Green Triangle Region riders go to Camerons Corner

Green Triangle ADVriders assault on Cameron’s Corner in OZ.
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Well it started out with Slowpoak dreaming of a ride to the junction of <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" /><st1:State w:st="on">Queensland</st1:State>, <st1:State w:st="on">New South Wales</st1:State> and <st1:State w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">South Australia</st1lace></st1:State>. Why? Because it was there.
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Soon the core of our small ADV riding community threw in their helmets and the planning began. But we all know the reason for wanting to “Go North” in August was this.
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Our area is known as the Green Triangle for good reason. It rains; a lot! Well for <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Australia</st1lace></st1:country-region> it does anyway. Months of wet, windy, cold weather is conducive to travel toward the equator.
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Slow had to come to grips with GPS technology to help plan our route, but with a little help, he blitzed it. Our plan was first to travel up from the coast and congregate in Bordertown. XRman (me) and DRdave( new to ADV riding) left <st1:City w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Portland</st1lace></st1:City> and picked up GagsD2 in Heywood. We then went a little further inland to Wallacedale to pick up Slowpoak (Slow). Actually his place should be called <st1lace w:st="on"><st1laceType w:st="on">Lake</st1laceType> <st1laceName w:st="on">Wallacedale</st1laceName></st1lace> this year.
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Once we pried Slow from the bosom of his love one (no more boob comments please) we set off in cold misty conditions to head over to Penola in South Australia to find Gone Again ( the only non Suzuki rider in our expedition). We only made about 2 km. before Slow threw his bike into a water filled ditch to make sure that we noticed the hole as we detoured around a fallen tree. What a man; now also known as illustrious leader.


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By the time we found GA in the Penola bakery, we were ready for a warming coffee and food stop. After that I noticed that we went the pretty way on secondary roads heading North towards our final rendezvous with Big Red Roosta ( BRR). Bugger! My GPS had lost power and the AA batteries were spent. I later found out that the fuse in the 12V supply had blown. So much for keeping a complete track file!
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Warmth and dryness were a condition we were not used to but by the time we met up with BRR at the Bordertown bakery it was feeling better as the distance from the coast increased.
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And now we were six. Using a series of sealed and unsealed roads we headed toward Renmark, where we had to cross the largest river in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Australia</st1lace></st1:country-region>, the River Murray. Luckily we do have bridges these days so there was no need to get wet. Anxious to get a bit further into the ride on day one, we didn’t dawdle in the town. We refuelled and bought beverages for the over night camp. The road out of town headed North East and we were soon on a busy road seeing many construction workers heading home as the work day ended. The site of our proposed camping area seemed to be a hive of construction work, so we pushed on a bit further and made camp in the <st1lace w:st="on"><st1laceName w:st="on">Dangalli</st1laceName> <st1laceType w:st="on">Park</st1laceType></st1lace>.


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We arrived just on dusk and pitched our tents and sat around eating dehydrated food and beer. The serenity! We all slept pretty well and the snoring chorus was tolerable. Those prickly bindi things were not so nice. I reckon even the wild life would want shoes in this country.
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On waking I had a little walk around and thought. We have another week of this to go. Fantastic!

I am hoping the other guyswill add more photos because I really didn't take too many.

The camp fire was small but the bench racing and bull shit went well into the evening. The stars were bright.



We had a liesurely breakfast and packed our kit. Why does it always seem to be harder to re-pack the stuff that fitted well yesterday? We headed North for a while then took a short cut that Gone Again knew of.

The first sand of the trip tested us all , but even with fully ladened biked we managed O.K. ; not well, but O.K.

It was almost a relief when we hit the main highway to Broken Hill. Almost being the operative word until we realized that we had 160 Km. of sealed road and a headwind to contend with. My DRZ400 coped with the road sections well enough with its wide ratio gearbox and slightly higher sprocket ratio, but at times I wished I was on GA's BMW800. We sat on speeds of 90-110 kph depending on our mood and the scenery. The craggy outline of Broken Hill soon loomed on the horizon.

We spent a little time in the city refuelling the bikes and purchasing some items from the camping store. We met a couple of older " ladies" in the store who seemed a little " interested" in our company. But we would rather ride our motorcycles!

We left the thriving city of Broken Hill and made for our lunchtime destination of Silverton , in Mad Max territory.




We found out that this pub is owned by some ex- Green Triangle folks. Small World!

Great start guys... keep it coming

We ate a hearty lunch and had a beer or two. My $2 op -shop freezer bag came in handy with a 6 pack of XXXX fitting quite well. To date it was the best cheap trick on the ride!

The decision was to press on for an hour or so and find a camp spot for overnight. We were hoping to reach Tipoburra by lunchtime next day, so we needed to get a move on. From Silverton we had plotted a course using station tracks/service roads. It was a scenic route with a great view of the Barrier range from the West side.

There were creek crossings ( dry) and open plains of low scrubland. We checked out a creek for a campsite but decided not to stop there. Back on the track we came across a local in his ute who looked curious about where we had just been searching. However that was not the best, most interesting encounter. The blonde in a white Toyota with a shiny alloy bullbar with little road courtesy was memorable! Later we found out that she was on her second shiny alloy bullbar on a near new vehicle.

We continued on until we met a local on an old DRZ250 checking his fences. BRR being a cocky( farmer) too, stopped for a chat. He was a nice old bloke, and told us all about his property at Mt. Woowoolahra. There was indeed a hill in sight so in that area that would count as a mountain.

Cleve's old DRZ was a sight to behold. It had no knobs left and ran at 8 psi in the sand. He services the bike once a year , whether it needs it or not, and it had been in service for about 15 years. Suzukis are tough alright!

