7 – 15 March
Friday 7 March 2025
I left Wagga Wagga at 1300 for the 188kms ride to Rutherglen. I couldn’t resist stopping at Culcairn bakery for a pie. I arrived at the campsite in Rutherglen at 1600 and pitched my tent.
Once everything was in order we went to The Victoria Hotel for dinner.
Saturday/Sunday 8/9 March 2025
The format of the Tastes of Rutherglen weekend involves visiting a number of local wineries for wine tasting and where a limited menu light lunch can be purchased.. Hop on/hop off coaches are provided to transport participants between wineries and the entry fee, which covers all wineries, includes a wine glass which is used at each establishment. Wrist bands are issued on payment of the transport fee.
We began both days by buying pies for breakfast at the renowned Parker Pies before boarding a coach for the route which included those wineries selected for the day. It’s difficult to gauge how much wine one consumes when visiting multiple sites and sampling each of the wines included on their product list. Needless to say travelling between wineries by coach is wise although nominated drivers are given complimentary soft drinks and beverages in recognition of their sacrifice.
The adults were in need of a lie down at the end of the first day and later Kate and I walked into town and bought takeaway pizzas for supper. We followed a similar pattern on Sunday although we did go to the Poachers Pub for dinner.
Monday 10 March
It had rained overnight. Kate, Paul and the boys were up at 5am and they packed up in the dark and light drizzle as they had to get to work/school that morning. I returned to my tent and the heavens opened. By the time I came to break camp the rain had stopped but I packed a wet tent. I left at 0930 at 24C. The weather remained fine and dry and when I stopped for lunch I phoned to book a motel room in Mildura as I was making such good time. The countryside I rode through was intensively farmed although it became less so as the afternoon progressed and as I headed further north I saw more roadkill (kangaroos and a wombat). I also saw a number of emus and feral goats on each side of the road. By the time I reached Mildura just after 1700 the temperature had reached 39C.
My room was on the first floor so I draped the tent fly sheet over the balcony railing and it dried very quickly. I laid out the rest of my gear in the room to air. The motel was run by an Indian husband and wife and I received a recommendation for a good curry house in town. I went there and was served a thoroughly delicious meal washed down with a cold Kingfisher. The temperature remained very high during the evening.
517kms travelled.
Tuesday 11 March
I left Mildura at 0900 at 30C. I enjoyed good riding through vineyards and almond groves. As the countryside became less farmed I saw more feral goats and a couple of brumbies (wild horses). After Wilmington, not far before Port Augusta, I rode through the Horrocks Pass, good hills and bends and a relief after so many flat and straight roads. My route had taken me through Renmark, where I stopped and bought a battery charger to replace a defective one used for charging the batteries for my tracker/emergency beacon and camping light, and Peterborough. I continued to make good time and decided to head for Port Augusta where I got a room in the same motel I had used in 2023 (I needed a reliable internet connection for a Zoom Ulysses committee meeting early the next morning). Following a laundry session, dinner that night was a treat – liver with mashed potatoes and bacon gravy!
566kms travelled.
Wednesday 12 March
I was up at 0330 to ensure I was able to connect to Zoom in anticipation of the meeting which was scheduled for 0430. I had a little time to spare so did some further route planning. The meeting ended at 0545 and I tried unsuccessfully to get back to sleep. I decided on a shorter ride for the day in view of my lack of sleep and selected Spud’s roadhouse at Pimba as my destination. I left at 0930, had breakfast (an immense bacon roll) next door in ‘The Shed’ and after refuelling I was heading north at 30C and a steady pace. I was now in real Outback country – red earth and sparse vegetation for the most part. Although I was travelling on the main highway heading south to north through the centre of Australia, there was surprisingly little traffic.
There is a single track railway line which runs from Port Augusta to Darwin via Alice Springs and the road runs parallel for much of the way. I saw two long goods trains during the morning but not the famous Ghan passenger train.
I rode slowly through Woomera, a RAAF base and historical missile testing site as evidenced by numerous redundant missiles and aircraft on display in the centre of town.
I arrived at Spud’s Roadhouse at 1330, ate a healthy fruit cocktail and yoghurt for lunch and retired to my air conditioned donga (cabin) for a snooze. A less healthy burger, chips, salad and beer rounded off the day.
196kms travelled.
Thursday 13 March
Following a good night’s sleep I ate another fruit cocktail accompanied by coffee for breakfast before leaving at 0920 at a pleasant 28C. I travelled through the now familiar outback terrain passing the odd salt lake. The temperature remained constant until about 1100 when it rose 5C in 30 minutes. I saw many dead animals including the usual kangaroos, sheep, horse and cow. Again, I was surprised at how little traffic was using the road. I refuelled after 105kms at Glendembo, the next petrol station being at Coober Pedy, 250kms further on. On approaching Coober Pedy, having seen evidence of large iron ore mines, often in the far distance, I saw numerous smaller conical mounds of earth, opal mines.
Coober Pedy is the centre of opal mining and the small town contained many opal dealers/shops etc. There are a number of underground establishments – motels, hotels, exhibition mines and even an underground catholic church.
I didn’t fancy an underground motel/hotel (claustrophobia?) and I found a room in the very comfortable Mud Hut Motel. I walked down to the local IGA (supermarket) and bought some fresh fruit. In the evening I had a lovely Porterhouse steak in the Outback Bar and Grill just across the road from the motel. It had been 43C on arrival and it felt as warm at 1930.
362kms travelled.
Friday 14 March
I ate the light complimentary breakfast of tea and bran flakes supplemented by a punnet of blueberries purchased the day before. I was on the road before 0900 at 30C. There were many more conical earth mounds, and larger workings, evidence of the extent of the opal mining area. I was finding the terrain quite monotonous – flat, featureless, with only occasional small trees and shrubs. I stopped to refuel at the Cadney Homestead and Marla roadhouses. Although there is not too great a distance between them, I refuel at every opportunity given my past experience of fuel stations (servos) being closed and distances between some, for example Cadney Homestead to Kulgera is 261kms so it was sensible to top up at Marla.
 |
| Crossing into the Northern Territory |
The temperature had risen to 43C again when I reached Kulgera, my overnight stop. The receptionist was from Norwich and the manager from East London! The room was basic but spacious with a noisy but effective air-conditioning unit. I went to the bar at 1800 for Happy Hour and complained that I was charged the full price for my beer. I had overlooked the fact that the Northern Territory doesn’t observe daylight saving and therefore I was an hour early! I had a long conversation with the manager and after several beers I ate a traditional Aussie chicken snitzel. Even at 2100 it was like an oven outside. The people I had been speaking to complained of the unseasonable intense heat which had been prevalent for several weeks.
408kms travelled.
Saturday 15 March
I stopped at a viewpoint to photograph a rock similar to Uluru and on the advice of a Frenchman with a big camera I walked over the sandy bank on the opposite side of the road to see a large salt lake, Lake Amadeus.
I arrived at my accommodation, The Lost Camel Hotel, part of the Ayers Rock Resort, where I unloaded and then parked my bike at the Sails of the Desert hotel. Lost Camel Hotel guests parked in the adjacent public car park, a little unsecure for a bike over a couple of days I thought. The receptionist suggested that their sister hotel might accommodate the bike and a receptionist there suggested I park in their hotel vehicle reserved area. I found a spot very close to the main entrance. I walked to the Resort Town Square where I booked a helicopter flight and sunset tour to Uluru for the following day. I bought some fresh fruit, yoghurt and pop at the IGA and returned to the hotel to do some laundry. I ate a tasty pear and radicchio salad for dinner.
317kms travelled.
