The Amazing Motorbike Trek

The Trip Is Over - and Successfull!

Being the lazy person I am - I will get around to putting an update on eventually, but it might take a while!

The 2009 Trip

Well there is definately another trip happening now!  I have updated the trips page to show the new route…

We also have another bike coming along - another XR650!

Another Trip

There is another trip on the books, and my mate has just bought a new (2nd hand) bike - BMW!

Start packing!

Day 10 - Birdsville Track to Leigh Creek

Woke up to a windy morning and a happy feeling, as I had not been eaten by dingoes or snakes during the night.  I started on on the bike reasonably early and arrived at Mungerannie Hotel at 7:45am to fill up the bike.  The owner  (Phil I think) mentioned he saw Stu and Salvo going through Tuesday night.

It was an awesome looking pub - lots of hats hanging from the roof.  Apparently less tourists visit now because the station has limited the flow of water coming from the bore - something Phil wasn’t too pleased about.

After filling up I was back on the road and heading towards Clayton Wetlands Campsite (about 80km from Marree) to where Salvo and Stu were camped.  I arrived there around 9:30am - having done a lot of km’s in not much time.

Day 9 - Hospital, Charleville to Birdsville Track

Fly back to Birdsville day!!!  I was still not feeling 100%, but I put that down to laying in hospital for most of the week…  I was soon to find out!

I left the hospital via taxi just before lunch, and thanked a few of the hospital staff.

The plane was 40 minutes late - arriving at 11:50am when it was meant to depart at 11:10am.  Reliable MacAir…

I arrived in Birdsville at 3:20pm instead of 2pm and proceeded to pick up my bike from teh hospital.  I couldn’t even be bothered going to the pub just to take a look, instead I got straight onto the bike, filled up with petrol, downed a powerade, and hit the road.

I stopped at the PAR (public access route), where we had originally come onto the Birdsville track, so that I could take a photo, then headed on until I was about 60km from the Mungerannie roadhouse/hotel.

I spent the night camping on the side of the road in the sand by myself - with only 1 truck passing by while I was stopped there.

Day 8 - Hospital, Charleville

Still sitting in hospital!!!  Feeling a little better in teh head - with a bit less of a headache.  Wondering if I can get my annual leave days changed to sick days!  What a waste of a holiday if I can’t!

Still feeling shithouse about how the trip has turned out, and hope that Salvo and Stu want to do a bit more rather than head straight home.

In fact, Salvo called around 5:30pm sounding a bit better than he did yesterday.  Him and Stu gave me some tips on road conditions and will meet me at the Clayton Wetlands campsite for a BBQ lunch on Friday.

Day 7 - Hospital, Charleville (Part 2)

I spoke to Salvo again at 12:45pm.  It turned out they both had a couple of stacks going over the dunes and only made it over about 4 of them before they decided to turn around.  They were back in Birdsville and had decided to head to Maree today, as there is apparently thunderstorms forecast for Saturday.  After that, they plan to head straight home.

Feeling extremely disappointed to say the least.

My flight will arrive 2pm Thursday to go to Birdsville - where I’ll have to change the oil, then ride the 500km’s to Maree.

Day 7 - Hospital, Charleville (Part 1)

I awoke early (6:30am) & it really hit home that I was missing out on the biggest and main part of this whole trip.  Not much else to say there.

I spoke to the nurse again who found the next flight to Birdsville was Thursday - for only $200!  I booked in, as I didn’t want to leave the bike there, or miss out on any more of the trip than what I had to.

I arrived back to my room at 11:15am after leaving briefly to find my flight confirmation - as well as a note to say Salvo and Stu were waiting for me in Birdsville!!  I tried calling the hotel where they had been staying, but they weren’t there.  I will have to wait for them to call back.

Can’t help but feel a little guilty that I’m the reason they’re not heading across.

Day 6 - Birdsville to Charleville

The plane arrived just after midnight on Monday morning to take me to Charlevill for X-Rays, and if required to go on to somewher else for CT scans.  I was loaded onto the plane while Xave played doctor’s & nurses and wanted to give me a triple catheter!

The plane touched down in Charleville at 2:45am and I was wheeled into the hospital, still strapped onto the stretcher flat on my back - not being able to move a muscle.  It wasn’t until 9:45am I was checked by a doctor who took me out of the brace and majorly restritive bed/stretcher - only to give me the all clear within about 5 minutes - no scans or X-Rays done whatsoever.  Talk about pissed.

I got a few phonecalls throughout the day - Salvo saying they were looking at riding out at sunrise Tuesday; Mum, just to see how I was going; Dad, same as above; Salvo again, quizzing about when I was getting back and saying Andy (the new addition to the team, and my replacement I guess) went out to Big Red and over a few dunes, coming off once or twice.

I asked a nurse when I was looking at being discharged & how I could get back to Birdsville - and sat patiently awaiting the news.

Salvo called again, and I let him know I still hadn’t found out much in regards to being discharged or flights out of Charleville.  I said I would try and contact them when they got into Alice which should be Thursday afternoon sometime.

The nurse spoke to me and said it was looking like a Thursday flight, maybe - not that great considering it was only Monday.

Gotta love the hospital life though, as I dozed off about 9:30pm after being fed some great hospital food.

Day 5 - Innamincka to Birdsville (Part 2)

We continued on to Birdsville as it started getting dark quickly.  I had Salv and Xave riding alongside me with their headlights on, as I didn’t have one.  We stopped about 70km’s from Birdsville because I remembered that my high-beam still worked, so Xave adjusted it while i drank some salts and felt generally sh**house!

The light was finally adjusted to point at the road so we continued on until we hit town.  Suprisingly I was first to hit Birdsville as the others had waited, then Macca ran out of fuel with about 2km to go.

Out of pure coincidence we happened to pull up in front of the Birdsville doctor’s office and Xave spent no time going in to see if I could get checked out.  Unfortunately, somebody was there, so I left my bike and gear outside and went to get poked and prodded - noting that I’d ridden at least another 200km since the crash.

I ended up with a neck brace on and tube in my hand!  While I was hanging around I found out the Dr (or male nurse, not sure) had run the hospital in Sea Lake for a few year and the female nurse knew people in Charlton (only 20 minutes from my hometown).  I was put into a very restricting stretcher, and left on the bed to wait for a flight with the RFD (Royal Flying Doctors).