Oz Trip – Early planning
 

Hello fellow riders

My wife and I are thinking once our NZ adventure is over that we may start to venture further a field??

We are currently thinking about OZ to start our overseas experience in.
We will probably look at riding a couple of DR650 bikes (one each) and modify them before we get over there, and then ship them to Melbourne (the reason for this is I have a brother there and can use his place as a base for a couple of weeks)

Then it’s off onto an OZ adventure….
We are keen on adventure riding, you know off the black stuff and into the dust 
I would be keen on tracks such as the Simpson Desert and the like, so are welcome to suggestions
We would look at getting the bikes over in July this year and going from there
Ideally we would like to do it on a low budget (camping etc) and maybe work as we go.
We want to get to Ayers Rock, Perth and as far North as possible, we don’t care too much on how far we ride each day and how long we are at each stop. We wont be in too much of a hurry and could stay for 6 – 8 months if need be to make the most of the seasons

I would love to tackle the Canning Stock Route, but in reality I don’t think we have the money or resources to pull this off, but this would give you a good idea of what we would like to do, and that is to get off the beaten track as much as possible, but at the same time ensure that we are well prepared for it!!

Any hints or tips would be gratefully received
We would also welcome any other riders that may be considering touring Oz at the same time, or that may already be there


Cheers

Drop me a line when you get closer
 

I can feel a thirst coming on!

Glen

Trip planning for Oz
 

Scott,There are plenty of great places to ride in Victoria, NSW and SA. Look into the Great Ocean Road and the Victorian high country. Plenty to see and do and not so far as CSR and Simpson, some parts of Vic and SA can feel equally as remote.I have just come back from Vic over the past two weeks, the wildfires are a problem but the place is great.Happy to help out if you are inclined.Chris

Good idea!
 

Having just returned from a 5-month Oz-trip and can fully support your choice ;-)

The Canning Stock Route seems to whizz around everybody's mind when planning Oz (so with me), but that's probably one of the tougher tracks re driving skills and fuel & water logistics. I believe the Simpson desert is easier to cross, but again - you've got to be bloody good at off-road riding.

Easier tracks are eg. the Oodnadatta and Birdsville Tracks, or around Tibooburra, Cameron Cnr, Innaminckia with IMO interesting landscape and real outback-feeling. Another highlight for me were the Kimberley Mts and the Bungle Bungles. Also fairly easy off-road riding in beautiful landscape. Waht I enjoyed very much as well was the Alpine region in the south-east, but sadly enough much of it was destroyed by the recent megafires.

I don't know how you will appreciate the Oz landscape - although having grown up in South Africa and thus being used to wide-open horizons, Oz is even more so. In the beginning, travelling up the west coast from Perth, I thought it rather boring (sorry you Oz guys ;-)), but the longer I travelled, the more I began to appreciate the vast open spaces, the emptiness and solitude! But you sure have to get used to it ;-)

Hans

Lonely planets 'Outback Australia' or some such - does a good coverage of most of the tracks.

It depends on what you’re into - I'd think hard challenging tracks would not be good .. Rather you'd want scenery .. take a look on (my very old) site for some stuff in the trips section as to what I've done .. The Gibb River road is good. Umm wide open spaces can be had on the main roads around Alice Springs. Errr Flinders Ranges is also good.

More tracks on http://www.exploroz.com/

July - winter .. head north as soon as possible ..

I had a good bash around Oz.

Fraser Island is hilarious. If you don't mind a bit of deep sand you'll be ok. If you do mind, don't go cos thats all there is. I had three days, but I could spend three weeks there I reckon.

Cape York is like another world, and as difficult or easy as you want it to be. There's a million places to get lost and into trouble, the wildlife is lke nowhere on the planet (really), the scenery is simply awesome and the riding could be the best you'll ever have. The flip side is that it's a bloomin long way to the top, and the main drag is a little boring. It would be top of my list again, I'd like to live Cairns way so I could get up there from time to time.

