February 21 - 22, 2013…Coffin Bay, South Australia

February 24, 2013

Continuing our coastal hug we ride towards the wheat growing area of South Australia and head towards a quite oyster farming township located on the southern extremity of the Eyre Peninsula called Coffin Bay. The winds have begun to die down and my body begins to settle back comfortably melding with the bike. I am now able to relax and soak up the awesomeness that surrounds me. In the foreground, fields of golden stubby cut wheat that look like "stubble on a Ginger," glow in the warm sunshine. Large white sand dunes that are lapped by turquoise Southern Ocean waters as far as the eye can see. Our eyes catch a "Fresh Bread" sign as we ride past a small homestead wood fired bakery. "Did you see that?", Kev radios! "Sure did! Let's do a U'y and pick up a loaf for brekky tomorrow!", I radio back. We pull up to the "bread shack" deposit two $2 coins in the money tin and make our selection…the bread is fresh and very crusty. Kev packs the bread into his pannier and we are back on the road…I must remember to pick up some butter!

It is around 1:30pm when we arrive at Coffin Bay and the sight of the oyster beds in the harbor are have made us hungry for a lunch. We stop and enjoy the local treasures, check out the town brochure and figuring out where we are going to set up camp. Coffin Bay National Park looks stunning and offers camping but no showers, and after a couple of high temp days we definitely could use one! We select the town caravan park located across from the harbor oyster beds that advertises shaded grassy campsites, new amenities and power for $32. per night. Our campsite is prefect and we rock into "set up" mode then both head for the showers….Ahhhh! As I walk back to camp, Kev has set up the power strip, plugged us in and is charging up. Little does he know that he has 2 Grey Kangaroos gazing a meter or so behind him! Tickled, I pull out the camera a shoot away! This caravan park was alive with native Aussie birdlife, so much so that the squawking, chattering, and banter from the galahs, rainbow lorakeets, magpies, honeyeaters and miner birds was at times overwhelming….in a great way!

The next day was a scorcher so Kev and I decided to take a ride around the areas coastal National Park. The cool sea breezes refreshed us, and the views were sublime. Tea at the local yacht club, with air-conditioning kept us alive as we waited for the evenings cool change. Drained from the heat I remember climbing into the tent… and finally that cool breeze arrived sweeping across my face watching the Southern Cross light up in the sky and the Grey Kangaroos graze right outside my tent zipper, (I guess the word is out we have pineapples)…I know I fell asleep smiling!

Coffin Bay Oyster lunch!  Kilpatrick, Mornay, Wasabi, and Natural.  My fav...Wasabi — *Coffin Bay Oyster lunch! Kilpatrick, Mornay, Wasabi, and Natural. My fav...Wasabi*

*Coffin Bay Caravan Park camp...see the roo behind Kev?*

*Coffin Bay National Parks wondrous coastline!*

*The dunes to the left is where Gallipoli was filmed!*

*OK...you know the song..."Walk like an Oyster?"...(Egyptian)*

*Had to share this pic...The local boys going fishing :)*

February 20, 2013…Finally off the hot damn windy ass Nullarbor!….Streaky Bay, South Australia

February 24, 2013

A pretty short ride today down to Streaky Bay, South Australia. We pulled up to a great little caravan park and set up camp under a tree right on the beach…What could be better than that!

It is still quite windy, and I have to tell you it is starting to get to me…arrrrrgh!

Kev and I head of down to the local pub for what we have been told has "a good feed"! Streaky Bay Pub did not disappoint. We order the special of the day which is local caught fish (Flake) and chips with a fresh salad, along with a cold Coopers on tap to wash it all down….Now for a nap!

*Off to the Streaky Bay Pub for a feed!*

Streaky Bay 's claim to fame...The largest White Pointer  Shark catch in the world .  More than 5 meters long, weighing in at 1520 kgs, caught on a 24kg line! — *Streaky Bay 's claim to fame...The largest White Pointer Shark catch in the world . More than 5 meters long, weighing in at 1520 kgs, caught on a 24kg line!*

February 19, 2013…Fowlers Bay, slight detour off the Nullarbor Plain, South Australia

February 24, 2013

Apart from the odd night stirring with numbness in my forearms and hands obviously from gripping my handlebars tightly through the strong winds yesterday, I slept like a log in dirt! The winds are not going to let up today, in-fact they feel stronger. Kev and I rode with our heads cocked to the right the bikes leaning into the wind on at least a 15 - 20% camber. Right about now I could use a massage, and, definitely a Chiropractic adjustment!

Bloody hell this is one straight, hot, windy, long ass piece of road!!!!!

Much of the time the Nullarbor is fairly desolate and barren. You do from time to time come across beautiful gum tree groves with their glossy leaves shimmering in the sun and the odd bluff in the middle of nowhere. You do see tire snakes, exploded contents of caravans, abandoned cars, the same ol'people filling up at the next road stations! Many amazing beautiful moments as flocks of galah's pecking by the roadside all take to flight at once, their grey and crimson bodies looking like feathery jewels agains the raw barren land.

We pass through Mundrabilla, and decide to fill up at Eucla, now only 13 k's to the South Australia border. I pull up to the most forward high octane pump and proceed to do the "gas-up shuffle" of kick stand down, bike key off, music paused, open visor, remove sunglasses, remove helmet, place helmet on right mirror, unhook intercom cords, remove gloves, secure under map pocket of my tank bag, hike up and remove my left leg from over bike when all of a sudden from the present strong winds blowing was a NASTY swirling gust that pushed me over…and I was on the ground… bike on top of me and my arm in the water bucket that held the window washing water in it!!! I did not even feel it coming and laughed as I tried to slide out from under the bike and remove my arm from the bucket of water. The station attendant came over and all I could say was.."Mate I almost kicked the bucket!" Kev and the attendant pulled the bike off me and then I proceeded to fill up. I now have a nice dent in my right pannier, some yellow servo paint attached to my bike and a lot more character! Kev pulled out the tool kit, fixed my mirror and we were once again… riding the Plain, taking a wind beating, and cutting up the k's!

