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Riding the Outback
Heres an idea for your next ride..
Visit the Outback - theres more than one good reason.
Times are tough on the land. Country people can use the help of city people right now – even a tank of petrol and a meal bought in some small town can make a big difference to the income and, perhaps more importantly, the feelings of the locals. And city people can use the lift the Outback and the many wonders it holds gives to their spirits.
We’re not going to try to describe all or even a significant number of them; we’ll just find a bit of it that’s reachable from each of the capital cities so you can sample it with minimum effort. You will
| | probably find it’s actually worth a lot more effort and head out again on subsequent trips. Do make the effort to see a bit more of your own country, preferably away from the main tourist spots. The locals will truly appreciate it (so long as you listen as much as you talk, not that we need to tell our readers that) and we’ll guarantee you’ll be blown away.
Sometimes literally, of course – the wind can come up pretty quickly out there. For some really up-to-date advice, see Tom Floyd’s story elsewhere in this issue – he’s just come back from a lengthy Outback ride.
Where is it?You probably know the Outback always starts 50 miles further inland than where you are when you ask the question. It’s much easier to locate the Black Stump – which is about 10 kilometres north of Coolah on the way to Coonabarabran – than the Outback, despite the fact that the latter is a lot larger.
For the sake of this story we’ve adopted a somewhat flexible definition that essentially includes the places we want it to include. But they are each within reasonable reach of a capital city (but not necessarily the closest), they are all worth visiting and they all “feel” like the Outback. Come on, trust us. Have we ever steered you wrong?
Oh, well, except for that time, yeah…
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| | From AdelaideThere are some obvious choices, for us at any rate. The longer of them is a run up to the Flinders Ranges, some 400km away. This is the true Outback but you will find quite a few choices for accommodation. We like the Cradock pub. There are many dirt and gravel roads to explore and much wild scenery.A shorter Outback adventure is to be had in the opposite direction, along the Coorong. It’s less than a couple of hundred kilometres to the middle of nowhere here and you can camp out in the 90 Mile Desert. Just follow Highway 1 through Murray Bridge and Tailem Bend. An even more civilised trip is to just ride west from Birdwood, along an enormously long straight stretch to the Murray ferry at Walker Flat and then home via Swan Reach and Sedan.
From CanberraThe Outback? From Canberra? Really? Yep, really. How about a ride through Bungendore and Braidwood and then south along the Countegany Road to Nimmitabel? It’s not desert-type Outback, but it’s pretty remote and rough just the same. There’s not much by way of fuel or supplies along this road, just at the ends. The surface is mostly gravel and there are some caves off the road that are worth a look. At the southern end of the road you can continue to one of our favourite places: Bombala. Or you could just take a short ride out to Captains Flat, returning over the gravel through Michelago.
From BrisbaneLet’s try something different with Brisbane. Let’s go for a loop ride out through Toowoomba and Dalby to Roma, south to Nindigully and then home via Goondiwindi and Inglewood. This is about 1300km, which makes it a good weekend run for Queenslanders. Come on, you know you can handle it! Actually it might be an idea to break it up into three days, but that’s just the effete southerner speaking…
The thing about this ride is that there’s a neat set of corners at either end and some of those long northern roads in between. Good cobweb-blowing-away material. Beware of getting too carried away (both wildlife and the highway patrol frequent these roads) but enjoy. Likewise savour the many small towns along the road, which are all opportunities to stop and have a chat.
If that all seems a bit long, how about just popping over to Esk via the Mt Glorious road and around Lake Wivenhoe, and coming home the other way around Lake Wivenhoe?
From DarwinDarwinians hardly need our help to find the Outback. But just in case you’re new in town, or new to motorcycling, why not head down The Track to Pine Creek? It’s a great little town, full of interesting things, and you can take a detour going home via Kakadu National Park.
It’s a bit over 200km along the Stuart Highway, and a bit more than twice as far via the park. There are quite a few fuel stops along the way, as well as places to shop or eat. We quite like the motel/servo in Batchelor. And just think – for the time being you can still take advantage of the open speed limit, which may be changing. The main danger on this ride is probably from wandering “road-coloured” buffalo.
A shorter ride that’s just as interesting is the one across to Mandorah on the Cox Peninsula.
