Ulysses Club - Clarence Valley Group

OUTBACK ON TWO WHEELS       A short story by Eric Eckert.

In the beginning, it was intended to be my second Ulysses A.G.M., which indeed it was, but after talking things over with my traveling pal Judy, it turned out to be much more. Since our group of riders was only taking two days to get to Mudgee, where the meeting and celebrations were to take place, stay two days there, and take a further two days to ride home, we considered this to be too short a holiday. We both studied a map for several days, and eventually came up with the idea of travelling on to Broken Hill, and return via Lightning Ridge, in time to be home for Easter to spend the public holidays with our respective families.

DAY 1.

On Thursday morning, the 3rd. of April 2003, 18 bikes assembled at our usual meeting place in South Grafton . It was a fine clear morning and the roads were dry, which resulted in ideal riding conditions. The 18 bike contingency consisted of 2 trikes, one of which was towing a trailer, 16 solo bikes, 2 of these also with trailers, and a car and trailer following up in the rear.

Our first stop was the Hefferon Lookout, halfway up the Gibralter Range, for a drink of water, and/or a fag, and to take in the magnificent view. Between there and our next designated stop at Glen Innes, one of the bikes had a flat rear tyre, but there were enough helpers to plug the leak, pump it up and get on the road again with a minimum of fuss. On reaching Glen Innes, we discovered one of the bikes had an electrical fault, which put it's head and tail lights out, but fortunately blinkers and stop lights worked O.K. We checked for the obvious things, like blown fuses or globes, then decided to get it looked at after the return journey, since there was no night riding intended on this trip. A cup of coffee was most welcome, as by this time the weather was deteriorating and it looked as though we would be riding into rain. Before leaving, we donned our wet weather gear in anticipation. Sure enough it rained and we rode through showers till we stopped at Armidale Airport, where we met with a couple from Coffs Harbour Ulysses. It was suggested then that we stop at Tamworth, for lunch, but somehow we split up into groups and the group I was travelling with rode on to Werris Creek and ate at a rather good cafe. Thankfully by now it had stopped raining.

We arrived at our pre-booked motel at about 3.30 P.M. after refuelling in town, ready for the next days ride to Mudgee. This was the same motel we had stayed at the previous year on our way to Mount Gambier and the proprietor greeted us like long lost friends,his wife put on nibblies and dips, and they then drove us into town to make that important purchase at the local pub. It was not the most pleasant of nights weatherwise, but , never the less, we had a ball. We sat around in groups, out of the wind, eating and drinking and in some cases renewing aquaintences, then our evening meal was spread out for us in a sheltered part of the motel complex. We ate our barbecued meal accompanied with all sorts of goodies [ I particularly liked the green apple salad] and wound up the meal with a delicious dessert. And so the night went on with some of the crowd remembering more jokes as the night progressed. To my delight, it was a very happy occassion and equally as entertaining as our previous 'first night' visit there. I turned in at about 9.30,  not before noticing 3 stars shining, the promise of a fine day to follow.

DAY 2. Friday.

Sure enough it was a fine morning and some of us went for a brisk walk before breakfast. After overeating the night before , I needed the exercise. By 8 ,  we had all eaten, packed our bikes, and were ready to hit the road again. We headed west to Premer,  then south to Coolah, where we stopped for morning coffee. There was a strong south-easterly wind blowing which was quite blustery at times but no rain and the road surface was pretty good. I remembered the scenery from the previous trip and once again enjoyed the ride immensely.

Excitement reigned as we got closer to Mudgee and saw dozens of bikes from all over Oz. Our speed picked up from Coolah to Gulgong and being a bit concerned about getting caught on radar, I eased off a bit on the throttle, having been given a caution last time I was caught speeding, not long after I bought the B.M.W.   I was somewhat relieved when we slowed down and rode more sedately from Gulgong to Mudgee. We had no trouble finding the A.G.M. registration point at the Tourist Information Centre and soon had our wrist bands on, and those of us who were camping at the showground, where the festivities and displays were to take place, were given stickers for our bikes, the number corresponding with our wrist band number. For the next 2 days these 2 numbers were checked against each other whenever we rode in or out of the showground.The camping area was packed, but somehow we all managed to find enough space to pitch our tents and park our bikes, without upsetting too many people. By this time it was midday and very hot and some of our Coffs Harbour friends,  who had arrived a few days earlier, lent a hand at setting up camp and keeping the cold drinks up to us. Once our camp was set up we made our way to the rally collection point, where we collected our bag of goodies,  including merchandise we had preordered months ago,  when applying for registration. Next move was to wander around inspecting the many displays and exhibitions taking place, meet up with old friends and of course make new friends as you do on these occassions.

In anticipation of a late night, I decided to have an afternoon nap,  so as not to be a party pooper that night. In some respects it was a good idea, but if I had not had that afternoon kip, I would probably have gone to bed earlier at night and not drank so much Mudgee red, which had the most unbalancing effect on me. The entertainment was first class, being performed by the "Wolverines" who played and sang a variety of songs and acted out the part in a very professional manner. The meal was very tasty, although the serving was a bit small, but never the less enjoyable. At my age I should have known to drink less, to compensate for insufficient "blotting paper", but instead I finished my second bottle of red , said my goodnights, and staggered back to fall into my tent, face first. I vaguely remember Judy removing my boots and pushing me into the tent, which substantiates what I have always said, that it is a great asset having an aged care nurse as a travelling companion.  Mudgee in April can get quite cold overnight, as 1 found out on my way to the toilet at 3A.M. but it was most amusing, walking between the rows of tents, listening to the harmonious sounds of snoring and other bodily noises being emitted from the tired party revellers. I wish I had taken a tape recorder. Perhaps I will next year!

