Highlights of the Trip in 2022 throughout Outback NSW and a large portion of Old.
Totaling 31days. The 1st to the 31st August and around 7,000K, s in total.
On the 1st of August 2022 5 members of the M.A.R.I team set out on a fact finding and information tour of NSW and QLD. All was well until the morning of day 14 on 14th August. We did the usual thing, got up, had breakfast, packed our gear onto our motorcycle or into our two trailers. By mid-morning we were on our way from Adel’s Grove, the 94K's to Gregory and topped up with fuel before riding the next 124 K's to The Burke and Wills Road House situated on the Burke Development Road to Normanton. All went well for the first 10K's or so from Adel’s Grove except for a fellow rider getting taken out by a Kangaroo just behind me and in front of Glenda.
A couple of K's later we came across a four wheel drive broken down due to the very poor road conditions along with other motorcyclists suffering puncture problems. As I made my way past him and the other car assisting him, I ran over something sharp that punctured my rear tire and brought me to a quick halt. Bugger! Now I have a rear tyre puncture myself to deal with. Luckily Glenda had an electric 12 volt pump under her bike seat, so if Michael, Sarah and I can get a tyre plug into the tyre we have a chance to go on. We did so we continued onto Gregory to have a break and check the air in the tyre. All good so far but the tyre had lost a few pounds of pressure and so did one of the trailer tyres as well. We pushed on for a further 100K's before the tyre gave out for the last time. Not sure what to do now as the outback
does not give too many options for assistance. I sent John Smith and Glenda on the 24K's to the Burke and Wills Road House to try and get help-being a Sunday not expecting too much. A couple of hours later John arrived back to collect my trailer and tow it back in behind his bike. A fellow turned up in a short Wheel base Toyota Land cruiser Tray Top. He was the Road House owner Ben Stanger. He drove his 4x4 into the table drain and jumped out to say hello. I thought I would come and get you as it would take days to get help out this far he told us. He pulled out a ramp and asked me to drive the bike onto his Ute and he would tie it on and get me to his place. So he did just that. On arrival he lifted my bike off the Ute with a fork lift and placed it on the ground on its Centre stand so it would not fall over.
If all this was not enough. He made a room available for a couple of nights for Glenda and I as well as rooms for the boys. Glenda had been looking for a bike shop or a tyre place that would have a car tyre maybe desperate to get back on the road. Monday morning came and Glenda had a plan and some numbers to call as tyres were maybe 500K's away and 4 to 14 days to get to us. She was able to track down a tyre in Mt Isa 400K's away but no way of getting it to us in the near future. Ben & his wife Cheri Stanger had a friend Hayley, collecting some supplies for the Road House at the Super Market in Cloncurry later that morning. She offered to drive the extra couple of hundred K's extra each way to pick up the tyre and bring it back to us. Hayley said she would be leaving around 10.00am to make the 210K trip to Cloncurry then onto Mt Isa a further 200K.
I told Ben that I would be getting up at 6.00am and fitting the tyre ASAP. The Tyre arrived at 11.40pm Monday night. I got up at six o’clock the following morning to find that Ben had got up at 5.00am and fitted the tyre to my rim and lent the wheel against the rear of the frame for me to find when I awoke. What a shock! I fitted the wheel back into the bike with the assistance of Glenda’s brother David Ford. (One of our team). Had breakfast and packed our gear ready to set off once again, day 16 the 16th August. Two day laid up waiting for the bike to be ready instead of possibly the two weeks that was mentioned earlier. Tracked Ben down to ask him what we owed for all his help and what we owed his friend for driving nearly 800K's to get us out of strife. He would not take a cent- neither would the little lady that transported our tyre. What incredible people country folk are!! Their attitude is, one day someone may be able to help us out when we need it.
Remember this if you are out and about and find someone broken down on the side of the roadway. You feel it’s safe to stop and give assistance. Remember it could be you one day that’s in the same situation.
When you are in isolated areas of Australia you need to take;
- Water
- A mobile phone
- An umbrella
- A Fold up chair or blanket to sit on
- The water will keep you hydrated
- The phone may assist you in contacting help
- The Umbrella will give you shade out of the weather
- The Blanket and chair will enable you to sit.
What you need to remember when travelling in the bush.
We were prepared and still needed help.
Finally remember if you are near the Burke & Wills Road House in the Gulf Country of Outback Queensland. Call in and have a meal, and support country towns and areas that support any Australians every day. No question.
Glenda, and I and the team would like to thank Ben & Cheri Stanger and their great mate Hayley for all their help. It was Exceptional.
Also to Kaye and the rest of their staff for making our stay under stressful conditions great. A big thank you to my fellow team members without them the trip to help make a difference would not have been possible. We thank you all.