Introduction

The 250cc limit for Learners and some P Plate licensed riders does not need to exclude the rider from touring of outback areas of South Australia. I enjoyed motorcycling, bush walking and camping for 10 days in early September 99. For half of the time I accompanied three friends who were four wheel driving the same route.

The Travelogue

Sunday

I departed the Adelaide suburb of Athelstone Sunday around 1030 and headed north in overcast weather conditions. There were a few showers and wet roads which ended by the time I passed Clare about 2 hours drive to the north. Cloud cover decreased as I proceeded north. I refuel at Orroroo and continued through Hawker to Wilpena. My Statewide Parks pass did not cover camping at Wilpena so I rode a further 30 kilometres north on gravel roads and stayed at the improved bush camping area at Aroona. It had a newly graded access road and pit toilets with rainwater tank. Sunrise was around 6.00am and I was on the road again by around 7.30. I arrived at Balcanoona the Gammon Ranges National Park Headquarters, after noon, packed some rainwater and proceeded to the nearby Weetootla bush camping area.

I set up camp and started the 17 kilometre Weetootla walk by 2.00pm. I could not find the marker post that would have taken me around the loop in a counter clockwise direction, and therefore decided to omit the 1.2 km spur walk to Grindell Hut (which I viewed from a distance) near the start of the walk, rather than risk finishing the walk after dark. The walk included sections along 2 creeks, a gorge as well as 4 wheel drive track sections in Illinawortina Pound. I finished before sunset then looked for a bore (well) or tank for local water, but found none.

Monday

Monday I arrived at the trailhead for the Italowie Gorge walk by 8.30am. The trail followed Italowie creek through the tillite walled gorge for about 4 km before passing over a col (saddle) to Mount McKinlay Springs. I then followed the emergency access 4 wheel drive track to where it crossed Italowie creek and then returned to the start point, about 20.4 km total and 5 hours walk.

Tuesday

Tuesday I packed and moved camp to Arkaroola before starting the southern half of the Nudlamutana walk to Mount Warren Hastings. My wife and I did the northern half of this walk in June 98. Most of the walk followed an emergency services 4 wheel drive track through a variety of rock formations (about 15.2 kilometres total distance, 4 hours walking time.)

My friends in the four wheel drive who departed Adelaide on Monday morning, returned from the Ridge Top 4 Wheel Drive tour, after 5.00pm. We gathered firewood before preparing our evening meal at our camp.

Wednesday

Wednesday we rode in the Jackaroo 4 wheel drive and visited Arkaroola spring, Parlana Thermal Springs and Tillite Gorge amongst other places.

Thursday

Thursday was mainly a travelling day - about 455 kilometres from Arkaroola to. We started by returning to Balcanoona then travelled minor tracks to connect to the Strzlecki Track to the turn off at Moomba and then into Innamincka by a rough road train track. The sandy sections of the track provided me with new challenges. As the depth of loose sand increases, the front wheel tends to plow rather than roll. The motorcycle looses the (precession) push-to-turn effect of the handle bars - steering is ineffective because the front wheel has little traction. Trying to slow down once the deep sand was encountered usually resulted in underdamped steering (snaking - you might have seen Grand Prix motorcycle racers do this before they lost control completely and lost contact with the motorcycle or ground) and wobbling of the load. This was entertaining for the 3 following in the 4 wheel drive but frightening for me. They asked if I wanted to change my underwear at the mid morning rest break. I learned to watch for and avoid the sandy patches. Deep sandy patched had to be negotiated at slow speed, keeping the weight over the back wheel, applying power and stiffly steering as best I could. Trail and Enduro motorcycles have large front wheels and knobby tyres that help to deal with loose sand. Tyre manufactures make road tyres rather than trail tyres for the 18 inch front wheel that my motorcycle has. After 1000 kilometres of dirt roads with sandy patches, I learned a lot about riding in the varied conditions.

Friday

Innamincka is mostly a tourist service centre, with a population of 15 or less who operate the general store, hotel/pub and tyre repair shop. We set up camp in the Town Common - area along Coopers Creek about 600 metres from the village and drove out to Burkes (a Victorian explorer who perished there in 1860 on his return from the first south to north continental crossing of Australia) Memorial where we had arranged to meet a bus tour group led by Oscar, a fellow from our Church. We enjoyed the bush meal he prepared - soup followed by roast lamb and pork with roast vegetables (cooked in cast iron camp ovens using coals from the camp fire) followed by billy tea and fruit damper - an entertaining evening celebrating his 50th trip to Birdsville, Innamincka and Tibooburra.