DAY 3. Saturday.

I took a cold shower then enjoyed a continental breakfast and a couple of panadol tablets with some friends in one of the many food tents at the showground, then readied myself and my bike for the street parade, which was to commence at 9. Judy and I rode around trying to find Marie and Glen's [the couple who drove the car there] caravan park,  thinking they may like to ride pillion in the parade with us, but gave up in the end after being given a bum steer by some local residents [unintentionally I am sure]. All was not lost however, as we met up with 3 other bikes in our group and rode to the assembly point with them. It was exciting , watching all the bikes assemble for the parade, as some were decorated for the occasion and there were all makes and models mixed up together. The parade was led by local motorcycle police and was conducted in an orderly fashion as we passed thousands of spectators lining both sides of the streets. It was a delight to be a part of it all and to watch the happy smiling family groups enjoying the parade which finally came to rest at a sports field behind the tourist information centre, where we were directed into rows to park our bikes and mingle with the huge crowd of people awaiting the speeches and the drawing of the raffles.

The sound system left a lot to be desired which made the speeches difficult to hear , although I did hear Stephen Dearnley [old No. 1 ] quite clearly. He firstly greeted the huge crowd thanking us all for our participation then informed us that this was to be his last ride to an A.G.M., but assured us he would greet us at Geelong next year where the A.G.M. is to be held.

In drawing one of the raffles it was discovered that Tina ,one of the girls in our group, was one off winning a Honda Goldwing. She took it surprisingly well. I think had it been me I would have been more upset.

Not long after the formalities were over, we headed back to the showground for a bite to eat, inspect the displays and mingle again with our old friends and our new ones. A local photographer had been taking photos of the bikes arriving at Mudgee all week and by now had printed and mounted them and had them on display in sections indicating day, direction, and time of arrival making it quite easy to find your own shot. He used the steps of the grandstand to display them on which I thought was a pretty good idea.

An afternoon snooze seemed like a good idea to recharge my batteries in readiness for another nights partying, so I crawled into my tent and was soon in the land of nod. Once again at 6 P.M. we formed a long queue to the "tents", where the entertainment and dining were to take place. By the time we got inside, it was already packed ,but we managed to sit at adjoining tables alongside friends from Coffs Harbour group. I was determined not to drink to excess and a few cans of beer and a can of squash followed up by an enormous baked dinner, amongst good friends, resulted in a very pleasant evening. I walked around the various tables and spoke to some people I had met earlier in the day , then towards the dance floor to mingle with the huge crowd listening and watching the live band playing. As on the previous night, the music was great and the atmosphere easy to take in . So the night continued until I decided to call it a day, said my goodnights and went back to my tent at 10 P.M.—UNASSISTED.

DAY 4. Sunday.

I awoke to another crisp clear morning and enjoyed breakfast with a chap and his wife from Coffs Harbour who had owned heaps of bikes over the years including one like my present B.M.W. ,but he hadn't owned an Indian, which was my first love. After the tents had dried out from the heavy dew overnight, we broke camp and packed our bikes. Judy and I were amongst the last of our group to leave as we were only riding to Naromine that night and not headed for home. We had a last minute stroll around the stalls and much to my disgust, Judy bought a T shirt with a revolting expression on it. I figured this was her way of living up to our motto of growing old disgracefully. I made her promise not to wear it in my company back home.

Although we had an adventure ahead of us it was quite sad saying goodbye to our friends whose company we had both enjoyed for the past three days.

We called in at he house of an old chap in Mudgee who had a collection of old bikes we had got to hear about months before. We had difficulty finding his place but it was well worth the effort since he had about 10 bikes , some of which were almost the same models that I had owned, ridden , or was familiar with 50 years ago. He had them displayed in his garage and was delighted to see us and show them to us . I really felt sorry for him in one respect, in that he has a crook knee and is unable to ride any more. After a look at the bikes, Judy went in the house and had a chat to his wife while Les, the collector, and I discussed every single one at length and drooled over these old machines which were in immaculate condition and surely a credit to him. We spoke of some of the characteristics of the various models and it became obvious that we had a lot in common, except that I was not fortunate enough to keep all my old bikes as he had done.

By this time it was getting towards lunchtime so we reluctantly said goodbye , after leaving a copy of a story I had written last year of my motorcycle experiences which I am sure he could relate to, we left Mudgee and rode on to Gulgong where we had a "snack" in the local bakery come cafe. There were bikes everywhere in Gulgong and we got talking to some of the riders who agreed with us that the Mudgee A.G.M. had been a huge success.

We rode to Naromine that afternoon enjoying roads that were new to us and were told at the service station where we refueled of cheap accommodation just a short distance out of town adjacent to the airport. We had no trouble finding it and enjoyed a comfortable "cabin" with ensuite and a common kitchen / dining & lounge room. The lady proprietor was kind enough to let us use her private laundry , as by this time we were running short of jocks and socks. She suggested that we use the clothes dryer in the amenities block which was a commercial one and more efficient than hers.

While the clothes were drying we sat on the steps of the verandah sipping our Ulysses 20^a. anniversary port and snacking on smoked oysters and bickies whilst taking in the quietness of the area and watching the sun set on yet another perfect day. There is a lot to be said for the "happy hour".

Shortly after we had eaten tea we took the clothes out of the dryer and each folded our own ready to pack in the space bags for future use. I noticed a sticky white mess on some of my clothes and on investigation Judy discovered that her bra' had blown up . apparently it was on old one and the heat of the dryer had melted the elastic. We both had a good laugh and I told her she would have to ride the rest of the way "liberated", but she informed me she had a spare.

