The plan is we all decided last night to leave at 5:00am and ride out together with all lights blazing. I’d already teed up (in the week prior to) to ride out with Fatman (Michael) & Lynne the Pillion so I wasn’t riding in the dark hours on my own but as it turned out I had Frans (and his Lunar landing lights) as a lead and Michael & Lynne running behind me making sure I was safe and sound – thanks guys!!! You have no idea how much I appreciated it.
I got a fright this morning when this big white Brahma cow turned it’s head and it’s eyes lit up in my lights….YIKES!! Really makes things so real that there could be anything out there in the darkness waiting for you.
To dark to take pics so this is our first stop for a quick (not) breakky at the BP Katherine.
Breakky stop Katherine.
Up the road a bit and motoring along nicely.
The Stuart Highway and greenery.
A properly bridge and a lovely sunny morning….excellent! The roads up here are undergoing repairs at various stages but you do get these nice stretches.
almost civilisation… hehehe
What’s this???? Traffic lights!! Yeah, to right – darn road works. I pull up beside Frans and Jeannie with Klaus and Korn behind us. We are stuck there for approx 4 minutes in the blaring sun – slowly cooking us…..hurry up!!!!
roads work traffic lights…argh!
Korn & Klaus ran in the rear group for the morning. Nice blokes too!!!
Korn & Klaus
How can you not take pic after pic of this scenery. In this shot are more termite mounds (they just go for miles and miles).
Beautiful – The Outback
Into Adelaide River for our second fuel stop and I need to take a layer off…..so I do a little tease….lol (pic courtesy of Michael).
future career…..NOT!
Another pic just for good measure….see the smile – awesome.
Happy Kimmie
It’s really hot now and as you can see there have been fires through here recently. I think there are still fires burning somewhere cos you can smell and taste the smoke. As it turns out the RFS are conducting a back burning exercise just down the road.
results of a controlled burn.
MADE IT!!!!! YAY!!!!! Litchfield Pub, Darwin River Rd, Darwin River – FRN#1 completed with 1016kms done and dusted.
all lined up in the carpark at Litchfield Pub
I think there were 16 riders and 3 pillions all up. An excellent turnout for this epic event!
A couple of pics of the attendees
Cuddles, Henk, Craig and Brett (with his back to us)
The group line up
Another proof shot to show you “I DID IT” !!! To say I’m feeling just a little bit proud of myself is an understatement. I’m feeling quite emotional really.
I MADE IT!!!
The group shot – FarRide North #1 – Finishers. You should all be very proud of yourselves.
FRN#1 Finishers!!! Well Done 🙂
The HOT Girly shot.
Lynne and me
I’m a long way from home.
I’m a long way from Kansas, Toto….
But how hot is it…..sweltering! No matter what though, all the riders are suited up safely – ATGATT.
The plan back to Daly Waters was to ride with Michael & Lynne and here we are stopped yet again at another set of road works traffic lights.
Michael “Fatman” & Lynne “Lynne the Pillion”
We stopped again at Adelaide River for fuel and a well deserved icy pole – thanks Lynne xx This time though I douse my t-shirt and neck tube to help with my own cooling system inside my jacket. It’s so hot and I had to stop Fatman from telling me what temperature it was (otherwise I think I would’ve just died).
Next stop Katherine again for fuel and another break to recharge the batteries with liquid – boy it’s hot. I get my wet t-shirt comp going again and we are off.
Hi Katherine….again
Fatman & Lynne are into history and they’d said they wanted to stop at the Elsey Cemetery we passed on the way up – all right by me (it’s just off the side of the road – right)
Elsey Cemetery, Mataranka
Well it wasn’t on the side…..it was 8 kms down this shitty little road that had the baby skippies and Brahma cows out…..yikes!! But we made it there and I was cursing Fatman when we got off (as you can see it’s a gravel) and I need a wee like real urgent. How lovely is nature when you need to tend to the call of nature…..lol (well except for the Brahma cows that were heading my way while I was busy – they’ll just have to shut there eyes, cos I wasn’t moving).
the carpark at Elsey Cemetery
As remote as it is….it’s beautiful watching the sun go down.
as the sun goes down
After a look around and I’m sure Fatman & Lynne will elaborate on the stop, we get back out on the road and head into the setting sun.
I was starting to get worried cos I knew we would be getting back in the dark….argh!!! As the sun starts to sink below the tree line the wildlife start to venture out – not my idea of fun. Before long we are running with all our lights on and soon catch up to Frans with his lunar landing lights leading the way (again). I probably sat a little close to Fatman with my lights on but my flood light is not hitting the mark, my visor is splattered with bugs to the point I can barely see through it.
The last 70 kays were absolutely terrifying but we made it – safe and sound back to Daly Waters.
Lynne asks what I plan to do – and I prompty replied “eat, I’m fucken hungry”. Sorry about the language.
Klaus joined us and we shared our separate plans for tomorrow before, saying our hoo-roos and all headed off to bed.
