Full circle, at rest

We have successfully circumnavigated Australia! I can confirm that yes, Australia really does exist.

L. did all the driving. The impressive feat of 18,000 kms over 6 weeks. 3 oil changes. 1 new rear tyre. No crashes. Relationship intact. Good work us.

It wasn't always comfortable, but sometimes it's good to get off the couch, stare adversity in the eye and embrace the adventure. Seeing the country by motorbike tour is a rare experience, only for the mad or foolhardy. Right, what's next?

Thanks for reading!

Schadenfreude

Scooting north east across NSW from Broken Hill. Homing in on the Randall-Bastow's Armidale retreat where every comfort is catered for.

We are spending our very last night in the tent in a caravan park in Nyngan, in the Bogan Shire, next to the Bogan river I kid you not. This is endlessly funny given there are real life bogans in the vicinity! We're hanging out with Neil Young as we shelter from the rain and thunder that has been toying with us all day. The tent is still water proof, praise small miracles.

The circle is closing in. From Armidale just 380km to go on the last leg back to home base in Mount Burrell.

The last border crossing

Landscapist's delight through South Australia, field after rolling field of wheat up against a brooding grey sky. I've taken hundreds of landscape photos - keeping busy on the back of the bike - so many that this phone periodically freaks out and doesn't respond. Fingers crossed it hangs in there a few more days.

We are in Broken Hill at our penultimate caravan park. One more night of tenting then we will have a ceremonial burning.

It is dusk, the air is still with nothing but the sound of crows sqawking and white cockatoos shrieking like it's the end of the world. There are two couples camping near us. 2 blokey blokes on motorbikes whom I've dubbed "Brokeback mountain", and a middle aged man and a girl who is probably (but who knows?) his daughter whom I've dubbed "Lolita". I cannot stress this enough, I will not miss never setting foot in a caravan park again.

We paused briefly in Peterborough, long enough to take photos of an old steam train. Pics below for the anoraks among you.

Sweet SA

I'm happy to report that the Nullarbor National Park in South Australia really doesn't have any trees. It's all low rise shrubbery kept in check by the sticky salty ocean breeze blowing in from the Bight.

Saw a dingo this morning frolicking among the treeless flora by the roadside. Scorpions joined us last night at the Eucla caravan park. What you don't want to see near your tent at night is scorpions. I didn't sleep well but I didn't die in the night, that's a bonus right there.

I'm on a plain, I can't complain

I'd like to describe the Eyre Highway as a mixed bag of interesting sights but it really isn't.

One highlight is an excellent short black at the Balladonia roadhouse, and a photo op of chunks of the Skylab satellite that crash landed there in 1979. Coffee and astronautical history, what a place!

Nullarbor? Hhmm, well someone's obviously been doing a fair amount of regen work because there are plenty of goddam trees.

The journey east

The temperature plummets south of Perth and I wish it was 40 degrees again. The south west corner of the country is all green grassy and leafy trees, and of course grape growing around the Margaret River area.

We arrive in Augusta after 3 long cold windy hours of buffeting on the bike to discover some sort of elite sporting event occurring in the area over the weekend. Half of Perth has shown up, along with their expensive gear: kayaks, bicycles, 4WDs, and children. It is windy and cold and we have to hunker down in the tent to keep warm and miss the opportunity of mingling with the strutting uber fit and their screaming progeny. Alas.

The eastward leg of the journey has begun. It's going to be a bit of a race to get back before the money runs out...

As long as I live

Perth. A great amalgam of every other large city in Australia. Perth has an arcade called "London Court" which is like stepping on set of a Harry Potter movie except it's full of cheap tourist tatt. Great to be here nonetheless. And the luxury of staying in another hotel. Ah, bed, fluffy white towels, etc...

I am over this camping business. Choosing from the same three options of t-shirt, scrabbling in the dirt every morning to pack up. But hey, only another 5000km to go, and I swear I will never stay in another caravan park as long as I live.