The best country scenery in Queensland, Day 9 of motorcycle tour of the outback

The place to improve the world is first in one’s own heart and head and hands, and then work outward from there. Other people can talk about how to expand the destiny of mankind. I just want to talk about how to fix a motorcycle. I think that what I have to say has more lasting value – Robert M. Pirsig

 

I can see the sun light through the trees out the back of my parent’s in laws house, just beyond the five, 10,000 litre water tanks. It’s mottled by the giant gum trees that stand sentinel along the banks of the creek. The country scenery is in strong contrast to my normal city life. The working dogs locked overnight in their “dog boxes” are barking for attention. The Cockatoos (who by the way are much louder than Galah’s) are squawking incessantly in the Cockatoo Tree.

While I lie there in a Queen sized bed, snug against the frosty morning, I’m momentarily taking in this country scenery and how different it is from my normal city living. There is a peacefulness that can’t possibly be gained from a noisy congested city landscape. No amount of “Backward Facing Dog” or “Warrior” poses in the Yoga Class can compensate for siting on the veranda of a rural property with a hot cup of coffee watching the cattle chomp merrily on the grass.

Solo Riding

When you ride solo on a motorcycle you tend to see the world differently, like a movie where you are part of the action rather than just an observer. People treat you differently, and you join a secret society of brother (and sister) bikers.

Probably the only other people who understand what it means to be a biker and ride in solitude are other solo travellers. Similarly, when you engage with people outside of your cultural groups you have to extend yourself to see the world through their eyes and try not to be blinkered by your own reality. The difference between riding solo and riding with buddies is that, as a solo rider you have to engage completely with the different peoples.

Maintenance Day

I’m on day nine of my outback adventure and I’ve stayed the night at my parents in law’s cattle property near Carnarvon Gorge in Central Queensland. You can read about how I got here in the following post: Day Eight Springsure to Carnarvon Gorge

I have three goals today, first to rationalise my gear and store some here to be picked up at Christmas time, two to do some preventative maintenance and three to explore some single tracks and creek crossings.

Early in the morning I washed Emu and cleaned off eight days of dust and grime. I had now travelled over 4000 kilometres with about 800 of that on the dirt roads and outback tracks. I had brought a spare air filter covered in oil and decided this was the opportune time to replace the existing one.

The chain needed adjustment and I took the opportunity to clean off all the crusted oil and dirt before soaking it in chain lube. I noticed that one of the main subframe bolts had disappeared and now that I was thinking of it, it explains some of the tapping noises I had heard on the gravel road from Rolleston. It takes a little while trawling through the spare bolt and nut bin before I find a suitable replacement, I have to cut it down to fit and I put a split washer on the nut to prevent it from undoing by itself.

Ready to ride

After about an hour and a half, Emu is ready to get dirty again. I’m going to take him for a ride up to Black Alley Peak, which requires a few creek crossings and some muddy areas.

It takes about two hours to ride the 20 kilometres to the Black Alley Peak cattle yards. This is the very top of the property and where it borders onto the Carnarvon Gorge National Park. The road goes from flat solid access roads to sandy single track to muddy down hill gullies. In a four wheel drive this can be challenging, but on a bike it’s just an interesting diversion.

Pushing a single track with a KLR650

Some people have commented that the KLR 650 is more suited to the road than the trail. In some way I agree, but as an adventure bike the KLR is one of the best. Not only can it take on extended highways, it can also navigate difficult terrain. Today I’m going to test it with all of this on my way up to the back of this magnificent country property.

As I ride out towards the back of the property I encounter a number of creek crossings, there are lots of bolder that have been washed down during the recent rains and I have to take it carefully. I prefer to stand on the pegs to see if I can navigate around some of the rocks. By feathering the clutch and throttle I can balance and pull the power on as I need to. The KLR is good at this and is really well balanced. I managed to get through the first hurdles.

Sand riding not for the faint of heart

Once through the flats the track becomes tighter and I find myself riding up a large section of deep sand. I fight the urge to slow down, but I do drop down a gear, stand on my pegs and accelerate. I’m conscious here that the track is quite narrow and there are trees and scrub on each side.

There’s also conspicuously hidden dingo traps, so I’m even more conscious of not coming off. At one point I feel the front wheel pull dramatically sideways and instinctively I drop down a gear again and accelerate, driving the back wheel into the sand and pulling the front wheel up slightly, just enough to correct my course. There are tyres that trap the sand and those that release it easily, I think I have the first. I’m constantly fighting the front wheel to take the line.

Mountain Country

Once through the sand country the track starts to climb with many up jumps and steep down hill sections that drop into small creeks. Coming down one particularly steep and rutted area, I feel Emu start to pull into the rut, I’m powerless to correct it and I get thrown forward.

I drop Emu but manage to step off to safety. After struggling to lift against the lay of the hill, I finally manage and spend the next couple of minutes recovering and checking him out for damage. He has a couple of scratches on the engine protection bars and the rear pannier racks but all is good otherwise.

Black Alley Peak

The Black Alley Peak is the border between the property and the Carnarvon Gorge. It is spectacular country and some of the most pictures country scenery in the area. In earlier times mustering cattle up here was a week long job. My mother in law used to set up a catering tent to prepare meals for the men and while they were mustering she would teach the kids.

Today it’s a completely different operation. Mustering is usually done with the help of a helicopter and quad bikes. Cattle are held in temporary yards and driven down the track to the main stock yard.

Review of the KLR650

This is the first time I have been able to test out the KLR in single track conditions. This is the exact reason I bought this bike. I’m not an enduro rider, I like to take my time. Emu handled the track very well. If I was choosing a bike to race around the farm, I wouldn’t go for a KLR, like all adventure bikes they’re just to heavy.

Likewise there are much better touring bikes out there that make highway riding much more enjoyable. But to have a bike that can do both is absolute joy.

It was starting to get late in the afternoon and I had about two hours to get back. By the time I rode back past the stock yards the sun was starting to go down behind the ridge and my father in law had a bottle of red chilling in the fridge, we sat on the veranda watching the sun go down, talking about cattle, and grazing in general. My brother in -law joined us and we talked about the family and how everybody was.

It was a great end to a great day of riding. I’m lucky to be able to come out here and enjoy this property. Like I have said many time it’s the people you meet that makes the journey spectacular. Rural people are the salt of the earth and even though I’m really just a city kid, its great to be accepted in this community.

The journey continues…………………….

Tomorrow I start day 10 and my journey towards the coast, just one more regional town to explore before I get to Toowoomba and the start of my urban journey.

I hope you enjoyed this story, stay safe on the road and I hope I catch up with you somewhere for a red wine and a yarn. Cheers…………Digital Swaggie:)