We continued our ride, through Border Village and Nullarbor. Kev and I take a small break from the pounding of the wild coast winds and pull off the Plain to take a look at the Great Australian Bight coastline and decide to crack our coconut. We will not be able to take this across the WA/SA border! Back on the Plain we head towards Nundroo. All of the Nullarbor Plain townships are pretty much single dusty roadhouses, so, Kev and I decide to take a detour and head out on a lonely sandy dirt road that will lead us to the coast and Fowlers Bay. As we pulled into the township I radioed Kev, "Can you believe this…Where the heck are we?" Fowlers Bay is a very small desolate fishing township surrounded by huge golden sand dunes. You really half expect camels to crest the dunes as you gaze across the landscape! They do have one cabin style motel and tonight we are going to splurge for a cabin and get out of this wind. Woo Hoo…a bed, sheets, bathroom, kitchen and bonus TV…no mobile phone service though!

Mundrabilla Roadhouse Menu.  We packed up from our bush camp knowing that a roadhouse was only 40 k's down the road.  Kev and I both had snags and scrambled eggs for brekky.  Ready for another day! — *Mundrabilla Roadhouse Menu. We packed up from our bush camp knowing that a roadhouse was only 40 k's down the road. Kev and I both had snags and scrambled eggs for brekky. Ready for another day!*

Huh???  I only get the Bar Time! — *Huh??? I only get the Bar Time!*

*Alright now I'm really confused!!..45 minutes, back or forward???*

*Man are the wombats as big as camels?..ha ha h*

*Testing out our new machete...worked like a beauty!*

*An awesome windy view of the Great Australian Bight.*

February 18, 2013 … we didn't stop in Balladonia, but decided to bush camp at Moodini Bluff, Nullarbor Plain, Western Australia

February 24, 2013

Crikey!…Is that rain I feel?…Sure enough a surprise downpour hits our campsite. Kev and I scamper around trying to get our gear out of the rain. Looks like it is going to be an early night!

We woke to a beautifully dry crisp and clear beachside morning, a great start to our journey across the Nullarbor. As Kev and I pack up camp I notice a couple of things are missing from our folding macro table! Hmmm, looks as though our pineapple, apples and citronella candles have been stolen. We have watched crabs and frogs visit our campsite but these items are way too heavy to be moved by them. Ahh, looks as though we have been raided by a roo!….Too funny, I actually spy the citronella candle deep in the brush, probably smelled good, but tasted waxy…ha ha ha.

It is 7:30 am and we are on our way...

Kev and I have been tossing up whether to cut off the corner of the ride up to the Nullarbor Plain and take the dirt 4wd, Balladonia Track. The problem is that Kev's bike does not have any tank guards to protect his new tank, and if he goes down…Murphy's Law says," if you go down you will hit a rock and bust your tank!" We decide to make the decision after traveling dirt up to the trail. Kev and I both look at each other after the short jaunt in and decide it is not worth the risk and turn left instead of right!

I am kind of bummed for the first 10 minutes, and I know that Kev is too, but a town called Salmon Gums has got me intrigued and we will be riding through it today! Well, there is not much to Salmon Gums, a servo, couple of shops and hundreds and hundreds of beautiful salmon trunk colored gum trees! We continue riding and make a right at Norseman, the gateway to the Nullarbor Plain…Alrighty, here we go!

Petrol is $2.16 per liter at Balladonia, OUCH!!!!, if the wind continues to blow like this, I will be filling up every 150 clicks Would you believe it that Balladonia 's claim to fame all happened in 1979 when it was showered with pieces of the US space station "Sky Lab" as it fell to earth!

We cross the longest straight stretch of highway in Australia, pass through Caiguna, Cocklebiddy, and Madura… "Alright have you had enough?", Kev radio's! Buggared and weary we pull off at set up camp in the bush at Moodini Bluff. We did 897 kilometers today!

Yeah...it is pretty darn straight, in fact it all was pretty straight!!  Sure squared off the tires! — *Yeah...it is pretty darn straight, in fact it all was pretty straight!! Sure squared off the tires!*

*Finally calling it a day we bush camp @ Moodini Bluff*

February 15 - 17, 2013...Cape Le Grand, WA

February 23, 2013

56k's up the road and we have already reached our destination. Kev and I are hoping that there will be camping spots available at Cape Le Grand National Park. You cannot prebook this camping area and the camping positions available are on a first come first serve basis. We just happened to rock up at the most opportune time! "Kev, I hate to say I told you so but I knew that passing those camper vans along the way was a GREAT idea"….YEAH!…(fist pump) :) Not only did Kev and I secure a camp site, but, we actually scored the coolest site at Cape Le Grand Beach…fancy that! Our site is surrounded by twisted paperbark trees that form nooks and crannies, that make you feel like playing "hide and seek" and also shelter us from the sea breezes. The beach is absolutely amazing, hey let me say that, sorry sing that in a high pitch again... AMAZINNGGG! Even though we only rode 56 clicks up the road after a 2 night break… it is a "no brainer"! We have decided to stay here for 3 nights, and soak in the beauty that surrounds us. $9 per night per person is our cost. We have flushing toilets and solar heated showers, Paperbark tree privacy, gas bbq's, running water that you need to boil before drinking, an amazing white sand beach that we can even ride our bikes on, a picnic bench (score), crystal clear warm turquoise waters to swim and play in, clean crisp salty sea air, soothing crashing Southern Ocean waves, friendly wildlife, friendly campers and most of all each other. Kev and I are just kicking back, soaking it all in. The first night I saw a kangaroo hop down onto the beach…really fantastic, just like in the tourist advertising! Today we took a hike and then we rode around to Lucky Bay and saw an Emu with 8 teen birds run through the bush lands, frill necked lizards basking in the warmth of the day refusing to move from the center of the road, and snakes slithering up the banks of the sandy dunes. At night our camp site comes to life with tens of donut sized brown spotted crabs cautiously emerging from the surrounding ocean scrub brush, green spotted brown frogs, and scrub mice all foraging for tastey morsels. As our lazy days and star filled nights roll by I really do not want to leave, but there is a window of cooler weather that has descended on the Nullarbor and if we stay any longer we could miss it.