From HobartCan you get to the Outback from Hobart? Can you what! The difficult part is getting there by bike, because the National Parks people frown on motorised transport. They’re usually pretty good in Tassie, but I doubt they’d be keen on having you buzz into the World Heritage Area on a WR450, worse luck.
So how about you head north-west from Hobart to New Norfolk and then turn south to Lachlan? Either keep going south along the Tasman Trail (which I think is permitted for bikes) or go a little further west and then south to Judbury. Oops, there’s that dratted Tasman Trail again…
No supplies along here before you get to Ranelagh, but it’s a spectacular ride. Don’t get lost; one of us (no names, no pack drill, eh Bear?) did, once, and seriously thought he might have to find a local “girl” and settle down there.
If you want to stretch the bike’s legs a little more, just take the Tasman Highway up to the Lake Leake road, ride across to Campbell Town and home via the A1 and B31.
From MelbourneHow about taking a look at the supposed (and in fact all too real) salination along the Big River? Head north by way of Kilmore to Echuca, where you can turn left and follow the Murray Valley Highway for as far as you have time for. Turn off to Koondrook and Murrabit if time permits.
Getting back to Melbourne is easy; you really just need to turn south. If you feel like it, you can camp wild in many places along the river. Just stay clear of the river red gums, which have a habit of dropping branches – very big branches.
For a shorter run, we’d be very happy to spend a day riding out along the Warburton Highway to Yarra Junction and then to Noojee before turning back a little and riding south to Warragul and Korumburra. The South Gippsland Highway will get you home.
From PerthBit of an embarrassment of riches here, isn’t it? It doesn’t really matter which way you go (except to Rotto), you’re in the Outback very quickly.
I’d go out towards Hyden, although perhaps not to Wave Rock which gets enough tourists even in bad seasons. There are lots of places worth stopping at, such as the other interesting lone rocks that dot the countryside and that town with the dog cemetery – is it Corrigin?
It’s very flat and Outback-y all through the wheat belt and although there aren’t many bike-type corners it’s still a buzz to ride these long, empty roads. Watch out for combine harvesters turning into or out of the road; they take about as long to stop as a tanker at sea and they’re nearly as wide.
That is a fair old ride, so an alternative might be a run to York along the Great Eastern and then Great Southern highways, returning by way of Northam and Toodyay.
From SydneySydneysiders would consider anything west of Penrith – or indeed Blacktown – the Outback, so let’s disabuse them as quickly as possible.
I’ll nominate a personal favourite here. Mike Bayliss and I have long planned to take a look at Coolah Tops National Park and although we’ve never made it (breakdowns, getting lost, weather, general incompetence) we have come very close. It’s a beaut ride from Sydney, across the Blue Mountains on the Bell Road and on to Mudgee and Dunedoo before turning off to Coolah and the gravel road into the Tops.
Some maps show a road out, mostly to a place called Callaroy on the Golden Highway, but we’ve tried to find it from that end and haven’t had any luck. The only thing that cheers me up here is that the Bear has had similar problems, after announcing confidently that he would “nut it out”.
Not that lack of an exit road matters, you can easily backtrack to Coolah and then return to Sydney by way of Merriwa and the Putty Road.
For a shorter run, what about just a visit to Mudgee? Ride up along the Castlereagh Highway and come home via Lue.
Convenient Outback travelDo the due maintenance – and a bit more – on your bike before you leave. It’s a lot easier in your garage at home than out on the Birdsville Track.
Consider fitting or carrying a few things you might think you don’t need under normal conditions. These should include:
A headlight protector Rocks (and even branches) can smash your headlight and there are lots of them out there on gravel and dirt roads – even on tarred roads. AMHP does an affordable and effective range to suit just about any bike. We have one on the project outfit.
A radiator guard Liquid-cooled bikes need one of these, unless there’s one fitted standard from the factory. Few things are as annoying as watching the drip of coolant from your radiator while you’re well beyond the reach of a replacement. We like and use Radguard; they’re light and strong and even look good.
A tyre repair kit These are vital. We have long used Tyrepliers kits – they offer a variety to suit just about any bike or set of conditions – and we have been very happy with them.
