Week 66 29 June - 5 July CRD 57

Sunday 29

Up before 5 to get to the airport to start our desert gateway dirtbike adventure tour. Picked up Dave Floyland on the way. Flight with Rex for Thargomindah left about 8.20am

Landed in Toowoomba and St George and then Cunnamulla. They the flight crew informed us the landing gear door was not shutting properly. So they would have to return to Brisbane. They were sending out another plane but it would not be here until 5pm it was 12.30pm. I rang Chris Allan and he ferried us the 8k to town and to the pub for lunch. We took a walking tour around town and then Chris took us back about 4.30pm. We arrived at Thargomindah about 6pm then went to our camp-site at the back of the pub where they had swag tents set up on camp beds. We found a spot and put our gear with it and headed to dinner. Corn Beef and veggies. Shower and a bit of a yarn around the oil heater then bed by 9 30. 

Monday 30

Desert tour started in earnest today. Mixed riding some single tracks gravel roads following fence. Followed fence lines was great day. I had one off came out of a wash out a bit quick, bike stood up one the back wheel and threw me off. Little bit of muscle damage nothing serious. I lifted a bloke out of a fence and another came un stuck in a sandy bottom creek all OK and still riding. Finished the day with about 30k of bituem in Eromanga. 200k for the day. Setup up our bunks on a paddock behind the van park and showered and went to the pub to have a ginger beer at the pub farthest from the coast. Then back to the van park for a great roast dinner produced by van park owners. Bit of a yarn around the camp fire and then off to bed. 

Tuesday 1

Today was easier riding body is little sore as it get used to the demands. We covered open flat through some changes in country. Most of it was along an oil pipeline. You had to be on the ball looking for wash away. Area of washout gutters some pretty deep. They caught out a few. After my bad experience yesterday I was a little more cautious. We got to Toompine about 3pm afternoon putting crab pots in the Yabbie Hole not far from town. Steve and Breno went back and checked them they got about 6 of the biggest yabbies I have ever seen. We will try them tomorrow night. Tonight was are camped at the Toompine gun club next to the Toompine Hotel. The pub without a town. It is run by a young couple from an adjacent station who brought in just before covid they use the lockdowns to renovate it. It was busy with us and caravaners and locals. Great to see a young couple having a crack. Bed about 9pm. Cold night tonight. 

Wednesday 2

Woke to frost at Toompine. Cold. Today's ride went first to an opal mine. Great place and people. We got a tour down a mine and an explanation of what it is and what they look for. From here we went into what was like a trail ride as we made our way to Alroy camping ground. H

ere we were met by more hospitality big camp fire spare ribs in a camp oven and roast dinner and desert. Steve and Breno changed out the air filters on the DRZs. Riding is getting better and body is conditioning. No anti inflammatries tonight. Great day. 

Thursday 3

Today's ride was a loop. Probably the best days riding. Big variety tracks and gravel roads. Really fun day. Downside I got caught out on a rocky section and came down hard. Worst of it was I landed on a pointy rock in my ribs. Stopped in at Yowah for a coffee stop. Had lunch about 3 and did some cave exploring before getting back camp just after 5pm. Bruce and Jenny lee have arrived at home. Robyn got most of the jobs to do before we go away done today. Had a guy played for us at dinner tonight. He was about 80 and not as good as thought but it was great fun. He and his wife did a set of about 5 songs. 

Friday 4

Woke up feeling pretty good this morning ribs still  Packed up at Alroy and headed back into the paddock. Some make new tracks to start. Saw a mob of emus and our first pigs today. Mob of domestic camels too. We had steak sandwiches at the pub in Eulo another little town worth a revisit.  From there we took the gravel track to Hungerford on the boarder.pulled up at the pub about 4.30pm. Stayed in the camp ground. Robyn packed up at the farm and went to Peg's appointment and stayed at Wendy's tonight. Planning to go to Nay's tomorrow. 

Saturday 5

Today we went into Currawinya National Park. This was both spectacular and challenging. The scenery was amazing. Granite escarpments clay pans and mulga

 There are a couple of lakes that we could see in the distance but with the recent wet we could not get to. The riding on formed roads and tracks and was pretty fast and challenging. It had changing surfaces, gravel and clay pan to bulldust and sand -  deep in some spots. The bike could really start to more around under you. I sat well back on the seat and kept it moving. The counter-intuitive bit is the hold the throttle on when it got skatey. Back off and you are done. The day resulted in few offs and we got back to Hungerford tired. I had another flat front. There was one real stoney section I think did the damage. Robyn went from Wendy's to visit Katrina's then on the Nay in Brisbane. Katrina appears to be on the the right people now to get her bathroom sorted. A bit of wetseal and they have a Tiler ready to start.