Oaters odyssey in Oz

hi - just setting off across the Tasman from Aotearoa for 5 weeks meandering in the Lucky Country - Australia

Riding solo on a new to me Suzuki DR650K4 which I plan to pick up in Melbourne and set up for travel in the next several days before heading toward South Australia and the Flinders at a leisurely pace - taking in all the scenery and allowing some time for reflection.

This little trip is the beginning of 'retirement' (or as I like to think 're firemen') for me at past the mid point of my 60's

A don't have a fixed schedule - planning to stop where the fancy takes me.

Looking forward to boarding the Melbourne flight from Wellington in the morning

Plan to update as I go along

Will be looking forward to your updates

Cheers Phil - yours and Dawn's various travels are the inspiration for this little jaunt

Thanks, would like to do some more riding in Aus. Have only ridden there once.
With all that riding you will be "race fit" for the Cape to Cape ?

Good on ya Oaters..!

lookin forward to seeing what ya get up to, where ya go etc....

make sure you pack your wet weather gear !

.

Would have loved to be going with you Aslan. Have a great time.

Enjoy

Awesome, good luck to you mate and have fun!

Have fun...............Like you need telling

Day 1 - Wednesday 16 July

Stressful time getting to check in.
Left phone & iPad @ home - my wife - not accompanying me on this trip - graciously drove back to our home, some almost 30kms distant retuning with these items.

Meanwhile I'd been requested to unpack the extra bag I was planning to check in containing parts from my New Zealand based DR650.These were intended to be used to set up for long range travel, the DR I'd purchased in Melbourne for this adventure.

The bag contained not only tools and oil filters, spare tubes, engine protection plate, pannier frames & pannier bags but also the higher capacity IMS fuel tank from my existing New Zealand based DR.

Despite being previously advised by the airline customer representative I'd spoken to several months earlier when preparing for this trip, that carrying a suitably emptied and vented motorcycle petrol tank would be okay, on arrival at check in this was declined as the airline staffer in charge of international check in could still smell fumes when the tank was removed from my carefully prepared and secured packing.

Whilst accepting of this, I found unpacking and then re packing this bag of motorbike components an additional - yet not entirely unexpected, stressor. With the bag and it's contents strewn across a small area of a busy departure area as I unpacked and re packed, I felt like someone in those airline / airport reality television shows!

In flight thoughts:

I'm composing this entry in the cabin of the plane as we fly across the Tasman for Melbourne. I chose to watch 'Tracks' as my in flight movie choice. The story of Robyn Davidson who, as a young woman in the mid 1970's, set out with 4 formerly feral camels, including the calf of one, to travel along with her faithful dog from Alice Springs to Uluru and then overland through desert wilderness to the Indian Ocean on the West Coast of Australia.

As I've looked out of the cabin window before daylight - the sunrise has been spectacular - reminding me of the wonder of this universe - I feel truly privileged to be able to undertake this journey!

We're 25 minutes from landing as I contemplate the day of activity - arriving in this vibrant city again (yet strange to me in terms of getting around) with some apprehension as to how this day will unfold.

I plan firstly to Travel with my luggage to the Southern Cross Rail terminal on the airport shuttle bus, transiting at Southern Cross to some form of public transport that'll get me to the suburb of Balwyn and the home of the young man who has kindly offered to let me store the bike in his garage for future travels in Australia that I hope to undertake.

My friend is a fellow kiwi adventure rider living in Melbourne and with a bike stored in New Zealand at our mutual friend's home.with picking up the bike, formalities with VicRoads (change of ownership, roadworthy certificate etc) will go and of course linking with my step daughter her fiancé and their two young children who cal me 'Oaters' (as their step grand dad) About to land at Melbourne Airport - more later


Wednesday 16 July - day 1 - getting ready to leave Melbourne on the yellow DR

I passed though Customs and other border authorities without event - thankful for that.

The extra bag that had contained my large petrol tank was awkward and heavy still - containing the remaining parts from my NZ DR to be fitted to the DR I'd purchased in Australia.

Also,I was carrying a small back pack I'll be using on the journey. One hand was used to drag my suitcase with the odd shaped bag of parts poised awkwardly on top and in the other I held a couple of bottles of Irish Whiskey for family and friends.