Now this is where I am hoping some of the other riders will jump in and continue the story and add photographs.

Everything going well so far, apart from laying in bed last night listening to the slightly disturbing Bundy fuelled campfire stories by a couple of members of the "uncle festers" club.


Next morning the vicious bindy eyes had already claimed 2 air beds overnight.
So it was decided we head off for Broken hill, initially good station tracks through some scenic country. Then onto silver city highway for a 160km slab ride. The beemer initially loving the slab, then..we stopped for a break..........down


onward thru BH to Silverton for a burger & cold beers.
Dave tried out the convenient mounting post for well loaded DR's.
Camera must've been on "autopixellate the rude bits"


Needing to make a mile we zorfed out north looking for a campsite in a creek. Got offered the shearers qtrs. at a station by the owners, which was quite comfortable, though the numerous blood stains on all the bedroom carpets had us puzzled.


But next day we were still alive, and got away to try & make the corner.
Great riding, open tracks through some pretty deserted country, dozens of gates to open, saw no one for about 400km.




Eventually got to Milparinka, things were a bit quiet there too.

Then beer & chips in Tibooburra, and a fantastic flowing ride to the Corner, turning up the DRs wick to make it before Roo o'clock, plus cold beers and steaks were a calling...

Well this is what we had ridden to see, the marker of the 3 states boundaries of our Federation. We had spent an enjoyable evening at the pub. It started with the traditional donation of $5 to the Royal Flying Doctor service, via a thumbtack and coin which allows talented folks to pitch it into the ceiling. Did I mention I did it first time, unlike" He who throws like a girl" and " he who also throws like a girl'. Beer was on them.
T bone steaks were on the specialty menu.We had time to recall the days events over a few XXXX. Stories
1) GA 's bike limped in to the Corner eventually , suffering fuel starvation.
2) SLow was not so Slow when he wants to be. He and BRR blasted into the corner.
3) What is it with dumb bastards that drive in heavy dust from 4WD convoys and their refusal to use their headlights? I don't think a semi would really worry too much if it plowed into them. Scared the byjesus out of me though.

well this is what is there in case you are wondering. A small pub and a shipping container with a one star shower block.

Now we were heading back into South Australia. This is a view of the scenery after we left the Strezlecki Track (I think) with the Gammon ranges in the distance. It took a long time tho reach there. I had 28 L of fuel plus 5 L extra in a bladder. We stopped on top of one of many rolling dunes to enjoy the scenery.BTW I am an expatriot SA person, who looks at SA with rose coloured glasses from time to time.

Day 3 started once we'd hoed into the tasty CC bacon egg rolls and taken the obligatory pics of a white post with triumphant looking blokes,
ordering 1 something each please

then in a warm windy dust cloud, the posse was off..
that's XR's rear crash air bag/fuel bladder feeling bloated by the sun..


The Strez, looking inhospitablable..
to think Burke & Wills started to walk the 400 k's across this to Mt Hopeless station:huh

Mt Hopeless turnoff from the Strzelecki track

Cattle grid on Mooloowatana, note: wild dogs not tolerated here

Gammon ranges looming up in the distance, looking forward to sampling the excellent tracks in & around Arkaroola.

Top work, chaps. Excellent therapy to escape South-Wet Victoria in Winter!

so now we were near the Gammon ranges, approaching Arkaroola. This is proof that my DRZ400 actually spent some time the right way up!

We had a chance to have a shower and sleep in a decent bed, so we took it rather than pitch the tent on the rocky terrain. After a clean up we wandered over to the restaurant and enjoyed a decent meal (non- dehydrated)and a few beverages, including a nice red. Next day we enjoyed the warmth and some of us did maintenance and the "big boys" ( BRR and Slow ) went for a ride. They returned whooping and hollering, like a couple of girls. After the remaining blokes finished painting their nails, some repairs were attempted. After lunch BRR and I went for a look-see trip about 30 km down the road and in the spirit of adventure we tried to find our way back to camp via an overgrown unused track. We were so close we could smell the acetone from freshly painted nails, but we had to admit we were lost/ temporarily unable to make sensible forward progress. So we back tracked (we wished we were on our WRFs) and in the semi- darkness we rode back on the road to camp, just before the rescue team had been organized. Another great meal at the restaurant was had and we staggered back to the dog boxes for ZZZZZ time. Well I did and some unkind folks tried to insinuate that I was actually snoring. You can do marvels with photoshop.I woke to the sound of rain on the tin roof. Crap it had found us! Unlike in the Green Triangle the rain sort of stopped mid morning and so we decided to keep to plan and head for Yunta.

the road south to Yunta was better than many roads in our district. But then again they don't get our rainfall and B double trucks full of dense mineral sands on these roads. At least you could see when emus and roos were close to the road. We stopped for a smoke/pee/ food break and by coincidence the bloke from Bordertown and his grandson were just over the road having a break!! After a few hours of enjoying the scenic views we were ready to find a tree to have a shady lunch break. Where were the trees???
OK we sheltered under a branch or two, then blasted down the road to Yunta. Refueled we went over to the pub. Disappointment is the nicest way to describe our interaction with the publican. The decision was to keep on for a while and camp out overnight.

Mine site? that's the only tree we found for 100km,
AND I HAD THE SHADE!
Actually I was still sharing my lunch with the flies after XR had temporarily distracted them
by opening a can of sardines, the trouble started when he finished his early..

heres the mine site..

https://s3.amazonaws.com/advrider-p...53_Out%20Back%20Trip_IMG_1804_zps9bedf11b.jpg

https://s3.amazonaws.com/advrider-p...53_Out%20Back%20Trip_IMG_1809_zps612a6ce4.jpg