Dawn light over the view from our room at Eucla Motel. If you look carefully you can just see the sand dune down at the edge of the water.

 Windmill museum at Penong. The big one is one of only five that size manufactured

 The Bight Cliffs

Similar view but more tree. Pale light because it was a bit earlier.

NSW to Perth Wed 10/4 Eucla, Thurs 11/4 Fraser Range, 12/4Merredin, 13/4 Perth

As I mentioned there was no wifi across the Nullabor. Even when we were staying in a pricey motel in Merredin last night it was an extra charge which I refused to pay. So this is the highlights of the past days.
The ride to Eucla was probably most notable for the little birds I saw flitting around in the salt bush. There were also lots of crows and some wedgetails that were surviving very nicely off the roadkill. At Nullabor Roadhouse we were eating our lunch outside because it was sunny and along came a young magpie who sat near the table and warbled hopefully at us. When we didn't offer any food he hopped along to the men at the next table and sang again. It is the first time I have seen a maggie acting as a busker.
When we arrived at the motel units at Eucla the man in the units opposite was holding forth about the ludicrous  speed limits on this road. The local SA policeman had clocked him at 145km/hr which cost him $980.00 and 7 demerits. The person defending the rules was a retired cop. Bob found the conversation amusing especiially since the offender had roared past us and admitted he was doing 160 kms at that stage. He was old enough to know better and seemed to have the resources not to be impoverished by the fine.
The next day the roads were the section which has the long straights including the 90 mile( 143.5 kms) straight. Bob spent most of the time riding just across the centreline so that the opposite camber wore the tread on the tyres evenly. The traffic was light and there was plenty of warning of oncoming vehicles. It was cool at first because we had started early but after lunch it was 39 C and we were very pleased to reach Fraser Range. We went straight to our cool stone walled room in the old shearers quarters but also turned on the airconditioning until we cooled down. Dinner is always just one choice and you have to book in at the time you check-in. It was roast chiicken and vegetables and the serve was huge. It was great to have veges for a change and they were generous portions. Just as we went into dinner it started to rain and it continued to rain all night. I am sure the station people were delighted and we were relieved because we knew it would be a cool ride. The only tricky part was navigating the unsealed access road. It was pretty slimey where some of the caravaners had left early but Bob did a great job of choosing the best track and we made the main road safely.
On the road this day we were travelling through the Great Western Woodland which extends from about 30 kms east of Balladonia to Coolgardie. The woodland became the Goldfields Woodland when it began again after the impact area of the mines around Kalgoorlie/ Coolgardie. From there it morphs into the Yellowdine Reserve. I hadn't noticed the specific reserves before but I guess they were developed as a reaction to the decimation of the vegetation by the mining industry.
We had left early again so we were in Southern Cross by lunch time. This was too early to stop and so we rode the extra 100 kms to Merredin. Dinner at the Commercial Hotel was a sociable event. While I was ordering our meals a guy standing next to me asked if we were "grey nomals". Fairly cheeky I thought so I suggested we join them at the large table he and his mate were sitting at. It emerged that they were two new employees at the Mukinbuden Bendigo Bank. They had driven the 80 kms in for dinner and some male bonding. Their manager is a woman.
The hotel was closed for a while and has recently reopened with new owners so it was good to see a reasonable crowd. Dinner took a while to arrive but was very good when it did. We were joined by a sparky couple of Melbournites of our era who introduced us to a new tag. "SHITs" which is Silver Haired Itinerate Travelers which we though decribed the four of us more accurately than grey nomads since we were short term expeditioners.
Today we were on the road by 8am and had just one stop at Meckering. For the first time we had a look at the display showing details of the 1968 earthquake. Most amazing was the section of the Mundaring to Kalgoorle pipeline which has been telescoped into itself and pushed up 15feet into the air.
We arrived at Ingrid's well before lunch while she was still at the markets buying fresh veges for us. It has been nice to relax this afternoon. This is the end apart from some photos.

