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Day's 1 to 6 12/8/2014 to 17/8/2014
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- Day 1 - Wangaratta to Renmark
- Day 2 - Renmark to 30km's out of Port Augusta
- Day 3 - 37kms North of Port Augusta to Mabel Creek
- Day 4 - Mabel Creek- 60kms in to Anne B to Anne Beadell 25kms short of Emu 15-8-2014
- Day 5 -Anne Beadell near Emu to The Unamed Conservation Park 16-8-2014
- Day 6 - UCP to 25kms south of Vokes Corner 17-8-2014
- Day's 7 to 12 - 18/8/2014 to 23/8/2014 >
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Day 1 - Wangaratta to Burra (883 km)
Today started in Wangaratta, stopped over in Mildura and finished in old mate Burra. The day before, Ferg had travelled to Mildura and stopped at Robdogs and Scotty and Hector made it to Wang. The Wang crew made it out the door early, setting off at 5.45am and had an un-eventful trip, with coffee in Struggletown (Cohuna) before arriving in Mildura around 1.25pm. There we loaded up Robdogs bike and set forth, aiming for old mate Burra. Wog luck had already struck of course, with Carl getting a call from Brad to inform him that one of the two bikes being shipped to Perth had been dispatched and would soon arrive there. The shipping company had called Brad to inform him of this with pride, only to give him crickets when he asked them about the other bike. Then 50 kilometres out of Mildura on the Sturt highway wog luck struck again with the D-Max copping a broken windscreen. Oh well, nothing to be done, carry on.
We continued on over familiar roads with the thoughts and actions of previous days and weeks of work and the world’s problems slipping away as the thoughts of the Trek, the adventures ahead and the changing countryside washed away the worries of the world. We arrived in Burra about 6.30pm, stopping at the Burra Hotel.
Today started in Wangaratta, stopped over in Mildura and finished in old mate Burra. The day before, Ferg had travelled to Mildura and stopped at Robdogs and Scotty and Hector made it to Wang. The Wang crew made it out the door early, setting off at 5.45am and had an un-eventful trip, with coffee in Struggletown (Cohuna) before arriving in Mildura around 1.25pm. There we loaded up Robdogs bike and set forth, aiming for old mate Burra. Wog luck had already struck of course, with Carl getting a call from Brad to inform him that one of the two bikes being shipped to Perth had been dispatched and would soon arrive there. The shipping company had called Brad to inform him of this with pride, only to give him crickets when he asked them about the other bike. Then 50 kilometres out of Mildura on the Sturt highway wog luck struck again with the D-Max copping a broken windscreen. Oh well, nothing to be done, carry on.
We continued on over familiar roads with the thoughts and actions of previous days and weeks of work and the world’s problems slipping away as the thoughts of the Trek, the adventures ahead and the changing countryside washed away the worries of the world. We arrived in Burra about 6.30pm, stopping at the Burra Hotel.
Day 2 - Burra to Eucla (1183 km)
Another early start for us today with an aim to smash out over 1000 kilometres and get into the Great Australian Bight area to set us up for the run to Perth. Everything was travelling well, cars and trailers doing good, no major hassles. We left Burra with a bit of fuzz in our heads, not from the beer but from the local shearers who had a bit of a party at the pub we stayed at. Oh well, carry on.
Again we covered familiar TTT routes, going through Crystal Brook and on to breakfast in Port Augusta. After brekkie we kept on trekkin’, going out into big sky country west of Port Augusta then in and out of marginal country, swapping between scrub and grain as the terrain varied. Our aim was firstly Ceduna for fuel and food, then out to camp on the Nullarbor on the cliffs. Advice from Nancy at the Ceduna Information Centre was that our plan was a bit scratchy; many of the camping and access points had been closed off because of the danger from the cliffs and the sad occurrence of some troubled souls finding peace there. The weather forecast was also for strongish southerly’s. Oh well, let’s go anyway!
