Day one - Pindimar to Urunga

Unfortunately my trip has had a very boring start. I rang the Nowendoc Trading Post this morning and Thunderbolts is still closed due to the landslip, therefore that way was out. I  thought I would venture up the highway for a little bit and get some miles under my belt and make my way towards Grafton. However, it has peed with rain all day and I'm drenched. You know that rational little voice in your head that says "Karen, you had better pull over and put on your wets as it is starting to spit", that gets interrupted by the optimistic voice "Nah, it'll be OK, it'll blow over!". Well I should have listened as I would be in Grafton instead of Urunga.

I've rigged up a really cool drying room. I've put the fan heater in the built in wardrobe with my gear. Don't worry the door is open and there is a timer on the heater.

Plans for tomorrow. Grafton via Glenreagh, and then depending on the weather either go west and north via Stanthorpe, or if its really terrible north via Casino and Murwillimbah.

PEOPLE MET - 78 year old bloke and his wife who ride a 1250 Bandit. Fit as fiddles they were, I definitely want to be like them when I grow up.

Bloke on a GS from Longreach who told me not to go the Savannah as I wouldn't be able to do it. Now I'm worried as I don't know if he said that because I was a girl or if its true! I'll check with the grey nomads on the way.

ANIMALS - Nasty kangaroo on the road out this morning at 9:30am. I'm sure they know that roo died when I hit it and they have it in for me.

KILOMETRES TRAVELLED - 315

CONDITIONS - Wet Wet Wet

LESSONS LEARNED -  Listen to the rational you.

Quiver packed and ready to go

Bike is packed and ready to go, after spending a couple of hours mucking around with the suspension having Goldilocks moments. Too hard, too soft, too hard, too soft. Now its just right.

Quiver has also been christened by the local ratbag possum "Rambo", so totally stank this afternoon. Now rewashed, tucked up and put to bed ready for Wednesday.

Top box has been lined with the insides of our old life jackets which will do just fine for shock absorption.

PJ lent me his helmet camera which I tested yesterday, roll on Wednesday.

Still to do!

The countdown has started, only 14 days until I leave. I'm pretty much sorted with gear other than the fact that I will need disposable clothes as the bike is full of tools, spares and equipment.

The annoying thing is I will need winter gear for the first week of the trip and then I'll be far enough north to just need summer gear. Maybe I can leave a bag in Emerald and swap the gear there and back. hmmmm.

So what is left to do?

• Find next G aerial to fit to Quiver
• Line top box with anti shock foam to protect laptop.
• Make false floor for top box to stop laptop banging around
• Update first aid kit
• Fit pipe to Quiver to hold fuel cells.

I think I'm getting excited, whoohoo!

Helmets

Zeus

I have two helmets, HJC carbon fibre number, which is snazzy looking and cost a bomb and a Zeus 2100b adventure helmet which was 1/3 the price of the HJC.

So you would think the HJC would be the quieter helmet, sadly NO. The Zeus has won the toss for this trip. Its quieter, keeps the sun out of my eyes and as I discovered this weekend, it also keeps a bit of rain off the visor.

HJC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spot v2

OK, so now I feel like a bit of an idiot. I bought a Spot GPS messenger, similar to an eperp but more functions. You can SOS (thats when they send the helicopter, soooo reassuring), send an "I'm OK" text to a nominated email address or mobile; or you can send a custom message which means I need help, but I'm not dying eg: send roadside assist, the mechanical horse is dead but I'm OK. The other cool thing it does is it plots your location on a map which is great if you want family and friends to see where you are or where you've been.

The only problem is, I cannot get the thing to plot on a map. I have tested the messages and they work fine, but I cannot get it to log my location of a map. I used it this weekend on a trip to Bendemeer and it didn't log a thing. 

Alas some technical support is needed!