22nd of Feb to 14th of March - Perth to Cairns 5.500km

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22nd of Feb – Perth to Kalgoorlie, 620km

The road out of Perth took me an hour due to all those traffic lights and the speed limit of 60km/h. But once in the country side I went faster and faster…I tested first the speed limit of 110 and then I tried more…:-)

I discovered some problems with the fuel line between the standard and the extra tank. Also the bike used after the repair more fuel than before. Before I had an average of 5.5l/100km now it seemed to be 7.0l/100…? Additionally the fuel (empty) lamp comes too early. Hmm…all quite confusing.

In Kalgoorlie I asked in a Motel about the room price: 160$ w/o breakfast, of course. Are they crazy? I went further down the road to a camp ground and the unfriendly woman offered me a small site for 35$. I fixed the fuel line before it got dark.

In the night I heard the mining noise from the overburden excavators around this village. I saw a fascinating picture taken from the air where after the last row of houses the big hole starts. At 10pm I was in bed, there was nothing to do out there, at least for me.

23rd of Feb – Kalgoorlie to Laverton, 370km

At 6:20am I got up and prepared the moto and myself. The road was smooth and the cars and trucks got less even though one passes many gold and nickel mines. And then I reached the end of the tarmac and “end of civilization”: Laverton. 2 fuel pumps, 1 Diesel, 1 OPAL.

OPAL cannot be sniffed and that it is what the aborigines would do if unleaded fuel would be available. A truly sad story. Some of them hung around the “Desert Inn Hotel” (the name a perfect fit for this run down house), drunken, laying in the grass.

At the caravan park I met some workers, some loggers (I wouldn’t have thought of such kind of job out here) and a prospector preparing his gear for his next trip. I thought this is something out of the movies or something from 200 years ago…this guy told me that he makes his living from finding gold in the outback. Amazing. Sometimes he is out there in the nothing for 10 days. And all this men out here seem to quite happy in their men’s communities w/o women spending their lives in caravan parks or Motels.

At least my tent site cost 20$ only. In the one and only “store” I bought some supplies for my upcoming offroad trip, 1.130km to Yulara, Uluru, the Ayers Rock.
I didn’t know that here I would have my last beer. At 9:10pm I was in bed.

24th of Feb – Laverton to Warburton Aborigine Community, 570km offroad

At 5:50am I was up; that is living in the outback. The best time of the day is before 8:00am. Already at 8:30am the sun burns on you like hell. I guess in the daytime it was around 45°C, the horizon flickering…

The prospector :-)

The sun goes down at the a__ of the world :-)

When I packed my stuff for my trip into the outback my late arrival neighbors woke up in their tent as well. A Korean couple, he preparing his semi mountain bike and she preparing her scooter (!) with his help for the same trip, the Great Central road to Yulara. Unbelievable and I wonder if they ever made it…

I was just 20km ouside of Laverton on the gravel when all of a sudden a kangaroo jumped over the “road”…aha, here we are :-) And since no further animal crossed the road for the next 2 hours while the heat turned on I decided to accelerate more on the straight gravel in order to escape also the heavy corrugation: 145km/h I read in between on my clock, praying that no animal would cross.

Quickly I was at Cosmo Newbery Mission, a sign showing that no alcohol is allowed in this community.

The “petrol station” in the small village was closed even though it should have been open acc. to the opening hours put on the barricaded door. One guy working in his frontyard shrugged his shoulders and made a sign like flying, like a bird…whether he meant that the owner of the gas station flew out or he meant I should fly with my wings…? When I reached the Tjukayirla Roadhouse my fuel lamp burned already. Definitely the bike used now 1.5l/ 100km more than before. Not a good feeling on such abandoned roads.

Still early, I decided to continue to Warburton community another 270km. Flying over the gravel and sandy patches in between I made good progress and after 2.5h I reached my destination. The whole day I saw only one truck and two jeeps.

Before I reached the roadhouse I passed a junction and a sign on the right said that entering of the Warburton Community is forbidden for visitors. Hmm..

Very straight...

...and looking back somehow the same..

...some sand makes a change :-)

The one truck I saw. I had to take a pic :-)

The truck was a road train...53.5m max. long I read on the signs.

All fuel is locked up...

Broken cars on the Great Central every 10km. This one used as a sign.