After watching T.V. in the communal lounge room which we had to ourselves , as there were no other guests, we turned in at 9P.M. to rest up for the big trip the following day.

DAY 5 Monday.                          

We awoke to the birds singing on a nice fine morning, breakfasted in the communal kitchen ,packed the bikes and departed  but not before thanking the proprietor for her hospitality and leaving a Ulysses "nurse in a million " calendar with her. She was delighted with it and told us that she often had Ulyssians stay there and invited us to call in on the way home from Broken Hill but we explained that we would not be returning by the same route.

On the Barrier Highway once again we stopped just out of  Trangie,  to photograph the bikes in front of the road sign,  indicating 647 Km. To Broken Hill. It was now 110 speed limit so now we could do some serious riding, although we did not intend getting there in one day. An hour or so later we stopped at Nyngan,  for Judy to refuel,  and we met up with 3 Ulysses riders from W.A. who had also been to Mudgee. We yarned for a while then found the post office,  where Judy posted some surplus clothing home to save carrying it. We were pretty loaded , and from past experience we knew we would need room for souvenirs we would be buying to take home, so space was important.

Pressing on, it was lunch time before we reached Cobar and stopped at the Tourist Information Centre for brochures and souvenirs, post cards etc. We got chatting to the guy working there and asked him if he knew of a good place to stay in at Wilcannia. He suggested a particular motel near the roadhouse that had been recommended to him,  which had a lock up compound for the bikes, so we thanked him and then stopped at a servo for fuel and a snack in the diner. We commented on the lack of emus we had seen and were told that the drought had thinned them out as there was not enough feed for them to exist on. We also had noticed that up till now there was surprisingly little "road kill" in spite of the vast area we had covered. There had not been many dead “roos,  and only a few sheep and wild pigs.

160 Km. Further on we stopped at a strange little roadhouse and fuel pump in the middle of nowhere called Emmdale .There is no village there , just the roadhouse with the bowsers,  locked up between use .It was a popular spot ,being the only fuel stop between Cobar and Wilcannia . We were glad to get back on the bikes and out of the place to avoid the swarms of flies. By now we saw a lot more road kill,  and a lot of half starved sheep roaming around,  as there didn't seem to be many fences to the road. The terrain didn't seem to change much until we were just out of Wilcannia,  where we crossed a flood plane with dried up clay pans and little or no vegetation, due to the fact that it had not rained there for months.

We were very disappointed with Wilcannia, it had a dilapidated and neglected look about it. We headed straight to the motel that had been recommended to us and were able to get a room for the night, which was quite a relief. The proprietors brother was baby sitting the motel while his brother was on holiday, but he couldn't have been more helpful. He told us the population was about 500 with 450 of these Aboriginal and the remainder whites, and he suggested we lock our bikes up in the compound next to the motel and behind the service station. The compound was locked up at 6 P.M. and unlocked at 6 A.M. the following day, and was guarded at night by 3 mean looking dogs. As much as I like dogs, I thought it best not to befriend these particular canines. After locking up the bikes and covering them just in case it should happen to rain, we walked around the corner to the roadhouse , ordered our meal and took it back to our motel room to eat. Whilst the girl behind the counter was Aboriginal and very pleasant, Judy encountered a young Aboriginal girl [I don't like the term indigenous] who asked her for money and was quite verbal when refused . Much to our relief we spent a quiet night without any disturbances.

DAY 6 Tuesday.

The compound was unlocked at 6 A.M. as promised and we rode the bikes around to outside our room where we could pack them up ready for the final leg of our journey into Broken Hill. In my excitement I forgot to take the padlock and chain off the front wheel of the Beemer and wondered why it was so difficult to drag out from where it had been parked. I stalled it twice before realizing what the problem was and all sorts of expensive thoughts ran through my mind thinking there was something wrong with the gearbox. I felt an idiot when I realized what I had done , but luckily there was no damage to the bike , only to my pride. We ate a light breakfast in the motel room , packed the bikes, including the aerogard, and were out of there by 8. 15  and headed for Broken Hill.

We had a fast ride by my standards to the Little Topar roadhouse about 50 K's from Broken Hill. Once again we stopped for fuel and a drink, and once again it was a relief to climb back on the bikes and put our helmets on to escape from the flies. Little Topar Roadhouse is a truck stop servo,  with bowsers locked up between sales, and a pub all rolled into one. It has quite a lot of outback charm and is an oasis in the middle of nowhere. Having been lent a map of Broken Hill,  we knew exactly where to go to find the caravan park that had been recommended to us on the Adelaide side of town,  but were disappointed with it in as much as the few campsites were just inside the fence from the main highway, there was not a blade of grass to be seen , and it would have been like driving the tent pegs into concrete. We had a quick conference and decided to try the Lakeside Caravan park on the Wilcannia side of town. This turned out to be very nice , well off the main road, with green grass to pitch our tents on, which we soon did before riding the bikes back into town for a bite to eat. We ate at a curbside table outside a bakery, then left the bikes there and walked further into the central business district, passing beautiful old buildings and a pleasant blend of old and modern shops. We casually walked on further and found the Tourist Information Centre and were bombarded with maps and brochures. It was some distance back to the bikes ,a lovely afternoon for a stroll and it allowed us to familiarize ourselves with the street names , named after the metals and minerals found in the mines. I remembered learning about Broken Hill at school a great many years ago , now I was finally here for 5 days which would give us a good chance to do some serious sight seeing. We found a supermarket and stocked up on groceries and drinks then rode back to camp for a rest and to read all about the area from the brochures we had received earlier that afternoon

Judy's nephew Wayne was to drive up from Adelaide to stay with us for 3 days and we did not expect him till about 10.30.that night, so to kill time we decided to eat out  t a pub and stay there for a while. We chose a pub that had a "Ulysses members welcome " sign displayed and had a few drinks in the bar before ordering a nice baked dinner , that was much better than the baked beans on toast we would have otherwise had back at camp. We returned to our new abode about 8  and managed to stay awake till 10.45 , when Wayne arrived.