As we got to the area of our intent we were just topping the 1000kms for the day and getting tired, however the weakness in our ideas became apparent with there being little in the way of suitable camp sites for swags. We found a lookout over the beautiful Bunda Cliffs where we took in the spectacular vista and contemplated our position. Captain’s Call time; we headed further west for the WA border and Eucla. This added another 180kms to our daily total for us to max out at 1183 kilometres for the day and plenty of hours. To our advantage we took some time off the clock with the different time in WA (did you know that there are two time zones in WA? No we didn’t either-confused us completely!) and we got beds and showers at the Eucla Hotel-Motel along with a feed and some $9 Coronas. Good call.
Another early start for us today with an aim to smash out over 1000 kilometres and get into the Great Australian Bight area to set us up for the run to Perth. Everything was travelling well, cars and trailers doing good, no major hassles. We left Burra with a bit of fuzz in our heads, not from the beer but from the local shearers who had a bit of a party at the pub we stayed at. Oh well, carry on.
Again we covered familiar TTT routes, going through Crystal Brook and on to breakfast in Port Augusta. After brekkie we kept on trekkin’, going out into big sky country west of Port Augusta then in and out of marginal country, swapping between scrub and grain as the terrain varied. Our aim was firstly Ceduna for fuel and food, then out to camp on the Nullarbor on the cliffs. Advice from Nancy at the Ceduna Information Centre was that our plan was a bit scratchy; many of the camping and access points had been closed off because of the danger from the cliffs and the sad occurrence of some troubled souls finding peace there. The weather forecast was also for strongish southerly’s. Oh well, let’s go anyway!
As we got to the area of our intent we were just topping the 1000kms for the day and getting tired, however the weakness in our ideas became apparent with there being little in the way of suitable camp sites for swags. We found a lookout over the beautiful Bunda Cliffs where we took in the spectacular vista and contemplated our position. Captain’s Call time; we headed further west for the WA border and Eucla. This added another 180kms to our daily total for us to max out at 1183 kilometres for the day and plenty of hours. To our advantage we took some time off the clock with the different time in WA (did you know that there are two time zones in WA? No we didn’t either-confused us completely!) and we got beds and showers at the Eucla Hotel-Motel along with a feed and some $9 Coronas. Good call.
Day 3 - Eucla to Coolgardie (873 km)
We had a quick brekkie and look around at Eucla; there is a bit to see with a memorial to our old mate Eyre. He was last here in March 1841, half-starved and scratching around the rocks for a drink of water. He and his party (the one other who made it) were the first to cross the Nullarbor; the indigenous people of the time were too smart to try it. Eucla was first established as a Telegraph station in the late 1800’s and the remains of the station are still present. Wog luck started as we went out on the highway. The road kill from the previous night was still lying about and we continually seemed to meet large dead Kangaroos just as old shagger and his missus were coming past the other way in their 4wd and van. This slowed us a little but we were happy that we hadn’t hit the ‘roos ourselves. This was definitely the Dead Kangaroo Highway.
We continued on at a steady clip, the speed limit in WA is 110 unless you are towing, then its 100. Several places passed our way, Mundrabilla, Madura, Caiguna. We looked across to the south where the Baxter Cliffs and Baxter memorial are; Baxter was Eyre’s right-hand man in their crossing of the Nullarbor. He was murdered by two of the indigenous members of the team here as they faced extreme thirst and starvation. At Balladonia we nodded to the remnants of Skylab which landed 40 kms east of here in 1979. A quick stop at Norseman for a wee and driver change and then the last leg in a northerly direction to Coolgardie.
As the sun sets we are sitting on a verandah outside our rooms at the Coolgardie Goldrush Motel; a pregnant sky that will not bear rain lingers above us as we sink into a feeling of ‘comfortably numb’. Our duty this day is done with around 870 kilometres on the clock and all that remains for us is to go to the pub for tea and to return to bed and relent to the feeling.
