Re: Down Under on a KLR 650 ...second season
Thought you guys might enjoy another rider's adventure - with pics
much of this is in the centre of continent - I've not got there yet but some of the local riders here are planning to attend - it's in the dry season -
9000km in Aus, Sydney to the tropics and back
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showt...hlight=lorella
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Cairn's Birdwings are size large butterflies that continually float into the house and by law must be carefully escorted out.
This male decided to stay a while on gf's arm.
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m...01215204PM.jpg
The females are significantly larger, very strong fliers - they do look like a bird when flying and usually smart enough to find their way out the house on there own. ;)
NOT as well dressed tho :D
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Not directly motorcycle related tho you could certainly put all three of these in as part of a tour here - spectacular all of them
going here tomorrow night for couple of nights - that's a crater lake and lots of birds and platypus about
http://www.craterlakes.com.au/
and then up to Cape tribulation see if we can catch sight of a cassowary as noted before - maybe Friday the 13th will be lucky ( leaving for home 4 days later )
http://www.rainforesthideaway.com/
we will go here for a meal - can't afford to stay but what a setting!!!! For the well heeled rider - nothing like it....
http://www.silkyoakslodge.com.au/
Re: Down Under on a KLR 650 ...second season
No ride reports today but had a great time at a hide-away twitcher's lodge
We were at a bird lovers hide away near Eacham Lake national park ( volcanic crater lake surrounded by rain forest. )
Add lots of species to my life list and a few photos.
A catbird here is very unlike ours tho it does meow
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m...01264257PM.jpg
We're still deciding on these - they look like myna's but are not
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m...01263818PM.jpg
For some reason the camera has a hard time focusing these Rifle birds which are a bird of paradise species. This fellow is all black with wildly irridescent feathers - and same as last year it messes the camera colour and focus.
The body of the bird is deep deep black - you would never know from the photos.
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m...263942PM-1.jpg
The highlight was having a wild kookburra feed from my hand. That's a snake killing beak and they are big birds! Was a tad nervous but he was fine. Only one of the four kooka's was brave enough.
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m...01264140PM.jpg
clearly this is a favorite stop in feeding spot at dusk -
Jude chickened out and used the cutting board
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m...01264246PM.jpg :D
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m...01264049PM.jpg
bit frustrated as the flash got the detail but lost the colour.
Should be a ride report tomorrow or the next day.
Easter break coming and a few trips with GF yet before I leave ..... then back to spring.....I hope :D
Re: Down Under on a KLR 650 ...second season
Back to riding
Went for a touristy ride over Tinaroo Creek road over through the Dimbullah Forest track.
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Back around 4 - lazy 220 km - forest track was very dry - only one stream still over the causeway. Lovely day - cool and sunny.
Had lunch at the Whistle Stop in Yungabarra and did my good deed for the day on the way down the Gillies.
Stu ( one of the 4 riders in the forest run ) had run out of fuel a few Km from the station.....fixed him up and now have a cool little 2 ltr gas can.
Not sure but really going to try for the Old Palmerston Highway in the dry and then down to Ravenshoe and maybe even a bit further south.
Bike is running sweet - body?? well.....hopefully not so stiff in the morning.
Some pics soon - there is always something different on the tracks and this time was fallen trees and branches to negotiate - lots of them tho the rangers had been through removing the largest from the track.
Was fun on some parts - the heavy rain had cut some soft small whoops parallel in the road and at my trials speed was nice to get into a little rhythm in and out of them.
Re: Down Under on a KLR 650 ...second season
Winding up my riding here tomorrow with a short trip to the farm where its being stored
But got a message from my riding partner on the Daintree run....
Quote:
So this is what you wind up with after a weekend of hammering over rough dirt roads. Missing about six or seven fairing bolts,two instrument panel fasteners, one number plate and one fuel tank "puck"(how did THAT get loose?) Oh, there is the small matter of two bent rims as well!
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m...01292009PM.jpg
That's a 2008 KLR in that mess - with only 8k on it and he doesn't weight much.
Sometimes the KLR isn't even tough enough.....still trying to find out where the hell he went!!!!
Re: Down Under on a KLR 650 ...second season
Bike stored away but a few pics to post.....but finally!!!!!
Yippee a cassowary up close and personal ...
we were just heading out at midday for a walk ( they usually show up in the morning and there were none ).
Walked back into the office to get the map and some movement caught my eye and out stalked a huge male and a yearling.
too cool.....lots of pics and movie
wet but having a relaxing time - cassowary was a real treat - just glorious colour
Pics soon - on satellite here so slow and $$
In the meantime have look at a cassowary here - this is where we are.
http://www.rainforesthideaway.com.au/index.html
Re: Down Under on a KLR 650 ...second season
Nice cap to a wonderful 3 months of riding....
Big Foot lives!! well the bird version anyways - you do NOT want to tangle with this big male in a dark alley - he is well weaponed. Males can be over 6'.
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m...footlives2.jpg
right out of a dinosaur movie.
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m...01235535PM.jpg
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m...owaryglory.jpg
the colours were soooo intense.
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m...01235402PM.jpg
He checked out the area and then the yearling came into the area
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m...ayjuvenile.jpg
The male wasn't sure if this was a threat so took a couple of pecks and bites ;)
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m...ryandteddy.jpg
One of the more eccentric places we've stayed -but stunning
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m...12101719PM.jpg
Combination of rainy so the solar didn't get to charge the batteries and a failed generator left us stretching our laptop batteries reading.
At least the gas stove worked for tea and coffee and we enjoyed playing scrabble in the rain under the shelter where the photo was taken from. Was fun. We had packed food and had a good break - the forest sounds are wonderful as was the quiet.