We knew exactly where he was as he had sent us text messages on his mobile phone several times on his way from Adelaide, and Judy communicated with in the same manner. Oh for the miracles of modern technology!!

We all pitched his tent and helped him get his air bed pumped up by hand [or rather by foot, since it was too late to use the noisy electric pump on the bike. We turned in at 11.30 as it was trying to rain , and all slept well in anticipation of the days ahead.

DAY 7. Wednesday.

The camp kitchen was well equipped with gas stove, gas barby, fridge, and sink with hot and cold water, so we availed ourselves of these luxuries and ate our breakfast there. The camp was very well patronized, but those using the facilities worked in together as you do when on holidays. We met a young Dutch couple with 2 small children , and later became very friendly with them. When Judy commented that it was a pity the children would be too young to remember Australia, we were told that in Holland they would not be permitted to keep the children from school for an extended period to go overseas and they were getting their holiday in while the kids were young.

We had been doing our homework while waiting for Wayne to arrive the previous night and decided to visit Silverton;  just 25 Km. out of town. We all piled into Wayne’s car and set off on a road that had numerous dips, apparently to cope with the rivers that would form after heavy rain. Silverton was a thriving town in the mid 1880's with a population of 3000, but it has been reduced to a ghost town with only a handful of buildings and a population of about 50. In the old days it was the main source of mining for lead, silver and zinc before Broken Hill was established and when the minerals were depleted most of the buildings were transported by bullock team to Broken Hill. The buildings that remain are of stone construction and are fine examples of early Australian architecture. We had a good look at the old police station which has been converted into a museum depicting the early days of the area, the mining equipment and the hardships the early settlers endured.

Lunch at the Silverton pub was quite an experience as the same building has featured in many movie films over the years and is full of memorabilia to witness this. The "Mad Max 2" Car is parked outside to attract attention. Apart from this film , Priscilla Queen of the Desert, A Town Like Alice, and The Royal Flying Doctor service T.V.series are some that I can remember.

After lunch, Wayne drove us out to a lookout not far out of Silverton and from there we witnessed vast areas of desert with the Barrier Mountain Ranges in the distance ., a truly magnificent sight.

We returned to camp mid afternoon and spent the rest of the day lazing around and talking to neighbours and comparing what we had seen so far. We met up with a Ulysses couple from Kurrajong who had also been to Mudgee A.G.M. but were now touring in their "tin top" and camper trailer and were meeting up with friends there the next day. They were both Triumph enthusiasts but never the less showed a keen interest in our bikes. The conversation flowed easily and so we had pleasant company for our happy hour. After tea in town at "Subway" food outlet ,which we all enjoyed, we drove back to camp and Wayne entertained us with his magic dancing lights. It consisted of a small fluorescent tube placed on the bonnet of his car and connected to the C.D .player. He selected a C.D. of tranquil flute music and as the tones fluctuated the lights changed accordingly passing through all the colours of the spectrum. The music was low in volume so as not to disturb anyone and I feel sure passers by enjoyed it as much as we did. We then read up more of our brochures and planned the next days activities before a stroll to the camp site shop for an ice cream was our last activity for that day.

DAY 8. Thursday.

The tourists come, the tourists go, and there was hardly an empty camp site for more than half a day . We particularly noticed a lot of Dutch tourists , some with well equipped  4W.D. hire vehicles. We ate in the camp kitchen again, before setting out in Wayne's car to inspect "Delprats" mine, right near the heart of town. As requested in the brochures, we arrived 15 minutes before the inspection was to commence, and were ushered into a room where we were requested to give our full names to be entered into a huge register . Next we went into an adjoining room and were given a hard hat, dust coat and battery belt to wear underground. This mine was the original mine of B.H.P., but has not been used except for guided tours for many years. Our guide introduced himself and welcomed us all to Broken Hill. There were visitors from all over the world and he made them feel comfortable. He next issued us with battery backs and lamps and showed us how to attach the batteries to our belts and the lamps to our helmets as this was to be the only means of light we were to have underground. We were lowered about 200 metres underground in cages which held a dozen people at a time and we waited underground at a designated point until all the members of our party were assembled . Our guide was a retired miner and as such,  was very well informed on the methods of mining, the different types of ore and how to recognize them, and made the tour very interesting. Being in an old mine, he showed us how it was done in the old days,  walked us along offshutes from the main shaft, and demonstrated the equipment the miners used in days gone by. At one stage he asked us all to switch our lights off and he lit a small piece of candle to illustrate the conditions they had to work under before they had lamps. The tour lasted about 2 hours before we were raised to the surface again to hand our protective clothing and lamps back. Before leaving we were all given a "miners certificate" as a souvenir. Judy was particularly pleased as she was given some mineral samples for her husband, John,  in addition to the small pieces we had both salvaged off the floor of the mine during the inspection. The guide told us of how a modern mine with computerized equipment has cut manual labour down by a large percentage to the extent that a plant operator now days , comfortably seated in the air-conditioned cabin of his machine,  can watch a remote controlled scoop on a T. V. screen do all the hard work. This method of mining is capable of retrieving as much ore in a few hours as it would have taken 4 men 2 days using the old methods that we were shown. Consequently the labour force has vastly diminished and I believe there are only 2 mines operating in the area now.