NSW to Perth Tues 9/4/19 to Ceduna

Well it was a smoother  departure this morning once Bob had found a service station that had a functioning air hose. It was pretty windy as we left Port Augusta  and then it rained. However once we reached Iron Knob 60 kms up the road the road direction changed and the wind was not so buffetting. We stopped at Kimba at the Pink Galah because I wanted to buy a couple of T shirts so we had a  coffee and a pink iced bun. Very wicked. This was fortunate because we knew that the next four towns along the way were mere skeltons and we would be lucky to find lunch. We finally found a shop serving food in the last town before Ceduna at 1.00pm and bought the last two pasties which were the last two anything. The shop was closing at 1.30pm for a local funeral. It occurred to us that burial is the only option in these towns as they are a fairly long way from the alternative.
We were in Ceduna by 2.30pm and checked into our usual motel. The owner/ operator gave us one of the rooms with the covered area  again and he has fast wifi.
Bob then invited a Harley rider who arrived later to share our bay because he looked anxious trying to work out whether his bike would be secure. His bike makes the most dreadful noise but he turned out to be a nice person who just likes a noisy bike. It was only later that it occurred to us that he is on his way to Melbourne and has a deadline so will probably  be starting it up outside our window at 5am.
We went to the hotel for dinner and had delicious King George Whiting. I deliberagely scheduled us to be here for my birthday because I knew the food was good and the ones in the stops either side are not as good. It was delicious but I over ate by having sweets as well.
Tomorrow we go to Eucla and the night after we will be at Fraser's Range and neither of  them have wifi so there won't be any more blogs until Souther Cross.

Photos of Port Gemaine

Bob looking at history on panels with appropriate sculptures around. The other panel describes the purpose of the stange construction past his shoulder. The sun made it difficult to photograph but it described the clock faced depth gauge which guided ships into the port.

 Creative sculptures on the posts leading to the jetty.

View of the foreshore with Southern Flinders Ranges as the backdrop.

NSWto Perth Mon 8/4/19 to Port Augusta

We left Adelaide via the ring road without actually seeing the city centre. Another time. Even so it was a bit tense as it was still peak hour and the lights prioritised cross traffic going into the business area. This frustrated Bob as he always just seemed to miss the green. Fortunately no one else could hear his language. As we headed north there was a vicious cross wind which made life hard . We had planned to drive up through the Southern Flinders Ranges anyway and this meant we were more comfortable once we were in the shelter of the hills. Clare has grown some what since our last visit and the vineyards were wall to wall green up the sides of the hills. Lots of towns have planted deciduous trees and the cooler nights has brought out the colours so it was quite beautiful. Some of the other towns were not prospering as much and we had lunch in a funny old cafe in Spalding which had had an important  history in the early diversion of water by the construction of huge concrete chanels. These have been replaced by modern steel pipes and the town is quietly withering. If we had continued northwards we knew from past experience that we would be exposed to the wind on the plateau so we cut across towards Port Pirie. We didn't go into this rather unattractive town (I was told)  but visited the next port to the north. This was the first port on Spencer's Gulf and loaded wheat, wool and timber to the sailing ships along a two mile long jetty. The jetty is now only one mile long but claims to be the longest wooden jetty remaining in Australia. It is a pretty town that relies on tourism since the construction of deep water ports at Pirie and Augusta.
We stayed at our favourite motel in Port Augusta and strolled along to the usual pub for dinner.

NSW to Perth Sunday 7/4/19 to Adelaide

This was a sraight forward ride along the Western Hway to Horsham and then the Wimmera Hway through Nhill, Dimbola and Bordertown. The Wimmera region seemss to have had a good year despite the drought elsewhere. There were huge covered mounds of wheat at all the collection centres and stacks of the big square bales of hay in paddocks and loaded on trucks ready to take to export at Bordertown.
We have noticed the "death " of lawns from Bendigo onwards in particular. Strict water rationing has meant that they don't rate as a priority. Flower gardens are rarely seen and are striking when people have contrived water for them. Scattered shrubs are the standard front garden. This was not the case in Horsham, Dimboĺa and Nhill though as they obviously had access to irrigation water and local Councils had prioritised public streetscapes and recreation areas.
The Wimmera Hway bypasses Dimboola but it is such a memorable name from history that we decided to go through it. It is an attractive small town with all the buildings well kept. The businesses are suffering a bit from it's proximity to Nhill but it seems to be surviving due to the productive wheat and sheep lands. We saw lots of new lambs too.
We had arranged to meet some of our new "Wing" aquaintances on the way into Adelaide.  Lesley and Robert Anderson live at Strathalbyn on the SE and it was an easy stop. We arrived at about 1.30  for the lunch they had offered. It was very pleasant catching up and enjoying their home made hamburgers. I eventually had to tear Bob away because Robert loves talking bikes and we had a commitment to meet Lorenzo Caruso in Glenelg when he finished work at his tatoo studio at 6pm. We had booked into a "family" motel in downtown Glenelg and he had burst out laughing when Bob told him where we were staying. He said "it is next door to my house". And it was. His side fence was the back fence of the motel. This was convenient because he had arranged for a friend of his to do an oil change on our bike. He met us just after we arrived, pointed out the good Italian restaurant across the road and invited us to come around for a cuppa and cake afterward. We met his delightful wife Jeanette and were invited to come back for "really good coffee" at 8.30 the next morning before being guided to his friends backyard garage. All proceeded as arranged and we were on the road by 9.15.