The red sand goes everywhere

At the roadhouse the friendly owners locked up my motorbike in a huge garage because the day before some Aborigines came over the fence into the camp ground area looking for petrol (unleaded fuel) for specific purposes…

I felt a bit like being in a ghetto, I was not allowed to go there, they were not allowed to come here…but since there was anyway nothing outside to see or to do I stayed on my campground with my wildlife around me: bold peacocks hunting me for the seeds of my honey melon, a noisy pack of parrots on the power line above my head and a lovely cat which pulled every card to get attention. When she started playing with my tent I got angry and 3 times I chased her off. Well, she got her revenge when I was shocked from a “boom” on my tent which was at that moment in my back...she had jumped from a tree right on my tent. I am sure that she knew exactly what she was doing…so cute.

25th of Feb – Warburton to Kata Tjuta (Mt Olga), Uluru and Yulara, 600 km

At 5:30am I was up and I started early into the desert. However I was half an hour to late at the junction to Docker River. I didn’t know that the fuel pump was operated Saturday’s only until 12am. Because I didn’t know that the store was closed already I made my turn from the bulldust sand into the village. At least one can drive here into the Aboriginal Community because of the store and fuel pump…an experience. The white man provided houses but this is not their lifestyle…the Aboriginals were sitting in groups on the floor or in the grass in front of their house playing cards or whatever. They gazed at me but only for seconds then I was uninteresting for them. Mess and dirt everywhere, the houses run down…

A hundred kilometers before at the Warrakurna roadhouse the tenant from New Zealand told me about the lovely people living in the outback. He meant it. At Warrakurna was also a big sign pointing out a 1000$ fine for entering the community falsely. The white man is the problem not vice versa. He commented also one Aboriginal who said in the local radio: We have a shop here in our community, so we don’t go hunting anymore, so there is nothing to do…

It is a complete parallel world – I never “experienced” something similar with other native folks.

The corrugation filled with bulldust (sand, fine as water filling any dent or pothole) kept me busy for the next 50km when the landscape got more interesting. I passed some mountains and then Mt Olga appeared at the horizon. Fascinating… after all this nothing. I made a foto before I reached the tarmac again after 1.200km.

All of a sudden I was back in civilization: buses filled with tourists visiting Kata Tjuta and Uluru (Ayers Rock). The high point or better a slap in the face was a parking area only for bus tours with dining tables prepared with table cloth and champagne glasses with view on the Ayers Rock for the sunset. I cruised around the rock and found some lonely places where I back-pedaled…

26th – rest in Yulara

First I wanted to continue my journey the next morning but when I woke up I felt so exhausted that I decided to take a day “off”. After long consideration I finally purchased the internet voucher: 25 $ !! Burning heat outside I spent most of the day in a restaurant working on the internet. In the evening I met a guy from Papua New Guinea who lives already 25 years in Australia and he told me that Alice Springs has the highest murder rate per capita in the world. One stabbing per week amongst the Aborigines and the government tries to hide the facts in order to avoid any impact on the tourism. Did I want to go there tomorrow?? :-)

Yippie: Change!

First views of Mt Olga

..and back on the tarmac...and to civilization.

First view on Ulara (Ayers Rock). And the good thing is when you come from the outback you don't have to pay the park entrance fee of 25 $. :-)

27th – Yulara to Alice Springs, 460km

Afraid of snakes? Well, yes I am. So every morning I “empty” my boots which I have to leave in front of my tent. This morning I did as well and I saw a movement in my inner shoe. I shook again and this thing tried to hide inside. When I shook again a bit harder a mouse jumped out and ran over the street. Poor thing, I guess she was close to a heart attack.

After 50km on the tarmac I saw a sign to Kings Canyon and I took a left turn. I knew from the map that after approx. 50km an offroad track, the “Giles Highway” should take off to the right meeting after 100km the normal road, the Stuart HW towards Alice Springs. The Giles track had nice sandy curves in between…very nice ride and no cars at all. It was a completely different feeling if one knows that such an offroad stretch is only 100km long instead of 1.200km.

At the horizon I saw already that there was “some” weather ahead. First it was nice to take photos of the grim changes of the approaching thunderstorm but then the whole thing turned into a nightmare (like in Mongolia). When the time between lightning and thunder was down to 4 seconds, I pulled off the road and tried to hide in a ditch (again), because there were only small bushes around me. While the heavy rain poured down and everything got dark around me the bike fell of its side stand because the ground turned into mud. I didn’t want to pick up the bike immediately coz of the heavy lightning around me. But when three cars passed and all of them made a u turn to check if I am ok, I got up + put it back on the side stand. Friendly people!

