Photos · 38 from the road
Australia
I prefer cheap flights
Why spend lots of money on a plane-ticket? There are other ways. Though it can become very cold I have been told, Maybe a ticket is not so bad after all.
Check the tire pressure please
The biggest problem wit these road-trains is the fact that they have 86 tires. Imagine the fuel station attendant when you ask him to check the tire pressure. It's also a nasty machine to meet on a dusty road. Visibility turns to zero for a long long time. And so does breathable air.
Termite mounts
The termite mounts in Litchfield NP can be up to six meters high. Imagine the amount of little crawly critters inside!
Outdoor life is tough
Of the top 10 of the most poisonous animals in the world, 7 live in Australia. And then there is the crocodile and the flies. It makes outdoor life 'interesting'. In reality you hardly notice any of this. In the six months I wandered around I did not see one single estuarine crocodile (the nasty ones). Mind you, if you do see one, chances are you won't tell anyone.
The Outback or kindergarten?
Australians seem to like 'guidance'. Approaching a intersection it takes you at least 20 minutes to read all the traffic-signs. In the 'Outback' things are not much different. I guess they want to be able to say: "I told you so" to dead tourists.
Weird rocks in Katherine gorge
Powerful floods have shaped these rocks into weird sculptures.
Fresh water crock
The friendly brother of the estuarine crocodile. As long as you don't approach them to closely, you can safely swim in the same water since their diet does not contain humans.
Gib river road
The Pentergast crossing on the Gib river road. Horror stories talked of bike eating crocodiles and one meter deep water. They were just that: stories.
Gib river road
Before you start to ride around Australia on a bike, you need to see your dentist to 'extra fasten' your teeth. If not, the corrugation will rattle them out of your mouth. Mile after mile.
Karijini NP
Gorges cut a hundred meters deep and only a few meters wide through the landscape. A combination of layered iron-stone, asbestos-veins and pressed red clay. The sun only reaches the bottom around noon.
Canning stock route
1900 km without fuel. Even with the spare 5 liter can I have not enough. My maximum is 450 to 500.
Old and new
The towing business seems to be going well.
Desert sunset
Somewhere on the Stuart Highway. To make camp you just turn off the road and ride for 100 or 200 meters.
Nullarbor plains
Nullarbor, Latin for 'no tree'. Not exactly right, but close enough. It's a flat and windy road. The most boring part is the famous '90 mile straight'. 140 Km with not the slightest bend in the road. Imagine riding here at night, staring for hours into the badly adjusted headlights from opposite traffic.
Continental plate
It's one of the finest examples of continental plates adrift. Australia ends abruptly as if it was broken off, which it was. The southern plate duck's underneath.
Camp in the desert
No shade, no shelter. But also no noise, no wake-up call.
Coober peedy
Most of the houses in Coober Peedy are underground due to the hellish temperatures in summer. The entire town exists by the grace of opal. Opal is the proof that humans are the dumbest species on earth. It's is a material that can be used for absolutely nothing. It has no purpose, no meaning. Only the fact that it is extremely rear and it looks nice, makes it more valuable than gold. All you can do with it is make jewelry.
Painted desert
Some of the Australian deserts have amazing features. Never a dull view.
The Pink roadhouse
Roadhouses (upgraded fuel stations) tent to come with a theme. From Skylab to T-shirts, from beer-brands to alien landing sites. Oodnadatta has chosen the color pink.
The top of Ayers rock
Ayes rock or Uluru as the aboriginals call it is no ordinary mountain. In fact it is the largest boulder on earth. Half of it is buried underground, but it still is 300 meters high.
Ayers rock
Uluru as the aboriginals call it was formed by the hands of Tatji, a small red lizard, when he tried to grab his kali (throwing stick) from the ground. He and his stick are still somewhere in there.
Diamond fever
It's a hard and dirty job, but the pay is good. At least, if you find what you are looking for. I walked away with 3 reasonable 0,5 carat zircons. One of which is embedded in my wife's wedding ring.
The devils marbles
A collection of strangely balanced boulders, spread around as if it was a game of marbles.
A split marble
Nicely cut in half. I wonder what karate expert did this. Or was it a alien laser beam? Or just a few drops of water that froze at night? Nature is a powerful thing
Endless grass
Crossing the 'Barkly table land'. 375 Km of flat dry grassy plains. Talk about bored.
Crocodiles? Here?
Eight and a half meter long, the largest crocodile ever to have been captured. Once you have seen this life-size replica you don't come near water again.
Lets race
A 200 ton haul-truck, parked some where in the outback. They just left it there when the 'kidstone' goldmine was closed.
Cowboys Ausi style
For one month I worked at cattlestation 'Gilberton' in North Queensland. The nearest shop was 250 Km away. I was a part of the family and they taught me everything I needed to know about being a cowboy. The best part of Ausi style cowboys? They ride a dirt bike rather than a horse.
Cowboys Ausi style
Pam must have been so jealous, but she was just a bit to heavy for the rugged terrain. Honda makes special 200 cc 'bushmaster' dirt bikes. They come with a handy tool-basket and a small 'saddlebag'
Gold fever
It turned out Gilberton was not only good for cattle. It was also very well stacked with gold. All you needed to do was dig it up. Again a dusty job, but worth a few tiny nuggets of gold.
Wallaby
Australia has evolved separate from other parts of the world and the pouch has been recognized as a success-story by mother nature. A hole range of animals has been developed around this feature. And most of them also come with springy legs.
Koala
Fuzzy, furry and very lazy and cute is this koala. I had it in my arms for half a minute and it already rolled up and snug underneath my armpit to take a quick nap
Colorful birds
I had set up camp somewhere on the east coast when these two guys came by for a drink.
I've been hit by a house
Only in Australia you can see this. Many houses are build in the 'house yard'. After being assembled they are simple transported to their 'more permanent location'.
Maintenance
After 62,000 Km of dusty and bumpy roads it was time for some serious maintenance.
The nerve tester
The idea was to walk out to the edge, turn around and walk back. If you could do that, the Aussies considered you a man. Naturally I needed to prove that I was more than a man. After all, it was only a 1 Km drop.
Springtime
Southern Australia had haunted me with rain and chilly weather. Just when I left for Sydney to hop over the pacific, spring decided to give me a glance of what could have been.
Ready for the big hop
Pam is all packed for the hop over the pacific to South America. All fuel is drained, battery disconnected and insulated, tires deflated to 0.5 bar and everything strapped down.