We had a quick brekkie and look around at Eucla; there is a bit to see with a memorial to our old mate Eyre. He was last here in March 1841, half-starved and scratching around the rocks for a drink of water. He and his party (the one other who made it) were the first to cross the Nullarbor; the indigenous people of the time were too smart to try it. Eucla was first established as a Telegraph station in the late 1800’s and the remains of the station are still present. Wog luck started as we went out on the highway. The road kill from the previous night was still lying about and we continually seemed to meet large dead Kangaroos just as old shagger and his missus were coming past the other way in their 4wd and van. This slowed us a little but we were happy that we hadn’t hit the ‘roos ourselves. This was definitely the Dead Kangaroo Highway.
We continued on at a steady clip, the speed limit in WA is 110 unless you are towing, then its 100. Several places passed our way, Mundrabilla, Madura, Caiguna. We looked across to the south where the Baxter Cliffs and Baxter memorial are; Baxter was Eyre’s right-hand man in their crossing of the Nullarbor. He was murdered by two of the indigenous members of the team here as they faced extreme thirst and starvation. At Balladonia we nodded to the remnants of Skylab which landed 40 kms east of here in 1979. A quick stop at Norseman for a wee and driver change and then the last leg in a northerly direction to Coolgardie.
As the sun sets we are sitting on a verandah outside our rooms at the Coolgardie Goldrush Motel; a pregnant sky that will not bear rain lingers above us as we sink into a feeling of ‘comfortably numb’. Our duty this day is done with around 870 kilometres on the clock and all that remains for us is to go to the pub for tea and to return to bed and relent to the feeling.
Day 4 – Coolgardie to York (457km)
We wake up in Coolgardie safe in the knowledge that our crossing of the Nullarbor is nearly done. We had discussed the crossing of the Nullarbor, trying to understand why it means a lot to people of our demographic. It seems to us that crossing the Nullarbor is a big deal; is this because it was so hard in the past? Something to be discussed over beers.
We look around Coolgardie; an interesting town with fantastic remnants of a glorious past. Some of the buildings were amazing; monolithic even. These were interspersed with vacant blocks and embers of a dying community. We continue on again through bushland, passing a memorial to three truckies killed when overwhelmed by a bushfire.
Eventually, as we neared the town of Southern Cross, the bush gave way to arable land and the wheat belt. A stop for lunch in Merridin, a nice barbeque with Scotty’s Mums burgers being the central feature. We then got off the main road and headed down past Bruce Rocks and checked out Kokerbin Rock, the third largest monolith in Australia (Uluru is second, trivia buffs!). On after this again through wheat and a little stock country ‘til we arrived at York and Hector’s brother. It was great to feel welcome and sit down to a great roast meal; Scotty took the opportunity to shoot off to Fremantle to catch up with family there. We took the opportunity to check our rigging, charge our batteries and oil our gears before the push into Perth tomorrow.
We wake up in Coolgardie safe in the knowledge that our crossing of the Nullarbor is nearly done. We had discussed the crossing of the Nullarbor, trying to understand why it means a lot to people of our demographic. It seems to us that crossing the Nullarbor is a big deal; is this because it was so hard in the past? Something to be discussed over beers.
We look around Coolgardie; an interesting town with fantastic remnants of a glorious past. Some of the buildings were amazing; monolithic even. These were interspersed with vacant blocks and embers of a dying community. We continue on again through bushland, passing a memorial to three truckies killed when overwhelmed by a bushfire.
Eventually, as we neared the town of Southern Cross, the bush gave way to arable land and the wheat belt. A stop for lunch in Merridin, a nice barbeque with Scotty’s Mums burgers being the central feature. We then got off the main road and headed down past Bruce Rocks and checked out Kokerbin Rock, the third largest monolith in Australia (Uluru is second, trivia buffs!). On after this again through wheat and a little stock country ‘til we arrived at York and Hector’s brother. It was great to feel welcome and sit down to a great roast meal; Scotty took the opportunity to shoot off to Fremantle to catch up with family there. We took the opportunity to check our rigging, charge our batteries and oil our gears before the push into Perth tomorrow.