Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Central Australia 2009 pt 4

So from Alice we headed up the Stuart highway to the intersection of the Plenty Highway on our way back to home (via Birdsville).

Stopping at Jervois Station for fuel in the late afternoon we headed about another 100ks and stealthed camped along the side of the road just on dusk.

Off the next morning we headed to Boulia for lunch - the Plenty highway had seen some heavy rain and the some spots when deep wheel ruts that scared the absolute shit out me when I came up on them at speed. Crossing into Qld the Donahue Highway was in need of a serious grade, narrow and big gibbers sticking out of the hard ground, riding on it was energy sapping, very happy to hit Boulia for lunch and a break.

From Boulia it was on to Bedourie for fuel and off to camp on a creek not far out of town (sorry can't remember the name).  Up early the next and it off to Birdsville for a look.  Lots water saw the Eyre Creek full of birdlife.

Eyre Creek

Central Australia 2009vPt3

Well off to the Airport to collect our wives, they were going to spend 4 days with us looking being tourists around Alice.

We had some nice meals about town, went out to Stanley Chasm and Simpson's Gap.
Stanley Chasm

Central Australia 2009 pt 2

Getting up nice and early we headed of to Lyndhurst again the country changing and looking south we could the Flinders ranges in the distance.  I would love visit and do bike trip through here one day.

On our way to Lyndhurst we stop at Mount Lyndhurst Station to check out the camel yards.  As the country was opening up in the late 1800s camels were the main stay of transport and with them came Afghans to ride them.  Everywhere you go in the outback you come across stories of amazing feats of survival.  From sign at Mount Lyndhurst Station comes the following.
In 1887 Faiz Mahoment rode 280 miles from Beltana Station to Port Augustra in just 27, to obtain urgently needed medical aid for the wife of the Beltana Manager!
Thomas Elder acknowledged this impressive feat by donating the camel to the Adelaide Zoo, and financed Faiz and his brother Tagh in their own camel transportation business.
Truly amazing stuff - to think about it modern terms that is 450ks on dirt tracks - probably about an 8-9 hour trip on a dirt bike this guy did in only 27 on a camel.

From here it was on to Lyndhurst for fuel and well needed burger.  It when down a treat.

After Lyndhurst we started heading north again this time the second of our famous tracks - the Oodnadatta track.  At little way north of Lyndhurst is the ruins of the town of Farina.  From a bustling hey day this town saw its services no longer needed in the 60s and closed down.  With resigned sadness you can still see this occurring today throughout country Australia.  Today all that remains is a sheep stations and ruins of this old town.

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The Ruins of Farina Train Station

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Central Australia 2009 Pt 1

Well back from another trip this time across to Alice Springs via the Strezlecki and Oodanatta Tracks back via the Plenty Hwy, Birdsville and Windorah.  This time it would just me and my mate Tim  and we would be meeting the our wives in Alice for a 4 day stop over.

After being made redundant just before the trip a bike ride is the perfect medicine.

Not too many pics as I lost my camera something I will spew about for a long time yet.  I had over 400 pics  on it and some damn good ones at that.  So I will have to make to do with the pics that my mate Tim has taken.  They're good, just not as many as I had as such the story will be a little shorter.

Any to get started.  We left Brisbane at 5 in the morning and trailered the Bikes to Dalby, from there we would spend the first day on the black stuff to get as far west as quickly as possible.

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Leaving Dalby, Lindsay & Elyshia took us out there.