The bikes loaded up ready to go to the Flinders

I have been slack in updating, yet again, but this time I have a reasonable excuse. Two days before our expected trip to the Flinder’s Classic I managed to break three fingers on my left hand. I leaned against the back door, which happened to not be latched, fell down the one step onto the patio and landed on hand. I now have four plates fixed in the three last fingers and do physio every waking hour for half an hour.. usually over three hours of exercises a day!

We didn’t get to go to the Flinder’s as we had to fly to Adelaide for surgery (which took three hours and I chose not to have a general anaesthetic). Ten days later we returned for a follow up to get the plaster off but this time we drove so we could camp and enjoy the scenery. We stayed at Wilmington to catch up with another adventure rider, Ross, who was sort of the person who drove us pair of nutcases together.

Anyway.. right now I have no idea if I will actually be able to ride again. Or at least a bike with a clutch. But I do my exercises every hour in the hope that my hand will work again. Apparently my bones are brittle so I am starting to think a smaller, tamer bike may be the go for the future.

Next week we are heading to the memorial for Bill Laver, an amazing man and character, who features in most Motorbikin dvd’s. I don’t think I ever met Bill but I watched all the dvd’s and knew Netty, his girlfriend, and Phil, his partner in riding crime. We leave Wednesday to head through the Gawler Ranges, the Borefield Track, Lake Eyre and then the Birdsville Track to the INSIDE Birdsville Track. We have the memorial on the 6th at Big Red that’s in the Simpson, even though we cross the original Big Red on the Inside track. 

After that we go home to see my family and they get to meet the loony that is silly enough to put up with me (and the other four legged loony). Then we are heading for the Strzelecki Track or perhaps the old track. We were going to follow the Darling River but we both love the desert.  After the Strez, we get to explore some parts of the Flinder’s that I haven’t seen yet, the Mount Fitton track and then back through Angorichina, a place that I love very much. It will be great to see Dave and Caroline again.

In conclusion, I don’t get to ride for a while but I do still get to see some amazing new country!

Charlie and Ani

It’s been a long time between posts (at least any I would leave online) but there hasn’t been any riding. We have only just finished putting Charlie back together after coming down from Alice. We were waiting until parts came, seals and intiminators for the forks. Plus we had to move from the other house so to go to the shed to work on bikes took more effort. There have been other dramas and issues but they aren’t for public discussion. We also did an oil change and air filter clean.

We are looking forward to some rides such as Bascombes Well here on the peninsula and the Flinders Classic back at Angorichina. Our personal issues are starting to improve and we have had a great valentines and some lovely days together.

The ride down from Katherine to Alice Springs was tough. It was very hot, at least 43 in Alice and much more out on the tar. The night before Alice Springs we bush camped behind a rest area and had to move late at night due to a fire heading our way. Earlier I had lain in the mesh of the tent sweltering and trying to catch some needed rest in the afternoon heat. I was failing at getting rest but there were few flies in there and I was exhausted. When I got out of the tent I was dreading that an argument might be ensuing. However while I was right that Matty was frustrated and restless by the slow going in the heat we didn’t argue. Instead he was waiting for me to get up so he could suggest an alternative: pack the bike up at Alice. I had to agree. It would have taken another week in the heat to get home whereas driving we would make better time.

At Alice we booked into a cabin with aircon, despite not being able to truly afford it. We needed the break. We asked at a bike shop for help getting the bike into the Land Rover but it was Saturday and they were swamped. A friend of a friend asked us to stay at his house for the second night so that was a great break. We packed up the bike there and enjoyed a bbq and a swim.

The days before Alice are a bit of a jumble but we saw Devil’s Marbles, more dingoes and had some dramas (by me) over a big spider that wanted to hang out in my dash board. We had to miss many things like Mataranka Springs and Katherine Gorge due to having Ani with us but we know we w