Our camp site is directly to the right of this sign behind the paperbark trees!  Sweet! — *Our camp site is directly to the right of this sign behind the paperbark trees! Sweet!*

*Cape Le Grand Beach...can you believe it?!*

*One more shot of this amazing warm water...Ahhh!*

*Cape Le Grand fire danger rating sign.*

*Our camp site came with cool Aboriginal tree art!*

*Cat calls this guy a Rhino beetle as he had a horn on the front of him.*

*Cat testing out her new fisheye lens...This is how Cat got the shot!...ha ha ha*

*Cat cooking dinner with left overs for brekky and lunch tomorrow!*

*Wow!...Certainly a fashion statement Kev!*

*Hiking over to Lucky Bay, Cape Le Grand*

*Amazing stormy sunset sky last night at Cape Le Grand*

*Leaving...Today we start our trek across the Nullarbor*

February 13 - 14, 2013…Esperance, WA

February 23, 2013

It is quite blowy today… Kev and I lean into the winds and fight the "eddies", as we pass road trains eagerly making our way towards this magical coastal town named Esperance. Last September Kev and I were originally on our way here to watch whales give birth! It is not baby whale season now, but as you feast your eyes on the amazing clear turquoise waters of this area you can understand why these wise creatures choose such a majestic location to birth their calves.

The aboriginal name for this area is Kepa Kurl, "the place where waters lay down like a boomerang". Once experiencing this area you will always want to come back!…Ha ha ha, I had to throw that one in because it fit, and, it is so true. The beaches will absolutely blow your mind! Fine pristine white sandy beaches with cool clear turquoise waters lapping up against them makes you feel as though you have been stranded on a secluded Caribbean island. These fine sand beaches have been named the whitest in Australia and it is absolutely impossible no to stop, strip off and take dip. By far my favorite ride in Esperance is the Great Ocean Drive, it is only 40 kilometers long but sure packs a wallop!

We pull up to a seafront Caravan Park and decide to stay 2 nights. Kev and I enjoyed camping and sharing stories with our neighbors Baz, the 65 year old bicyclist, cycling around Oz and a fellow adventure rider from Ballarat, Victoria riding a Suzuki DR650 making his way to Bunbury, Western Australia to see his mate.

*First glimpse of the Esperance coastline, W*

*One of the many gorgeous beaches along the Esperance coast.*

*It is always amazing to run into other adventurists and share stories, even if it is only for 30 minutes or so!*

February 12, 2013…"Hair of the Dog" (wink Anne McG!)…Walpole, then onto Bremer Bay, WA

February 22, 2013

It is noon, a little late, and warm to be starting a day of riding, but, we could not wait….wait a minute, who cares what the time is…do we have a schedule? NO!

We had to make a trip back to the Kari Tree before we could continue on our journey. Kev gave Constable Jason a ring and he kindly met up with us at the crash site. It was really fantastic to quickly catch up with him before heading on! Thanks Jason! Kev said his goodbyes to the tree and we were once again on our way!

Almost a 500 km day on our first day back on the road, and we are right back into the swing of things. Kev's bike is humming along, I'm humming in my helmet, the raw countryside is passing us by, and, it feels good!

The days are still quite long and Kev and I find ourselves riding right into dusk. On the first day back we are breaking our personal riding rules…"No riding after 4pm" We turn off Highway 1 the 60 kms to Bremer Bay and it is 6pm. I break hard and radio Kev, "A Roo watch out!" A huge kangaroo is perched by the roadside looking straight at us, I slow right down sound my horn and wait for him to bound away. Not 5 more k's down the road was another roo, time to get a camping spot!

We pull into the Bremer Bay township and it has pretty much closed down for the night. Kev and I idle around until we find a camping spot and set up camp. We jump right into action. We definitely have not lost our groove and our campsite is up "lickity split". Our new Exped inflatable mattresses, an upgrade from our previous Thermarests look pretty comfy, and it is not long until we are sound asleep.

*Packing the bikes up at Debbie & Rob's house*

"Hair of the Dog"...Constable Jason, Kev and the Kari tree!  Now we can continue...... — *"Hair of the Dog"...Constable Jason, Kev and the Kari tree! Now we can continue......*

*Cat & Jason..."Yeah...and if Kev hits another tree I'm gonna be really really pissed off!"*

February 8 - 11, 2013…Albany, Western Australia

February 21, 2013

"Welcome back!", Debbie greeted Kev and I with a huge warm smile. "You know where your room is and everything is right where you left it!", chuckled Deb! Kev and I carried our large cardboard box back to the room, placed it on the table and immediately joined Deb for a cuppa. I cannot believe it! Almost in a blink of an eye, here we are once again…excited to continue our journey around Australia. It was great to catch up with Rob and Deb, and once again Kev and I felt very lucky to have met this wonderful couple.

Monday has arrived and Kev and I are eager to visit our bikes. I feel the fluttering excitement of butterflies in my stomach as Deb drives us the 15 minutes into town to Morgan's Motorcycles. Morgan has been more than accommodating by allowing me to park "Phe Phe" in his shop while Kev's bike has waited for BMW parts from the UK to complete the repairs needed. A few tweaks a "smoko", couple of licks from Jessy and "Bob's ya Uncle!"…She starts right up. Now Stacey is not quite as sleek as she once was, but she is ALIVE, and looking quite rogue, almost "bat like"! Wholly Cow!

Kev settles up with Morgans Motorcycles…. we saddle up, shift into first, ease the clutch out and take off remembering to enter the road on the left!….WOO HOO, feels BLOODY GREAT!

Once back at Debbies Kev and I attack the packing of the bikes. It seems as if we have accumulated a little more, damn! Slowly, even though this part was a tad frustrating, we manage to squeeze it all in. Deb offers us her car and we head to the post office to ship a box back to Melbourne with the left over bike parts…now everything is sorted!

It is time to leave….