Photos Halls Gap

 The neighbours sharing our piece of lawn at the motel.

 View on the way up to the Pinnacle.

 Walkers enjoying the achievement and the view.

Unusual rock remnant. There were many other effects of the erosion by time.

NSW to Perth Sat 6/4/19 Halls Gap & Stalwell

Yesterdays run to Halls Gap was cruisy.  We were there for lunch and the bakery was our first stop. It fronted on to a shady park with picnic tables and there were Major Michell Cockatoos, Kookaburras, Magpies and a one legged Maned Goose/Duck which were obviously used to being fed by visitors. We had a chat with fellow travellers and then headed for the Halls Gap Motel. After time to relax we went shopping for breakfact essentials on foot to stretch our legs. While we were sitting outside our room later watching the sunset  we met some of the neighbours. Some had two legs and were chatty some had four legs and long tails and ignored us completely as they focussed on the greenest of the grass. We went to the recommended restaurant for dinner and it was very good.
Today we rode up the Pass into the Grampians National Park and tackled the two hour return walk up to the Pinnacle. It wasn't particularly difficult but it did take the full two hours. Along the way we were told by a slightly breathless woman that it was the easiest rated walk up there; suitable for the elderly and children. Since we had tackled the most difficult climb here back in 1972 we didn't feel slighted by this information. The views were stunning and when we arrived at the Pinnacle Lookout there were lots of people up there. Plenty of them were young international tourists but others were oldies like us. As we were walking down we met family groups with young children in tow. Later we heard that today is the first day of the school holidays. That is undoubtedly one reason that we could only have one night there. It has not been a problem because after another visit to the bakery we rode the 24 kms across to Stalwell. This is a larger but quieter town on Saturday afternoon. We have been for a stroll around the city centre, bought supplies for breakfast and then visited the laundromat. This is an old goldmining town and some of the public buildings are very impressive. They are more widely distributed than other towns which detracts from the effect a little. The main oval where they now hold the Stawell Gift still has a beautiful old grandstand. As we walked the Main Street we found the names of the Gift winners and where they came from since 1881 on brass plaques embedded in the footpath.
Now we are sitting on our piece of the verandah in the sun and grateful for it. It rained overnight which pleased the locals but has been sunny today which pleases the visitors. Over and out.

NSW to Perth Thurs 4/4/19 to Bendigo

It was chilly and overcast when we left Tumbarumba this morning. We enjoyed this small town and were glad of our unintentional visit. The road backtracked a bit at first then took us out to the edge of the mountainous area. This was where I took the photo from the lookout. It was built as a memorial to a plane that crashed with 8 people on  board in 1931. The remains were not found until 27 years later when a worker on the Snowey Hydro Scheme went bush walking and found it.
From here we went down a "steep 3 km decent" to the foothills where pasture  had been established for sheep and cattle. Fortunately this road had more gentle curves and Bob could enjoy the ride. Everywhere was green as they have had enough rain to get the grass growing and even germinate some crops. We still came across a large herd of young Black Angus that were grazing the "long paddock" that had plentiful growth of paspalam and other grasses. We proceeded cautiously but they were more interested in eating than diving across in front of us. It was a beautiful ride out to Corryong and we found a very busy town there. It was the 1st day of a 4 day horse event and we were glad we weren't looking for accomodation there. As we headed across to Wadonga we met lots of horse floats heading toward the event. I wonder why they are called floats and not trailors?
Once we had crossed into Victoria the green pasture diminished and the paddocks here are waiting for rain. There is some irrigation so it doesn't look as bad as SA.
We made it comfortably to Mildura but our hopes of having two nights here have been scotched by a gymnastics competition and a basketball carnival. Instead we will have a short run to Halls Gap tomorrow and stay close by in Stalwell the following night. All booked because it is the weekend. Maybe one day I will have the chance to explore the town centre of Mildura.

Photos

 The wall of the Tumut Pond Dam

 Part of the Tumut Pond Dam reservoir.

