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

This Building was station house for a large station (sorry I don't the details).  You can find a number of these buildings that date back to the late 1800's in this area.  It must have been very isolated.

Form there we hit Birdsville for fuel and then out to the desert, for a look see.

Halfway up Big Red.

But Tim Made it up

We rode around the end of the dunes, but it was hard work on loaded up 950 so we decided to call it quits and head back to Birdsville, but not before I unloaded the luggage we for a bit of fang.  Great fun and crossing the desert is still of my to do list.

Heading back to Birdsville the big girl got all crossed and I went down, smashing off my screen and puncturing a pannier.

The ride back to Birdsville was unpleasant with no screen and I now had the shits and was ready for the trip to be over.  Pulling up at the Birdsville Caravan brought a smile to my face however, as I ran into one guys I had been on a ride with in the previous month.  Paul had just done a similar loop to ours, but in the other direction and is a hell of a nice guy.

Diamantina River, Birdsville Caravan Park

Birdsville Caravan Park

Off early the next day to head home.  The road to Windorah was hard work and we were into a headwind the whole way.  Hard work with no screen,  maybe I needed some concrete pills.

Halfway between Birdsville and Windorah is Deon's lookout.  Spectacular views west over the plain below.

We left here to go Windorah for our next fuel stop, after about 50ks or so the seat on my bike suddenly dropped from underneath me.  Pulling over I didn't know what had happened.  However removing the seat show that a bolt had come loose from one side of the of the subframe leaving all the weight one bracket which eventually suffered metal fatigue and broke.  We wired it up and hoped it would hold for the rest of the trip home.  More stuff to be pissed off about!

After this it was on to Windorah for fuel and a feed.  We stopped for the night about 1 1/2 hour from Quilpe after an exhaust gasket blew out, probably from the subframe incident earlier.  It was a quick and easy fix and gave me a chance check the wired up subframe added some more strands and it was all good.

After setting up camp I went the look for my camera to take some pics.  Triple piss off I had lost it earlier in the day.  Of everything this sucked the most.  I had about 350 photos on it.  F%&k they say bad things come in threes.  I couldn't care about the camera but the pics where priceless.

Well that is about it - no more pics.  From here it was home via Quilpe and Roma down the highway.

Despite the crash and broken bike it was a great trip.  The bike was easily repaired when I got home and as for the lost photos - well I will just have to go and do it again!