Someone local probably recommended that road to me, but I don't recall. As for bug bites, that was the only place that stood out. It's been 18 years, so I don't recall some details.

Most dirt roads in Australia are really variable in condition caused by weather. If you happen to be the first person down a dirt road after a road train has been pulled out of the mud for ten kms, then the road is going to be really chewed up. If you arrive a couple of days after the road has been graded then it can be as smooth as any bitumen road.


Rain can close many Outback roads and the locals tend to get a bit aggravated with you if you go passed road closed signs and chew up a road - more a 4x4 problem than on a bike.


If you do a weblookup on National Parks in Australia you'll find plenty of info, road conditions, closures, maps, camping areas and facilities.


The Cammoweal Caves are not open to visitors, I'd have a look at the Lava Tube Caves at Undarra which are pretty unique.

Great advice Roger, thanks. Looked them up on Google and looks like a good place to visit. Since we're both old farts and my buddy is an injured vet with limited mobility we're staying off all but the best roads since both of us would not be likely to get ourselves out of a bad spot. If we do go down any lonely dirt roads it'll be with some Ozzie bikers who know the road.

Too bad about Cammoweal it looks like an awesome spot to visit. Any idea why it's closed?

Thanks again Mezo.
I just looked up the Chico rolls and they sound pretty tasty. I imagine the frozen ones are pretty chemicaled-up with preservatives and the like but I would bet that some restaurants make them up fresh when you order them?

The authorities won't be rescuing us, we not going much further than across the road when we stop. I'm capable of a little more but my buddy is in a bad way for any walking really. I'm just glad he can ride all day still since this has been a life-long dream for him which he thought was done when he got shot and had no one to go with. Luckily it came up when we were talking one day.

Hopefully we can meet up with you and buy you a couple of beers since you're close to our route. Maybe you can show us your favourite ride if we arrive on the right day for you.

No I think you were right from the first reply. Weather-wise I gather that spending the first 3 weeks going to Tasmania and Uluru will give us enough time to avoid hopefully the last of the rains up north. By the time we make it to you it would be near the end of May. Did I misjudge that?
Anyway thanks for the offer and we will take you up on it if everything fits into place. We do want to ride a lot of coast, I presume you've heard of Big Sur here in California? Well it would be hard to avoid your versions of it which from everything I read are equally impressive. However, since most of the Nat'l Pks are inland we fully intend to get away from the coast too, especially since Oz is known for wines inland!!!
As popular as that Chico snack is and as delicious as it sounds I'm not gonna pass it up just for a few chemicals. Hell, I might even end up subsisting on them.
We won't pay any more interest in surfers' paradise than we do the Newport Beach and similar areas here.
So it looks like Sydney, Tasmania, Melbourne, Adelaide, Uluru, Darwin maybe, Cairns, Brisbane, Sydney-type circle. Not that we're planning to stay in any of those towns except Melbourne where my friend lives. And not that we won't be zigging and zagging from coast to inland and back.

Good info thanks. I read similar stuff before going to India but I didn't get anything thanks to taking the maleria meds and mosquito-proofing every hotel room. Most had screens but giant gaps under doors or vents which I plugged with towels and toilet paper. Living under a net is safer but so confining.

Kurrie wrote
:DYep, that should almost do it. You're going to have a hoot down here on Tassie. :scooter:

I'm not far from that sea horse place you mentioned earlier, but on the other side of the Tamar river up in the mountains.

When you get closer to getting here you can drop by for a cool one and I'll have some maps and can answer any of your questions.

Going around the outside like you have it now is where many of the interesting roads are.

Like France, Tassie is a pretty well a bikers paradise, even if I do live here myself :funmeteryes:
____
Paul

Thanks for the offer Paul, I'm sure we'll be able to meet up in Taz.

Good to see your plans coming together. Not too sure about the Chiko roll though. Instead how about you try one of our burgers. Not the muck you get from one of those big chains. Just go into any little café, milk bar, pub that all country towns have and order one with the lot. That should get you the obligatory meat patty and cheese, along with fried onions, egg, bacon, pineapple and beetroot, yep beets to you guys. Oh and to satisfy the health police a token lettuce leaf and a couple of slices of tomato.

Whilst in Hobart and if you are a fan of either whisky and or music, get along to the Lark distillery down by the waterside on a Friday evening. Coyote Serenade start their session fairly earlier, at about 6pm. Great little Blue Grass outfit and not too bad local whisky either.

When traversing the east coast, you can fall into the trap of just following the coast road. Do some for sure, but also venture inland, there are some great roads, heading up into the hills. Down my end of the world. That is halfway between Sydney and Melbourne in the Bega valley. You've got the Mt Darrah rd going from Sth Pambula to Bombala. The Snowy river way into Jindabyne, then over to Corryong in Victoria and from there to Melbourne there is a plethora of ways, all of which are good.

Having been to the States three times, once for a year, 8 months of which we (wife and I) toured around on a 81 Lowrider and being welcomed into many homes as a friend and guest. I'd love to repay the friendship and generosity extended to myself and wife. So if you pass by, look us up at gp dot kl dot perkins at gmail dot com Mind, I like a lot of Aussies work FIFO. That is I fly in and fly out of work and as a result are away for 5 weeks, then home for 5 weeks. So contact me some months in advance and I should know if I will be home when you pass by.

Cheers

Graeme

Thanks for the offer of hospitality Graeme. We'll be in your area for sure so just a matter of the right timing I guess.
I'm British by background so well acquainted with beetroot, one of my favorite veggies so I'll be right at home with some on my burger.
No fan of whiskey but they'll probably have beer to go with that music?
Definitely planning not to stay on the coast all the time. Lots of NP inland which we want to go through.
Glad you had a good time in the States. Bikers everywhere are a pretty good bunch, especially to each other.
What kind of job sends you out for 5 weeks at a time - mining?
Chris

The Lark certainly has a good range of beers on tap, so no problem there.
Another music option for Hobart, is the New Sydney hotel where ea Saturday afternoon they hold an impromptu/informal Irish session.

Workwise, I'm a marine engineer and typically work off of the WA coast in the oil and gas sector. previous to that I was often in Hobart, so hence the knowledge in that part of the world.

Cheers

Graeme

Make sure part of your trip planning includes purchasing "The Australia Motorcycle Atlas". It has 200 rides recommended by the editor of "Australian Road Rider" magazine and I have worked my way around Australia ticking off most of them as I went and they were all great. You will get some very good alternatives to the straight highway commutes between capital cities especially between Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne as well as some very good short rides in and around the capitals


Hema - Australia Motorcycle Atlas plus 200 Top Rides

Glad they have beer too Graeme. Sounds like you have an interesting job.
Overpitched, thanks for the book idea. Will put it on the checklist.

don't do it in Feb
 

please don't do it in Jan/Feb. that would be crazy...


April/May for all areas is purrrfectooo.:nono:

If you back up a few posts you'll see that was one of the first things I did after getting advice here but thanks for the warning anyway.