Reflections

 I was reflecting on the trip and thought I would write down my thoughts.

In no particular order:

Australia is an awesome country with a multicultural population which seems to blend seamlessly on the whole.

I experienced no adverse contact with indigenous people but I did witness some social deprivation among them.  I heard numerous first hand accounts of conflict with them and of criminal and antisocial behaviour which appears to be on the increase.

The differences in landscape, terrain and weather are remarkable but understandable given the size of the country.

Red dust stains.

Kangaroos and emus are scatterbrained and lethal if you are not particularly careful when encountered on the road.

Road trains are enormous and I am full of admiration for their drivers who manoeuvre them so skilfully.

The Royal Enfield Himalayan was an ideal vehicle for such a venture.  Although very occasionally I wished for a little more power it proved to be both reliable and economical.  I had travelled just over 20k kilometres on it before this tour and in the further 21,876kms ridden over three months I replaced the stem bearings with 27,000ish on the clock when the ‘O’ ring  between the petrol pump and the tank leaked and also had to be replaced.  I replaced the rear tyre three times, although the first was to install a more aggressive tread pattern for gravel roads, and the front tyre twice.  It consumed no oil between services and averaged 30kpl.  It was confidence inspiring on the loose stuff although I hated riding in sand - this highlights my shortcomings rather than the bike’s.  I used soft panniers which I found more flexible (literally) than the RE metal panniers.  (Note:  make sure the right hand one is well clear of the exhaust silencer.)

I had the RE comfort seat, an Airhawk and a sheepskin pad but still suffered discomfort after 4 or 5 hours.  I invested in a pair of padded cycle shorts in Broome and wearing them helped with comfort.

I should have stopped more often to take photographs, especially in the early days, instead of not wanting to interrupt the rhythm of riding.

 My intention was to camp as often as possible.  In the event I camped infrequently.  In the early weeks it was too wet, either raining or because of saturated ground, and later it was too hot (I slept bathed in sweat in Croydon, Queensland when the daytime temperature of 44C barely seemed to fall overnight. It was a similar story in Tennant Creek.)  Eventually, I think I became lazy and opted for motels or caravan park cabin/donga to avoid pitching the tent and regarded it as a standby in the event of being unable to find accommodation.  On that note, my planning fell short as I missed the fact that the period after Christmas is the peak holiday period in the south because of the extended school holiday.

I enjoyed the north more than the south.  I loved the space and feeling of remoteness where there was little human habitation and where the sky appears larger.

I was amazed at the scale of mining in the country, both in terms of the number of different types of mining and the immense size of some operations.

I became chips averse.  Chips appear to be served with practically any meal. I am reminded of an incident during my last visit in 2020.  Feeling the same then I selected bangers and mash with fresh vegetables from the menu in an effort to avoid chips.  The meal arrived looking delicious but with chips on top!

The best parmi (breaded chicken schnitzel topped with tomato purée, ham and melted cheese) I had was in The Memorial Club in Tennant Creek.

Would I do it again?  In a heartbeat.