2002 and 2003 Brisbane to Darwin

A serious adventure. As riders move north through the tropics they could feel the humidity building. Roads change from highway to single lane to wide red dirt. Be sure to get out of the way of the road trains as we pass through small communities to our destination. Corrugations, crystal clear artesian water holes, river crossings and bulldust make this a great adventure.

Brisbane - Gayndah - Barcaldine - Muttaburra - Proa Station - Gregory Downs Pub - Hell's Gate - Borrololla - Daly Waters Pub - Katherine - Darwin

2004 and 2005 Brisbane to Adelaide

Some scoffed when they saw the destination but after a great stay at Hungerford and a detour to Cameron corner through the wide expanses of the Simpson and Stony deserts they were hooked. Old mining towns, national parks, isolated outposts and the famous dog fence crossings - this is what the outback is all about.

Brisbane - Goondiwindi - Bokhara Huts Farm - Hungerford - Noccundra - Cameron's Corner - Whitecliffs - Kinchega National Park - Wentworth - Loxton - Adelaide

2006 Brisbane to Alice Springs

By popular demand we developed the Red Centre trip. As we head west to the centre of the country there is no denying we are going off the beaten track. Birdsville was a popular stop but the reward was in heading to the start of the Simpson desert. The beauty of the changing landscapes and vastness of the countryside were matched by the harness of the dirt and bulldust we encountered heading into the Northern Territory. No-one would argue ... this was adventurous.

Brisbane - Jandowae - Nindigully Pub - Charleville - Windorah - Birdsville - Bedourie - Boulia - Tobermorey Station - Gemtree - Alice Springs

2007 & 2008 Brisbane to the Gulf of Carpentaria

Day 1 Brisbane to Gayndah (365km)
A long day to get some distance between us and the big city we will finish in the region's citrus capital of Gayndah. An indirect route to give you a taste of the local area. Toward Marburg we take the Esk turnoff, past Somerset dam and onto Kilcoy (Home of the Yeti, before your first taste of dirt on our way past Jimna. Once we hit the bitumen it is not much further to our stay.

Day 2 Gayndah to Rolleston (438km)
Heading northwest toward Eidsvold and then onto Cracow, once a booming mining town. Once we hit Theodore we are back onto the bitumen for the long slog through Banana then west taking in Moura, Bauhinia and arriving at our destination of Rolleston to set up a tent city in the rodeo grounds.

Day 3 Rolleston to Barcaldine (440km)
Heading further north we take in Emerald before heading further west to Barcaldine.

Day 4 Barcaldine to Winton (286km)
A shorter day due to good distances covered in the previous three days. A great opportunity to spend some time in Longreach at your leisure, perhaps taking in the famous Stockman's Hall of Fame or the Qantas museum across the road. Our final destination is Winton.

Day 5 Winton to Proa station (273km)
Today our destination is a working cattle station. Duncan may even take us on a guided tour of his redclaw farm and processing. Whether you set up a tent or stay in the shearer's quarters, this will be a stop to remember.

Day 6 Proa Station to Gregory Downs Pub (457km)
Pass through Julia Creek before diverting toward the Burke and Wills Roadhouse and our final destination of the Gregory Downs Pub. This will be a long day but we will be rewarded with the opportunity for a swim in the crystal clear Gregory River.

Day 7 Gregory Downs to Normanton (338km)
We have a fair amount of dirt today as we take in the two towns that are nestled in the Gulf of Carpentaria. Passing through Burketown we head east to Normanton for our overnight stay. This is gulf country savannah. Meet Krys, or a life-size replica of her in Normanton. At 8.65 metres in length she is the largest saltwater croc caught in Australia.

Day 8 Normanton to Croydon (300km)
A visit to the Gulf is not complete without seeing the waters of the Gulf of Carpentaria from Karumba, the only town in the Savannah with direct access. After heading to Karumba we return to Normanton and further onto Croydon, a small heritage town where the boom in gold mining ended before the 1900's. We may even be lucky enough to have the local historian take us on a walking tour of the sights.

Day 9 Croydon to Innot Springs (379km)
Continuing along the Savannah way we pass through Georgetown, mount Surprise and Mount Garnett before an overnight stay in Innot Springs. Don't blink or you will miss Innot Springs which is currently a caravan park and local pub, which takes advantage of the local hot springs. Take a dip or get a massage at the end of the day before relaxing with a cold drink.

Day 10 Innot Springs to Cooktown (377km)
The country scape has changed as we weave our way up to Queensland's highest town, Ravenshoe. From hear we take the back route to Mareeba, through Herberton and after Mt Molloy we continue through to Cooktown. The route will consist of flat expanses of Savannah, but will be more than compensated with winding roads through some spectacular lookouts on our way to the tropical destination of Cooktown.

