GS OZ Day 35 Kununurra 680km 7:30hr

Started at 7:30 by riding out to Geikie gorge for the last Fitzroy River cruise of the season. Spectacular, this gorge is part of an ancient (Davonian period) barrier reef, so the rocks are old coral. The white cliffs up close are positively Gaudian with there flowing scalloped shapes polish white by the floods. I saw my first wild crocodile (freshie) and heaps of birds but of course i cant remember their names, there was a night heron in there somewhere.

From the cruise it was 20k back to fitzroy before heading to Kununurra. This was my longest day so far. A day of 42 degree heat, road houses (some with bulls at the fuel pumps, WTF), fires, cattle, horses, eagles, road trains and endless green and red.

GSOZ Day 34 Fitzroy Crossing 360km 4hr

Wow Boab trees. These are my new favourite thing in the world. I'll try and get a great photo but most have been butchered by bogans carving their names in them.

Cattle and horses every where all waiting to run in front of you. I was also almost taken out by an eagle. This massive bird was feeding on some road kill and decided to take off a bit late, right in my path. Most birds are agile but these suckers take a bit to change direction any way missed by 10s of cm.

The scenery was mostly huge lightly tree'd flood plains and occasional dry river crossings. The whole place is on fire or has been burnt recently. At one stage I had flames either side of the road as I road through the smoke.

The tourist info advised me not to take the 200k dirt trip to tunnel creek and as she said the corrugations were shocking at the moment, the river crossing was borderline for a bike and there were two big sandy stretches. I did stick my nose up the road and the corrugations started immediately. Oh well next time.

It was 42deg when I stopped in Forzroy crossing. It's a nowhere place with not much to offer so I booked into a workers cabin at the famous Crossing Inn. A quaint little pub with weld mesh on all the windows and doors closing at 6pm so the locals don't get too pissed and unruly. Now a workers cabin is an Atco shed on stilts containing single bed, small TV, shower, toilet and an air conditioner that is so loud you have to where earplugs. All this for the bargain basement cost of $180. The food was good though, salt & pepper squid for entrée and grilled barra for main, washed down with a couple of beers ($70). I ate outside by candle light under the Boabs, pretty bloody nice

GS OZ Day 33 Broome

Coffee, crossword, swim at Cable Beach, walk around entrance point beach and ...... dinosaur footprints. I'm so exited. Finally after a week the tide is low enough so I rode out to Gantheame point where the road turned to sand. After a few hundred meters I decided that i was likely to drop the bike and I only had shorts on so returned to the tar and walked to the point. This area is sensational with red rocks, rock pools, brilliant sunset and dinosaur footprints. After an hour I think I only spotted two unmistakable prints and a few possible ones. (After a while every pool looks like a print) Anyway, the two I saw we're only above water for about fifteen minutes so I was lucky. Well worth the week wait.

GS OZ Day 32 Broome

Was busy doing nothing today but did manage to make it to the beach for sunset and caught a movie, Argo.

GS OS Day 31 Broome

Visited the Broome Museum today. Very interesting. The pearling and WWII Japanese attack see to dominate. I seemed to have picked up a passenger. A stick insect called "Stick" has made his home under the instrument panel of the Beemer. He held on throughout the riding today until he ventured up o to the break fluid container at speed where sith skittle encouragement he took off.

Barra burger and the local brewery's pearlers ale were the choice for dinner. Brilliant.

GS OZ Day 30 Broome

Rear tyre was not quite going to make it to Darwin where a new set of Heidenau K60 Scouts is waiting. The guys at Small Engine World have helped me out with a second hand K60 rear with enough tread to get me to Darwin. Fitted for $80 brilliant.

Visited the pearling luggers they have dragged up for the tourists and tried to visit the museum but it closes daily at 1pm. I headed back to the resort to top up the Beemers oil and do the resort thingy.

GS OZ Day 29 Broome

Rest day today for the hands. Pain is easing and can grip my knife. I didn't leave the resort and tried not to use the hand much.

I did however effect a modification to my helmet. I have been suffering from a low frequency vibration that leaves my ears ringing even with ear plugs. I have been dicking around with the screen, earplugs etc scince leaving Melbourne but I've narrowed it down to my helmet peak. It suffers from some kind of harmonic vibrating above 90kph. I source some wheel weights from Small Engine World (free, thanks guys) and today I attached them to the underside of the peak to dampen the vibration. I'll see how that goes, looks promising.

