May 15 Cape Crawford NT - Mt Isa Qld
Date of update
Cape Crawford - Mt Isa 825 km
Total 12231 km
Average 556 km
Updates
May 14 Katherine NT - Cape Crawford NT
Date of update
Katherine - Cape Crawford 546 km
Total 11406 km
Average 543 km/day
Yesterday turned into a rest day while Henk & Mike waited for a new chain to arrive for Mikes' bike. It has been hard find parts, so had to fit a non o-ring chain in Broome. That chain is now knackered after only 2300 km.
May 16 Mt Ias Qld - Croydon Qld
Date of update
Mt Isa - Croydon 661 km
Total 12892 km
Average 560 km/day
May 17 Croydon Qld - Mareeba Qld
Date of update
Croydon - Mareeba 500 km
Total 13392 km
Average 558 km/day
Heading to the E coat again. Will need to spend some time preparing bikes and bodies for Cape York. Had e mail from Ian Coates. ( Intrepid Round the World (RTW) traveler since 1999) Ian comments on the failed attempt at the Gibb River track saying "The Gibb River Track is like a Sunday afternoon drive c.f. Cape York!!!!! ( Ian always travels with his teeth in his pocket!!).
May 18 Mareeba Qld - Musgrave Road House Qld
Date of update
Mareeba - Musgrave 384 km
Total 13776 km
Average 551 km/day
Left Mareeba this morning in heavy tropical fog. Had best breakfast yet in the Loboloco at Mt Molly.
Found a place at Lakeland to leave panniers so as to lighten up the bikes ready for the challenging conditions ahead on Cape York. Unclipped all panniers and tankbag, packed essentials into a PVC dry bag and strapped it onto the topbox pannier frame. There will be no more tar seal from here to the top of Cape York and back. It should take about a week.
May 19 Musgrave road house Qld - Morton Telegraph Station Qld
Date of update
Musgrave - Morton 300 km
Total 14076 km
Average 541 km/day
As the track heads further N it's getting more difficult by the Km. Met two BMW riders at Musgrave who had had enough and were turning back.
May 20 Morton telegraph station Qld - Cape York Qld
Date of update
Morton - Cape York 284 km
Total 14360 km
Average 531 km/day
May 21 Cape York QLD
Date of update
Now less than 11 deg south of the equator and 150km from PNG. As the intrepid travellers planted the NZ and Dutch flags in the top of Australia Henk turned to Mike just as Hillary turned to Tensing at the top of Everest in May 1953 and said proudly "We've knocked the bastard off".
Spent the rest of the day chilling out in +40 deg at the Cape resting bodies and repairing bikes before starting the decent tomorrow.
Cairns - Sydney
Date of update
May 25 Cairns Qld - Proserpine Qld 618 km
Total 16057 km
Average 501 km/day
Set off in the rain today. First rain for 3 weeks or more. There was a big Ulysses meeting in Townsville today, bikes everywhere. Saw more cops today than have seen in the last 5 weeks. Henk was keen to meet up with some of his old Ulysses buddies, but there wasn't really time.
Round Australia wrap up and Big Big thankyou.
Date of update
May 30
Off to Canbera to see the Queen.........No that can't be right, Ossies don't believe in the Queen..................It must be off to Canbera to see Kevin Rudd.
Inspired by NZ National MP Shane Ardern and his driving of a Fergy 35 tractor up the steps of Parliament buildings in Wellington a few years ago................Henk and Mike decided introduce themselves to the Prime Minister, seen as they were in town that day. They were sure that Kev would want to see the bikes even if it was just to see the damage that Ozzie outback roads could do to Japanese bikes.