After the Vietnam trip I had an itch that would not go away (No not that sort of itch!!)

I realised that despite any minor incidents or perceived hardships the ride was something that I would never forget, the adventure of riding in unknown places, the adrenaline rush when facing potential danger, the challenge of pushing myself again, in other words living on the edge and loving life, these were feelings I hadn’t experienced for years and I realised that I missed them.

Self-analysis completed it was time to find the cure, but what? Many discussions took place and ideas were put forward, but as is the case for most of us there was always something getting in the way, work, family commitments, life in general. I began to realise that the only way I was going to be able to do another ride was on my own. With this realisation came the excitement, the only thing stopping me now was myself. It was time to stop procrastinating and start doing!!!

Sometime in 2017 I decided that for my next mission I was going to ride around Australia on National Route 1. I had tentatively looked at how quickly others had done it and how many had completed the journey solo and unassisted. There was a variety of information but very little about solo unsupported motorcyclists so I started telling people I intended to “Go for a quick ride around Oz”

The talk went on and for a while it just seemed like talk, until suddenly on 29th June 2017 I walked into a Perth based Triumph dealership JCS motorcycles, where I ordered a new Triumph T100 Black. 

At that stage neither Deb’s (my wife) or I had any real idea about using this adventure to raise funds, but after talking to friends who thought it would be a fabulous idea Deb’s set up a cause page on the morning of my departure. My first message from Deb’s was to advise me of the cause page in aid of PYMS (Peel Youth Medical Services) to raise funds and awareness for Youth Mental Health. She also mentioned the fact that the wonderful people of Mandurah had already donated nearly $500. That was it, I knew that I had to put up or shut up, this ride was going to be completed within those 16 days.

Midnight 10th October saw me driving to Perth airport to collect Deb’s & Sally (our daughter) who had just flown back from Queensland. This gave me a couple of hours to do last minute checks then it was off to Mandurah police station to record my departure at 0430hrs where a group of crazy people had gathered to wish me ‘Bon Voyage’

Day 1 – As I pulled away from Mandurah police station I suddenly had a rush of emotions, no more talking or speculation this was the real thing. The buzz was incredible, now it was just me, the bike the open road and whatever came my way. My first stop was Dongara for fuel then again Geraldton and again Cervantes, I pushed on until somewhere near Nanutarra Roadhouse I decided to pull over and stop for the night. With 1,324klms on the clock I felt good, rolled out my swag and slept like a baby.

Day 2 – What a surprise, as I pulled in to the Nanutarra Roadhouse for fuel I was surrounded by peacocks, it was the first time I had ever seen a white peacock, so after refuelling I had to make time for a quick photo and then push on again, Karratha, Port Hedland, Pardoo were now behind me but as dusk was approaching the Roo’s were gathering on the roadside, so as I approached Lagrange I knew I had to stop just short of my target Broome. Still 2259kms in two days I was ahead of my 1,000kms target and happy.

Day 3 – After making an early start I had soon swept past Broome, a quick fuel stop and coffee at the Roebuck Plains Roadhouse and I was on my way again. By midmorning the heat had become intense the thermometer was showing 39 degrees but it felt a lot hotter, I had to keep the visor down because the air felt like a hairdryer, then I found an excuse to stop, the Giant Boab Tree.

I promised myself “just 5 minutes for water and a photo” then it was on the road again. By Midday I had reached Fitzroy Crossing, time for more water and the briefest of rests, with the temperature now registering at 43 degrees I climbed back on the bike determined not to stop again until I had reached Halls Creek.

By mid-afternoon I had reached the fuel station at Halls Creek, I really wanted to get out of the sun for a while but as Kununurra was my target I had to push on.

By late afternoon the heat had won, common sense told me to call time on the day so somewhere past the Ord River the I found a rest area on top of a hill that promised some shelter and maybe a breeze, slightly disappointed because I had let my target slip below the 1000kms, still a good sleep and I would be ready to go again.