Saturday

Saturday we rode in the 4 wheel drive about 106 kilometres north to Coongie Lakes - which are fed by a branch of the Coopers Creek- when it flows. The track was quite corrugated and sandy, our average road speed was less than 40 km/h. The lakes were full and so the bird life had plenty of places to feed in the area otherwise they are concentrated in a smaller area. We took a 2 hour boat cruise on the Coopers Creek south of Innamincka ending around sunset and heard a lot about the wildlife, vegetation and such. We saw some feral pigs on the shore. We prepared our evening meal at our camp. Soup and rice for me.

Sunday

Sunday was again a four wheel drive touring day. We saw a dingo near a large waterhole upstream from Innamincka. We headed west to see the Burke and Wills Dig Tree area about 65 kilometres to the east, in Queensland - where the explorer's support group stayed in 1860 while Burke, Wills, King and Gray made the dash for the north of the continent (in the heat of the summer). Only King survived the journey. We returned by a more northerly track passing through Sturt's Stony Desert. We enjoyed the Sunday roast dinner put on by the pub - well attended by the tourists and some locals as well.

Monday

We were packed promptly on Monday morning for the journey to Tibooburra New South Wales, less than 400 kilometres away, but because of road conditions our average speed was less than 50 km/h. I departed while the 4 wheel drivers were still packing because of my difficulty with the sandy tracks that we were to follow. They came in sight after I had travelled about 70 kilometres. After travelling 115 kilometres south we followed the track generally eastward through red sand dune country toward Cameron Corner, where South Australia, New South Wales and Queensland borders intersect. We set up camp in the Tibooburra caravan park and visited Dead Horse Gully in the nearby Sturt National Park an area with many granite boulders. The evening meal was in the pub dining room. The town is said to be the most remote (based on distance from capital cities I think) town in Australia. It has depots for Roads department, Telecomm, National Parks, primary school, two hotels, a road house, amongst others. The old drive in theatre was home to 2 dairy cows and 5 calves that were free to roam through the town, they returned to the drive-in after sunset. The temperature reached 30C that day, other days were in the mid to high 20sC - shorts and short sleeve shirt weather during the daytime, but cooling nicely at night.

Tuesday

I was due back at work on Wednesday so I was on the road just before the sun rose on Monday for the 850 kilometres of the homeward journey. The first 335 kilometres from Tibooburra to Broken Hill were half paved and half gravelled (dirt) road. There were a lot of kangaroos and emus along the road in the early morning. I slowed down when any were near the road, they didn't always move off the road. I struck one kangaroo with the front wheel / fender of the motorcycle, when it changed direction unexpectedly. I was travelling at about 40km/h at the time, it made the front of the bike wobble, but I stayed upright. There was no noticaeble damage (the curve of the front fender does not match the original profile) and I rode back but the kangaroo must have just been knocked over by the contact, and was no longer on the roadside. The dirt sections of the road were in good condition and I averaged more than 80 km/h on the first leg. I stopped for McBreakfast in Broken Hill. The final 505 kilometres to Adelaide was all on paved roads (Barrier Highway). With the favourable wind and earplugs installed I travelled between 90 and 110 km/h. I arrived home around 4.30pm and encountered my wife at the grocery store, on her way home from work.

The three in the 4 wheel drive, were spending Tuesday in Broken hill and arrived back in Adelaide Wednesday afternoon.

The motorcycle handled the conditions well, there are few parts to shake and rattle on the rough roads. For serious corrugations I rise off the seat to allow the bike to pitch up and down, without wearing me out. The tyres held out, there were no mechanical failures although the battery seems to be showing signs of age. I cleaned and oiled the drive chain twice during the trip - before the crows found and punctured the plastic bottle. Perhaps that will help to reduce the accelerated wear caused by sandy conditions. The clutch cable broke the Friday after I returned - I should have inspected the cable at the engine end - it was obscured by a rubber boot.

Total distance for the motorcycle was about 2500 kilometres. I saw no other motorcycles on the road between Arkaroola and Tibooburra. Most people were surprised to see a person touring on a motorcycle, especially a road/commuter motorcycle. It was a good trip, an adventure.

Last modified 13/06/2009