Left the familles in Cairns and headed down to Gordonsvale and upto Lake Barrine for lunch.
Great riding in both the morning and afternoon, morning tight twisty up the range and afternoon fast sweeping roads. Passed a crazy cyclist loaded up about 40 kms from Undarra. Arrived at Undarra NP about 1630, a fairly easy day with not too many Kms
Thursday 2/10
Early start for our Lava Tubes tour. Fascinating two hours, walking through a couple of tubes, there are apparently tubes out there of 160 kms long ! Went to pack up and what do you know the Cyclist turns up and she's an American Chick from East Coast. Stood back in Admiration. She was planning on riding to Karumba, about a 1000 Kms from Cairns through very harsh country, by herself, sleeping by the side of the road most nights....Gutsy !
We then headed off into a completely desolate scenery, spectacular views from the top of ranges and then down into seemingly endless plains...The kms are starting to get big!
Arrived at Croydon about 1600 and decided to stop. Nice little Camp, but damn hot.
Friday 3/10
Croydon to Karumba
Fairly short day today, up to Normanston and then onto Karumba.
Arrived Karumba about midday, lovely place, very laid back feel and the capital of Barramundi fishing in Australia. We were going to go fishing and then lost interest as the mercury rised and the beers and swimming pool beckoned.
Watch the sunset and had a feed at the pub on the point. Loving it. Best steak in ages
Saturday 4/10
Karumba to Mt Isa
after a short day yesterday, we thought we try and catch up a little and get as far as Mt Isa tonight. Had brekky in Normanton, headed off to Cloncurry via the Burke and Wills roadhouse for lunch and the meeting of the obligatory Irish backpacker. scenery changed dramatically after cloncurry from open plains to Red Rock ranges, almost like a moon scape.
Mt Isa was really hot, checked into a hotel for some airconditioning.
Sunday 5/10
Mt Isa to Barklay Homestead.
Road the 189 Kms to Camboweal just short of the Territory border through the same red rock scenery of the day before. After Camboweal the scenery change to nothing almost....Red dirt, golden brown grass occasionally, little ribbon of bitumen stretching through it, fluffy white clouds and massive, massive sky...awesome landscape.
Arrived at Barklay homestead about 1630, in time to see the Grand Final, and then set up camp have a few beers and submerge in the pool...luckily flys can't swim under water.
Monday 6/10
Barklay Homestead to Mataranka 600+ kms
Hit rain early into the ride this morning, stopped at 3 Ways to turn onto the Stuart Hwy and met Dimitri, at the Roadhouse, crazy Russian guy with a 750 Honda Africa (Paris Dakar kinda bike) with Moscow number plates. Funny..when ever you think you're doing something big...someone comes and blows you out of the Water :-), Interesting guy, photographer for National Geographic....got me thinking...
Met some other bikers doing 1000+ kms a day, our 300 kms mindset a day, is changing out here, and I think it has to for us to catch up !
So rode the 300 kms to Mataranka taking us over 600 for the day.
Great Campsite near Hot natural springs a couple of kms down to the road, which was weirdly part of a swamp, but amazingly water was crystal clear, even though the edge was rotting vegetation !
Dimitri turned up later at the campsite, so spent the evening eating drinking and finding out more of his trip.
Tuesday 7/10
Mataranka - Darwin
Left early with the light, this camping is crazy ! to be met by our first road kill just out of town a whole family of 5 wild pigs....Road train goes on.
About 50kms down the road, came across an older German bloke about 70, who had had a blow out in one of his rear tyres of his camper. Stopped and helped as he was getting pretty flustered. spent about an hour crawling around in the dirt, mainly Geoff, before heading off again.
Onto Katherine, Adelaide River and finally Darwina bout 3pm.
Went out for a beautiful Thai meal in town and slept in a bed !
Wednesday / Thursday 7/8 of the 10th
Spent Wednesday morning checking the bikes, ordering new chains and sprockets to be used some time down the track, before heading down to Pete and Cas's beach place down at Dundee.
Beautiful and remote, about 120kms from Darwin. 50 metres from the aqua blue Timor sea.
Back on Thursday about 12, picked up bike parts and did some needed maintenance, Oil change, and hoping my bike appreciates and responds accordingly :-)
Went out to Mindal beach markets in the evening to wander and grab dinner. Great place, amazing food smells wafting in the air, grazing on satays, music, didg and drums, and fire stick performers. Great atmosphere.
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