*Bandicoot, Kev thinks it's a fancy Australian name for rat, crossing.*

Can we carry these chairs on our bikes?  They are way too comfy! — *Can we carry these chairs on our bikes? They are way too comfy!*

*Kev & Al sussing out the final repairs.*

*OK...we'll watch out for the Quicksand!*

February 5, 2013….On the Road Again!…Well almost!

February 15, 2013

58 hours later Kev and I sit back on Debbie and Rob's porch swing….finally we have arrived back in Albany, Western Australia where we left off last September.

Our neighbor Mari kindly drove Kev and I the 4 hours from Lake Tahoe to San Francisco Airport…we made it in record time! I am feeling at ease with this next leg of Australia, and a deep sense of calm warms my body, although my face has an excited grin as we check our one Cardboard Vuitton box (Louis distant cousin) for the flight.

The trip across the mighty ocean was fairly calm. Funny enough I woke just I time to see the sunrise over the southern hemisphere…this is it, the journey continues. Kev and I met up with my Mum and Dad in Melbourne for lunch and were thrilled when my brother Brad and his wife Anne also showed, a great way to spend a 5 hour layover.

The plane ride across to Perth was super choppy… I have only felt air sick 2 times in my life and this was one of them. Perth was quite toasty when we arrived… 30 degrees Celsius at 6:30pm, quite a difference from the Lake Tahoe weather we have been used to…phew! Fellow biker and adventurist, Ewen MacGregor offered to put us up for the night and picked Kev and I up at the airport and drove us back to his home in Fremantle. We had a great evening catching up with Ewen and Liz and were very thankful for the lovely meal and comfy bed to sleep in. The next morning Ewen delivered us to the bus station where Kev and I boarded a bus bound for Albany.

Six hours later Kev and I were back in Albany…the date is now Friday February 8th!

*Boarding the bus bound for Albany, WA.*

November 26, 2012 - January 2013…Lake Tahoe, Nevada USA

January 28, 2013

The timeline for Kev's bike repairs is growing. Kev and I have made the decision to cancel our return ticket to Australia and hold off on a return date until February 2013. This will give us enough time to finalize part shipments from the UK for Kev's bike and give Morgans Motorcycles plenty of time for repairs.

Kev and I are beginning to go a little stir crazy. We miss our life on the road! The adventure, challenges, simplicity and dirt! We have decided to purchase a season ski pass and will focus our energy on the slopes for now.

*Kev & Cat brushing up on their skiing skills at Heavenly.*

Just Smile :)

January 28, 2013

I am dedicating this entry to all the wonderful happy travelers we encountered while riding in New Zealand and Australia who just made my day!

Traveling exposed to the elements, at times pushing your limits, can be a very humbling experience. The feelings you absorb from the countryside, or the city vibe, are marvelous moments. The sheer delight of a wave or smile from a stranger can absolutely make your day!

The hand wave is the universal gesture of acknowledgment. Even when a wave is intended for another I feel the need to wave back, accompanied by a smile and immediately after, a thought…."Do I know this person?" Hmmmm….Does it really matter if you know this person or not is my question? There always seems to be a feeling of warmth associated with this action!

So with this being said I wanted to share with you all the variations we encountered as we rode across Australia. The positive effect of this simple gesture is awesome. I can't help but smile, and chuckle, as I type this.

There is the classic index finger lift of acknowledgement or approval while the rest of the hand is still holding onto the steering wheel.

The slightly more dexterous approach of peeling the index and middle finger off the wheel with the rest of the digits still attentively steering.

The right handed full steering wheel lift off "Thumbs up".

The right handed full steering wheel lift off air "High Five".

The right handed cigarette holding full steering wheel lift off smokey acknowledgement.

The right handed thumb and index finger steering wheel lift off…."L", another sign for Looser….ha ha ha

The right handed full steering wheel lift off finger point.

The right handed full steering wheel lift off finger gun.

The full hand wave out of the drivers window.

The full hand wave out of the passenger window.

The lone kid facing backwards in the rear of the vehicle waving furiously.

The full forearm extension from the drivers window with hand waving.

The full forearm extension from the drivers window with waving "peace sign".

A very enthusiastic wave by extending the whole arm and half chest from the passenger side of the vehicle.

A hefty strong right armed fist acknowledgment.

All accompanied with a smile!

October 5 - November 25, 2012…San Francisco, USA

January 28, 2013

Kev and I arrived back in the United States to attend our son Paul's wedding to his sweetheart Karolyn. This was a planned part of our itinerary and a great chance to catch up with our boys Paul and Christopher, as well as, friends and family. My Mum, Dad, brother Brad and his wife Anne flew over from Australia to attend the wedding. Kev and I had a chance to tour our Aussie family around before they returned to Australia.

Kev and I will be staying in the US through Thanksgiving. My feelings about our arrival back at Lake Tahoe have caught me by surprise. This is such a magnificent, beautiful part of the world. The mountains, majestic lake, fresh pine air, rawness and casual ease, comfort me. I am glad the snow has arrived earlier this year than last. Even though shoveling can be a pain, you can't beat the workout, and playing in this fluffy stuff is an absolute blast! I must admit that I miss the daily riding...but I am not complaining!

*Cat's brother Brad with wife Anne with Paul and Chris.*

*The valley the day of our return to Lake Tahoe.*

*Watching the Army Navy Game on the Hornet, Oakland California with our good friends Cara and Sterling.*

September 22 - October 4, 2012…Melbourne

January 28, 2013

Kev and I flew back to Melbourne in time for the Aussie Rules Footy Grand Final my mothers 70th birthday celebration and the Royal Melbourne Show. We had intended to complete our circumference of Australia by this time but a Kerri Tree had other plans.

