Australia 4
Melbourne (03-09-2003) till Brisbane (XX-10-2003)
Unfortunately we haven't written our English travelreports about Australia. The pictures of this period are available however and you can see them below to have a small impression about the last leg of our Worldtrip. Also there are brief updates written between the photos.
Click for larger imageRoute from Melbourne to Brisbane; 03-09-2003 / 13-10-2003
Click for larger imageOh, what a night (and what a bike)
Click for larger imageScenic Beechworth
Click for larger imageA stranded Old Darling
Click for larger imageBush-walking with Peter
Click for larger imageI wanna take my helmet off; Ed help me!
Click for larger imageSnow in Australia?
Click for larger imageEnjoying the unexpected snow
Click for larger imageSnowball-fighting
Click for larger imageEd has finally met the Pacific Ocean
Click for larger imageReady for a dive
Updated: 11 September 2003
Marie Louise has left us now and saying goodbye after a nice time together was hard. But there wasn't much time to think about it as Ed arrived two days later already. We treated Jeannettes bike with a new rear tyre but we weren't rewarded as she didn't want to start at all occasionally. After several inspections we found out there was a broken wire at the ignation keys. We temporary solved it now... finally!
We left Melbourne and visited Peter & Sue in Beechworth, who we met in Vietnam. We crossed the Great Dividing Range through Kosciuszko National Park through the snow and enjoy the sight of people skiing down the slopes. The temperatures on the coast were warmer and we enjoying a little relaxing on the coast. No bathing however.
Brisbane, and with it the end of our trip. We are looking forward to it but in the meantime we are not forgetting to enjoy the last bit!
Click for larger imageAnother electrical problem has to be solved
Click for larger imageSydney Harbour Bridge
Click for larger imageSydney Harbour
Updated: 17 September 2003
Canberra was quite disappointing to be and very cold as well. So we continued after a very brief visit to wards Sydney which we likes very very much. The weather is nice (finally!) here something we were really looking forward to. Of course have we already visited the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. But there's so much more to see here so we stay some more days. We also have to visit some friends, so probably time's flying away here. We take Ed with us all the way up to Brisbane as he has managed to reroute his ticket by occupying the last available seat in the plane. He had a great time riding on Jeannette's bike through downtown Sydney.
Click for larger imageHow NOT to handle a fully loaded bike
Click for larger imageOzzie Showtime
Click for larger imageAgain, another time Martin had to repair the F650GS
Click for larger imageEnjoying the sunset at Hawks Nest
Updated: 06 October 2003
We left Sydney riding through the Blue Mountains working our way up to Queensland. Jeannette's bike had some electrical problems again but fortunately we could finally fix the problem caused by a partly failing alarmunit while staying a couple of days at David & Cheryl Laing's place. Together we conquered the highest motorable road in North India. This delay made Ed taking a bus back to Brisbane as he had a flight home to catch. At the Gold Coast it was really pooring down so we gave it a miss. So we have arrived back where we started our trip in Australia: in Brisbane.
This means that we have finished our trip through Australia. Not only our trip through Australia but also our whole trip. This means that after more than 3.5 years and 143,000 kms. we are going back home. The only thing left is to arrange the shipping of the bikes back to Holland. We still can't really believe it's finally there as we are still so used to travelling. But reality will set in soon.
Click for larger imageCrating the bikes
Click for larger imageWayne's saying of 'Goodbye' with style
Click for larger image...where we finished our trip in style
Posted by Martin Rooiman at
05:11 AM GMT
Australia 3
Kulgera (11-08-2003) till Melbourne (03-09-2003)
Unfortunately we haven't written our English travelreports about Australia. The pictures of this period are available however and you can see them below to have a small impression about the last leg of our Worldtrip. Also there are brief updates written between the photos.
Click for larger imageRoute through South Australia to Melbourne; 11-08-2003 / 03-09-2003
Click for larger imageCrazy Drivers!
Click for larger imageCoober Pedy
Click for larger imageMore than words can say
Click for larger imageTogether and never alone
Updated: 16 August 2003
Uluru (Ayers Rock) and Kata Tjuta (Olga's) were a must see but a little bit disappointing. Kings Canyon was much better. Leaving Ulura the weather turned nasty and we drove along a pitch black thunderstorm. The temperature dropped to 10°C (Max!) and driving down South it didn't got better. We were lucky with the rain however but even dressed like onions (multiple layers clothing) we were freezing. Problem in the outback is that there is no coffee-stop every 50 kms. The heated handlegrips were fully on... and Jeannettes ones were even melting. We managed to get to Adelaide were we take a brake to get back to temperature and buying even more clothing before heading South to Melbourne.
