Day 16 - Kings Canyon

Very cool morning @ 6c from about 3am. Tested the sleeping bag. I even had the hood on.

Packed and off for a lap around The Rock. It's big. Then it was the Olgas calling. Wonderful. Back to the Shell servo at Yalara to refill as I'd burnt half a tank. Fuelled and a coffee under the belt, we pointed the bikes back east as we head for Kings Canyon. Stopped at Curtin Springs to refuel. Had to unlock the bowser, hold onto your wallets lads! 

A full tank saw us clear into the Canyon with a litre to spare. Naturally Rog with half a 44 in his BMW only fills up every couple of days.

As we made early landfall it was off to the helipad for a short rip around the Canyon. I walk it on my next visit with Robyn.

Locked everything up this time due to the dingos carting your goods off.

Sitting in the bar waiting to order a little pizza for tea, then off to bed.

This post probably won't go until tomorrow morning as the signal failed with the light.

Day 15 - The Rock

A cold night at 6c but snug as a bug in the tent. A fellow in the park uncovered an Austin 7 just before we left. He'd driven it from Newcastle!

Off to The Rock. But we had to stop for the freight train to Adelaide. It took five minutes to pass by. 

Stopped at the Cannonball Run memorial. At Erldunda (Lasseter Hwy turn off) we met a fellow on a Kwaka 250 Ag bike who was riding to The Alice for the weekend. Given his tripping he's a very brave man.

Onward to Mt Connor lookout and finally The Rock.

Finished off the night with Mitch and Belinda's fine red wine around a camp fire.

Day 14 - Alice Springs

Threeways was a good stop with many campers up and off before us heading both north and south. The Barkly breeze which we wanted yesterday to blow us west turned up around bed time and continued until we reached Wycliffe Well. It played bloody havoc as a cross wind for everything on the road.

Today's ride was a long one for us at just over 500kms. We rode under threatening gray skies until Ti Tree with the temp getting down to 17c.

We called into Devils Marbles and Barrow Creek (remember Falconio and Lees) and Aileron (Aileron Man and family). 

Arrived in Alice around 3pm and stopped at ANZAC Hill.

My front tyre had been wearing poorly and was close to the wear mark on the RH side. Rang the local bike dealer just before 4pm, he called back in 5 and I was in and had a new tyre and brake pads (supplied by me) fitted and rode away by 5pm. Exceptional service with an $80 discount on the tyre to boot!

Currently having a light meal at the Gillen Club before retiring to the tent via the free club bus.

Day 13 - Threeways

Filled up the fuel bladder today as the run to Barkly Homestead is greater than a tank of fuel.

Halfway along in the middle of nowhere I topped up the bike. Onward to Barkly. Not a lot to see however the landscape changed at least three times from grasslands to stubble and then to scrub.

Ordered a Chiko roll and a skinny flat white and received a sausage roll and a cappuccino. It's becoming the norm to order one thing and receive something totally different. The backpackers have a problem with my accent I was told. Go figure.

Onwards to Threeways to refuel and head south to Tennant Creek. I was shocked to see the number of people gathered outside the two pubs in town and drunk. Very, very sad.

We turned around and headed back to Threeways for the night. A better (and safer) option.

Called into the old Telegraph station on the way.

Day 12 - Camooweal

After another breakfast without peanut butter we headed off to towards Mt Isa. Saying goodbye to the Matilda Way and hello to the Overlanders Way. This was built as part of the WWII inland defence road system. 

Had a look at Chinaman Creek Dam then onto the old town of Mary Kathleen. The main road in had been washed out and was only fit to get the bikes across.

On into Mt Isa and to Supercheap Auto to get some double sided tape to repair the rear lights on my bike which had shaken apart on the rough roads.

Had a coffee over the road from Bob Katter's office before riding on to Camooweal.

Met a family cycling around Australia at the first rest stop outside of Mt Isa. Very well set up and organised. They were raising money for Motor Neurone Disease. Hats off to them. 

After setting up camp I met the cook from the hotel. Turns out she's a wantok from Manus Island. Had to brush up on my pigin. 

Spent the evening with Deano who's been doing the block from Darwin on his beemer. Our paths have crossed a few times so far. Great evening of sharing stories over a good red. Thanks mate. See you in Darwin.

Day 11 - Cloncurry

Woke to the sounds of half a dozen planes firing up to head out prawn spotting. Decided to hit the road later due to the number of roos we met on the road yesterday. So breakfast was 100 mtrs down the road. Had a chat with a couple of Housoo's (they believe it's Ho Girls). Great chat regarding the state of the state etc. They insisted on a picture with us.

Saddled up and back to Normanton for petrol, then south on the Matilda Way to the Burke and Wills roadhouse for the biggest bacon and cheese pie I've ever seen. Fuelled up and then down to Cloncurry for the night. We've diverted from the Savannah Way as it's untarred across to Daly Waters.

Tonights fare at the Oasis hotel is curry in Cloncurry. The hotels claim to fame is that it's had three murders and a death. Two of which were the publican!

Day 10 - Karumba Point

A lovely dry morning with no dew as we were woken by the sound of a helicopter starting up for the days mustering. We departed Georgetown for Croydon 145kms for breakfast. Roger diligently swept aside at least half a dozen roos, four or five cattle, a huge snake, a goanna and sundry brolgas and eagles from the road. Not to mention the vast amount of road kill, a least one hit not a minute before we rode past it.

Croydon is the end station for the Gulflander which we caught up with at Normanton. The town was full of backpackers who worked for three months and move on to the next job

As we rode on to Karumba Point and we came out of the scrub it reminded me of the Hay plains, grasslands for as far as the eye could see.

As we sat at the local watering hole we watc