That afternoon we drove around the town on the south side of the railway line (literally the wrong side of the tracks) on the way to the airport to inspect the Royal Flying Doctor Service {R.F.D.S.} base. We passed an area of Aboriginal housing which was sadly neglected, the houses with windows boarded up ,rubbish strewn everywhere, and abandoned cars and furniture in the streets. It saddens me to see Australians living in such squaller.

The R.F.D.S. base at the airport consisted of a huge hangar to house and maintain the aircraft, with a control room and visitors museum all under the same roof. On entering the display we were shown a 10 Minute video of the history of the service which started years ago in Longreach, QLD., and its progress through the years to the present time. The exhibits and photographs on display depicted early equipment used and the difficulties the pilots, doctors [often the same person ]and nurses encountered. We were next shown the control room through a glass viewing window, where a switch girl monitored all incoming calls and registered them on the appropriate panel to be dealt with by the efficient and dedicated staff. The hangar was built with a mezzanine level which enabled the visitors to view the planes and service equipment without hindering anybody. To finish off the inspection we passed through a souvenir shop, where Judy and I bought souvenirs for our families and ourselves, proceeds of which went to the R.F.D.S..

Time for happy hour so off we headed back to camp to partake of more smoked oysters and port once again. These campers do it tough!

That night Wayne and Judy drove to town for tea and a visit to the musicians club for a dabble in the pokies , but I elected to stay in camp .1 cooked a nourishing meal on my small gas stove I carry with me and went to bed early to listen to 60's music on th local radio station 2BL. I did not hear them return to camp at 10 P.M.

DAY 9 Friday.

About 10 Km. out of town there is a steep hill growing out of the otherwise flat desert terrain . On top of this hill there have been huge sandstone sculptures created as a tourist attraction. We drove out to see these sculptures ,12 in all, and discovered they had been made by craftsmen from all over the world out of 52 tonnes of sandstone floaters that had been transported 240 Km. from the eastern side of Wilcannia . The project was largely funded by the Broken Hill city council with the financial help and assistance of the local people who donated countless time and $7000 towards the project. The sculptures represent many and varied subjects , some of which resemble their titles , others, in my opinion, leave a lot to the imagination . They are very interesting and quite unique in as much as that no power tools were used in their creation. We photographed some of the more interesting ones , had a good look at the panoramic view from the top of the hill, then drove back to town to visit the Silver City art centre. .    This centre is the home of the "big picture" which is lOOmetres long in almost a full circle, and over 12 metres high and depicts all aspects of the desert and mountain ranges. After walking through a simulated Aboriginal cave ,we ventured onto a timber viewing platform which is surrounded by this huge painting, thus giving the impression of walking into the picture. Unfortunately, no photographs were allowed to be taken, so we had to settle for a post card. I found it hard to distinguish where the dessert floor finished and the painted canvas wall began as it was so cleverly displayed.

We had coffee and cake in the adjoining coffee shop at the gallery which served us for lunch, and on our return to camp,  we helped Wayne pack up his tent and bed ready for his trip back to Adelaide that afternoon. It was about 50 Km. To the South Australian border, so Judy and I decided that a motor cycle escort there was in order. We were both suffering from withdrawal symptoms since we had not ridden the bikes for 3 days. The scenery on that 50 Km. ride was more interesting than east of Broken Hill due to the presence of some small hills and a few bends in the road.

On our return to town we paid a visit to the Pro Hart gallery and inspected this famous Australian artist's work and admired the various collections of toys and baby rattles on display. As well as his own paintings, they had on display paintings from other famous artists which resulted in a huge display. There was also a video tape running showing the man himself at work.

We got back to camp at 4P.M. and it was quite hot so we had a swim in the camp salt water swimming pool to cool off ,followed by a nice shower which took us up to happy hour time once again. We waited till almost sunset and rode back to the Sculptures intending to witness the sun setting over the desert, but it was a little disappointing, since the sky was cloudless and consequently no formations to be seen . We encountered a lot of tourists there for the sunset and a tourist coach almost backed into Judys bike . We beat a hasty retreat to avoid the dust from all the traffic . We did not have our clear helmet visors with us , so once back on the bitumen we rode at a slow pace with our tinted visors up. The day was completed by cooking our evening meal in the camp kitchen, then talking to our neighbours before turning in at 9 o’clock.

DAY 10. Saturday.

This was our last day in this fair city and so far the weather had been kind to us. We decided to go for a 100 Km. ride to Lake Menindee which we had been told not to miss. Before going we did a load of washing and hung it on the rotary clothes line near our camp,  with some pegs borrowed from our new found Ulysses friends.

As we had witnessed on the previous days ride, the road to Menindee was quite interesting in places with a few hills and bends to test our riding ability, in conjunction with long straight stretches were it was difficult to keep our speed down so every once in a while we would open up the throttle. You could see for miles ahead so it was safe to do so. At our first glimpse of the lakes, we were disappointed to see very little water there, but realized we were in the middle of the worst drought for 100 years so it was to be expected. A car pulled up alongside our bikes and we passed the time of day with the driver. He was an interesting bloke to listen to , Belgian by birth, just visiting the area where his uncle had worked on the water supply pipe line,  just after world war 2.  Broken Hill and part of Adelaide get their water supply from this lake system , he told us.