I'd planned to get to my friend's place where I'll be storing the bike when not using it,as soon as possible and use his shed space as a staging post for getting set up leave for South Australia.

I was keen to get rid of as much of as possible

Travelled on airport shuttle bus to Southern Cross Station catching a suburban train to Mont Albert. Mont Albert is the next suburb across from where my friend who is going to store my bike lives - Balwyn.

Emerging like some Mole from its hole blinking in the light, I spied a sign indicating buses. I'd planned to catch a cab from Mont Albert station to my friend's Balwyn home. I asked a of couple middle aged men seated outside a cafe enjoying coffee and cigars, with two dogs at their feet, for the location of a taxi stand. They responded cheerily and asked where I was headed.When I replied 'Balwyn' the younger of the two said 'if you're willing to wait while we have our breakfast, well take you there as we're working there on a job'. It became clear they were partners in a building and construction firm.

I ordered a coffee and eggs Montreal (Salmon) for brunch and together we set chatting about all manner of things not least among these their shared passion for the smoking of cigars.

Thanks for all the encouraging responses - I leave the warmth and comfort of staying with family in Melbourne these past three days for the road proper.

Heading out in the morning for the Great Ocean Road - with only modest navigation skills / resources I'm feeling challenged at the prospect of navigating my way out of Melbourne - with an iPhone, paper maps and a friends GPS I've yet to install / master.

My resolve to camp wherever possible will probably be tested tomorrow as it's been very cold here in Melbourne - with rain.

I plan to post pics as I go along.

For those interested I've begun a blog here adventurousoaters@wordpress.com

Cheers for looking - Oaters

PS - really pleased with the DR - very tidy and I'm sure it'll be perfect for my purposes.

Listening intently.

Spent much of this evening in a country pub in Peterborough SA en route to the Flinders working out how to upload photos

Here's an attempt

Yours truely about to set off from Melbourne on Saturday 19 July

Hvae you got the hang of posting pics Aslan? You obviously know how to upload to photobucket. When you view each single picture you will see the links on the RHS. "email & IM: Direct: HTML: IMG"

If you left click the "IMG" details it will automatically copy the details. Go back to your thread then right click & paste the details & your pic will appear.
Hope that helps.

http://<a href="http://s21.photobucket.com/user/oaters/media/Oaters%20odyssey%20in%20Ozzie/03321C11-AA75-483B-B9FD-BDDEC5F853CB_zpsb1xvxuv8.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.advrider.com/advrider-photobucket-images/images/o/oaters_Oaters%2520odyssey%2520in%2520Ozzie_03321C11-AA75-483B-B9FD-BDDEC5F853CB_zpsb1xvxuv8.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 03321C11-AA75-483B-B9FD-BDDEC5F853CB_zpsb1xvxuv8.jpg"/></a>

Jealous much?

You betcha.

Cheers Eddie - noting your spinning with considerable empathy - hope you get some resolution / relief. I'm back to the ENT in October - my wife says I'd better be home by then. Candidly though solo travel isn't all 'beer and skittles'

There's some amazing highs - the camaraderie of motorcyclists being top amongst them. Would be good to have my wife's companionship at the end of the day reviewing the days events. But no..... Really I enjoy the helmet time and the little DR is a beaut - 'Mellow Yellow' - name chosen by little granddaughter in Melbourne

Here goes another attempt at posting a pic - practice makes perfect

[/URL][/IMG]

Hi there Steve, have just found this, subscribed.

I can certainly relate to your comment regarding having a wife's companionship at the end of the day!

Have a great trip and stay safe.

Mike

Look forward to following your adventure mate, am also just a bit jealous

Appreciate your comments - a real narcissist I am :)

Well - 14 days since leaving Wellington NZ, ten of those on the road from Melbourne to Burra in the Clare Valley tonight via The Flinders, Angorichina and the Blinman Pub

I'm still struggling to upload pics from the road saved onto this ipad2 and uploaded to either Photobucket or FBook

Pal in NZ - Padmei - says its simple just left and right click - not easy at the caravan park kitchen with no mouse in this

Completing the entry requirements to become a member of the esteemed Quorn Schnitzel Club at the Astral Hotel,


Grrr - I give up for tonight :)

Steve before I came away I made notes on how to add photos via Photobucket. Are you using that, if so do you want my notes?

Mike