Homeward bound - We're being drawn to Mount Magnet.
8/8/16
I wasn't looking forward to today's ride. Firstly it meant our trip was coming to an end, and secondly, there was lots of this...
Straight line fever.
All sorts of things drift in and out of my mind when I'm riding roads like this. This morning I was thinking about the Dingo warning sign in Exmouth, and how I wished I'd gone down the path to see if I could find any dingoes. Guess what happened? On the side of the road, running toward me, was a bloody Dingo! I couldn't believe it. I've only ever seen one in the wild once before, and that was up near Uluru in central Australia. I pulled the bike up and whipped out my camera, but he'd disappeared into the bush before I could shoot him. Damn! I must replace my little camera I carry around my neck before the next trip.
230 kilometers down the road we stopped for Andrew to top up his fuel, and had a cuppa at Kumarina Roadhouse. Kumarina is under new ownership and Andrew explained that the place was a whole lot cleaner than it used to be, and they've installed new petrol pumps as well. Bonus!
If you look very carefully, just above the blue drum on the left, you'll see Sammy the Corella. We had a bit of a chat, and he enjoyed a good scratch.
Back to the task at hand, covering some distance. A little way down the road we came across these idiots.
Obviously the guy in the second truck was trying to save some fuel by slip streaming his mate in front. The problem here is that a road train can be 50 meters long. Put two together, with a small gap between, and you have over 100 meters of truck to overtake. It wasn't a problem for us on the bikes, but in a car it's a real issue. We wonder why there are accidents on country roads. This guy was a wanker!
We stopped for more fuel in Meekatharra, and scoffed down a pie as well. We were making good time so while we were there we discussed pushing on further and maybe spending the night at Payne's Find, another 350 kilometers away. That would give us about 770 kilometers for the day. We'll see how we go.
Another wake up stop was required further down the road so we pulled over and stretched our legs.
I am constantly amazed by the huge amount of rubbish on the sides of the road in Australia. Our roads are like a rubbish tip. The words of some New Zealand travelers from our second day on the road were ringing in my ears. "Did you notice all the rubbish on the side of the road. It's disgusting".
Why people?
Early in the afternoon we rolled through Cue, which is quite a pretty little town full of historic old buildings, but not a planned stop for the home bound express. Hmm, where did those clouds come from?
A lot of these small, remote towns are struggling as people move to other areas to find work. There are quite a few ghost towns in these parts.
More of the same road...
We just beat the rain into Mount Magnet, our planned stop for the night. Payne's Find was now not an option, it was getting late, wet, and that little bit too far to ride safely before dusk. We decided to book a room at the roadhouse. How much? See ya.
The Commercial Club Hotel was our next place to look for a room, but it doesn't open until 5 pm. What's going on? Then I looked across the road and saw this...
Our room was pretty basic, but clean and dry, so it filled the bill nicely. Time to head to the bar. It was busy and we were looked after by Daisy (Yes, that is her real name) from Estonia. She's a fellow motorcyclist and rides a Kawasaki at home. Thanks Daisy.
We went across the road for dinner and checked out the rooms at the Commercial Club. They were a little better, but not enough to be concerned about. The food was good though.
We're on the home straight now. An early start tomorrow should have us home sipping coffee by mid afternoon.
Where the hell is Kumarina?
Back to the task at hand, covering some distance. A little way down the road we came across these idiots.
Two road trains tailgating.
Obviously the guy in the second truck was trying to save some fuel by slip streaming his mate in front. The problem here is that a road train can be 50 meters long. Put two together, with a small gap between, and you have over 100 meters of truck to overtake. It wasn't a problem for us on the bikes, but in a car it's a real issue. We wonder why there are accidents on country roads. This guy was a wanker!
We stopped for more fuel in Meekatharra, and scoffed down a pie as well. We were making good time so while we were there we discussed pushing on further and maybe spending the night at Payne's Find, another 350 kilometers away. That would give us about 770 kilometers for the day. We'll see how we go.
Another wake up stop was required further down the road so we pulled over and stretched our legs.
The Guzzi at rest.
She didn't miss a beat all trip.
Check out the rubbish.
I am constantly amazed by the huge amount of rubbish on the sides of the road in Australia. Our roads are like a rubbish tip. The words of some New Zealand travelers from our second day on the road were ringing in my ears. "Did you notice all the rubbish on the side of the road. It's disgusting".
Why people?
Early in the afternoon we rolled through Cue, which is quite a pretty little town full of historic old buildings, but not a planned stop for the home bound express. Hmm, where did those clouds come from?
A lot of these small, remote towns are struggling as people move to other areas to find work. There are quite a few ghost towns in these parts.
Just checking in with my parole officer.
I reckon you could negotiate cheap rent if you wanted to start a business in Cue.
The Murchison Hotel.
I wonder how many beers have been across the front bar in this pub?
Yes, I know, another bloody bird shot, but when you're riding 600 plus km in a straight line, ANYTHING is interesting.
More of the same road...
...but with a rainbow, and more cloud.
The Commercial Club Hotel was our next place to look for a room, but it doesn't open until 5 pm. What's going on? Then I looked across the road and saw this...
Our luxury accommodation for the night.
The Grand Hotel Motel.
Rooms from $105 per night.
Nothing but the best upmarket hotels for us.
Our room was pretty basic, but clean and dry, so it filled the bill nicely. Time to head to the bar. It was busy and we were looked after by Daisy (Yes, that is her real name) from Estonia. She's a fellow motorcyclist and rides a Kawasaki at home. Thanks Daisy.
We went across the road for dinner and checked out the rooms at the Commercial Club. They were a little better, but not enough to be concerned about. The food was good though.
We're on the home straight now. An early start tomorrow should have us home sipping coffee by mid afternoon.
Only another 600 k to go.
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