View fro a look out back across to the National Park

NSW to Perth Wed 3/4/19 to Tumberumber

The motel we checked into last night had had it's wifi antenna damaged by lightening so this is why I am in catchup mode.
Yesterday we left Gerringong early because Ros was up early to catch the train to work in Wollengong. So we bounced out to say our goodbyes and thank yous. The plan was to at least make Cooma at the edge of the Snowy Mountains and possibly Khancoban if we felt up to it. We actually had lunch in Cooma so decided to go to Khancoban via Kiama. This took us up through the alpine meadows to the last remaining building of the old gold mining town. The stone Courthouse was last used for purpose in the late 1800's but then became a ski lodge and bar until more modern resorts took away it's custom. It has now been restored and acts as a focus for a history walk around the old workings.
This was where we turned off for Khancoban and the road wound gradually higher. After some time we were taken aback to see a sign which said the road was closed at the Tumut Pond Dam. We were past the sign and winding our way down to the dam before the implication really sank in. We decided to check out the dam anyway and it was quite impressive. There was no road block at the end of the wall but there was a car parked there. The  couple were tourists also but better informed than us. They told us that the road was definately closed due to a bushfire that had only just been controlled and would not be open until it had been found to be safe from falling trees. They knew the area and gave us our options; either return to Cooma or return to a road junction about 20 minutes back and take the road up to Tumberumba. They thought there was accommodation at Tumba.
We opted for the latter and set off. The road was through the edge of the Kosciuszko National Park and quickly became mountainous. We wound up and down through beautiful valleys covered with tall Stringy Bark and Mountain Ash trees with clear  streams  wandering through. It was very steep and Bob was constantly  changing gears as we wound around tight corners. We saw quite a few of the beautiful red and blue  King Parrots. Then we rounded a corner and there were two of the wild brumbies and a foal. It was very special. We eventually reached Tumbarumba and found a comfortable motel ( with no wifi  )  and had a good meal at the pub. Bob had a  well deserved good nights sleep.

Photos

 My Lyrebirds as they rushed to hide.

One of the pools along the walk.

Hans standing beside an ancient red cedar tree to give perspective.

NSW to Parth Tues 2/4 19 Gerringong

Ros had to work on Tues so Hans was our tour guide for the day. First priority was a coffee at his favourite cafe downtown. I say downtown advisedly because Gerringong is a small town on some very steep hills. Not push bike country. We then walked down to the boat harbour and I was cross with myself because I forgot to take my camera.  It was a beautiful little bay  enclosed by rocky cliffs which had a seapool built by the early residents. There were originally 3 pools: one for men, one for women and one for children. The remaining one was very tempting and I wished that I had my bathers. From there we climbed up the adjacent headland through the most beautifully located cemetary. It was absolutely prime real estate and very farsighted of the early settlers to annex this piece of land. The graves dated from the late 1800's.
Our next stop was in complete contrast as it was The Seven Mile Beach. This is an expanse of golden sand that is very firm and comfotable to walk on.  We went for a walk and I was intrigued by the sand dunes. This beach is exposed to strong winds and the despite the firm sand the wind pushes up dunes about 1 metre high in parallel rows across vulnerable sections of the beach. We had a delicious lunch in a cafe nearby.
Ros had mentioned a rain forest walk as a local attraction and Hans obligingly drove us out there. It was a 2 km walk up hill on boardwalks to a pretty waterfall. I posted the photo in a previous batch. The walk was lovely and not too strenuous. The real highlight though was hearing a Lyrebird singing his repertoire including a rather croaky kookaburra at the end. The other calls: magpie, bell bird, wood chopping and some I didn't recognise he had off pat. It was about 4pm by the time we were quietly walking back to the entrance and we came upon 6 Lyrebirds scratching around near the path. They took off once they realised we were there but I did manage to get a slightly blurred photo of two of them.
By the time we arrived home Ros was almost home from work and when we were organised we went off to the local club to eat again and continue catching up after 20 years of exchanging news in Christmas cards.

Photos

 Some of the bikes lined up for judging after the Grand Parade. Bob was awarded Best "original" 1800. ie no extra chrome.

Just part of the National Motorcycle Museum collection.

 The bay at Gerringong NSW.

The "Two of Us" at the top of the 2 km climb at Minnamurra Rainforest Park

NSW To Perth 1/4/19 Gerringong

Note the change of direction in the title. We had a great time in Karuah. It was a very well organised Meeting. There were 70 bikes in all but some people had driven their cars for various reasons so there were about 170 of us all up. The caravan park was comfortable with the only irritant being the mosquitoes. There was a couple of hours of pouring rain on Saturday morning which delayed the grand parade of bikes through town. However it stopped at about 11am and off we went. Happily it also seemed to drown most of the mosquitoes. Sunday afternoon we went on a ride on a raod known as Bucket's Way which was very scenic. We had lunch at a local popular pub and then went to the National Motorcycle Museum. I knew that once Bob stepped foot in there it would a long time before he emerged. I took my book and after a quick look inside I retreated to a comfortable seat outside and had a relaxing read until he was ready to leave two hours later.
There was a farewell BBQ on Sunday evening and then those who were still there prepared to leave. We sought advice from the locals as to the best way to skirt Sydney  and make our way to Gerringong on the south coast. We set off anticipating a shorter day than usual. Unfortunately verbal directions aren't very detailed so it turned into a long day. We rode over to  Broke via Pokolbin through the trendy vineyard area. Here we missed the turn and over optimistically took the road into the Woollambi Valley. It was beautiful and like a forgotten world after the glitz of Pokolbin. Against our hope it did not connect with the Putty Road and we had to backtrack losing an hour. Incidently I reseached the origins of the Putty Road due to it's unusual name. There is an interesting history of the development of the Putty Valley accessible through Google. We eventually had lunch at Grey Gums Cafe halfway down the Putty Road. By the time we reached Penrith it was after school time and very slow. Then our route planners had forgotten or not seen the huge roadworks involved with the development of the new airport at Badgery's Creek.
Surfice to say we were very pleased to finally reach the home of friends at Gerringong. Ros has been a friend since our Social Work studies days and we have stayed in touch. She and Hans had dinner ready for us and it was nice to have a home cooked meal. We are exploring this area today and moving on tomorrow.