Click for larger imageWe were not singing in the rain
Click for larger imageJust to do make things simple
Click for larger imageDon't change my story!
Click for larger imageStop, look and push your bike and then ride again
Click for larger imageGreat Ocean Road (Bay of Island)
Click for larger imageMum, don't take a picture with my motor gear still on!
Click for larger imageWhat about my fancy clothes!
Click for larger imageLittle girls grows so fast
Click for larger imageThey were hughes!
Click for larger imageMelbourne
Updated: 31 August 2003
Leaving Adelaide was promising as the sun was out... but not for long. Clouds were blowing over our heads as we drove south along the coast. The strong wind and the lack of sun made it a cold trip but we were warmly dressed. The Great Ocean Road was, as expected, one of the nicest roads we drove in Australia and is probably even nicer in summer. Marie Louise joined us on our leg from Adelaide to Melbourne. She too liked the Great Ocean Road, but mainly because of all the nice surfable waves she saw and people floating on their surfboards, but she could resist the temptation to join them in the chilly water.
We took the ferry crossing 'The Rip' which connects the Port Phillip Bay with the ocean. Cruising along the Bay we saw the skycrapers of Melbourne appearing across the bay. We ended up in a nice place in St. Kilda close to the city center. The next days we spent exploring Melbourne including the nice zoo. Unfortunately is Marie Louise leaving us tomorrow already but Ed, a good friend of us, is arriving two days later already to join us for three weeks.
Posted by Martin Rooiman at
05:11 AM GMT
Australia 2
Camooweal (28-06-2003) till Kulgera (11-08-2003)
Unfortunately we haven't written our English travelreports about Australia. The pictures of this period are available however and you can see them below to have a small impression about the last leg of our Worldtrip. Also there are brief updates written between the photos.
Click for larger imageRoute through Northern Territory; 28-06-2003 / 11-08-2003
Click for larger imageThe Australian Outback
Click for larger imageSome moments in life you can't describe
Click for larger imageThe Australian Outback
Click for larger imageYou have to do something for a nice place to sleep
Click for larger imageAn Australian Bush-fire
Click for larger imageEverything was not under control
Click for larger imageA Gorge at Katherine National Park
Click for larger imageMartin with a canoe full of water
Click for larger imageThe strange shape of a Boab tree
Click for larger imageLake Argyle in Western Australia
Click for larger imageTogether with Robert, Eric and Willie
Click for larger imagePhil and his 29 year old Ducati
Click for larger imageThe Wangi Falls in Litchfield National Park
Updated: 15 July 2003
We have just arrived in Darwin and leave the bikes untouched for a couple of days to give the bikes and riders both some rest they needed desperately (especially the riders). We tried to avoid the highways as much as possible which is sometimes impossible. We enjoyed the rough camping under the stars and among the cattle. We visited Lake Argyle just over the border in Western Australia and that's as far west as we go. On the way to Darwin we met Rob van Leeuwen, a Dutch overlander on a BMW R1100GS and Eric & WIllie again. After our rest here we're slowly heading down South... toward the colder areas of this country.
Click for larger imageSome men likes playing in the sand
Click for larger imageThe Cahill River crossing into Arnhemland
Click for larger imageJeannette and Martha (my little prinses)
Click for larger imageTim and Michelle were our resqueing Angels
Click for larger imageIt keeps Martin off the road
Click for larger imageA Crocodile with a good appetite
Click for larger imageA nightmare what supposed to be a beautiful day?
Click for larger imageIt was time to go home
Click for larger imageOn top of a Devils Marble
Click for larger imageThe start of a new day
Click for larger imageIt was if we were back on Sumatra
Updated: 1 August 2003
In Alice Springs we decided to take a short break before heading down further South. Darwin turned out to be full of cricket fans who had taken all the hotel rooms, so we had to leave after two days already. In Kakadu NP we had a good time except for witnessing a collision between two cars right in front of us. We experienced the 'laid back' mentallity of the Australian Police which especially Jeannette as an former Police Officer condemned. The long trip South was far from boring but we were happy to enjoy the comforts of civilatsation again, so we are not in a hurry to leave here.
