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Australian Rideout sent in by William Billings,Warnambool, Victoria, Australia.
(Click on the pictures for larger versions)

Bill and Ray’s Ride to Eyre Peninsula

We left Warrnambool at noon. Rode non stop to Naracoorte SA. It was very windy and drizzled rain for the first 300 ks.
Then slowly the sun broke through and the conditions got better but the wind was still there. Naracoorte was our first
stop on the way to Adelaide. The closer we got to Adelaide the wind dropped off to a mild breeze and the sun was shining.
Our second fuel stop was at Talem Bend. We had a quick feed and headed towards Adelaide.

After being lost for 1 hour in the Adelaide hills we finally escaped through Adelaide’s most elite subdivision (as the sign said)
and we finally found Gawler, only to find we were not able to get a bed. So it was back to Adelaide to a motel a 6 pack of
stubbies and a pizza for tea. We were laughing. Life was never so good.

8am and we were on the road again backtracking to Gawler and then through Clare for breakfast. Absolutely beautiful
countryside full of wineries and gentle rolling hills. I think it was made especially for motor bikers. After a brief stop
for breakfast we headed for Peterborough. But before we reached Peterborough we actually rode through a real ghost
town. (not signed) All the shop windows were boarded up. All the houses were overgrown. It was just like in the movies.
We arrived at Peterborough around 2pm. We had a late lunch and a quick tour of the town. Not a place I would live.

We travelled on to Port Augusta though the Flinders Ranges. Now this is what I call a motorbikes paradise. Wide roads, plenty or
curves and uphill and downhill. (Unreal) The further we went north the hotter it was getting. I noticed on the Max, the temp gauge
moved up one notch but it was purring like a kitten and returning unbelievable miles per gallon.

Port Augusta – what can I say. We went through in a hurry. We were heading to Whyalla. We had heard Whyalla had a Hungry Jacks
and we were going there for a smoko. The road between Port A and Whyalla was long straights and a nice wide road. So the revs
were now bumped up to around 5000 and we were cruising, but I must add that the backside was just starting to get a bit sore by
this time. We toured Whyalla and found it a place one could spend a lot of time there. We found Hungry Jacks, had a feed and
headed for a little fishing village called Cowles. (did I mention this is supposed to be a fishing trip) At the end of the day we
found a cabin, had a clean up and headed to the pub for tea and light refreshments. We mingled with the locals for a few hours.
A nice lot of blokes and we staggered back to our beds at 11 pm.

Up early on day three, bright eyes and raring to go. A slight hangover. We were heading deeper into Eyre Peninsula down to Port Lincoln
country but we were told to check out Tumby Bay, which we did. It was a very nice town with a top boat ramp and better still two pubs
but unfortunately we were not staying there. We were following the coast road. The temperature was climbing into the high twenties, n
o wind and the scenery was very spectacular. We made Port Lincoln for lunch. Can’t beat a home made pie from Port Lincoln and a cappuccino
to wash it down while sitting on the Esplanade watching the wild life strolling past. The road to Streaky Bay probably was not as good as
we had been used to but still very scenic. If you are wondering why we leave so late in the morning to start our rides, it’s because of the
kangaroos. Haven’t hit one yet and don’t intend to.

Mid afternoon and starting to work up a thirst. We called into Port Kenny Pub, just across the Lake from Venus Bay but won’t be doing that again,
so we pushed on to Streaky Bay and the one thing you can always count on at the pub. You always get a smile and a cold beer and a nice meal
which we had.
We had two relaxing days at Streaky and a nice walk around the town just stretching the legs and enjoying the sunshine. But alas, all good thing
must come to an end. It was time to start heading home by a different route. We were travelling home now via Princess highway which is inland
with the longest straights you can imagine and it getting hotter by then. The temp was up in the mid thirties, It was time to take the jackets off.
It was real cool cruising around 120 ks per hour just enjoying the sun and the breeze.

5 hours later we rode into Port Augusta. Which was only a fuel stop and a can of coke. We made our way back across to the coast to Port Pirrie
where we had Maccas for a late lunch. We followed the cost off the highway to Port Wakefield, for years I thought was only four service
stations and a car wrecker, but we turned off the highway into the township which turned out to be a very nice place and an excellent caravan park
where we stayed the night. We were up at 8 and heading to Adelaide central city to have breakfast. After dodging the traffic and getting lost we
finally found our way out to victor Harbour. Through the hills again which is a nice road beside the coast.
We crossed the Murray River at Wellington via a ferry. Then it was the most boring ride you can imagine down to Kingston (nothing to see flat open
country) So the pace was pumped up.
We learnt one thing – when you get to Kingston it pays to choose which roadhouse you go to carefully.
It was getting lat in the afternoon now and it was cold and raining so we made a dash to Port Macdonald via Mount Gambier. When we arrived in
Port McDonald we were freezing and wet but the local publican came to our rescue with a shed to lock our bikes away, a nice bar meal and a bed.

Last Day – the mood has changed. We were slowly coming back to reality. Breakfast at Nelson (quiet border town between Victoria and South
Australia Great place for fishing.) Then a pleasant ride home only to find I had no keys and I had been locked out. But just the same it was one
of the best weeks of my life so far. The Max returned the better mileage than the Goldwing and I enjoyed every bit of it.

We did 3443 kilometres.