I arrived in Alice Springs and stopped at a petrol station and, fumbled at the fuel pump with my freezing fingers. I went inside, picked my wallet out of my jacket when I felt an acute pain in my wrist. A was stung by a bee.

While putting up my tent I got warm again. I walked the 2 km into the “town center”. Many Aboriginals on the street, shouting in anger (? you never know) and laughter everywhere. Somehow a pitiable sight.

Just walking around one sees scenes…many of the Aboriginals come with a taxi to the liquor shop. 500$ a week from the government and they carry most of it there. Of course there are also Aborigines who live a normal life, their own way or integrated in the white man’s world. But on the street one sees…

The best scene was when I was just about to enter a liquor store (also I go there:-), of course!) a minibus stopped beside me and the side door swung open: 6 Aboriginals in the back crawling out to purchase the booze and the driver in the front was a white man. That would have been a photo: The world changes :-)

Later while I smoked a cigarette in front of my restaurant one A took out a club which was a meter long (!) and went for another A group of three. Luckily a woman of his clan stopped the guy from hitting them. They did not even look at me. I was only 5m away.

Mt Connor with some wildlife :-) (parrots)

Definitely not shy and very much interested in my motorbike

What is he doing at the fuel station?

Giles "Highway"

The "development" of the thunderstorm..

28th – Alice Springs to Tennant Creek, 510 km

Just out of town the police was on the left hand side talking to a car driver and then - of course - they were behind me. 20km they followed me, perfect feeling. And I just waited for the moment when the light orchestra would turn on. Finally I got my signal, I pulled off the road and they made a breath test with me and blabla where I want to go, how long I would stay in Australia…I am sure they knew already all the details and had checked if I registered my bike etc. But they were friendly.

Tennant Creek…how did Mario call it: shit hole. Yep, something like this. An old lady told me in the evening that also here the rental prices went up due to mining projects which are just about to start.

Still at daylight I strolled through the deserted village and waited in front of the Sip’n Save in order to make a nice photo when they would come out with the booze in their arms…but then I saw some other people looking at me on the street… well, I thought, better not.

On the campground I was plagued by small ants. Because it rained heavily during the night they somehow entered my tent. They left me in peace but I found them in all my clothes, including my helmet. Again, the Laos feeling...tickling here, tickling there...

Westcliff...they claim that a lot of UFOs have been seen here...hmm..

29th - Tennant Creek to Mount Isa
Straight, straight, straight roads….so tiring. 650km never ending.

Somewhere one crosses the NT/ Queensland border (they mark a photo spot here…for what??)…no changes in the landscape. And then I fell asleep. Shit! It was only a second or two but I was gone. I woke up from the change of the motor sound because I let the throttle lose. Thanks god I was still on the road!!!

Mount Isa mining city greets with chimneys from far away and on the right hand side one passes by a couple of mines…uranium/silver I read somewhere.

Bush fires...nobody cares

Also the railway goes straight ahead :-)

1st of March - Mount Isa to Townsville, ~900km

When I woke up at 4:30am the air was humid. I packed my things and I was nearly ready when the heavy rain started. I carried all my stuff into the open kitchen + put my rain gear on.
Once out of Mount Isa I was on a nice road winding through the hills and it this time in the morning without traffic.

I arrived late in Townsville and I looked for a camp ground. I found one outside at the coast and I had my tent ready when it got dark. I bought 2 beers in a liquor store, walked to the beach and cheered to myself: I made it from the west to the east coast of Australia.

The beer tasteless and I had a bad night with stomach cramps and pain...whether from the food in the daytime or from the tab water. My guess was on the water. I took some tablets, filled a plastic bottle with hot water, wrapped it in my jeans and found out in the morning that I burned my skin. I doubted that I could drive the next day but at around 7:00am the pain eased away and I slowly packed my stuff.

2nd of March - Townsville to Cairns, 380km

I took my time and acc. to Mario’s suggestion I took a left turn from the highway towards Mission Beach. In heavy and now tropical rain I drove along the coastal line. Would have been beautiful with nice weather.

I sipped a cappuccino in the Bingil Bay Café run by a German from Bitburg. This world is small.

At 5pm I arrived in Cairns and found the house of Mario and Yvonne where I would stay for the next couple of days. The lovely couple we met back in Cambodia invited me…

2nd of March to 14th of March - Cairns

Yvonne and Mario live in "paradise", Cairns One Appartments. The whole condo area is made like a 5 star beach resort...with pools, whirlpool, tennnis court, barbeque and rest areas.