GERALDTON ULYSSES

Past Rides and Adventures

Ulysses riders trip to Alice Springs .

Sunday 20/08/06

Riders:- Russ Hacon—Terry Newport—Roger Glass—Noel Dun stone

Lindsay Mathews—Howard Mathews.

Vehicle:- Garry Cripps—Austin Cannon—Iain ( Les ) Jackson-Wood head.

Bikes:- (Russ) Suzuki DR650

(Terry) Suzuki DR650SE

(Roger) BMW Dakar

(Noel) BMW1150GS

(Lindsay) BMW1150GS

(Howard) Honda 650

(Garry) Suzuki 650 V. Strom

( Austin ) Suzuki DR650 Free wind

Vehicle:- Toyota Land cruiser

Depart Noels place 09.15

Cyril Mckenzie-Bruce Ralph-Graham Stewart-Arthur & Bev Thorp & Jamie Hacon accompanied us to Mullewa. While we were at Mullewa all fuelled up so as to get to Mount Magnet . Some kid tried to take off with Arthur’s gloves but soon handed them back when approached by Arthur & Jamie. Noels bike fell over at the servo, did not look like a good start to the adventure.

Lunch at Yalgoo.

Terry ran out of fuel 5km out of Magnet, did not try reserve (he thought he was on reserve but was not.) Fuelled up at BP Magnet. Toyota had first puncture.

Booked in to Caravan park, Terry’s bike had been running rough ever since Magnet, so he had around 9 different suggestions of what was wrong. With the help from Brett Gannon it was soon fixed (at 20.00hrs) cause stuck choke! After booking in and starting to set up camp site Garry decided to turn up the music in the vehicle, and was promptly told by some old dear to turn it off, she came to the park for peace and quiet.( All this about 16.15)

Garry made some comment as she walked away, she heard him and said he was an uneducated person!!!? After a while Jamie decided to check out the roads around the caravan park,( remember he is riding a Harley) just to annoy a certain cranky old dear.

A good nights rest was had by all.

Monday 21/08/06

Left Sandstone at 07.30

Howard & Jamie had a drag, the Harley lost a reflector goes to show the Honda’s built tougher. Howard had a problem with his kick starter, it came up too quick for him & whacked him on the back of the leg, for which he needed a band-aid or two.

Somebody said over the radio that Noel had lost his torch, Garry then stopped & picked up the bits & pieces of a torch that were not Noels anyway he had not lost a torch. Took the two bikes on trailer off so as Garry & Austin could start riding. Garry’s radio did not work due to Austin trying his pump in his 12v socket which had blown the fuse.

Fuelled up at LAVERTON then pushed on to camp 100kms from LAVERTON About 30kms out Terry fell off in some very soft sand, loaded his bike on trailer and went back to LAVERTON hospital, Terry stayed in hospital so as to get his hand seen to. Looked like he had dislocated fingers or broken ones because of this he could not carry on. We had tea at the pub, some drinks at the police social club and camped at Lindsay’s nephews place.

Tuesday 22/08/06

Left LAVERTON at 07.34

Fuelled up at TJWKAYIRLA Roadhouse and teamed up with two young blokes riding BMW DAKARS. Noel had a leaking air valve in the rim of his front tyre.

Fuelled up Warburton and camped aprox 70kms on. I don’t know what the Dakar boys thought of the gero mob after the high jinks of that night ( as Garry said what happens in camp stays in camp ) Lindsay tried to pass off roo turds as dried figs.

Wednesday 23/08/06

Left camp 07.45

Fuelled up WARAKURNA roadhouse.

We were shown around the GILES Weather station by Helmut, this was for about 2 hrs (very interesting) Left Giles saw a few camels the fuelled up at KALTUKATJARA (DOCKER River) place looked like a tip. We camped approx 40kms from Docker River at a place called Lasseters cave.

Thursday 24/08/06

Left camp at 07.40

After another 140kms hit bitumen, at last! Passed the Olgas and Uluru , Some put in fuel at Curtin Springs Road house then off to Kings Canyon . On the way Russell tried to ride up a sandy hill and had a slight mishap, he dropped his bike, someone was watching!!!!

A few of us stopped at Kings Creek Station, where we met a bloke who was running Harley Tours He told us that he was Dave Priors brother Dave worked at 98.1FM in Geraldton. Camped Kings Canyon Resort Caravan Park.( Full of German Tourists)

For tea some had barbeque and some had pizzas ( YUMMY ) Had a good nights rest, except for the very early ablutions of our German tourists. I did not know women let rip so loudly and for so long.

FRIDAY 25/08/06

This morning there was no rush to leave, so Noel & Iain went on a helicopter ride over Kings Canyon . The rest rode to the canyon and walked about.