On arrival at the township of Menindee we enquired at a general store and were given directions to the home of Bill and Flora Maroney, a cousin of Judy's mother who we wanted to pay a visit. They knew Bill well and and showed us his picture on the cover of the local telephone directory. Apparently he is quite an identity in the area. We found the house easily and introduced ourselves. They were delighted to see us and made us most welcome. We had morning tea with them and their son, who happened to call in , and learned a lot about the area. Apparently the water in the lake system comes down the Darling river from Queensland and if it rains there today it will take 6 weeks to reach the lakes. Bill has lived in the area on and off since the early 1930's and what he did not know about the area wasn't worth knowing. He told us there is a big industry there growing grapes and apples and their irrigation relies on water from the lakes . They had been on water rations for some time and were starting to get very concerned about the drought. Bill and Flora are a delightful old couple and it was difficult to leave the comfort of their beautifully restored old home . Before leaving, Flora filled our water bottles with ice cold water and even wrapped them in alfoil to help keep them cool. Judy refueled at Menindee before our return trip to Broken Hill. We had an unusual lunch stop that day in the middle of the "desert" eating fruit and biscuits by the side of the road with the flies. Fortunately it was overcast by now , so not very hot, which was just as well as there were no trees to sit under and none to be seen for miles around. By early afternoon the weather had become quite unpleasant with a strong wind blowing , so we made a hasty retreat back to camp to take the washing off the line, before  rain. Having done this , we rode back to town to do a bit more sightseeing . We visited the "Line of Load " which is a huge steel structure on the top of the mullock heaps near the miners information centre. It is a memorial to all the miners who have lost their lives while working on the mines, dating back to 1883 when the mining industry started in Broken Hill. It depicts the name of each victim , the date of death and the manner in which they died, which was by cave-ins, drowning, falling down shafts, and even electrocution . Although very interesting,  we found it depressing with the wind whistling through the exposed steel monument and it was a relief to leave the monument and relax over a cup of coffee in the  adjacent cafe, overlooking the city. Our next stop was back to the supermarket to replenish our supplies, mostly smoked oysters, to go with the last of the Ulysses port. It started to rain by late afternoon , so we sought shelter in a nearby covered sink area close to our tents to have our happy hour, and later ate in the camp kitchen as by this time it was raining quite heavily which was great news for the locals but the prospects of packing up in the rain the next morning did not appeal to either of us. By the time we went to bed, however,the rain had stopped and it was blowing again.

DAY 11 Sunday.

 Luckily,  our tents had dried out over night in the strong wind,  so we decided to pack them up before breakfast in case it rained again, as it was quite overcast and threatening. We were quite reluctant to leave this fair city , having been there for 5 days, seen a lot of the tourist attractions, and at the same time made new friends, however we finally left at 10 A.M.,  in heavy wind and occasional drizzle. Our first stop was Little Topar roadhouse again,  where Judy refueled and bought a souvenir bottle of port that we had seen when we stopped there on the way out to Broken Hill. It started raining seriously not long after we left Little Topar and did not stop all day. It was not torrential rain,  but heavy enough to lower the visibility and make us more alert for kangaroos and oncoming traffic.

At Wilcannia, we both refueled and I changed into my gum boots for the first time on this holiday.By the time we had reached Emmdale,  we were getting a bit sick of riding in the rain but we had to reach Cobar that night, so after a brief lunch of hot coffee and warm pies we continued on our way. Some of the road trains , of which there were plenty, caused us a bit of concern because of the spray their dozens of wheels created on the wet road surface. Most drivers flashed their lights when it was safe to pass but overtaking those that didn't flash their lights was like driving into a heavy fog, and since some car drivers insist on not switching their headlights on in these conditions,  we had to be extra cautious.

Fortunately there were no mishaps, but if a roo had jumped out in front of us when we were overtaking, we would not have had an ice blocks chance in hell of avoiding it. Later in the day we did see a roo on the side of the road. He was a big black one but easily spotted since on this part of the Barrier Highway the sides of the road are cleared of scrub for 20 yards or more, which gives you a fighting chance of spotting any wild life.

We arrived at Cobar at 4 P,M. after riding through a swarm of flying ants even though it was still pouring down rain, and we headed to a caravan park, where we thought we may be able to get a cabin for the night, since it was far too wet to even think about camping. "Sorry we're full up .Try one of the motels " was the answer we received then we realized it was the first weekend of the school holidays. After our second attempt at finding a motel we found one with only one room left so we grabbed it. The rates were reasonable and it was within walking distance of the truck stop where we could eat.

While manoeuvering the bike into a suitable parking position in the motel car park the front wheel slipped on the thick loose blue metal and over I went. I was jammed under the bike, pinned down by the faring and it took Judy and two others to lift it off me . This certainly had been an eventful day and this was the last thing I needed. I was so disgusted with myself I left the bike where they had picked it up, unpacked, covered it up for the night and retreated to the motel room. A nice hot cup of tea and a hot shower made me feel much better.

As you have probably gathered by now I am very fond of my food and I have to say that if you are in need of a big wholesome feed then you can't go wrong to eat at a truck stop diner. The Caltex diner at Cobar is no exception. After our meal we walked back to the motel and watched T.V.till quite late before nodding off to sleep.l

DAY 12. Monday.