Day 11 Cooktown to Cairns (250km)
What better way to finish the challenge with a run down the coast to Cairns via world heritage rainforest and national parks. Heading south to Ayton, along the Bloomfield track to Cape Tribulation will be slow going but spectacular. After Cape Tribulation we are back on the coastal road too Cairns with plenty of rainforest and ocean views, it will be hard to keep your eyes on the road ahead.

The 2009 Event – a sneak preview:

Planning for the 2009 event is continuing as we contact local councils and community groups to confirm the route. The inspiration for the 2009 route comes from an attempt to combine and contrast the feeling of riding in the outback to that of riding through the Victorian and New South Wales high country where we should still get glimpses of the snow capped mountains.

The 2009 event should prove to be a trip of extremes - from the dry arid and hot lunarscape of White Cliffs to the cool, alpine, snow covered mountains on our way through to Melbourne.

Some Facts:

3300 km long - the direct ride Brisbane to Melbourne is about 1700 km. There is no point in taking the easy way when you can take the adventurous way!

Highest percentage of dirt – just because Melbourne might sound like a boring destination doesn’t mean it has to be a boring route! 6 Days of dirt - On some days there will be anywhere from 80km to over 300km of dirt, sand, or stony surfaces. Some days there will be a mix of dirt and bitumen while other days there is only unsealed roads.

Greatest temperature extremes – From the heat of Hungerford and White Cliffs to the cool alpine temperatures of Jindabyne.

A glimpse of the 2009 route:
From Brisbane we will head way out west with a planned stop in Goondiwindi on our first night. Only part of the day will be spent on the main highways, as we take the secondary roads and pass through small towns on what will be one of the longer days on the road. This will give you a good feel for the time it takes to travel distances on the postie bike.

On the way to our 2nd night stay at a working station, we will pass the famous Nindigully pub, though we’ll be too early for a drink today. We hit the dirt half way into the day and pass through an aboriginal community before finally arriving at our destination. The black and, in parts, sandy soil will dominate your concentration today.

An early get away the following day and we will have the morning sun at our backs as we head “out the back of Bourke”. Bourke isn’t remote enough, so we will hit the dirt again as we head north west. The red dirt and sandy track starts off in good quality but turns to ball bearings and then patches of soft sand that will catch the unwary rider. Picking your lines, riding in dish drains and wherever the road looks its best will see the narrow tyre tracks of the little Hondas weaving the full width of the road. Don’t forget to close the Dingo Fence gate on the way into Hungerford.

Opal mining country will be our next destination. While the town looks little more than a pub and a couple of small buildings, the surrounding area is dominated by underground mines, with many of the locals also living in underground accommodation to escape the hot summer temperatures. You’ll have to keep your wits about you today as the route traverses the channel country and ribbons of water may have washed out across the road if there has been recent rains. There are no cattle fences out here so watch out for roaming stock!

Heading south through Ivanhoe we’ll rest in Hillston overnight. After about 80km of bitumen the road turns to dirt and we spend most of the day on secondary dirt roads.

As a day of rest we stick to the bitumen and make a beeline for the foothills of the Alpine high country and overnight in the scenic town of Tumbarumba.

The following day will make up for the lack or turns and twisties of the previous day and will see you mastering the switchbacks on the way up through Australia’s highest mountain pass at Dead Horse Gap and into Jindabyne. The following day will continue with slow speed twisties, narrow dirt roads and lots of blind corners. This is the high country and we will follow the Snowy River, in part, before crossing the Alpine National Park. There will be steep climbs and declines where speed will be secondary to negotiating the narrow roads and keeping clear of the near vertical drop that will switch from side to side as the day progresses.

Another night in the high country and the next day will start on the bitumen as we pas through Hotham and then south along another narrow, dirt road that follows a ridgeline. Another day of amazing scenery across the high country!

Our final day into Melbourne takes us along secondary roads sealed and unsealed, lots of twists and turns through small country towns and adds to this some twisties through the rainforests.

Our final destination in Melbourne will be a comfortable bed and a celebration dinner with partners and spouses who have travelled to join us. No doubt about it, you will have made a lot of new friends. You will also have a new respect for the little postie bike and what you have put it through. There will also be the satisfaction of knowing that along the route you have supported some small community groups and Rotary as the benefactor of the donated motorcycles.

To those that are concerned that Brisbane to Melbourne sounds too dull, let me assure you that the adventure is in the route not the destination. The 2009 ride will prove to be one of the more challenging that we have offered given the variety of riding surfaces and the highest percentage of unsealed road of any of our previous events.

Are you up for the challenge?