Off we go.

                            Alice Springs, Uluru, Mt Isa Trip 2014- 3 Men on their Motorbikes

Following an invitation from Ian Hope before Christmas I signed up for an incredible journey through the centre of Australia which highlighted how travelling on a motorbike offers a marvellous way to see so much in a short time.

The following is based largely on a brief diary of the trip, kept by one of my fellow riders (David Hawker.   In 16 days I covered 6,400 kms travelling through 4 States and the NT -  through NSW, Victoria (briefly) then South Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland, and back through western NSW. The other two travelled different distances - we each started and finished at our separate homes, and the other two also included in their ride a diversion to Uluru and back again to Alice Springs.

Friday 9th^th May: Collected bike from local Suzuki dealer, where it had been undergoing a transmission repair which had been a major worry – would the bike be ready in time? Would it be reliable for the trip? Eventually had bike packed and ready to go but not until late afternoon – finally set off at about 5:30pm, already dark and rain threatening, but I was keen to make a start. Ian (our leader) had begun earlier from Wagga, but I figured I would catch the other 2 riders at Woomera on Sunday. Had an uneventful (dry) ride in the dark to Deniliquin (200km) and checked in to a motel there for the night. Discovered a peeled-off sole on one boot – found some superglue at a service station and repaired the boot OK. Before the repair it looked like one of those jokey shoes worn by a clown!

Saturday 10^th: Awoke to the sound  of gentle rain. How nice. Set off early and refuelled on the outskirts of Deni before heading west. This was to be a long day – Moulamein, Balranald, Mildura, Renmark, finally in Morgan on the Murray River for the night. Refuelled about every hour and a half, and by the time I reached Mildura the rain had stopped. The Riverland is so beautiful, together with long spells of Mallee country, and I have never seen it looking better.

Ian would have been a bit ahead of me today, and he met David (who came from his home, Apsley, in Western Victoria) at Clare in South Australia, where they spent the night with friends.