*Kev & Cat at Perth Airport flying back to Melbourne.*

We flew Tiger Airlines!   Dad released us from the "Tiger Cage" in Melbourne. — *We flew Tiger Airlines! Dad released us from the "Tiger Cage" in Melbourne.*

*Cat's Mum and Dad sporting their Sydney Swans colors for the footy Grand Final!*

*Diane's birthday was celebrated on Melbourne's only Tramboat*

*Looks like mischief!!!..Mackenzie & Jerimiah, Cat's youngest niece and nephew ;)*

*Cat and her 3 brothers...Brad, Paul and Cam performing a synchronized Motherly speech.*

Australian "Kewpie" dolls at the Royal Melbourne Show.  As a young girl you would n't leave the show without one, or two...I don't know about now! — *Australian "Kewpie" dolls at the Royal Melbourne Show. As a young girl you would n't leave the show without one, or two...I don't know about now!*

"Bring on the Clowns"  The object of the game is to receive the highest score!   Given 3 pingpong balls,  you place the balls in the clown mouth hoping that the balls fall into the highest number slot to win your prize!  Cat love… — *"Bring on the Clowns" The object of the game is to receive the highest score! Given 3 pingpong balls, you place the ball*s in the clown mouth hoping that the balls fall into the highest number slot to win your prize! Cat love's this game!

*Cat & Kev at the Royal Melbourne Show.*

*Royal Melbourne Show Fruit Cake Exhibit!*

*Cat's favorite pavilion....The Show Bags!*

*Show Bag displays....there are hundreds to choose from!*

*Cat say's that you cannot leave the Show without seeing a sheep shorn!*

September 16 - 21, 2012…Albany

January 28, 2013

I definitely believe that people enter your life for a reason. Constable Jason rescued, comforted and directed us to an amazing couple in Albany…couch surfers Rob and Debbie. Kev and I spent the remainder of our time living with Rob and Debbie, recuperating, researching replacement bike parts, visiting and experiencing beautiful Albany.

"Tonight is Rock 'n' Roll night at the Bowls Club if you would like to join us?", Debbie asks "Sounds like fun" I reply. My only dance shoes available are motorcycle boots, and Kev does not have his boots available to him as they are with the bike, so it looks like he will be dancing in thongs. Flip flops for the yanks…ha ha ha! Debbie is not sure if thongs are acceptable attire at the Club, so we decided to disguise the look with black socks! We made a very interesting couple to say the least! The night was a lot of fun… just what the doctor ordered!

Debbie graciously toured Kev and I around Albany over the week. We enjoyed Torndirrup National Park, located on the Rainbow Coast . This Peninsula shelters Albany from the powerful Great Southern Ocean which has magnificently carved this spectacular coastline. It is definitely an added bonus with Western Australia's wildflowers blooming presenting many Monet moments! Albany's CBD reminded me of a coastal version of Victoria's Warragul. I am amazed at all this township has to offer, a well kept secret by the Albanians!

Our visit to Whale World was a fascinating experience. Whale World is located between Torndirrup National Park and King George Sound and is on the site of the once operational Cheynes Beach Whaling Company. The company had a successful operation for 26 years and had taken approximately 14,600 Sperm Whales during that time. Seven tons of high quality oil could be extracted from a Sperm Whale weighing 40 tons. Before dawn whale chasers like the Cheynes IV headed towards the deep cold waters of the continental shelf where Sperm Whales could be found feeding on giant squid. The harpooned whales were transported back and buoyed by Flat Rock in front of the Whaling Station. The buoyed whales were then ferried by a tow boat up to the Flensing Deck. Here the whales we're winched and stripped of their blubber. The blubber was pushed into holes in the Flensing Deck that lead directly to the boilers that extracted the oil. The entire operation is fascinating and eerily mind boggling.

Over the week the crew at Morgans Motorcycles tore down Kev's bike and began researching the parts needed for the repairs. Parts would need to be ordered from the UK and the repair strategy for Kev's bike is somewhat in place. We reluctantly leave Albany. Our bikes are in good hands at Morgans Motorcycles, but this was not our intended plan!

Rock 'n' Rob  &  Roll 'n' Deb — *Rock 'n' Rob & Roll 'n' Deb*

*Spectacular Southern Ocean pounding the coast*

The edge of Antarctica!  For more than a billion years  Australia and Antarctica were bound together  forming the super continent Gondwana. Australia and Antarctica separated about 45 million years ago when the last sections of the su… — The edge of Antarctica! For more than a billion years Australia and Antarctica were bound together forming the super continent Gondwana. Australia and Antarctica separated about 45 million years ago when the last sections of the super continent broke apart. Today, rock formations on Australia's southern coast can still be matched to identical rocks on the northern coast of Antarctica. This is a natural granite bridge sculpture still in progress!

Monet Moment!   Albany, Western Australia — *Monet Moment! Albany, Western Australia*

*Cat's bike comfortably parked at Morgans Motorcycles.*

September 15, 2012…Albany

December 29, 2012

Kev's sleep was interrupted continually throughout the night with aches and painsI Kev is still sleeping. I will try and not disturb him, as it looks as though he has found a somewhat comfortable position for now.

I woke to dripping water on my forehead. I unzipped the tent to take a look outside. It is very, very dewy, and the tent is just saturated. In fact my riding pants and jacket are wet inside the tent from laying on the ground and leaning up against the sides. Me shuffling and sliding around on the thermarest, trying to hitch up my damp riding pants, woke Kev…then the alarm went off! "Good timing I said, now I don't feel so guilty about waking you!", I said with a chuckle. "How did you sleep?" "Like crap!" Kev groaned. "Is that water I just felt? Is it raining?", Kev asks. "It's not raining, but we do have a few water drips penetrating the tent", I say. "Time to get up! I'll get out and you can hand me the gear and we'll pack up, K?" I suggest. So that is what we do! We packed up the sopping wet tent and stuffed it in its bag. We will need to remember to unpack it again today to dry it out. Morgan rocked up on time, we hitched the trailer and were once again off and moving. Morgan's Motorcycles was not far away and it was not long before Stacey was unloaded out of the trailer and left in the service bay. While Kev was helping Morgan open up and move bikes around in his shop I took advantage of the down time and pitched the dripping wet tent to dry in the sunshine. The shop is closed for some showroom floor repainting for the weekend, so we will be waiting until Monday to find out Stacey's situation. Kev gives Debbie and Rob, our CouchSurfing hosts a call to see if we could come by this morning, beauty, they give us the thumbs up. Morgan kindly offers to drives Kevin, with me following on my bike behind over to their home by Oyster Harbor.

