We picked up the new Mazda BT50 on the Tuesday - it was rush job - so we just took the standard tray. We realise that in due course we will probably replace this tray with a more robust offering. Wednesday we packed for departure on the Thursday. We had a good run down to Woolgoolga and stopped in a cabin on Thurdsday night - we had pizza for tea overlooking a cool blue pool with underwater lighting - it was very idylic. We dropped Nosey down to Lars at 8am on ...

Thursday 18th December - Echuca Well today the new brake pads should arrive and Gertie will be feeling well again. Mal did an early morning wander as he often does and then we had breakfast before heading down to the lake to spot - yes you guessed it - BIRDS. Mal was never far from thinking about the parts for Gertie - it sort of dominated the day unfortunately. 5pm still nothing - Mal had the bike all pulled apart and ready for the installation of the...

Tuesday 16th December - Swan Hill to Echuca Rear brake is metal onto metal - all the rear pad lining gone kaput!!!! I thought of the scene in the "grapes of Wrath" where they had to fix the big end on their engine half way to California - surely we can make it 150k with a stuffed rear brake. Course we can. We rode over, took it easy and only had to use the front brake twice from start to finish. You said so!!! Well we have thise modern thing called integ...

Sunday 14th December - Victor Harbour to Berri Big thunder storm this morning, one lightning strike was so close it blew all the feathers off the local sea gulls. Not much rain but lightning and thunder galore. We were still able to be on the road by 8.30am and had breakfast at Strathalbyn. Chatted with a chap who had an R1100gs who told us that he had been on every BMW safari from the first to when he had to sell the bike (wife got really sick - bad luck). ...

Monday 8th December We packed up from American River to a cold overcast day - with the prospect of rain. We checked out Prospect Hill on our way back to Penneshaw - The isles in the bar were not laid out on a velvet sea of turquoise with the sun tracking lazily across an azure dome. It was bleak and windy however very much worth the climb which is quite brisk given that this is just a giant sandhill encrusted with low bushes. We left Ernie at the visitor...