The wild life is a bit keen around here. I found a green tree frog kicking around in the toilet tonight. Don't worry I didn't flush him.

GS OZ Day 28 Broome

Awoke in the middle of the night with extreme pain in my right hand around the middle finger. I had pins and needles in both hands and could not close my right hand without pain. I took some pain killers and went back to sleep but it was still the same when I awoke this morning.

As all good ailments deserve I quickly consulted the net. After ruling out lymes disease, instantaneous arthritis (I do have some in that finger) I found a site that spoke of these symptoms as they relate to long distance motorcycle riding, it prescribed some stretches. It's carpal tunnel symptoms but some muscles in the neck, chest etc get tight and effect the nerves in the arms and hands so could be a bit of both. Anyway, I found a device (fancy taping) that you wear at night on the net and I fashioned a ripoff version. Its helped a treat(see pictures)

Pottered around town. Did some shopping so I could stay at the resort and not ride for a day or so. I sussed out a coffee shop and generally lazed around reading and swimming in the pool etc. Also bought a hdmi adapter for my ipad so I can what the movies on it on the motels big screens. (this is brilliant)

GS OZ DAY 27 Broome

Decided to stay a while in Broome give the buzzing in my ears and my butt a rest from riding. So this morning I extended my stay at the resort. I also booked the Beemer in for a service in Darwin and earliest I could get was 5th Nov so why not stay in Broome. I've heard a lot of average reports of Broome from friends but I'm pleasantly surprised so far. It's definitely a slow down kind of place and pace which I I like. Yep it's hot but if you avoid the midday sun its quite enjoyable, you just have to surrender to the heat.

Went to see Cable beach a 10min walk but too hot just now so will return for sunset.

GS OZ Day 26 Broome 660km 7:30hr

Woke to the weather forecast at the caravan park I was staying at (see photo) and predictions were realised.

Longish day in the saddle but no dramas. I'm now safely tucked up in a cool resort that I got cheaply on Wotif. My room has an outdoor show how cool is that. I spent this evening savouring a kebab and ginger beer while watching the Bourne Legacy at the iconic outdoor cinema here in broom. Very cool sitting in my deck chair watching the movie with flying foxes, birds and bugs flying across the screen all under moon light.

GS OZ Day 25 Port Headland 396k 5:10hr

I decided not to stay another day at Karijini as I couldn't stand the heat and flies so decided to head for Port Hedland. On the way out I felt bad and decided to go for one more walk to Fortesque Falls and Fern Pool. I'm so glad I did it was spectacular and
no leeches so I spent about an hour there swimming, chilling and trying to
Get a snap of the amazing red dragon flies the are every where.

From there it was a relatively short 396k ride to Port Hedland via the great nthrn hwy. A brilliant ride that took me and the Beemer through sweeping bend after bend in the ranges down to searing flat plains where the temperature average 45deg and the road trains were plentifully and now up to 4 trailers long. The driver are great and make passing safe and easy by signaling when it's OK to proceed which is handy as you need to pack a lunch to pass one off these puppies..

GS OZ Day 24 Karijini National Park 120km 1:10hr

Started the day off with a tour of Rio Tintos Tom Price mine. Fascinating, very simple concept really

1, blow stuff up
2, shovel stuff into massive truck,
3, take stuff to be crushed,
4, then put said crushed stuf on bloody bigg train to port Hedland,
5, ship stuff off to china,
6, buy back the steel from china in the shape of a 4WD
7, use 4WD to get to mine to blow mire stuff up
8, Repeat until dead or stuff runs out, or Chinese just take the stuff by military force.

Well worth a visit,

Then it was off to Karijini National park.

 I set up camp in the 45degree heat and red dust then walked down into the gorge for a swim at circular pool. Beautiful gorge and stunning water hole at least until  I spotted thousands of tiny black things swimming in the pool. After catching one and idenifying it as a leech I was crushed. Such a beautiful pool riddled with these little blood succers and so hot. After about 1/2 an hour my need to cool down out weighed my fear of leeches so I dived in swam at speed in a circle then bolted out. I managed to pick up one passenger which I promptly eradicated. A refreshing but terrifying swim and on the walk out of the gorge I kept looking for extra passengers removing my shirt several times.

Spent the evening under my shelter reading and cooking until the temperature opped enough to retire to the tent for a read and a kip.