Photos

 View of Karuah foreshore taken from the jetty in front of Big 4.

 Mangroves and old oyster beds in front of our cabin. View from jetty.

 Bikes lit up for the night parade.

Perth to NSW Thurs 28/3/19 to Karuah

This was a relatively short ride today. We left Cowra and headed for Singleton. This road is known as the Putty Road. It is famous with bikers as it winds through the hills which makes it fun riding. Along the way we passed the turn off for Putty which at leasted explained half of the reason for the strange name. Bob is very familiar with the road as he used to drive ammunition trucks from Singleton to Liverpool along here when he was in Natios. We stopped for a cuppa at the Grey Gums Cafe which is a biker mecca. Imagine my surprise  when we were able to order a pot of tea for two and it was served with pretty bone china cups. It was even strong enough even if it was made with tea bags.
From Singleton we went across to Maitland and at last found some signs for Karuah. I was thankful we had the GPS as there was no indications it existed until we were only 25 kms away. The caravan park is the usual high standard Big 4 and our "deluxe villa" even  has a dishwasher. Not that I plan to do any cooking beyond toast for breakfast. We have another couple joining us for 2 of the four nights as it is two bedroom and this will defray the cost a bit. We booked quite early but even then this was the only cabin available. The other two were pleased when we advertised that we had a room to share. We know them from previous meetings so that is easy.
Karuah is on a bay of the Hawksbury River and is famous for it's oysters - in season. We will be walking up to the jetty shortly to explore and to see if any are available. Bob has been washing the bike to clean the Nullabor dust off it and I have been doing the washing.  Domestic duties done we can relax and enjoy these 3 days. You can expect only photos during that time.

Photos

 Starting point at Mount Panorama. Photo from up the top of the course couldn't do it justice.

View from the lookout at Blue Mountains Botanical Gardens.

 Wolemi Pines in the Gardens.

View from our motel balcony over the Hawksbury River. Paddle Steamer was just anchored there.

Perth to NSW Wed. 27/3/19 To Windsor

We set off in sunny cool conditions and I was glad I had pulled out my warm gloves.  The road was once again through rolling hills and they had obviously had some rain. It did not take long to reach Bathurst and Lorenzo went on while we did some checking out of the town. Lorenzo was going on to spend time with his father inlaw who lives in Newcastle. I haven't told you much about him but he is an interesting charachter. Of Italian decent but born in Australia he lives in Glenelg with his wife. She is flying over to spend time with family also and they will ride home together. Lorenzo was a "bikie"  in his youth but got out and is now a "biker " like us. He owns a very successful Tatoo Studio in Glenelg which employs 8 people. He advertises his business with personal body art. He is very family oriented and a genuinely nice person.
 We turned off and visited the Mount Panorama car race track. It was very quiet and Bob was pleased as he wanted the chance to ride around the course. It looked easy enough but as we went into the bends and up to tbe top of the couse (very sedately) it was amazing to think people roar around there at more than 100 km/hour. From there we went down to the Information Centre and then rode up the main street.  There are some beautiful old buildings there, heritage from the gold rush days.
From Ballarat we climbed steadily until we were high in the Blue Mountains. We took the road to Windsor which was quieter that the Highway through Katoomba into Sydney. It was a beautiful ride with amazing scenery. Along the way we found the Blue Mountains Botanical Gardens. These are at 1000 metres above sea level and it was very cool. (Temp.) The views were amazing and the gardens were beautifully set out. After that it was time to start down to Windsor which is on the NW fringe of Sydney. There were pie shops all along the road and we finally had to stop for lunch.
We were in Windsor by three pm and had no trouble finding a motel. Our room overlooks the Hawksbury River so the view is great. The bike is booked in to get a new rear tire in the morning before we do the final stretch up to Karuah for the GoldWing gathering. This was always the plan; in case you are wondering.
Tonight we have had a delicious Thai meal and are ready to relax.

