Distance: 672km
Dep: 10:00am
Arr: 5:30pm
Temperature: 20°C - 24°C
Total distance to date: 2851km
Route:
- Port Augusta
- Kimba
- Ceduna
- Yalata
The morning start out productive, waking up with our natural body clocks and following with the usual routine of packing approximately 400 items neatly into their dedicated spots in our motorbike luggage. Everything we own on this trip has a purpose, and they all have their own spot on our bikes. That way, if we need something in a hurry, we need to know where to find it.
Caption: The scenery starts opening up dramatically after Port Augusta
We were heading into the Outback for the first time this trip, and mobile reception may be dodgy and internet may be few and far between. We still have a business to run, and finding an additional team member for our Brisbane shop was on the cards. After a lovely interview with a strong candidate, we finalised packing our gear onto the bikes once more and set off at 10am.
The thing with clutter is that it is incredibly distracting. I don't mean physical clutter, but emotional and spiritual clutter as well. I remember the distinct feeling of being on a one-way flight to Australia when I first moved here, and as I peered out of the window and watched the gumtrees take shape, it felt like I left the clutter behind to start a whole new life here.
Port Augusta is far less populated than Adelaide, but there's still a fair amount of traffic, people in the streets, and activity in the supermarkets. It didn't take long to leave this town and onto the open road, where it opens up into reddish coloured plains and a few small rolling hills. We're leaving the last major township until Ceduna, located 468km away. As we put more kilometres behind us, I felt the clutter in my mind fade away and a feeling of fulfilment re-entering my soul. I love the Australian outback so much, that every time I return to Melbourne, I start daydreaming about my next visit back here.
Caption: Long roads ahead.
Kimba is our next stop, conveniently located "Halfway Across Australia" - along with a large hut shaped sign that says so. We took the obligatory photos with the sign and the Big Galah which apparently used the final vapours of Steph's MT09 (which of course are famously thirsty for fuel). She ran out of petrol about 200m from the petrol station. I decided to document her long, fully loaded walk to the bowser rather than help push.
Caption: Kimba, the exact halfway point through the middle of Australia.
The Gawler Ranges National Park shaped the horizon to our right side as we made our way to Poochera for another fuel stop. Distances become much easier once on the open road with no traffic to battle. The bikes ate up the kilometres with ease, and we took an extra 15 minutes to chat with the friendly family of Poochera Roadhouse while drinking one of their chai teas.
Unfortunately for me, I decided to stretch my legs outward as I was leaving Poochera. This is a regular occurence to do whilst on a sportbike, because if you ride sportbikes, you know how tight your hips and knees can be holding that position for hours. I noticed way too late that the white vehicle on the other side of the road had those infamous red and blue lights at the top, and as I was passing by with my legs out, I saw this turn around with lights and sirens on.
Fuuuuuuuuu------
Caption: Keep your feet on your pegs, no stretching allowed.
By all standards of Australian Police, this copper showed behaviour that was aytpical of the usual. If he was part of Victoria Police I would have been slapped with 3 demerit points and 7 defect notices. But since he's a regional cop in SA, I was given a friendly talking-to about the importance of all limbs on the bike at all times.
Caption: I cannot imagine doing this trip on a different bike. Nena is perfect.
Our journey to Ceduna was cruisy - the air was a perfect temperature, the roads were smooth and effortless, and the bikes were in their element, loving life. It was crazy to think that my journey to Ceduna on a GSXR600 in 2017 took 2 days from Melbourne. Definitely lacking the buns of steel I once had.
The weather was absolutely perfect. The sun started setting before our eyes, again cloaking the sky in brilliant shades of warm hues. The cloud pattern looked like a set of cloud fireworks had gone off and frozen in time, staying still in the air while we rode beneath them.
Darkness set in as soon as we rolled into Yalata Roadhouse. It's 90% campground and the rest small cabins with a single bed, with communal toilet and shower facilities. It was far from roughing it, the suites were clean and the showers were hot. Other than a single moth landing in my hair inside the cabin, nothing went wrong.
Caption: Rooming separately tonight at Yalata Roadhouse.
What more could you ask for after a perfect riding day?
Next on our list is the iconic Nullarbor Plains, the 90 Mile Straight, and the longest ride day of our entire trip.