I think Noel & myself had a much better view from up where we were. Around 10.00 we headed for Hermannsburg all gravel. Roger rode his bike along this road and found out how bloody rough the last 5kms were. The trailer did not like the roughness nor did the Toyota’s tyres , at Hermannsburg there were two punctures on the Toyota, soon had them fixed but the trailer was a bit sus. Some had a feed then on to Standley Chasm, Noel went on to Alice to tee up somebody to fix the trailer Saturday .On to Stuart Caravan Park ,pitched camp, Had a shower then to town mainly for grog and some nibblys.

Met three more Ulysses at the park from N.S.W. or VIC cannot remember. All went to the Memorial Club Bistro for a $9.90 Carvery One had eyes bigger than his stomach ey Lindsay. P.s. Austin went to town & got lost and had to radio for help!

SATURDAY 26/08/06

No body was up with the sparrows, as today we did our own thing, sightseeing or whatever. Iain & Howard went shopping ( Don’t travel with Howard in an enclosed cab you will regret it, enough said) Howard required two new tyres for his bike that is why he was in the vehicle. Sat arvo visited the Museum Of Central Australia then went and picked up tyres for bike then the trailer,back to the park . Fit tyres to bike and load trailer for Sunday departure. Russ helped a lady out by pumping up her mattress, very nice of Russ!! We all went to tea at Lasseters Casino And Convention Centre, tucker not to bad beer good but the pokies bad!!! Noel and Howard won.

SUNDAY 27/08/06

Departed from having breaky at Mcdonalds 08.30

Headed off down the Stuart Highway with ROGER in the lead ( he was going via the Lasseter Highway bitumen )Roger took a wrong turn and headed for the air port, had steer him in the right direction. The rest went via Earnest Giles Rd gravel, on the way checked out Henbury Meteorite Crater the on to Curtin Springs Roadhouse again for a drink before heading to Ayres Rock Resort Caravan Park . After setting up camp went to the viewing platform to see the sunset on the rock what a fizzer!! Had a barbeque tea at the resort, some games of pool and plenty of stubbies.

MONDAY 28/08/06

Leave around 08.30.

Off again with Rogers bike on trailer, on to the gravel no so bad as going to Alice , all stopped for fuel at Docker River . Iain & Roger went on to the WA/NT border sign and waited for the riders. On checking trailer Iain noticed the newly installed checkered plate was missing, called up riders to see if they could look for it, all but Russell did not see a thing lucky Russell caught a glimpse of a corner and picked it up. On the way to Giles Rogers Bike fell over in the trailer lucky a swag was tied next to it, or it would be really damaged. About 2kms from Giles Noels bike had a puncture it was soon fixed, fuelled up Warakurna Roadhouse & headed off to find a camp site. Just down the road the fixed puncture became unfixed, so off with Rogers bike and on with Noels.after 70-80kms found a good camping site(looked like a M.R.D. camp site) with a bore. Roger was happy he could have a tub. After setting up camp some hands to tyre fixing others to fire starting and preparing camp oven. A good nights sleep was had by all

TUESDAY 29/08/06

At all camping sites we had breakfast of Bacon, Eggs, tomatoes & toast.

Garry had a problem with his fork he could not find it, guess who was using it Lindsay.

Set off at about 08.15.some bikes topped up at Warburton. Just out of Warburton is Creek of water, if you go around the left it is shallow but rather deep in the center. Everybody went left except Russell who went through the middle and got thoroughly drenched.meantime. Howard then decided to do the same ( with a lot of persuasion from others) so he did it faster than Russ, well the result was spectacular a Totally Soaked Rider from his boots to helmet. It was heard that Howard said, Why do I listen to these older blokes??. Come in sucker!!! We camped about 110kms from Cosmo Newberry in what looked like a gravel pit. Second last camp oven a very very mild Curry.

WEDNESDAY 30/08/06

Up early decamped 07.30

About 194kms of gravel to go, on the way Lindsay’s B.M.W just conked out, checked it out could not find anything wrong, after a while he started it up and off he went without any more trouble. Iain just missed a Roo good thing Roger saw it early. Had lunch Leonora, arvo tea at Leinster then on to camp 20kms from Sandstone. Last camp oven ( bummer) this camp site was the hardest to find a soft flat spot.

THURSDAY 31/08/06

After breaky of the last of the bacon, eggs, tomatoes and toast, packed up and off to fuell up Mount Magnet. On the way an Eagle took a dive at Noel, he said not a nice experience.

Fuelled up then off to Mullewa for next fuel, with a short stop at Yalgoo on the way. At Mullewa we were met by Les, Neva , Shirley, Dave, Jamie & Chrissy who rode with us to Geraldton. Arrived at Noel’s place where Terry and Arthur were waiting. After unloading Toyota ,bike from trailer every body went home.

FRIDAY 01/09/06

Everybody returned to Noels Place to do some repairs to Sun city motorcycles trailer. It required new wiring which Noel & Iain did after Roger bought the parts. Noel welded up pieces of trailer that had broken & pop riveted the checkered plate & ally panel back on.

Just before this was achieved we had morning tea supplied by Neva & Roger, which was very much appreciated. When all was done a Night of Disgracefulness and Reminiscence was organized.

See you all there!