Click for larger imageA Thorny Little Devil
Click for larger imageWe could not believe our eyes
Click for larger imageThe Kings Canyons
Click for larger imageUluru rock
Click for larger imageKata Tjuta
Click for larger imageDark clouds above us
Posted by Martin Rooiman at
05:11 AM GMT
Australia 1
Brisbane (03-05-2003) till Camooweal (28-06-2003)
Unfortunately we haven't written our English travelreports about Australia. The pictures of this period are available however and you can see them below to have a small impression about the last leg of our Worldtrip. Also there are brief updates written between the photos.
Click for larger imageRoute through Queensland; 03-05-2003 / 28-06-2003
Click for larger imageYour best friend
Updated: 05 May 2003
We finally arrived in Brisbane to start the Australian leg of our trip. The bikes were thoroughly cleaned and then Martins bike didn't run anymore. Martin spent a day cleaning every connector from water but to no avail! Finally the BMW-dealer picked up the bike and after another long search they found the cause in a defective sensor (Hall-sensors). Shipping the bikes was easy as we could roll them on a pallet.
In Brisbane we learned upon arrival that this Monday was a public holiday so we have to pick up the bikes tomorrow from the airport. In the meantime we are doing some sightseeing in downtown Brisbane and enjoy the hospitality of Wayne & Kerry’s place although they are in Europe now but we will drop by again when they are back home.
Click for larger imageMister Mark himself
Click for larger imageThe view over the Glass House Mountains
Click for larger imageMy name is Graham and I love a tourist for desert
Click for larger imageSo much in common with Bill Bryson
Click for larger imageMartin his big surprise
Click for larger imageThe Imperial Hotel at Ravenswood
Click for larger imageIn the middle of nowhere
Click for larger imageIf you don’t know where you are going, you always get there
Click for larger imageThe result of fighting with a bee
Updated: 22 May 2003
After arriving in the Tableland Mountains just outside Cairns we take a brake for a couple of days. The area here is so different compared to the rest of Australia. It's very green and there are even small lakes where you can swim without having to worry about attacking crocodiles. Australia is so completely different to New Zealand that we only now slowly starts to get used to it. The distances are huge (it takes us an hour to cover 1 cm. on our map) and the sceneries are not changing that much. But on the other hand did we see already quite a bit of the Ozzie wildlife. Martin had already his first accident when he hit a bee which made his left eye almost disappear and it looks really ugly, however Jeannette still claims she loves him. She also faced the consequences of corrugated gravel roads when her bike suddenly completely died because the battery got disconnected. Needles to say we have a ball of a time here.
Click for larger imageJeannette at the Elinjaa Falls
Click for larger imageMy first river crossing
Click for larger imageWho will decide what is right or wrong
Click for larger imageDid someone mention the word CROCODILE?"
Click for larger imageBack to the Stone age in the year 2003
Click for larger imageAll alone in the big world
Click for larger imageThe Smelter at Chilligoe
Click for larger imageGlad to be back on asphalt
Click for larger imageLooking at the bright side of the road
Click for larger imageThe Australian Road train
Click for larger imageA Black Phyton is warming up
Click for larger imageWillie was showing Martin the beautiful moon
Click for larger imageThe residents of The Gregory Riverbed
Click for larger imageMastering at Gregory down’s camp draft
Updated: 24 June 2003
We tried to conquer Cape York but we failed as there was too much soft sand. No fun, especially when you have to drive down the same road! Instead we headed west to the Gulf of Carpentaria. We like this area very much and don't mind a couple of gravel roads; you have to as most roads are gravel roads. We loved the remoteness of Gregory Downs where we stayed almost for 2 weeks in a riverbed. Lawn Hill NP was beautiful with it's gorges where we canoed through. In Gregory Downs they had their annual campdraft which was nice to see. We had an marvelous time but we're glad to be back in Cloncurry. Although a tiny village it is civilization to us and the opportunity to have a nice hot shower again and get ourselves and the bikes prepared for the next leg through Australia.
Click for larger imageThis is the view while we did some rough camping
Posted by Martin Rooiman at
05:11 AM GMT
Johnsons Trip
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