nev
Super Térrarist
An early start from Quorn to beat the heat later in the day, we were out on the road at 8:30 and heading north, past Hawker and off the bitumen at the Bunyeroo Rd. The dirt started off pretty good, got a little narrower and rockier but pretty good shape for the first 15km or so.
Every adv ride report from the Flinder's Ranges includes a photo taken at Razorback lookout so this shall be no exception. (I'm sure the National parks service only manicure this small stretch of road which is visible in photos from this lookout because they are so common, however it is by far the best section of road for the entire length of Bunyeroo Rd.
A few km further on we reach the Bunyeroo Gorge. The road is the creek for the next few km. Fortunately it is not sandy or muddy. The creek bed / road consists mostly of small shaley type rock and I guess a lot of 4WD vehicles passing through keep it well compressed. Even under the weight of the Super Tenere it feels like riding on bitumen.
Once off there we're on the Brachina Gorge road heading west. This road is also a rocky creekbed for the first 9km but no water and the rocks don't move around under the wheels like some of the rocky creek beds we rode on the NZ south island.
The last 10km of this road was almost a racetrack down to the Outback Hwy.
South again, to Hawker. On this leg of 70km or so we saw many emus and a few roos. Most of the emus were in the scrub but a couple were on the road. One roo was asleep in the shade under a tree on the gravel on the edge of the road. I stopped right in front of him. He wearily looked up, like anyone rudely awoken from a nap, took a few seconds to come to his senses then the shock that 2 motorbikes were only a few feet away then scrambled to his feet and hopped off.
Seeking shade and cold drinks in Carrieton. There was a small amount of shade, but no cold drinks.
Fortunately we found cold drinks at a cafe in Orroroo
Some snug shelter for the bikes at motel behind a pub in Jamestown.
Every adv ride report from the Flinder's Ranges includes a photo taken at Razorback lookout so this shall be no exception. (I'm sure the National parks service only manicure this small stretch of road which is visible in photos from this lookout because they are so common, however it is by far the best section of road for the entire length of Bunyeroo Rd.
A few km further on we reach the Bunyeroo Gorge. The road is the creek for the next few km. Fortunately it is not sandy or muddy. The creek bed / road consists mostly of small shaley type rock and I guess a lot of 4WD vehicles passing through keep it well compressed. Even under the weight of the Super Tenere it feels like riding on bitumen.
Once off there we're on the Brachina Gorge road heading west. This road is also a rocky creekbed for the first 9km but no water and the rocks don't move around under the wheels like some of the rocky creek beds we rode on the NZ south island.
The last 10km of this road was almost a racetrack down to the Outback Hwy.
South again, to Hawker. On this leg of 70km or so we saw many emus and a few roos. Most of the emus were in the scrub but a couple were on the road. One roo was asleep in the shade under a tree on the gravel on the edge of the road. I stopped right in front of him. He wearily looked up, like anyone rudely awoken from a nap, took a few seconds to come to his senses then the shock that 2 motorbikes were only a few feet away then scrambled to his feet and hopped off.
Seeking shade and cold drinks in Carrieton. There was a small amount of shade, but no cold drinks.
Fortunately we found cold drinks at a cafe in Orroroo
Some snug shelter for the bikes at motel behind a pub in Jamestown.