Photo

Lorenzo's very shiny bike parked at the CWA garden at Lockhart. This was opposite the service station and so we did get to have a look. Not very exciting photos I am sorry.

Bob at the Old School T House waiting for lunch to be served. There was a plaque beside the original school bell saying it was from the when school began     here in 1876.

Perth to Nsw Tues 26/3/19 To Cowra

We said goodbye to Brendon this morning as he had to go back to work. Lorenzo, Bob and I set out for the run to Cowra. We began by crossing the Murray a couple of times and were following the River for quite a while. This is the Murray irrigation basin and it was lush with vines and orchards. There were even sprinkler systems over the pasture because we moved into the dairy region with lots of Friesans. The actual irrigation chanels that are distributing the water are huge - equal to small rivers. There was plenty of un irrigated land as well and that showed the need for rain. We also crossed the Murrumbidge which I had not expected. It had two arms at that point in a large flood plain and had water in both.
We stopped for fuel at Lockhart which turned out to be a very pretty little town but the service station was at the beginning  of town and we had to turn a corner to discover the main street. It claims to be the "town of verandahs" and there were plenty of the old style shops. I would have liked to stop and walk the street but Lorenzo was leading and showed no inclination to do so. He told me later that he doesn't worry about taking photos because he goes to the town's website and copies them from there. If you are interested you could have a look at the website. They had some good street art.
We decided to stop for lunch at Junee but missed the main street as we followed the route signs for the Olympic Highway. The next town was Bethunga and was tiny but it had the "Old School House T Shop". It is usually only open on Tuesdays by appointment but we were lucky in that they had had a tour bus booked in and were still open. The sandwiches were generous and freshly made with fruit and potato crisps on the side. We sat in the garden and soaked up the sun. I have just remembered to mention that it was 12 degrees when we left
Echuca this morning and had only just reached 22 by the time we stopped for lunch. The temperature then started to drop again as we started to climb through some low hills. Until then the countryside had been so flat that there were mirages in the distance. It was nice to have some variation. There has obviously been some rain here as well as the paddocks are starting to green up just as they were when we left home.
The Information Centre was helpful with accommodation again and we are very comfortable. We walked into town to find the "Services Club" for dinner and overshot because we didn't realise it was in a side street. Lorenzo had been chivving us because he says he just doesn't walk and then we walked him down the hill and had to come back up. Naturally we told him how good it was for him but he pretended to be unconvinced.
That's all for tonight.

Perth to NSW Mon. 25/3/19 To Echuca

Today was a fairly short run to Echuca so we walked to the bakery and had a relaxed, delicious breakfast. The road wound along beside the Murray although it wasn't always in view.  We were repeating the trip we made in 2010 when we went to the Echuca GoldWing AGM but we had traveled about 70kms before it clicked that it seemed familiar.
There are vineyards and orchards predominantly at the Mildura end then it changes a bit to include rice fieds and some grazing in addition to vines. In between there is the familiar brown grass, saltbush and Gimlets. The lush green was a welcome change in the scenery and we enjoyed the river and the lakes we came to in the second half of the day. About midway we met up with a local biker, Brendon, who is not going to the AGM  but rode with us to Echuca to meet with our second traveling companion Lorenzo.  Lorenzo is from Adelaide but he and Bren know this area really well so they a busily plotting our route for tomorrow with Bob.
There was a vicious cross wind again today  but no rain. Bob alleges that the reason the sheep in the paddocks were lying down was not that they had had enough to eat it was because the wind would have rolled them across the paddocks if they tried to stand. Thankfully our direction veered to the NW slightly and we had a more combortable last part of the ride. It is forecast to be a tail wind again tomorrow which will be welcome.
Lorenzo was telling us there was a great Italian restaurant here but when we walked along the street it is closed on Mon & Tues. Hopefully the Greek restaurant which is also recommended will be open.
I have been amused by the variation in the names of the towns as we have traveled through the different regions. SA has names which are quite different to any in WA. Penong, Nundroo, Wudinna, Kyancutta .... Now we are in Victoria we have been to Euston( Monopoly) , Robinavale which must have been a Soldier Settler town because the street names were Tobruk and other well known battles. There's Wentworth, Swan Hill, Leichville and Gunbower. But also some wacky ones such as Tyntynder, Wee Wee, Lake Boga andTooleybuc.
However that is enough of that. Signing out.

Photos

 The Big Galah Tourist spot in Kimba SA

The Silo Art in Kimba

The old wharf on the Murray River at Morgan SA. This town is also famous for it's bakery and we had pasties for lunch there even though it was Sunday.