Day 4 – The Victoria Highway and the weather was spoiling me, high 40’s and a constant hairdryer in my face, it was tough going and I found myself stopping every hour for a water break. Fortunately I had plenty of water, running out of fuel or a puncture was the real worry. With Kununurra finally behind me I was into the Northern Territories and the 130kph zone. Katherine was my intended target for the day.

Northern Territories tradition the heat was so intense that despite frequent water stops I was struggling with dehydration and sunburn. As dusk approached and with less than 800kms clocked up, in the middle of nowhere I saw a fuel station that had a bar with cold beer.
Once again I had failed to reach my 1,000Kms per day target, that night as I lay in my swag I vowed to make a serious effort the following Day.

Day 5 – First light saw me on the road and Katherine was soon behind me, pleased with the progress I could see the smoke of a bushfire ahead. As I approached, I could see the flames running alongside the road, now was the time for the Go Pro that was stuck on my helmet. Without stopping I reached up and pressed the record button fully focused on the fires raging along the roadside. Suddenly there was a vortex of fire fully 15′ wide and 50-60′ high right near the roadside, Just as I reached the point of no return the vortex spun into the road, I had no choice but to hang on and ride through a swirling mass of flames and burning debris.

Buzzing with excitement at what I had just experienced and the thoughts that I had just captured a you-tube blockbuster I pulled over as soon as it was safe so that I could review what I thought would be some epic footage only to discover that it hadn’t recorded!!! That was it, end of the Go Pro!!

Still bitterly disappointed with my camera skills I continued down the Stuart Highway until I arrived at Daly Waters, where I stopped for fuel and a bite to eat. I decided to check with the local garage regarding the road conditions on the Carpentaria Highway, this turned out to be a wise decision as I was told that a freak rainstorm had turned parts of the road into a mud bath so trying that route on a bike would be “Fu##ing Stupidity” With that local knowledge and advice ringing in my ears I headed south towards Highway 66 to Mt Isa.

Somewhere on the tablelands I crossed over into Queensland, five days and I was into my third state, pleased with my efforts but knew I had to push on. Suddenly I could see this solitary column in the distance, then large mining machinery, I had made it to Mt Isa. On auto pilot I entered the town and almost ran a red traffic light. after some 1,300kms I was exhausted, it was time to stop, shower and sleep.

Day 6 – Setting off at first light I was determined to reach the coast with Townsville my ultimate target, endless miles of flat open road and scorching heat, things were getting really sore, but hey this is what I signed up for!! With nearly 1000kms clocked up I was starting to fade then suddenly it started raining, not just a few drops it was a real shower, refreshed I knew I could make Townsville.

Day 7- The morning rain had intensified; the news was that a tropical storm was hitting the Queensland coast and motorists had been told to avoid unnecessary travel. Sorry but this was a necessity, I headed south in torrential storms with visibility often dropping to 50 meters, my target was Brisbane. After some 12 hours of fighting I was somewhere between Rockhampton and Gladstone and knew I had to stop. Soaked to the skin and exhausted I slept under the shelter of a roadside fuel station.

Day 8 – As the darkness receded I got ready to ride again, I was still cold, wet and tired from the previous days riding and looking at the sky I knew that I was in for a repeat of the previous day, rain and more rain. but I pushed on knowing that if I made it to the Sunshine Coast a good friend was waiting to offer me sanctuary for the night. Late that afternoon after some 23 hours of storms and only 1430kms of riding I rode into the quiet suburb of Willowvale on the Gold Coast, where after a hot shower, and a hot meal all I needed was a good sleep while my clothes finally got a chance to dry out.

