nelson Bay.

Forster was a strange kinda place, a few highish rise appartment/hotel blocks, nice beach and a very sort of seaside, tourist town, but in between them there were a few "closed" or derelict buildings, almost kind of a ghost town, certainly not as vibrant as it once possobly was, or was it just because it was out of season? The backpackers was a victim of this too, closed down, another motel and another weeks budget blown!, well 2 days anyway, it was pretty cheap, but I'm gonna have to start making my destinations a little more achievable, especially if I'm detouring all the time.

Byron Bay to Coffs Harbour

30th April

Welcome to Australia - sorry this place is currently under construction! there is an unbelievable amount of roadworks, even on the roads you'd not expect to find them, sometimes its hard to see any road "works" just the road cones and barriers, maybe the odd mount of soil here and there. I guess with the Aussie tax year coming to a close, they need to spend the money quick, or the councils will be fighting to get their levvy next time. Its a bit stop - start, especially when the sun's beating down and the fan keeps cutting in and out on the bike, you just need to get going and keep going sometimes.

Anyway a good time in Byron Bay, I do have a soft spot for that place now, but on I go and no real destination today except to make some progress down the coast towards Sydney.Coff's Harbour seemed a good stop, so its across country a bit, inland towards Casino, no, its not like Vegas, at all! Just a country town, but would take me away from the mundane main highway. I could have kicked myself really, I wanted to visit Nimbin, famous for its, well shall we say relaxed atmosphere. Apparently this place held the Aquarius festival in 1973 and some of the revelers never left and kept the new age festival feel going to this day and you know what kind of festival that would have been in '73! I had the day to myself yesterday and never thought about going there, but I really didn't have time today and needed to keep going south, bugger!It was a good road from Casino down to Grafton though, nothing spectacular, then out onto the main coastal highway. I did go through a town called Woolgoolga and came across this magnificent Sihk temple on the outskirts, seemed quite out of place really.

Just a few K's down the road into Coffs and found the backpackers, a good one too called the Ausitell (I think) where they run scuba diving courses (PADI) for the guests.I met another guy on an old Kawasaki GT550, Ben from just down the road in Newcastle (NSW not Teeside) a seventeen year old on his way to Brisbane to a convention for tall people! he was 6'10" and still growing! maybe we should have swapped bikes? :)

Kingscliff to Byron Bay

28th April

I know what some may be thinking and you'd be right, its only a stone throw away, under an hours ride to Byron, but I'd intended to meet up with John, my boss at Thunderbike, as he was going to be staying there for a few days and we'd agreed to catch up. Consulting the bike atlas gave a great ride through the Gold Coast Hinterland, that would loop me right back to Kingscliff and on down to Byron, what a ride!

Heading about 20k's west to Murwillumbah, then swiching onto highway 97 taking me back over the state border into Queensland, a fairly steep climb too to reach the border, stopping for coffee and cake on the way at the Chillingham store. Apparently its called the Hinze Raceway after the minister of main roads had it built and drove it frequently, I can see why, through really beautiful rugged scenery the road starts to open out from the initial tight and narrow NSW side, some of these corners were just built for sportsbikes and I have to admit that I wish I was on one through here. Great riding surface, well sign posted corners (which again dictate that its a motorcyclist accident spot) and some of the 180 degree (which there must have been 20 or more!) loops were amazing and just begging for some kneedown action!Like I said, it would eventually bring me back out in the heart of the Goldcoast, following my tracks again through Southport & "Surfers" I stopped again for a few more photos.

Traffic was slow and out on the Pacific highway it was hot too, miles and miles of traffic pouring slowly through the seive of traffic lights, endless bloody traffic lights! until it all starts to thin out further down the coast, off the main highway, back into NSW and to my starting point this morning, Kingscliff, except this time I keep going. Its only a short hop to Byron, but this place is so much more natural and inviting than Surfers was, much more my scene. I'd describe this place as a wee bit like a smaller version of Queenstown in NZ, with surfboards! Lots of travelers here, lots of accents, sand, sea, surf and all that goes with it, I expected this place to erupt at night, but it was surprisingly calm, even the Aquarius backpackers where I stayed was relativley quiet to what I'd expected, I guess its getting a little late in the year and its definately getting cooler further south! My dorm was shared with a couple of lads from Manchester, two from Sweden, both of whom spoke amazingly good English and Lorenzo from Italy, a good bunch of guys too.
Out in the evening for a great Thai meal and a bottle of red with John, that with the beers I'd sunk at the backpackers made my steps slightly sideways on the walk back :)I hung around Byron for another day, didn't really do much, watched the surfing on the beach for a while, but I could have gone out to Nimbin, the hippy place only about an hour away, I never thought about it until later, when it was too late! as I was off to Coffs Harbour the next day and really wouldn't have time to detour to see it, I'm a bit gutted, cos apparently its a must see on your travels, I guess I cant see it all! But all that said, Byron Bay is definately the nicest place I've visited so far. Looking at the map shows I've really not gone very far yet, about 3000K's altogether so far, be time to change the oil soon!

Basecamp to Kingscliff

27th April

Its the second leg of the journey, the real one now, no turning back. With some adjustments done to the bike, like refitting the airbox snorkel! Not the brightest tool in the box when it comes to the actual mechanics of motorcycling, I read that it may run better with it out, getting more air to the carb, but, when I actually thought abot it, it seemed logical to me that the bike would run a lot leaner, therefore run hotter, no wonder the exhaust was melting everything, including me!Its running a lot better now, though I still don't have that elusive 16 tooth front sprocket yet, Caboolture m/cycles were supposed to txt or call me when it arrived, they haven't done so, bloody bike dealers, never get back to you when they say they will!

Anyhow, I digress, travelling a wee bit north to join the D'Aguilar highway as it seemed to look an interesting ride on the map, took me a few k's north west to D'Aguilar before hookin a left and droppin south and over mount Wee, an obvious bikers road, judgin from the amount I saw and the motorcyclist warning signs of accident black spots. All the while I'm edgin my way towards Brisbane city, a few glimpses of the skyline in the distance confirmed I was heading in the right direction...for once, even though it was a few photo opportunities missed.

Brushin the outskirts of the city was a bit of a lottery to the direction I needed to go, signs for my route were few and far between, so it was more guesswork really, but I got through it and headed to the Ipswich motorway so that I could cut back and join the Logan motorway to get on the Lindesay highway to continue heading south avoiding the main highway and to make things a little more interesting.Beaudesert was the lunch stop, even if it was a burger :) then to cut back across east towards the Goldcoast via some great twisty roads and over the Darlington Ranges, finally emerging at Nerang.

Next was Southport on the north side of the Goldcoast, I could see the highrise skyline of the coast for a few miles away, as it got nearer I was really shocked by how big it was, South Port and all the way through Surfers Paradise is a mass of highrise hotels and business centres, a little like the beach front in LA, kind of :) golden beaches, palm trees with the highrise backdrop, surfers, skater boys and golden tanned beach babes, handbag pooches, fitness freaks and a fatman :) (I dont mean me either!)very interesting but very plastic, if you see what I mean, not really my scene, so I carried on down the coast.

Light was again my enemy, riding through less privellidged towns, well they actually appealed more to me, more real, but limited accomodation, even the campsites were booked out. My only real option was a motel about 10k's over the New South Wales border in Kingscliff, funny how suddenly all the the vehicle licence plates have NSW on them, it wasn't expensive by motel standards, it was in the budget chain, but lets say that I had to blow the next three night accommodation budget to stay there, but I did get my own room :)