We woke up to a nice sunny morning, which was a relief after the miserable weather the previous day, and strolled down to the truck stop diner to consume a huge breakfast of sausages ,eggs, tomatoes, toast, hash browns and chips . Yes, chips for breakfast!! We ate far too much, so after we packed, we walked down town to do a bit of sight seeing, visit the hole in the wall for more cash and at the same time walk our brekky down.. We were in no hurry as our planned stop for the night was Bourke which is only 175 K's away. Cobar, like a lot of old country towns has some very nice old buildings of heritage listing largely due to the town prospering in the 1880's when the "great Cobar mine" was the largest and richest metalliferous [that's a big word] mine in Australia and the population was then around 10,000. By 1920 all the mines had closed down , and the present population is 5000 with only a few mines  operating. There is noticeable evidence of old mines and diggings on the outskirts of town where shaft heads, stamping batteries and old steam driven equipment still dot the landscape. We rode out of town towards Nyngan a short distance to inspect a lavender farm we had read about but unfortunately it was closed so we decided that since all the roads to other tourist attractions were dirt, or more precisely mud, after 30 mm of rain, we would get back onto the Kidman Highway and head for Bourke.

We rode mostly within the speed limit,  so Judy could conserve petrol as there are no garages between Cobar and Bourke. This suited me fine as I was feeling a bit stiff and sore after my dumb act the night before when I dropped the bike. We encountered water in the water tables on both sides of the road for miles and miles and in one place it was just over the road ,but not too deep that we couldn't handle it. It was a lovely morning for a ride and the country side looked clean and fresh after the rain and mirages on the road in the distance were quite realistic, so much so, that sometimes we thought it was water again.

We arrived at Bourke tourist information centre a little after noon, and received directions from a young lady [ who used to live in the Grafton area] to the Kidman Tourist Park about 8Ks north of town . After re fuelling, we rode there and since the ground was too wet to pitch a tent we hired a cabin, which was close to the amenities block, and the biggest and best equipped camp kitchen I have ever seen in all my travels. After unpacking and a bite to eat ,we rode back into town to do a bit of sight seeing. I had visited Bourke 2 years prior to this, whilst on a camping trip with my brother, so I was able to lead Judy to the 3 tier wharf on the Darling river right in town. It has 3 levels of decking to compensate for the various water levels as the river rises and falls. In its day, Bourke was a busy shipping port and the river trade flourished.   Now, of course , road transport has taken over and the wharf is mainly a tourist attraction. We noticed a few groups of Aboriginal youths strolling around town and hanging around the wharf fishing and drinking their grog, in spite of the signs indicating alcohol free zone and no fishing. We struck up a conversation with one group and they told us the river had risen slightly in the last few days and a lot more algae had formed on the surface of the river. We rode around for a while checking out the old buildings , the court house was particularly nice, before locating a supermarket where we bought our tea. Judy noticed a punnet of big ripe strawberries so we bought them and a small carton of ice cream to go with them. It's great to travel with a mate who enjoys food as much as I do!! They were delicious at tea time and although we each had several helpings we could not finish them but the cabin had a good fridge so they weren't wasted.

That night I had the luxury of a double bed for the second night in a row while Judy slept in the bottom bed of a set of bunks. We took most of the slats from under the mattress on the top bunk to use on the bottom one before it was comfortable enough to sleep on. We forgot to replace them the next day before we left and have sometimes wondered if the next guest jumped onto the top bunk before doing so. The T.V. left a lot to be desired, so it was a reasonably early night.

DAY 13. Tuesday.

It was yet another nice fine morning and we noticed a huge flock of white cockatoos flying back and forth;  diving and climbing in perfect formation. It was a sight to behold and the noise was almost deafening. We had an unusual breakfast that morning of strawberries and ice cream We could not carry them and we sure as hell weren't going to leave them behind, so we had no alternative but to eat them. While we were packing our bikes, an old codger came over,  to pass the time of day . He told us he had ridden bikes in his earlier days and was interested in our machines. Without exception, every place we stopped at overnight,  we met someone who had participated in the A.G.M. at Mudgee ,or who lived there or were visiting and had seen the street parade . This chap was no exception and I think he would like to have been riding with us.

We rode back into town and took the Kamilaroi Highway to Brewarrina. This was a bit different to any other road I have ever ridden on in as much as both sides of the road were littered with empty drink bottles and since we were heading east and into the sun , the bottles shone like beacons. I couldn't help but think that this would be the ideal location for 'Clean up Australia day" to take place.   On reaching Brewarrina, and after I had run over a small black snake at high speed, we refueled and got directions to the local R.S.L. club, where Judy visited the manager, who is the brother of a friend of hers. She spoke with him inside the club, whilst I waited outside to keep a eye on the bikes . The entire club premises was protected with a six foot chainwire fence with barbed wire on the top. It made it look like a concentration camp. The manager chappy told Judy that Brewarrina has a 70% Aboriginal population and yet at the pre-school opposite, where working parents leave their kids, there was one black kid to a dozen or so white ones. Work that one out for yourself!!

We continued on and stopped just on the outskirts of Walgett for a midday snack of fruit and biscuits then ,as suggested, we only needed to stop in town for fuel before heading north on the Castlereagh Highway, arriving at Lightening Ridge at 1.30 pm,  after riding on a well surfaced road but with stacks of cattle grids , some of which were as bumpy as hell, if you took them too fast. The Tourist Information Centre was easily found and I was given directions to a caravan park close by, where I had stayed 2 years previously with my brother. We found a reasonably well drained patch of dirt to pitch our tents on, then rode to town to see the sights. It was an asset;  me having been there in recent years as I was able to show Judy [who had not been there before]the attractions I had seen  before.

