Having just returned from a 5-month Oz-trip and can fully support your choice ;-)

The Canning Stock Route seems to whizz around everybody's mind when planning Oz (so with me), but that's probably one of the tougher tracks re driving skills and fuel & water logistics. I believe the Simpson desert is easier to cross, but again - you've got to be bloody good at off-road riding.

Easier tracks are eg. the Oodnadatta and Birdsville Tracks, or around Tibooburra, Cameron Cnr, Innaminckia with IMO interesting landscape and real outback-feeling. Another highlight for me were the Kimberley Mts and the Bungle Bungles. Also fairly easy off-road riding in beautiful landscape. Waht I enjoyed very much as well was the Alpine region in the south-east, but sadly enough much of it was destroyed by the recent megafires.

I don't know how you will appreciate the Oz landscape - although having grown up in South Africa and thus being used to wide-open horizons, Oz is even more so. In the beginning, travelling up the west coast from Perth, I thought it rather boring (sorry you Oz guys ;-)), but the longer I travelled, the more I began to appreciate the vast open spaces, the emptiness and solitude! But you sure have to get used to it ;-)

Hans

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Only when we pause to wonder
do we go beyond the limits of our little lives.
(Rod McKuen)

Lonely planets 'Outback Australia' or some such - does a good coverage of most of the tracks.

It depends on what you’re into - I'd think hard challenging tracks would not be good .. Rather you'd want scenery .. take a look on (my very old) site for some stuff in the trips section as to what I've done .. The Gibb River road is good. Umm wide open spaces can be had on the main roads around Alice Springs. Errr Flinders Ranges is also good.

More tracks on http://www.exploroz.com/

July - winter .. head north as soon as possible ..

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Regards Frank Warner
motorcycles BMW R80 G/S 1981, BMW K11LT 1993, BMW K75 G/S

I had a good bash around Oz.

Fraser Island is hilarious. If you don't mind a bit of deep sand you'll be ok. If you do mind, don't go cos thats all there is. I had three days, but I could spend three weeks there I reckon.

Cape York is like another world, and as difficult or easy as you want it to be. There's a million places to get lost and into trouble, the wildlife is lke nowhere on the planet (really), the scenery is simply awesome and the riding could be the best you'll ever have. The flip side is that it's a bloomin long way to the top, and the main drag is a little boring. It would be top of my list again, I'd like to live Cairns way so I could get up there from time to time.

Simpson is fantastic and a real desert experience. You get a proper feeling of being thousands of K's from anywhere, because you are, but on the other hand, there was the saftey of knowing that a 4x4 would come by eventualy if you ran into trouble. I was on my own and got plenty of offers of water, and even a couple of offers of fuel from other travellers.

Gibb River Road is also fab, but much more tame. I wouldn't want to miss it out if I was up that way though, it's still an achievment and plenty of stunning scenery.

I enjoyed getting off road down the west coast to, there are some brilliant sandy dirt roads that cling to the back of the dunes. Not technical or difficult, just flowing and completely empty of tourists.

Again, deep soft sand is the order of the day, but if you like it I'd say that Steep Point is worth the effort. It's the most westerly point of the mainland and while there's plenty of people fishing out there, it's still relativly deserted.

The above places are simply small sample of a ridiculously huge continent. They are some of my highlights, but there's a thousand more. You could spend six to eight years in one state and still be adventurous, let alone six to eight months for the whole place.

Oz is riddled with tracks and trails. Best thing is to couple a small amount of common sense to an over active imagination and try to get some very local advice on the way.

Ooo, just thinking about it makes me want to do it all again.

Kiwirider,

We had a blast in Australia, taking in several known tracks, such as the Gibb, Great Central and the Oodnadatta, 2-up on our 1100GS.

However, there are also many lesser known or unnamed dirt roads which we really enjoyed. Using HEMA maps and a little imagination, you can seek out some top spots and great tracks with next to no traffic. National Parks are more often than not sited in great spots, with cheap camping.

Have a look at our blog: www.horizonsunlimited.com/tstories/hameandem and feel free to contact us if we can be of any help.

Have a good one, Hamish

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www.horizonsunlimited.com/tstories/hameandem/

Hey champs,

I will be scooting around that neck of the woods with a few mates at about that time. Our tentative setoff from Cobar around 3 August.

There will be me on a DR, and the rest will likely be GSs (suckers).

We will be doing something along the line of Cobar, Bourke, Tipoburra, Camerons corner, Innaminka, Cordilo Downs, Birdsville. Poepples corner, down to Gammon and Flinder Ranges, across to Mungo Lakes and home. Thats a couple of weeks and about 5000k.

If you are interested in joining us or would like some assistance let me know

rossco

Hi Kiwirider,

Just read your post, Ive just ridden a very similar type of trip there is quite a lot of info at Across Australia 2006 - XR650L's from Perth to Cape York we set up three honda xr650l's.

My bike is set up for very long range unsupported travel I want to complete CSR in July? 2007? Maybe we could team up if you are serious about CSR? or other dirt tracks?

Best of luck with your preparations & Regards,
Doug

Hi Doug

Where are you now? Still in OZ or back here in NZ?

I dont think I can manage July but could be keen after that?

Cheers Scott