Simpson is fantastic and a real desert experience. You get a proper feeling of being thousands of K's from anywhere, because you are, but on the other hand, there was the saftey of knowing that a 4x4 would come by eventualy if you ran into trouble. I was on my own and got plenty of offers of water, and even a couple of offers of fuel from other travellers.

Gibb River Road is also fab, but much more tame. I wouldn't want to miss it out if I was up that way though, it's still an achievment and plenty of stunning scenery.

I enjoyed getting off road down the west coast to, there are some brilliant sandy dirt roads that cling to the back of the dunes. Not technical or difficult, just flowing and completely empty of tourists.

Again, deep soft sand is the order of the day, but if you like it I'd say that Steep Point is worth the effort. It's the most westerly point of the mainland and while there's plenty of people fishing out there, it's still relativly deserted.

The above places are simply small sample of a ridiculously huge continent. They are some of my highlights, but there's a thousand more. You could spend six to eight years in one state and still be adventurous, let alone six to eight months for the whole place.

Oz is riddled with tracks and trails. Best thing is to couple a small amount of common sense to an over active imagination and try to get some very local advice on the way.

Ooo, just thinking about it makes me want to do it all again.

Oz trip
 

Kiwirider,

We had a blast in Australia, taking in several known tracks, such as the Gibb, Great Central and the Oodnadatta, 2-up on our 1100GS.

However, there are also many lesser known or unnamed dirt roads which we really enjoyed. Using HEMA maps and a little imagination, you can seek out some top spots and great tracks with next to no traffic. National Parks are more often than not sited in great spots, with cheap camping.

Have a look at our blog: www.horizonsunlimited.com/tstories/hameandem and feel free to contact us if we can be of any help.

Have a good one, Hamish

Hey champs,

I will be scooting around that neck of the woods with a few mates at about that time. Our tentative setoff from Cobar around 3 August.

There will be me on a DR, and the rest will likely be GSs (suckers).

We will be doing something along the line of Cobar, Bourke, Tipoburra, Camerons corner, Innaminka, Cordilo Downs, Birdsville. Poepples corner, down to Gammon and Flinder Ranges, across to Mungo Lakes and home. Thats a couple of weeks and about 5000k.

If you are interested in joining us or would like some assistance let me know

rossco

Hi Kiwirider,

Just read your post, Ive just ridden a very similar type of trip there is quite a lot of info at Across Australia 2006 - XR650L's from Perth to Cape York we set up three honda xr650l's.

My bike is set up for very long range unsupported travel I want to complete CSR in July? 2007? Maybe we could team up if you are serious about CSR? or other dirt tracks?

Best of luck with your preparations & Regards,
Doug

Hi Doug

Where are you now? Still in OZ or back here in NZ?

I dont think I can manage July but could be keen after that?

Cheers Scott

Hi Scott,

I'm in NZ currently, based out of Auckland in between jobs. I'm doing a spot of mountaineering down south for a few weeks. I will be back in Cairns, QLD, Australia about the 25th April. My bike is over there and with a little luck I will find some full time employment in Oz. I should be living in Oz for about 1 year. Most of the rides I want to do are through the arid regions of Oz so they need to be done in winter about June-Sept.

Cheers
Doug

Hi Doug

Are you in OZ yet

We have delayed our trip at the moment (thanks to my daughter wanting to go to Norway instead)

So maybe 12 - 18 months before we go :(

Cheers Scott

Dunno how often Doug checks the interweb nowadays. Last time I chatted to him he was workin' out of Townsville, Australia. He's still got the XR running, was planning to re-build it for the CSR sometime next year I think.

He's contactable through the email on our website:Los Tres Amigos

Don't give up on Aussie yet, it's well worth it. Make sure you make the Birdsville Races for some fair dinkum outback fun.

I agree, the Birdesville Races is an outback event you will never forget. There are so many empty cans on the ground that they have to pick them up with an end loader every morning just so you can walk without tripping over. Well that's my excuse anyway! Nearly forgot to mention the Boxing Tent, a well run attraction with prempted with the beating of drums all about geeing up the potential boxers from the assembled crowd. It's well worth the drive, did it several times myself.

Glen