Around Oz in 2010: Day 47 – Wed, 25 Aug to Pardoo Station

Today was another transit day. In the end I travelled a little over 500km from Broome towards Port Hedland arriving at Pardoo Station a little after 4pm.

The morning started as usual, but I had an early wake up call from Gary. He had tried a number of times over the period I have been away and today he made sure he was successful. No, I was awake, well almost when the call came in at 6am. It is good to here from people back home as it keeps you in touch with the real world and not this one of constant holiday – oh blow it bring on more holidays, who am I trying to kid.

I headed down to Cable Beach for a last look and then headed off. It is about 35km E back up the Broome Road to meet the intersection of the Savannah Way and the Great Northern Hwy.

This is the last time I’ll see the Savannah Way the route that has brought me most of the way from Cairns to Broome. I left it in parts, you know those nasty 4WD sections that include lots of gravel and creek crossings.

I am now well and truly heading S. The landscape quickly became open grasslands, alternating to low trees and then scrub. To my E is the Great Sandy Desert which I have been driving down all day.

I have now left the Kimberley region (sorry about that Kimmy) and have entered the Pilbara. It was a long day of riding with a slightly gusting wind coming at me from the SE making it a little tricky throughout the day. I had morning tea and then lunch and at all times there is always someone who approaches me to talk about the bike and the trip. I guess it is a little different for them as well.

At the last stop, Pardoo Roadhouse I met Lizzy, from Cronulla who is riding around Australia (clockwise) fulfilling her dream to do this before she is 50. She said there has been 3 other bikers that she has met doing the same thing and now she has met me, another fulfilling his dream but before 60.

Lizzy is riding a F650GS and she came off crossing the Nullarbor, literally being blown off the road by a road train. The benefits of the larger & heavier R1200GSA which I am riding. To date I have had no problems passing road trains going in either direction.

So tonight I am some 13km on a gravel road in from the Hwy at a cattle station, that also operates a caravan and camping area. I’ll check this out tomorrow. Until then take care.