"G'day…You must be the US Motorcyclists, Cat and Kev!", grin Debbie and Rob welcoming us to their home. "Come on in and sit down. We walked into their home and were taken back amazed by their lovely water view of Kalgan River and Oyster Harbor…WOW! Would you like a cuppa, have you had brekky?", Debbie warmly asks. "A cuppa would hit the spot, thank you, and No, we did not get a chance to have brekky this morning!", I say. "How about some toast?", Debbie asks. "That would be fabulous", I reply humbly. It was around 10:30 in the morning and that cuppa tea and toast with vegemite tasted heavenly. We chatted and got to know each other for a bit. Rob and Debbie showed us to our bedroom, toilet and bathroom. I unpacked the clothing out of my bike then sat down on the couch…WOW I cannot believe that we are here!

Debbie and Rob familiarized us with the CouchSurfing etiquette. "You guys will need to make a profile! I will help you with that later.", insists Debbie. "Now you guys are welcome to hang out and take it easy, or you can come with us to Shelley Beach for some Paragliding?" Debbie offers. "We would love to come with you, don't think we'll paraglide…ha ha ha!", I reply. "No no, just watching. Rob and his friend Peter are going up!", Debbie states. Rob has cleaned out his car so that we can all fit, and off we head to pick up Peter. Peter has just returned from Bali, a 2 week trip of paragliding logging over 22 hours. We pull up to Peter's home and in hops this light framed, golden tanned, grey bearded character of a fellow. He is 67 years old and a kick! With his gear in the back we are off to the bluffs overlooking Shelley Beach. There are a couple of cars and paragliders already hanging around. Peter is eager to get up in the air before they do. The wind is stronger than expected, and not heading from the best direction, so Rob decides to sit out. Peter is going for it. He pulls on his big bird yellow glider wear, straps on the apparatus secures his helmet, with go pro attached, lays out his 22 meter kite and proceeds to hitch up over the launch deck. "Man you guys have balls as big as camels, you would not catch me jumping off this cliff!" boasts Kev! Rob and Peter grin proudly! Ok Peter is ready to go. The kite is up, he is rising fast facing the wrong way, a fellow paraglider runs over from the car park and gives Peter a push, but it is too strong and tosses Peter backwards and dumps him onto the twiggy brush below.

Peter was not happy with the faulty assistance and lets the guy know! Peter gathers up his kite, guide strings and harness and heads over to the other launching bay. Peter is set up once again, this time a gust of wind carries him off sideways tumbling across the sharp twiggy landscape below scraping and slicing the side of his face open. This is unbelievable, this guy is crazy, and he is not going to give up. While Peter is righting himself from the bloddy tumble, the fellow paraglider that hastily helped Peter previously is suiting up. You can feel the adrenaline and testosterone from this chap from mile away! He is going to take flight before Peter, and show this "old guy" how it is done. We watch him, watch Peter, quickly prepare his pack lines and kite. He launches his 12 meter kite and is airborne, you can see his "shit eating grin" on his face from the cliffs above! OK you proved a point mate….but your kite is smaller…way, way smaller…feel better?

Peter is focused on getting up, and does not see any of this going on. He just want to be airborne. The third attempt is successful, and we all watch him sail out over the Southern Ocean, gaining height, and speed with precise grace…awesome! What a tenacious crazy bugger, I thought! Peter sailed for about 45 minutes before landing on the beach below. Debbie, Rob, Kev and I rode down in the car to Shelley Beach to collect him and listen to his interoperation of the flight.

Later that night Rob lit a bon fire to burn off some trees that he had cut down. We all sat around the roaring bush TV, and enjoyed the show! What an amazingly crazy, long and wonderful day we have had! You just never know what a new day will bring!

*Kev's bike safely delivered to Morgan's Motorcyles in Albany, WA.*

*Lucky double rainbow over Debbie and Rob's house!*

*Our fabulous Couch Surfer hosts....Debbie and Rob!*

*Kev hanging up a quick load of laundry before we hit the cliffs!.....Nice peg holder babe?*

Peter suiting and buckling up! — *Peter suiting and buckling up*!

Absolutely awesome, and Peter is in his 70's...WILD!!! Rock ON!! — *Absolutely awesome, and Peter is in his 70's...WILD!!!* *Rock ON!!*

What  an amazing day.....time to wind down with a glass of wine and watch some Bush TV , our couch surfing hosts! — *What an amazing day.....time to wind down with a glass of wine and watch some Bush TV* , *our couch surfing hosts!*

September 14, 2012…Not the North Pole, not the South Pole, but Walpole

December 29, 2012

Have you ever woken up wondering…Where the heck am I? Well, I woke up in a fright and could not figure it out. It finally dawned on me where we were, what had happened and what we needed to do. HSDS!!!

Kev is quite bruised and sore today. He is in disbelief and overwhelmed by the "what if's!" We are going to take it very easy today. Constable Jason has gone into work, and texts us to check in. Around lunch time Kev and I decide to take a walk into town and get some blood circulating around his sore and bruised body. As we are walking into town a truck stops and reverses up the side of the road…it is Peter from the DEC, checking up on us and interested about our plans. We chat for a bit and thank him for the motorcycle referral, "Good luck mate!", he warmly shouts as he continues about his day.