We were interested in the Bottle House which is now a private museum of old mining gear, Opal in all shapes and sizes, and many displays of collectable items. The lady who showed us around explained that a miner ,since past on to that great Opal mine in the sky, built the "house" 40 years ago out of any available materials , hence the walls were mostly bottles of all types, held together with mortar made from the local clay yet it has survived the test of time. Apparently he slept upstairs in the loft ,and ate downstairs where there was an old cooking stove and some roughly hewn furniture. Our next visit was to the council thermal pool right on the edge of town. The pool is in-ground, yet surprisingly, unfenced, and the water is a constant 38 degrees Celcius. It is not recommended to dive in or exert too much energy , but to sit in the water is very relaxing and beneficial to ones health. We spoke with several of the locals who used the pool as a daily meeting place and discovered that most of them came from the continent and have been living in "The Ridge" for many years . After our hot "bath" we rode back to camp for a snooze before tea. We met up with a Ulysses couple from Wollongong, who were camped nearby with their bike and camper trailer and  who had also attended the Mudgee gathering so we had a lot in common to talk about. That night we had a nice meal in the bistro at the same caravan park / hotel complex where we were camped, then caught up on writing our diaries in the under cover barbecue area where there was a bench type table and stools and most importantly a good light.

DAY 14. Wednesday.                                                                           

6.30 am. Rise and shine . After sleeping in my tent now for the 7th. time on this trip and 3 times prior to this , I have finally got it down to a fine art. I found that with the head of my air-bed to the tent opening I can get in and out of bed a lot easier, without crawling the length of the tent and once in one sleeping bag with a smaller one over my head, it is very cosy. We broke camp early to enable the tents and ground sheets to dry out over the fence railings while we prepared and ate breakfast in the B.B.Q. area.

After things were dried out and we were all packed up we rode a short distance to "The Big Opal",  a disused opal mine, where guided tours are conducted daily. Prior to going underground for the second time this holiday, we watched a 15 minute interesting video tape on the history of Lightening Ridge and the various methods of mining for opal.

We then donned our safety helmets and descended a spiral staircase 30 metres to a well lit labyrinth of tunnels, where opal had been mined in the years gone by. Our tour guide was a well informed lady, who explained to us the various procedures of mining and was only too pleased to answer questions any of the group cared to ask. We came to one section of the mine where we were in turn individually photographed with miners pick or jack hammer by a friend or other member of the tour if we so desired. When we finally climbed the spiral staircase and had a breather, our guide showed those of us who were interested, the method of cutting and polishing opal for the jewelry trade as well as explaining the many different types of the precious stone. After buying a few souvenirs and thanking them for the very comprehensive tour ,we rode downtown and refueled , bought a snack and hit the road again to "make a mile".

We left "The Ridge" having seen and learned a lot in the short time we were there . Apparently the town was renamed some years ago after 600 sheep and a shepherd were killed when struck by lightening. There are only private mines operating there and nothing commercial, consequently the variation of methods and equipment used makes it a very interesting place to visit. We were impressed with the hard working people of many different nationalities and with so many innovative ideas.

We headed back to Walgett then took the Gwyder Highway to Collarenebri, refueled and arrived at Moree at about 4 pm , and booked in at the same motel our Ulysses group had frequented previously. Moree was lovely and green and after travelling for days through semi-arid countryside, it made a welcomed change. We found out on enquiring that they had good rain there a few weeks prior to our visit.

Well, this was our last night of the holiday, so to celebrate we spent hours soaking in the thermal pool at the motel, before and after dinner, chatting to other guests also enjoying the comfort of the pool. We struck up a conversation with a Vietnamese chap and his wife who had lived in Sydney, at Cabramatta, for many years. He spoke pretty good English but his wife was difficult to understand. We discussed the war in Iraq and the turmoil over there in general and it transpired that he had served in the Vietnamese army for 7 years before immigrating to Australia. I couldn't help but inwardly make a comparison between him and myself and think how lucky a life I have had not being involved in any wars over the years.

The motel room was quite luxurious [with a price to match] and we made the most of it, watching T. V. in bed till 10 pm. and wondering what the poor people were doing.

DAY 15. Thursday.

We had finally come to the last day of our outback holiday. We were up and in the pool when the gate opened at 6 am, and found that we weren't alone for very long. We got out to have breakfast and pack the bikes and then back in the pool again, to finally leave the motel at 10 am. It was yet another nice, sunny day and we had a pleasant ride to Warrialdra were we refueled Judy's bike and had an ice cream. Lunch stop was at Glen Innes strawberry farm, where we patted the friendly Scotch Terrier dogs, Judy ate strawberries and cream and I had the best meat pie I have had for a long time. Judy was wearing her "rude" T shirt she had bought at Mudgee, which I think may have shocked the elderly lady who served us, however she took the time to talk to us so it couldn't have been too upsetting.

We had a nice quiet ride down the Gibralter Range in spite of the oncoming Easter traffic climbing the range . We stopped at Hefferon lookout, as we did 15 days earlier on our first days ride , and captured the majestic scenery on film, which is not always possible at this particular lookout due to haze, but on this occasion we could see to the Pacific ocean. Not long after this I noticed the number plate on Judies bike had lost a screw and was in danger of falling off, so when it was safe to do so I overtook her and motioned her to the side of the road where we secured it temporarily with electrical tape. We said our goodbyes at this point and I took the lead and was home safe and sound by 4 pm,  to have happy hour with my neighbour and to find that all was well back at the ranch.

In retrospect we had accomplished a terrific holiday lasting 15 days , meeting a lot of nice people , traveling 3,660 Km. on 7 different highways and many byways and, except for one day,  experienced pretty good weather and had a safe and enjoyable "outback experience on two wheels".

THE END