Day 9  – I wanted to make an early start but Ray’s wife Christine would not allow me to leave without a “Proper Breakfast” so after a huge feast of eggs, sausage & bacon washed down with several mugs of tea it was time to move out. The gold coast was bathed in sunshine but I knew that a second front of rain was waiting for me just down the road.  Although the second front was not as savage as the previous day the weather was still atrocious, after a late start despite my best efforts to make up time I had only travelled some 540kms by nightfall, soaked to the skin I booked a room at a small hotel near Port Macquarie. With the AC on maximum temperature and with my clothing hanging from every available point my room soon looked like a Chinese laundry, but I didn’t care I was warm and dry and so slept like a baby.

Day 10 – The following morning, I woke to blue skies and sunshine the front had passed and my clothes were dry again, no excuses I had to ride hard to make up lost time. That’s what I did, even the midday traffic in Sydney couldn’t slow me down, I desperately wanted to stop for a photo of the bridge but I was on a mission and wanted to clear the city traffic as quickly as possible, fuel and go was the order of the day until some eleven hours and 1,000kms later I had made it to Eden on the southern edge of the NSW / Victoria border. I called a halt next to the Eden Motel where after a good feed and a couple of cold beers I settled for the night.

Day 11 – Eden I set off early as my target was to cross the state of Victoria and reach the South Australia border. As I rode down the Princes Highway there was a chill in the air and pockets of low-lying ground mist that made my morning ride cold and quite eerie. As I crossed the NSW/Victoria border into Gippsland the panorama was awesome, endless miles of forests and twisty roads a biker’s dream, so many fantastic places to stop and enjoy the scenery, but I had a mission to put miles on the clock. Then a few miles outside of Cann River it happened, the biker’s nightmare .. a roo decided to break cover and bound across the road in front of me, in slow motion I hit the brakes and desperately tried to avoid a collision, it was a near miss, a very near miss. Concerned at my lethargic reactions I pulled over and stopped, it was then that I realised, I was totally covered in a layer of thin ice, the mist was in fact some form of freezing frost. I was so glad to stop a few miles on for a coffee and a chance to defrost. Typical of Pushing on I was amazed at the number of bikes on the road then it dawned on me, it was the Philip Island races. As dusk approached, I pulled into Warrnambool just a few kms from the SA border.

Day 12 –First light and on the road, my target was Port Augusta. Stopping only for fuel and a macca’s I pushed on, the 1000kms barrier passed somewhere in the middle of nowhere then I had to stop for a photo of the biggest lobster I had ever seen !!
Nightfall saw me pulling into Port Augusta, another good day of riding. Tomorrow I would tackle the Nullarbor!!!

Day 13 – AUGUSTA Daylight saw me in the saddle and pushing hard I was determined to make the WA border by nightfall. that nearly didn’t happen as an eagle decided to take flight in front of me, head butting one of those big birds at 120kms an hour nearly had me off the bike. That evening and 1150kms saw me in Mundrabilla Roadhouse the place with 3 different time zones, tired and sore but glad to be back in WA

Day 14 – Mundrabilla Even though I knew it was a tall order my target destination for the day was Albany, I knew it was over 1300kms I was determined to have a go. The biggest temptation came at Noresman, turn right to Perth and I could be home in a few hours, but of course Esperance was the opposite way. Turning left I headed to Esperance. As I rode along the south coast the sun was in my eyes and I knew it was getting dangerous so having achieved a good 1,000+kms I called a halt at Ravensthorpe.

Day 15 – Ravensthorpe After grabbing a couple of hours sleep I was on the move again, I was on the final leg of the journey and didn’t want to wait for sunrise. With Albany behind me the weather decided to give me one last treat, the temperature dropped, the rain started falling and a savage cross wind pushed me every inch of the way until Bunbury. It didn’t matter with a hundred kms to go nothing was going to stop me, and besides there was a reception party waiting for me at Mandurah Police station.

Suddenly it was over, 14,371kms and 15 days later I was back in Mandurah, a little tired and sore but mission accomplished. When people asked me how it was all I could reply was AWESOME.

Will I ever do it again…. Wait and see

Will I want to do it again..  You Bet