Morgan arrives. He, Kev and Morgan's son, Rider, limp Stacey into the trailer and secure her for the journey. I am set on my bike ready to follow. It is 6pm, there is only another 30 minutes of light left, and the temperature is falling. I follow behind the trailer, the lights are not working, so I keep my distance. The road twists and turns through the farm bushland and as the light completely fades I wonder how many roos are out? I am now glad that I attached the dry liner to the inside of my jacket before leaving, and turn up my heated grips to fire! I can see lights off in the distance, Albany is not far away now but Morgan is taking the back roads…obvious shortcuts? Usually the back roads are good…In the daytime!…It is pitch black out here, trees line the roadside, and I can smell cows and grass. I can only wish that the roos will keep to the farm land and not bound across the road. Seventy five minutes later I follow Morgan off the bitumen onto a dirt road. OK this will be fun. I follow him through a moist, muddy grassy pasture and come to a stop next to a horse stable. The horses approach doing that horsey lip vibration thing that they do, curiously puffing the moist air. Kev walks back to me smiling and says "We are camping here for the night. It is Morgans friends property. Morgan will unhook and leave the trailer here. He will be back at 7'ish in the morning to collect the trailer and take us to the shop!…Oh yeah, and Jason has found us a Couch Surfers place in Albany to hang at while the bike is being fixed!" "Wow, Great!.. you have been busy", I reply! Morgan's suv car tail lights fade off in the distance across the paddock. I look up at the night sky, …I have no idea where we are, I feel happy to see the southern cross, and most of the milky way illuminated. I don't think that it will rain tonight, but the ground is very moist. Kev locates our head lights in his banged up panniers. We proceed to lay out and pitch the tent next to the trailer, inflate our thermarests and pillows, unfold our 70's Onkaparinga, lay it on the thermarests, and unpack zip and lay out the sleeping bags. The horses are very curious with all this activity very close by and it is interesting to watch them watch us in their horsey approval, or disapproval…I have never been good at reading horses! Kev and I waste no time bundling up in the tent. We will miss dinner tonight as it was enough getting the tent sorted. We clamber into the tent, and leave pretty much all of our clothing on snuggling tighter together for extra warmth. We set the alarm on the phone so that we would be packed up and ready in time before Morgan arrives. Kev is in pain, it will be a rough night!

September, 13, 2012...Walpole

December 28, 2012

"Kev when I come to the main road, am I turning left or right?", I ask on the radio. The response is "Curk!". "Kev say again, missed it?", I reply. There is no response! Kev?…Kev? I pull over to the side of the road and wait. He was not that far behind! Then it dawns on me…he could not have gone down, could he have? A sickly spike of fear races through my body. I wait for a car to pas then I turn around and gas it up the hill. I see the car that had just passed me stopped in the middle of the road, and I see Kev's bike laying on its side…."Ohh, thank God", relieved, I see Kev standing, walking towards the car. Quickly I pull over, kill the bike, jump off and run over to Kev. I see his helmet down the road from him, and I check his eyes, head and face for signs of trauma. He is definitely in shock.! I brush the mud and leafy bits away from his eyes and hold him tightly…"I'm OK, but my bike is busted …I don't think that we will be able to see the whales today?" he says with slight confusion. "What happened?", I ask. "Well I must have looked down for a second and looked up to find that I was riding through some leaves, but under the leaves was a curb which caught the bike and threw me into the tree. I saw the tree and thought SHIT I'm going to hit that tree, then I was on the ground. I thought it was over Cat!" Kev says shakily. Just then a camper van pulls over and offers assistance. The fellow is a doctor and asks Kev a few questions. Together they right the R1200GS and somehow maneuver the beast onto the side of the bitumen. Stacey is badly smashed and leaking petrol profusely! Of course, the bikes were filled before heading out today! The camper van Doc heads on up the hill towards the Valley of the Giants and Tree Top walk that we had just come from to alert the park of the accident. Ten minutes later a Park Ranger arrives to assess the situation. A tow truck has been called, an ambulance, the DEC and the police.

The police arrive as the Park Ranger leaves, secure the area with cones and they check on Kevin's progress. Kevin insists that he does not need an ambulance, but the protocol has been set, and one will be coming anyway. The Park Ranger is back with coffee, cake and sandwiches for Kev and I. He has been so caring and feels badly for us. He makes sure that everyone around is handled before leaving for his duties. The ambulance arrived and the St. Johns volunteers eagerly jumped out of the van expecting neck injuries. They were very surprised to see Kevin standing after viewing the scene. Happy, but almost disappointed that there was nothing to treat they chatted with us for a bit and then were back on their way. The DEC arrived. Quick smart they are right at work spreading peat moss over the fuel spill and shoveling up the decaying leaves and tree debris on the corner. They busily brush the peat moss with a stiff push broom into the fuel until it has lifted from the bitumen, shovel it into garbage bags and toss it in the back of their truck. We needed to move the bike from the side of the road onto a dirt pullout on the other side. Stacey is not steering correctly as the instrumentation panel has been shoved back into the handlebars. So Kev uses the leverage of the kickstand to roughly rock Stacey into position her damaged front end facing the dirt pullout, and sadly rolls her across the road. The violent rocking has caused the the petrol to resume gushing out from under the seat and trails another stream of fuel across the road. The DEC is close behind laying down peat moss to absorb the spill. They mound a few shovels of peat moss under Stacey to soak up the remaining leaks and then efficiently resume their task at hand.

Sergeant Cameron, Constable Jason, Kev and I are now able to really get a good view at all the damage. The front beak is smashed and bent off to the left, all the front bike head lights are smashed and dislodged, the oil cooler behind it is bent, smashed and leaking oil, the protection guard has been ripped off, the windshield is completely destroyed and missing, the bike gauges and instrument panel are all cracked and dislodged including the framework that holds this panel set together, broken blinkers, the gas tank has been pierced, the bikes top side panelling that covers the tank has been bent back now resembling a hook, the back box has been completely ripped off the rear mount, the left engine guard is bent towards the motor, although not contacting the motor!!! From what we can see it does not look like the front forks or framework were damaged, but the prognosis could be otherwise after being torn down and examined. HSDS (Holy Snapping Duck Shit)…as Shell put it!….And a fantastic descriptive choice of words, Shell, if I do say so myself! Peter from the DEC, a bike rider, recommended a motorcycle repair shop in Albany. Albany is only 118 k's away, maybe we could have the bike towed there? The DEC had efficiently taken care of the spill and had cleaned up, packed up and left. We were still waiting on the tow truck. We learnt that the Walpole neighborhood tire guy is the makeshift towing guy. There used to be a towing service in Walpole, but the chap decided that mining was more lucrative!