This is a somewhat different forest environment than Kuranda which is where we have our property tho many shared plants, animals and birds.
The whole Daintree north of the ferry is rain forest dating back 100+ million years and all dwellngs are off the grid. Lots of hippies washed up here in the 70s and established neat places.
The mandatory van has long been retired
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m...12101852PM.jpg
There is a cloud forest just a kilometer inland and this is one of the rare areas that the rain forest comes right to the ocean's edge.
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m...12102535PM.jpg
More photos here - work in progress and have a couple of movies of the cassowaries. Nice addition to the life list for a birder.
http://s106.photobucket.com/albums/m...tralia%202012/
be home Wednesday - save some good weather for me it's pouring here again....tis the wet season after all tho we had and unusual 3 week break that was incredible this time of year.
Re: Down Under on a KLR 650 ...second season
That was a great write up mate. Made me a little homesick but awesome read nonetheless. Cheers
Re: Down Under on a KLR 650 ...second season
Thanks - looking forward to next year but also love spring in Canada for riding. :D Keep it warm for me - I'm sure my blood has thinned. ;)
Re: Down Under on a KLR 650 ...second season
Rather cool around here these days. You're not missing much...
But we'll be ready for you and weather will improve sooner or later!
Re: Down Under on a KLR 650 ...second season
Okay - I'm back after 36 hours one stop of which 23 was in the air. Lots of movie watching.
Got the Burgman out - started first hit - sure felt different after the KLR - few more things post up and clean up.
Then on to some new adventures this year
Re: Down Under on a KLR 650 ...second season
Quote:
Originally Posted by
MacDoc
Okay - I'm back after 36 hours one stop of which 23 was in the air. Lots of movie watching.
Got the Burgman out - started first hit - sure felt different after the KLR - few more things post up and clean up.
Then on to some new adventures this year
Back on the Burgman? Did the KLR make the trip back with you?
Re: Down Under on a KLR 650 ...second season
No - it's the Down Under bike.
Felt weird today - no clutch - different seating position but quiet smoothy and waaaaaaaay more comfortable.
Here's one of the 4 world level roads in the area done well on a 600 SS
Yeah The Gillies HIghway 19 KM - 200 curves ( one of 4 range roads in the area. ) All are 8-19 KM with great pavement and wicked curves the short one has 10% grades in some areas. Called the Rex..
Here's the Gillies the way it should be :D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiLLU...eature=related
One nasty bit is there are some tar snakes that heat up and go super slick in the sun.
The Gillies makes you work especially downhill.
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Also some video of the cassowaries coming up - better than the pics. Have some bandwidth now.
Re: Down Under on a KLR 650 ...second season
Quote:
I keep forgetting how big Oz really is...I'm reading all your stories and thinking "Man, Mac must be clear across that little island by now...", but that last map really put it perspective. Heh.
Saw you posted this early - people are suprised at Oz but it's Africa that is the big suprise - anything on the equator looks small on the maps we are used to.
This will shake your view of the world - I know it did mine and I've been several times!!!!
http://strangemaps.files.wordpress.c...ective_map.jpg
Re: Down Under on a KLR 650 ...second season
Quote:
Originally Posted by
MacDoc
Okay - I'm back after 36 hours one stop of which 23 was in the air. Lots of movie watching.
Got the Burgman out - started first hit - sure felt different after the KLR - few more things post up and clean up.
Then on to some new adventures this year
23hrs in the air? I usually use Vaustralia to LA 13hrs then whatever is cheapest (and not Air Canada) from LA to Toronto 5hrs or so. Hope ya get over the jet lag quickly.
Re: Down Under on a KLR 650 ...second season
Not sure how you are doing that.
It's 8 hours Cairns to Hong Kong
15 Hours Hong Kong to Toronto
Cassowary and chick video
http://s106.photobucket.com/albums/m...t=P1030986.mp4
Re: Down Under on a KLR 650 ...second season
Quote:
Originally Posted by
MacDoc
Cool vid of the Cassowary, I remember as kids in school we were always told to stay the hell away from them LOL
Your heading north to HK then east across the pacific. Much quicker to go NE from Brisbane or Sydney to LA. Have to deal with US customs but I havent had any issues with them yet.
Re: Down Under on a KLR 650 ...second season
add the 3 hours from Cairns SE- does not work out much if any savings as overall travel time and adds a stop and I HATE US Customs.
Coming TO Cairns the layover is shorter in Hong Kong and my bags check straight through and the there is no security check when I stay inside the Hong Kong terminal.
This one flies over the pole and like the service and seats on Cathay - free wifi in Hong Kong and nice lounges. Mind you 15 hours is long and in this case I did not sleep a lot but sure got a lot of movie watching.... I pick the best seats I can as well. Seat Guru is really useful.
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Yeah I had no idea the cassowaries were so dangerous despite field biologist GF wagging finger.:rolleyes:
Here is the male - click for the video
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m...h_P1030976.jpg
Re: Down Under on a KLR 650 ...second season
Not sure I actually posted a photo of my down under ride. Here is the 2005 KLR 650 before the red mud settled in.
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m...01211305AM.jpg
It ended with a knobby on the front, bark busters over the levers, and a lot of mud.
Still a few pics to come. Nice to go through them on the big screen at home.
Re: Down Under on a KLR 650 ...second season
Just reviewing the photos on the big screen now I'm home and came across this one of the Rex - the shortest but steepest of the 4 range roads - 8 km of wicked twisties with steep gradient.
Did one time downhill with a couple inches of water flowing down it like a stream.....was glad of a narrow front tire
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m...01294247PM.jpg