Perth to NSW Sunday 24/3/19 To Mildura

It was cool again this morning and threatening rain all day. We seemed to skirt around it although some places had puddles in the street. They are desperate for rain so it is the conversation for everyone. We had heard that the kangaroos and emus were coming south looking for food and we soon saw some. As we approached a creek bed Bob suddenly slowed as 8 to 10 roos bounded across in front of us. There were emus in the paddocks and along the road verge but not in large numbers. The paddocks were absolutely bare. Even the salt bush was chewed down to stumps in some places. There was a small flock of sheep which had been turned out onto "the long paddock" sharing the verge grass with a mob of about 8 roos.
As the wind blew up this afternoon some properties were losing their top soil and there were a few that had sand dunes where the vegetation had lost the battle. It must be dreadful to be living on this land.
We have found comfortable accommodation again with no difficulty. We have had a stroll down The Mall and as we are in Victoria we are off to the Workers Club for dinner.

Perth to NSW Sat 23 /3/19 Port Augusta

We went into the bakery in Ceduna for breakfast. It was busy as it is THE place to have casual meals and it was Saturday. While we were waiting Anna and Martin came in. During the conversation Martin mentioned that they had slept in and we discovered that we hadn't advanced our watches enough and we had slept in as well.
The day was cool again so it was comfortable riding.
We were shocked to see how dry the countryside is. It is a really fragile environment. Some of the paddocks have so little grass cover that there is drifting sand
encroaching on the arable  land. 
When we reached Kimba we realised it was our last chance to get some lunch. It was after 1pm so being Saturday the options were limited. Still we went past the roadhouse which previous experience has taught us only serves greasy food or curry. On our way around we found the Silo Art which is new and very impressive. We then headed to the Big Galah and were fortunate to get toasted sandwiches; the only option.
I will attach the photos tomorrow.
Accommodation is a bit pricey in Port Augusta but fortunately The Pampas Motel where we have stayed before is reasonable and had a vacancy. There is also undercover parking which was important as rain had chased us all day and was threatening. As we sat outside relaxing Anna and Martin rode in so it was a very social evening. We went to the nearby hotel for dinner and came back for coffee and more war stories. 

Photos

Bob preparing to attack the oysters.
I forgot that the Nullabor photo is on my phone. That will have to be a tomorrow job.

Perth to NSW Friday 22/3/19 To Ceduna

After breakfast at the motel we left at 8am. However this was actually 8.45 Central time and we lost another 45 minutes when we crossed into South Australia 12 kms down the road. This is the scenic part of the Nullabor as the cliffs of the Bight are close to the road. It had rained a bit earlier this morning but stopped by the time we got on the road. There was really high humidity and so the ocean was not it's usual brilliant blue. Interesting to see it in these conditions though. There was the same cloud cover as yesterday which meant it was cool. As we looked across the countryside the clouds seemed to be trailing misty curtains of rain but it didn't reach the ground. This area was looking very dry and it is psuedo Nullabor Plain in that there is lots of salt bush and dry grass but enough scattered small trees that it can't be called null abor. I will attach a photo I took at Nullabor Roadhouse which is typical of the 360 degree view. The Nullabor is a narrow srtip here as it balloons into a wider area to the north. Shortly after we left the roadhouse we saw the small trees proliferating again. They were dominant until we were close to Nundrew where the SA agricultural area begins again. We waited to have lunch at Penong as the roadhouses along this section are nothing to write home about. The Nundrew one has had a facelift and Penong has a new Caltex which was quite classy. From there it was just a short distance into Ceduna and we thought it would be cruisy.  We were sadly mistaken as a strong Southerly cross wind blew in and Bob was battling it the whole way. Fortunately there wasn't much traffic and he could hog the centre of the road. We were  very  pleased to reach Ceduna and find that the motel we stayed in last time is still lacking custom because it in a 60's model and away from the water. This means they are pleased to have custom, the rates are lower and it is very comfortable. We were even upgraded to a room with a verandah because it looked like rain and the manager knew we would appreciate cover for the bike. AND they have good wifi which means I am now up to date. We treated ourselves to a dozen oysters which they grow here and they were delicious. We then  had fresh fish for dinner and all is right in our world.

