Jun 13, 2009

This will be short. I just deleted the update when I added the wrong picture. I need to find a cupboard to lock myself in so I can scream loudly and it would be best to leave the blackberry outside the cupboard at the time!

Yesterdays PS:
If you are in Port Augusta and need a bed we can recommend Ian's Western Hotel. The staff looked after us beautifully and allowed us use of our room way after checkout each day till we knew if we would be staying or going. We worked our way through the dinner menu which was great, not a dud amongst them. They also locked up the bikes at night. We were also grateful to CP Motorbikes & Accessories for the young mechanic who methodically diagnosed my unusual problem and put it all back together after YAMAHA sorted parts from Sydney.

Today:
We had rain overnight and woke to sunny clear skies and wet roads but headed off in warmer conditions than we had finished in yesterday. Thank God! Even got the hand grip warmers on to low a few times today so a vast improvement.

We had a pleasant ride through sweeping grassy plains which progressively became more sandy and stony and hilly. Saw a few emus and wild goats and a huge eagle perched on a telegraph pole cross arm which made the pole look ridiculously small. We also saw a couple of camels but that was really cheating as they belong (I suspect) to a camel farm not far distant.



The Yunta road house brand of humour which appealed.

We had breakfast at Yunta after a pleasant ride. As we had headed due east into the sun the glare on the wet roads was blinding so it was a relief as the roads dried out and we headed in a bit different direction. We stopped for fuel and a drink at the SA / NSW border and caught up with a couple of truckies who knew our trucks and one who had travelled with one of our drivers a short while ago. Small world! The staff at the road house were friendly but I won't name the town as I dubbed it the backside of the world. I think you would need to have a very strong constitution to live there and not get seriously depressed.



SA / NSW border. The bikes are there but you have to look.

We headed off the track to visit Silverton on our way into Broken Hill. To be strictly correct I should say the remains of the town. In its heyday in the late 1800's it was the richest Silver Field in the country and the Silverton Hotel we went to see is the only remaining hotel of the 10 licensed originals. The hotel is quite famous having featured in many films and TV series including 'Wake in Fright', 'The Golden Soak', 'A Town Like Alice', 'Mad Max II', 'Razorback', 'Dirty Deeds' and 'The Craic' also numerous TV commercials. Needless to say we took a pic of the hotel with bikes and the car from Mad Max II which sits out front. Morning light would have been better for the pic.



The Silverton Hotel with the bikes and Mad Max's car.

A great sight we were treated to a couple of times today was seeing some packs of galahs likely in the hundreds lift off the ground then duck and weave across in front of us as they gained height. We were treated to a uniform silver grey display as their backs were to us and then in an instant as they changed direction it would be the bright pink of their under sides then back to grey again as if on queue Awesome.

Broken Hill is a huge place but getting a little empty and sad looking. In its heyday the population was around 38,000 but is down to 20,000. We had planned to spend a few days here but the Port Augusta sojourn sort of interrupted that. Not to worry, that will be another trip and I'll stay somewhere a bit less scary than the West Darling Hotel. It’s a great huge barn of a place and very cold. I'm currently keeping the fire in the lounge company.

Talk to you tomorrow.



The Broken Hill Vietnam Veterans memorial looking across the law courts and government buildings to the council offices.