www.boxertrix.com

Hi all

I am fairly new to Boxertrix, just become a proper member – picked up an 1100S last Saturday – been waiting since Easter weekend – but had to align some things first. I see there is a section for write ups of longer trips. Although I did it on my 1150GS I think my trip last year qualifies……..

Anyway. I live in Cairns, Far North Queensland, Australia and since 2005 have had an 1150GS.

In 2016 I had some changes with my work and was able to go to the OCR.

OCR, Whats that? Off Center Rally. Dreamed up by the elders back in 1983, the minimum parameters of the meeting location were 200km/ 120miles of dirt, Cold Beer and fuel. The event is held every other year some where around central Australia though it went to Cape York once. There is no organising committee, no responsible people or persons and the location is by general agreement of the elders and word of mouth.

In recent times, the 200km of dirt to the gathering has become harder to include due to progress and development, for next years event, the most direct route to the location will likely be less than 200km. Just the way of progress.

Anyway, through ADV Rider I contacted some others in the Cairns area and when we all met up, our mob was 8 of us. We made our way through western Queensland to Birdsville, over the border to South Australia to Mungerannie, the site of the 2016 OCR.
After the gathering, our group of 8 headed in to the Flinders Ranges and stayed at Blinman. From there I carried on to Adelaide for work and the others headed northwards to Cameron Corner and through central Queensland back to Cairns.

Whilst I had my moto in Adelaide I went to the Woomera Rocket Range and the MotoGP at Phillip Island, as well as some other local touring around. I ended up spending much longer in Adelaide with out my moto, and so included more about other things and events that I saw.

I took a week to travel from Adelaide to Cairns via Brisbane in November before it got too hot.

This is a short write up with a few pictures below. The full write up has taken me a bit of time and is here on ADV Rider. If you have any questions or want to know some more, don’t hesitate to ask on this thread / forum, or ADV if you on there.
http://advrider.com/index.php?threads/h ... 6.1165282/
Day 1
Leaving home. My kit bag probably looks a bit larger than it needs to be. I had a small back pack, my laptop, notes and paperwork for work, some work clothes, spares and tools, tent and sleeping bag. I had a tank bag and a pretty comprehensive First Aid Kit on the back.
I thought I was a bit overloaded.



Day Two, sunrise at Hugenden


Smoko at Muttaburra


Camp at end of day 2


Somewhere on day 3


Day 4 - Birdsvile
yep, the pub is open but its day time


Atop Big Red just outside of Birdsvile on the edge of The Simpson


Camp set up at Mungerannie
About 300 people and 250motos


remember I said I thought I was a bit overloaded?
This is an 1150GS with a trailer AND a sidecar.


Day 7 we headed left Mungerannie and headed south, like most of the others.
At Maree stopped at the road house for fuel and re-group and there was a lot of information and news paper cuttings about Donald Cambell when he took Blue Bird (car) to Lake Eyre.


Also at Maree is an original Mosque, built by the Cameleers back in the 1800's


There are also some ghost trains. The tracks are long gone and the railway has been re-routed


We all camped in Blinman that night. In the Flinders there was more moisture and so we woke to frost.


at Stokes Hill Lookout. Saw some great landscapes


I got to Adelaide, the hotel I stayed at for work was on the beach front. I did beach to beach.


the last 25km or so were a bit wobbaly

I said it was a bit wobbaly....




the big bearing in the final drive had gone out for lunch
I had a replacement bearing with me and repaired it in the hotel room, heating in the oven and freezing as needed.
Sweet as bro.

When the bike was repaired and back on the road it was a weekend touring around locally to check it.
The following weekend I went up to Woomera


You cant know about Woomera with out knowing about Len Beadell


I also went to Roxby Downs and Olympic Dam. Big Uranium mine there. got this close.


I went to Phillip Island for the MotoGP. I finished work at lunchtime on the friday, rode 11hrs to the other side of Melbourne, overnighted at friends and then to the track on saturday, stayed overnight saturday and sunday.


on the monday after the race, I headed back to Adelaide along the first part of the Great Ocean Road.


Made for a long day, I got back to the hotel at 01:00 in the morning. Washed up and in bed by 01:20. Up and at work the next morning.

That was the last trip i did in the area.
After that, my next trip was to head back to Cairns via central New South Wales, in to Brisbane, and then central Queensland up to Cairns.

From Adelaide I went up to Silverton, where the second Mad Max movie was made.




After Silverton and Broken Hill, I went to Griffiths and up to Parkes.
Big radio telescope at Parkes, used for the moon landings


From Parkes I went up to Brisbane - just on a 1000km day.
I had a lay day in Brisbane catching up with friends only did about 300km that day.
From Brisbane I went out to Roma and north to Clermont - 1000km
Where I rough camped in a ditch beside the high way. It was sun down and time to be off the road.


From Clermont I went north to home, another 1000km day.
Crossing my outward track at this point.

Got home at dinner time.

I dont know how many km / miles I did all up on this trip, didn't keep a log.
Don't care really, it wasn't about the km run, there was more to it.

That is the summary of my trip, there is lots more on the ADV site write up, link in the first post.

By UK standards this is an epic ride. I love the GS with Trailer and sidecar.

About 25 years ago my Cousin and her husband rode a K1100RT with camping trailer from Adelaide to Perth across the Nullabor then followed the coast to Darwin then back home via Alice. I think they we about 55 when they did this trip. After that the used to go via the Flinders to Sydney and back via the coast to Melbourne. (visiting Daughters) and then back to Adelaide.

I had another Cousin that worked at Woomera back in the early 1970's - they ran a flight from Adelaide to Woomera Mondays and Fridays to take employees back and forth and they used an old Lockeed Constellation as the shuttle plane.

As I say by our standards an epic ride - I don't think you could do 1000k in a day in the UK just because of the traffic. Great pictures as well.

Thanks for sharing this, I enjoyed reading

That really is the short version.
Follow the link in post 1 for much more (if you like)

Excellent stuff. Look forward to hearing how you get on with the R1100S if you plan on taking it on one of these OCR trips.

Cheers,

Paul

Hay Ewe^ wrote:That really is the short version.
Follow the link in post 1 for much more (if you like)

I'd like to but I'm a bit time poor at the mo

Paul wrote:Excellent stuff. Look forward to hearing how you get on with the R1100S if you plan on taking it on one of these OCR trips.

Cheers,

Paul

Hi Paul
one could take an S bike to the OCR, but it wouldn't be pretty.
For me, the route my mob took, was about 80% gravel / dirt roads. That is also the most direct route for us.
For the 2016 OCR it is not possible to get to the meet location without going on dirt roads, but the southern approach route is much better than some bitumen roads around here.
If you wanted to have gone to the 2016 OCR with minimal dirt, it would have been around an extra 1500km / 1000miles I think.
For the possible location of the 2018 OCR, only the last 150km or so will be dirt, but if I go i shall be doing much more on dirt.

I did a short write up last night of my experiences so far between my GS and S
here is the link
viewtopic.php?f=2&p=188417#p188417