Where the Hell am I?

farawayman

Long Timer
On to the next stop. One of the longest bridges in SA.





There is a story of one of the locals trying to get home on night when the floods where on, so was using the railway bridge. He was using sleepers to drive on and passing them over the roof of his old Holden to place them in front of his tyres and moving forward and passing the next sleeper over the roof of the car. Hard work by your self, well of course the Ghan came through.
He made it, but the holden didn't. The wreck is still there.



Must be Indian country . . .
all the wagons pulled up in a circle.





I crossed the road and rode in a mile or so, a lovely water hole with Pelicans. To good a camp site to pass up.



My camp



A great spot, a Dingo checked me out just on dark and the stars where bright.
 

farawayman

Long Timer
I woke early, it was cold, and realised I still had 800km to go. I better get on the road early.







I packed up, started the bike. Put on my jacket and helmet, reached for my gloves and the 1150 stalled. No matter climbed on, hit the button and was hit with a deafening click. Tried again and she'd turn over o so slowly but no throaty growl.
Off with the seat and lift the tank, check, it's all ok.
walk in circles while I give it a rest. Move the bike so the sun will warm the battery.
Still nothing.

Hike out to those caravans in a circle but they where gone.

Sit on the side of the track hoping someone will come along, nothing.
An hour and a half later still nothing.
Sick of sitting on a rock, start walking up, then down the track. Nothing
Then a saw a glint of silver behind some trees in the distance, a caravan.
He's happy to help, "your lucky we decided to do the washing" he said "or we would be long gone" as we unhitched the van.
Just then 2 4wd's and a KLR went passed.
She berst into life as soon as the jumper leads where connected. Thanked my rescuer and I was off.

 

farawayman

Long Timer
No problem starting at Oodnadatta so I blasted on through to Marla where toped the tanks up both, me and the bike, pumped up the tyres and headed north. Got into Erldunda just before dark, refuelled and was on my way. Only 246km to go.
Found a couple of cars to sit behind when it got dark. Not a lot of animals out but you can never tell. After a while I decided my lights were better than theirs so I passed them and got on with it.
The bike was doing a slow weave, I must be tired. No thats not it, somethings wrong! I thought for a moment, I've got tyre going down . . .
Which one? Do I sit forward or back? Do I stop? I've got plus and patches.
Finding a leak in the dark could be impossible. I knew if I stopped I would likely be there for the night but I had promised I would be there tonight . . .
 

farawayman

Long Timer
I took the only real option left to me.


Open the throttle of course, W-)
I found them feeding their faces, so I joined them for an expensive sausage and salad. Rear tyre was flat when we headed back to the cabin, I will worry about "that" in the morning.
There were lots of splits and cracks in that tyre, was not looking good. Out with the pump and the soapy water. I couldn't find the leak, must be the valve. No it was the valve stem, moulding had come away from the steel that holds the valve. Now Yulara has got to be the most expensive place in Australia to do anything. $30 for a very basic meal last night, $2.28 a litre for unleaded whats it going to cost for a tubeless valve stem? And I may need a tyre yet.
$5.00 Good blokes there at Ayers Rock Automotive, I pulled the wheel off but they did the rest.
And I had time to go for a ride



















 

glitch

Mapping the next ride...
Staff member
Love the yarn, love the pics.
This is good, REAL GOOD!:lao
And of course it HAD to be the rear going flat, isn't it always the harder one to fix that gives grief?

Those shots of the railway bridge....and then the colours in the later shots.
Gotta have another look now :glu:glu
 
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