A decent tool kit Even after all these years of bitching by us humble scribes, most motorcycle tool kits (if you even get one) still resemble items from a Bob the Builder gift pack. We have a set of tools from Snap On that is nothing short of jewellery; it’s not easy to get your hands on this brand, but your bike shop or local servo probably uses them. Get a referral to your local Snap On man from them.
A First Aid kit In NSW, St John’s Ambulance has an excellent range of kits; presumably the equivalents in other states do, too. It also offers first aid courses (hint, hint).
Basic spares You don’t need much these days (see below): cables, fuel and coolant pumps (especially if they’re the exposed, in-line type), spokes, plus maybe a set of levers. Work out what might break or go wrong on your particular model, and if it’s within your ability to replace the bits, think about carrying them as spares. In our experience, it’s the things you’d never think of carrying that actually go wrong – such as the shift drum stopper on the Bear’s XL250.
As well as the necessities, there are some other things you might think about as well.
A chain oiler Chains can be remarkably fragile when they’re too dry and they will certainly stretch. We have a Scottoiler fitted to the outfit and it’s doing a great job even on the road.
An auxiliary fuel tank Inadequate fuel range? You don’t necessarily have to replace the main tank. Dirt bike shops have auxiliary tanks that can be fitted or strapped on and plumbed in. That way you don’t need to stop to fill your tank from a jerry can; just switch over.
Then there’s a bash plate – great to have but hard to buy for anything but dirt bikes; a GPS system; a personal hydration system (usually called a Camelbak); a dirt riding course (BMW and other people provide these); and so on. It doesn’t stop. Maybe you should grab your bike as it is and just go. Take it easy, though!
Safe Outback travelThis section is for relatively serious Outback travel, but it will do you no harm to read it if you’re just going to take a ride up a main highway.
Rule number one is: When drinking in an Outback pub, never turn your glass upside down on the bar. Seriously. There are some other rules, too, but they’re nowhere near as vital.
Rule number two: Check your bike thoroughly before you go, or have it checked if your mechanical knowledge is limited. In that case, ask the mechanic to show you how to do basic on-road maintenance and repair tasks. This extra bit of knowledge can be invaluable and is worth paying for. Offer to pay him/her at the usual hourly rate. While you’re at it, ask about the spares it’s worth carrying. Some people load themselves down with stuff they have no idea how to use. The mechanic should know what you’re likely to need by way of spares and can show you how to fit them. Take enough fuel, remembering that gravel and sand riding can chew up a lot more fuel than tar.
Rule number three: Take plenty of water. Just how much depends on the weather, but we’d suggest you drink at least two or three litres a day while riding. If your urine gets dark and smelly you know you need to drink a lot more.
Rule number four: If you’re heading off the “eaten track” (which is any fairly major connecting road) let someone reliable know where you’re going and when you intend to be back. If you really get keen with your choice of remote route it’s worth dropping in at the local cop shop and having a chat with them, and possibly advising them where you’re off to.
Rule number five: Do your research. Find out what the place you’re going to is like and what the potential problems are. It may, for instance, get very hot in summer or the temperature may drop well below zero in winter. Also, there may be no way of replenishing your water supplies or stocking up on food. Be prepared.
This is not intended as a survival manual, so I’ll leave it at that. Consider buying a copy of the neat little AGPS book Stay Alive, which may help you to do exactly that.
Really keen?Here’s a selection that may interest experienced and skilled motorcyclists. It’s taken from a list of 25 famous Outback adventure tracks, from the Hema wall map “Australia’s Outback”. They’re not in any particular order. Beware. Some of these are truly serious rides and should not be considered lightly.
1. Tanami Road, Halls Creek to Alice Springs – 1055km.
2. Plenty Highway, Alice Springs to Boulia – 811km.
3. Gulf Odyssey, Roper Bar to Burketown – 851km.
4. Strzelecki Track, Lyndhurst to Innamincka – 475km.
5. Nullarbor Plain (along the railway), Kalgoorlie to Glendambo – 1400km.
While I’m on the subject, our friends at Hema have a lot of maps and books you might find useful beyond the Bear’s Motorcycle Atlas. Their Outdoor Guide Top End & the Gulf is a really useful book, for example, and the Outback Map with things like weather charts is invaluable. Call 07 3340 0000 if your local map shop can’t help with these or if you don’t have a local map shop.
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