Perth to NSW Thurs 21/3/19 To Eucla

Because there was no breakfast served at Fraser Range we were on the road to Balladonia at 7.10am. We were pleased to discover that the standards at the roadhouse are vastly improved since our last visit and we had a very nice breakfast. We also chatted to another couple who are riding back to Victoria after visiting family in Esperance. We have very similar itineraries so will be seeing them along the way. At lunchtime at Madura we caught up with a pushbike rider who is one of 25 riders racing to Sydney. This is an annual event and it takes them about 17 days. This man was the tail end charlie and very relaxed. He is an experienced international bike racer and built his own steel and titanium bike which has now done about 100,000 kms across USA, Africa, Turkey and Australia. Building bikes is his profession so he viewed the race as part of his job. We caught up with others as we headed toward Eucla and they did not look quite so relaxed. It is a cooler day which is a real blessing for them as well as us.
It was wildlife day today. We saw two Wedgetail eagles feasting on  roadkill. There were crows everywhere doing the same. I then saw a family of 4 emus and two live kangaroos. There was a strong headwind going in to Eucla but we were there by 2-30pm. We planned to do some laundry and hoped for wifi but neither came to fruition. Our friends from breakfast, Anna and Martin arrived just after us and we had dinner together, They belong to Ulysses so there was lots of bike talk and reminiscing. It was another good day.

Perth to Sydney Day 2, Wed 20 March 19

Hooray! I have wifi again. I will just write up the Wed/Thurs travel story.
We left the golden wheat stubble paddocks of Southern Cross early after a toasted sandwich breakfast at the roadhouse.
The countryside was now undulating low scrub. As we crested each rise we could see over a huge vista of uninterruped greenery. The closer we rode to Coolgardie the more trees there were. Beautiful pink barked Salmon Gums and red barked Gimlets. It took me a while to differentiate the two because a lot have similar slim trunks. I eventually picked out the bright green foliage of the Salmon Gums in contrast with the blue grey slender leaves of the Gimlets.
We had a peculiar (for us)  conversation with a recently retired man at the Coolgardie service station. He said they had just bought a new caravan and set off for a holiday in Coff's Harbour NSW. However by the time they reached Caiguna which is the 2nd roadhouse out of Norseman he decided it was too difficult. He turned around and was going home to catch the plane. His wife was tight lipped and unsmiling. Seems to me he had no sense of adventure.
It was a warm day again so we enjoyed the air conditioning at the Norseman Roadhouse for half an hour before setting off for Fraser Range. As we rode I noticed that the gums along the way were only just starting to shed their old bark so still looked a bit dowdy. It is much drier out here so it could be a water saving factor. There is resealing work all along the Highway. We were held up for a while while some tar was sprayed and chatted with the young woman holding the Stop/Slow sign. She was young, petite, tiny with full make up on her very fair skin. She told us she had trained as a make-up artist but couldn't get work. A friend had linked her into the job. She was working 14 hour days and her only complaint was that her throat and hands had coloured up in the first few days before she was given some gloves and zipped her jacket right up. She is loving the income.
Fraser Range Station is great. Our bedroom was in the old stone Shearer's Quarters and was very comfortable. Water is scarce so we were given a dollar coin to put in  the hot water system for 5 minutes worth. It was enough. Dinner was delicious and we went to bed content with our world.

Photos- Day 1 /2

 Old stone Shearers' Quarters, Fraser Range Station

 Bob at Widgemooltha

Salmon Gums at Widgemooltha

Perth to NSW - Day 1 Southern Cross

Preparing for departure was a bit frantic. We were both busy for the past couple of weeks tidying the garden and organising the requirements for the livestock while we are away. Then we had the three days of the Pioneer Cup Golf Tournement to work and play at. There was last minute anxiety regarding our house sitter who didn't tell us she had been in hospital for three days until she needed to explain why she didn't arrive on the arranged date. However she did arrive yesterday and seems experienced and competant. We left Obi in her care so have needed some reassurance on that score. We arrived at Ingrid's at 7pm and she and Phil had dinner organised for us. It was great to relax with them but it was early to bed as we couldn't stay awake.
This morning Bob needed to collect the bike from the mechanic wno has done a major service and I  needed a hair cut and to squeeze in a brief connection with Elise and the girls. By 11-30 we were loaded up and riding up Great Eastern Hway towards Midland. It was a warm day but there was wind blowing all day and that kept us cool enough while we were moving. Once we were out of the metro area we began to relax and enjoy the ride. We had lunch at Cunderdin and afternoon tea in Merredin. There they had delicious new seasons Fuji apples in the IGA so we stocked up. Then had a very wicked iced coffee with ice ceam in it at the coffee lounge.
Tnis carried us along nicely for the last 100 kms into Southern Cross. We phoned ahead to book a room in one of the lovely old pubs here and enjoyed a very good and somewhat too substancial dinner tonight. Southern Cross was our hoped for destination if today went well and it has set us up for a comfortable trip out to Fraser Range tomorrow. This is a station stay out from Norseman that we have often thought about visiting and this time it is going to work. All well so far so I'll write some more next time I have wifi.