Thursday 15 December 2016

2016-12-05 Eyre Loop

I managed to get some casual work at Kimba for this year's grain harvest and due to a quite period in the harvest I had a day off and went for a ride around Eyre Peninsula.

From Kimba I went South to Cleve and on to Arno Bay. A mostly straight road for about half the distance to Cleve but gets more curvy in the latter half as the road crosses a range of hills. With a couple advisory speeds of 35 k/h on a few bends just to keep us awake.

Onto Arno Bay though not the sunniest day to visit a coastal town and at 95km from Kimba a handy rest stop.



Then headed South along Lincoln Hwy to Tumby Bay where I made a right turn for Cummins.
I liked this road as it was mainly long sweeping bends across another range of hills with the highest hill top having the local TV transmission tower was placed.

At Cummins I stopped at the local Supermarket and then across the road/rail line to the take a way shop for lunch. While there I heard the sounds of a diesel engine and the 4 loco set stopped beside where I was sitting. They were dropping off some empty grain wagons for the silos at Cummins.

This one in an ex SAR (South Australian Railways) 830 class with the section in front of the cab modified.

 
Don't know about this one (yet) as I've never seen one before but it was the noisy one I heard. Probably ex Commonwealth/ANR.
 
 
This one is another ex SAR 830 class one and 50 plus years old. I was aged six (March 1962) when 850 came into South Australia.
 
 
850 in Cockburn March 1962 - photo dad took after it crossed the border. Dad says whole town came to have a look.
 

And this one, another one that I don't yet know about.
 
 
Cummins Take-a-way shop and they sold fuel as well so topped the tank as well.
 
 
As a child I lived here as well (dad worked in the railways).
 
Most of Eyre Peninsula has some form of grain growing so I stopped and took a pic of the bike in front of one of the paddocks. This is beside the Tod Hwy about 30km North of Cummins.



About 50km west of Kimba on the Eyre Hwy and looking Southwards you get to see this little hill called Caralue Bluff


A good time to try out the 200mm lens.


And along the road as well.


The way I went.

http://goo.gl/maps/pVrTEVLScDG2


Wednesday 28 September 2016

Western Australia Trip September 2016

Dad and I had a road trip to visit my sister who lives in suburban Perth WA.

We left my home in Peterborough SA on the morning of Thursday 8th September and spent a night camping before arriving at the SA/WA border the next day

BP Border Village



Took a picture of a B Triple road train while there
 
 
Dad's car at the WA/SA border sign.

 
 With two drivers we were able to cover more distance and stayed the night in a motel at Norseman. Between home and here we saw very little wildlife such as kangaroos which would damage a car though there were some dead ones every so often.
 
There were quite a few bikes in the motel grounds and the owner of the pictured bike said they were on their way to Canberra. In the room next to us was a bike rider and I took a pic of his.
 
Honda CTX1300


From Norseman we headed South to Esperance instead of the usual northern route via Coolgardie.

A brief rest stop at the foreshore




Leaving Esperance we went via the Twilight Beach Road which had views of the sea.



 
After a fuel stop at Ravensthorpe we stopped at Lake Grace before the final leg of our drive to Perth.
 
 

 Some of the ground cover plants

 
 
We arrived at my sister's place about 8pm on the 10th September. Within the last 150 km we did come across a few wallabies on the road that caused the driver (me) some heart failure but I stopped in time so all good.
 
On the 14th we took a suburban train trip to the Bassendean Rail Museum.
 
The V 1220 is one of the larger steam engines on display.
 
 
Left hand side
 
 

Inside the driving Cabin



Right hand side



 
On the Sunday the 18th we went to New Norcia Hotel where some of the WA members of Ozstoc ( www.ozstoc.com ) were having lunch.
 

 
We began our return trip on Tuesday 20th September and arrived back home on Thursday evening about 9 pm.

On the return trip we went via Beverley and spotted this old plane in the main street.

  
 Next stop was Quairading and noticed some of the small trees in flower.



Two colours on the same one as well.

 
 Next is the view from Madura lookout






Last up is a whale statue which is located at Nullarbor Roadhouse.


The only other stops we made were at Ceduna for fuel and a late lunch with Port Augusta the last stop for fuel which would allow him to get home after taking me home.

Saturday 9 April 2016

9th April 2016 Trip to Robe South Australia

Some of our ride to Robe after the 7:50am start for the 560 km (350 miles) route. To early for breakfast before leaving so our first rest stop an hour later was the BP at Burra for Breakfast.

Our route there and back apart. https://goo.gl/maps/7k5YLe2dQrk

Next stop was Sedan where I took some pictures.

The rest area in town


 
What was once the town water supply
 
 
Church Building
 

An old plough located in the church grounds with a bell beside it.

 
The local supermarket
 
 
Hotel 
 
 
The ever faithful Honda ST1100 having her rest as well
 

A stop at Murray Bridge for fuel was next before the lunch stop at Tailem Bend. Rather than buy take-away we bought our own with us this time
 
One of the Tailem Bend rest stops. I took this just before we left for a photo stop at Kingston S.E.
 
 
The Big Lobster (it has seen better days) at Kingston S. E.
 
 
We arrived at the Sea Vu Caravan Park ,  Robe just before 5:00 pm, set the tent up and inflated the air bed before a walk to the Robe Hotel for dinner/tea
 
Being an outing for our motorcycle club dining was in the company of several members plus some friends who attended. All of us were at the hotel for about 3 hours with 13 of us at our table. I've posted the basic info on the club website . By midnight we were all in dreamland.
 
There was some rain overnight and though I didn't get wet some of the bedding on my side got damp. In the morning a photo of the rain system that had gone past and of our campsite with a red ST1300 in the foreground. Not sure if I mentioned or not but the camera time was still on summer time so an hour needs to be take off the photo time.
 

 
 Before leaving Robe I took some more pics.
 
Two views of the Robe Hotel were we had the evening meal
 

 
 Looking across to the boat ramp and the entrance of the boat harbour 
 
 
On the way home I detoured to Cape Jaffa and parked in front of the swimming area which part of a marina development.
 
 
To my left was catamaran - looks big enough to live on.

 
Being a new camera and for Heather I took some flower shots as well to tryout a couple of close up shots.
 


 
Fuel for us (breakfast) and for the bike were next on the list at Kingston before retracing our route back home.
 
Meningie was a rest stop and this little piece of history came to light.
 



Heather and I



Another stop at Tailem Bend to take the Rhino which is advertising for the Monarto Zoo


 
The only way to cross the river from Tailem bend is by ferry. It's free and runs 24/7 and is run by the state Dept. of Transport.
 

View of the River Murray

Looking North West


And South


 
One more stop for fuel at Murray Bridge and a visit to a supermarket and we were on our way home at which we arrived at 6:30 pm after a total of 1130 km. (700 miles).