Stan needed to close down the shop, go solicit some help, and borrow a trailer. It took about 2 hours for them to arrive. Stan the tow man, Kev and the solicited low risk prison help heaved Stacey into the back of the trailer and secured her with two pieces of rope. Now the discussion was where to go. Stan, the tow man could not drive us to Albany today, and would need to check his schedule for tomorrow. Sargent Cameron and Constable Jason were toying with the idea of hitching the trailer on the back of the paddy wagon and taking us to Albany, but there were other commitments…Sargent Cameron and Constable Jason, are entire police force for Walpole! Constable Jason offered to have the bike towed to his house and have us stay the night as his guests, relax and recover until the bike could be towed to Albany possibly tomorrow. So that is what we did! The bike was loaded, Kev stacked his panniers and bike gear in the rear of the paddy wagon, hopped in the back seat and finally we were moving from the scene. As I followed the Police wagon on my bike down the road I could not help imagine that I could have been following an ambulance…This whole sequence of events is really quite hard to take in. I feel slightly despondent and less confident following behind…I just hold it together! The random acts of kindness continually amaze and humble me. Constable Jason helps us secure the bike, shows us around his house and offers us a beer. "I don't drink!", Kev say's…"I DO, I'll take that beer!", I respond…What a day! Kev makes a couple of phone calls to new Aussie friends we have made for ideas and suggestions. He contacts Morgan Motorcycles in Albany. Morgan will be in the area tomorrow and has offered to come out to the Constables house in the evening and pick up the bike in his trailer. Now we have a plan! Constable Jason goes back to work and returns with pizza for dinner. We have a fabulous night visiting and watching Reno 911 before hitting the sack……HSDS!!!!!

*Dazed and confused....Kev just after the accident.*

*Walpole's Force....Sargent Cameron and Constable Jason.*

DEC has arrived to clean up the petrol spill.  Of course we filled up this morning! — *DEC has arrived to clean up the petrol spill. Of course we filled up this morning!*

*Everyone is making sure that the ropes are tight.*

*She rocked off the center stand, but we made it to Constable Jason's home.*

I parked safely by Constable Jason's vege garden!  We could not have got through this without "The Force"!  Thanks guys! — *I parked safely by Constable Jason's vege garden! We could not have got through this without "The Force"! Thanks guys!*

*Time for a beer and some fish stories!*

September 12, 2012…Walpole

September 21, 2012

Packing up is a breeze when all you have to do is pretty much just hop on the bike! The morning is brilliantly bright and brisk. We begin to wind our way through the countryside, and I am thinking to myself…this is really what it is all about! The area could not be more beautiful. The ocean to our right, farmland and wineries on our left and in between. The area is beginning to remind me of a cross between the U.S., Californian, Monterey/Carmel area, and the Aussie, Victorian, Gippsland area. The wild flowers are blooming and it is beginning to feel like I am riding through a perfume store. We pass by fields scattered with wild daisies, wild freesia's, calla lilies, banksia's, kangaroo paw, lilly of the valley, bottlebrush, clematis, wattles, tree hove, orchids and other fragrant beauties…I inhale deeply and enjoy the mixing of aroma's, I marvel at the exploding bursts of blooming color!

I spotted several huge red kangaroos, large as bears grazing in the trees that lined the bitumen. This is the first time that I have seen this size of kangaroo. I radioed Kev and asked if had seen the "Reds"? He had not, so, I pulled over and he back tracked for another look. He was glad that he had. They were not bothered by the bikes rumble and continued grazing while Kev gazed in awe! "Thanks for that!", radioed Kev!

The trees were becoming larger, their majestic stance, white ghostly trunks and towering canopies blew my mind. I could not help but look up and feel like a dwarf amongst the towering beauties and wonder how high they were. The trees were all so unique Karri's, Jarrah's and Tingles graced this wonderful wilderness. Riding through the National Parks was pure bliss. We took time out to stop at the Gloucester Tree in Pemberton and climb it. This bicentennial lookout is more than 60 meters high, making it the worlds highest treetop lookout. This Karri tree was used as a fire lookout before plane spotters. Traditionally wooden towers were built on higher ground, but in the karri forest it was hard to build towers taller than the trees. Once a suitable tree was chosen, the rungs of a ladder were hammered into the tree trunk and eventually a cabin was built in the top of the tree.

September 10 - 11, 2012…Yallingup Beach

September 21, 2012

I woke up today, tired, sore and bothered. I think that we have spent too many nights sleeping on the ground. Kev and I decide that tonight we will sleep in a bed. We work out that it has been almost 22 days since we have had a solid roof over our heads and a soft place to lay…not since Darwin!

The wild flowers are blooming, and the ride out of the Perth area is smelling beautifully sweet!

We pulled up at a Caravan Park and decided to rent a cabin for a couple of nights, to recuperate and regenerate! The view and sounds could not have been more amazing. We enjoyed the comforts of a bed, small kitchen and bathroom! Ahh just the simple comforts can be so fantastic!

September 7 - 9, 2012…Fremantle

September 20, 2012

Up and out, we have a huge ride ahead of us! The wind has a good kick to it this morning, but hopefully it will ease up as the day lengthens. Moving farther south I am noticing the random wildflowers and native trees and bushes in bloom. We ride through a variety of landscape from woodsy scrub bush, rolling daisy fields, mounded white sandy dunes, and Black Boy forests that reminded me of the Joshua Tree forests in the States. We tried to keep as close to the coastline as possible and veered off onto the Indian Ocean Drive route. The wind was still blowing hard and we were becoming weary. The ocean route may have created more drag for us I was thinking.

We pulled into the Fremantle area around 7pm and decided to stop an have dinner at a small Vietnamese restaurant that caught our smellers as were were riding by. Camp was set up at 9pm, we were tired and ready to hit the sack!

The next day Kev and I took a good look around the area. Perth is quite a ritzy area and it reminded me of a young Malibu in patches. A week ago, Kev emailed the local Horizon's Unlimited group in Perth and a few days later he received an email from Ewan MacGregor. Now, if you've watched the "Long way Around" documentary you know Ewan is an actor and a motorcycle enthusiast who rode around the world. Kev did a quick web search and learned that Ewan McGregor is the actor and Ewan MacGregor is the very cool dude in Perth who set up the bbq!! We will be meeting up with the HU group in the afternoon, so Kev and I pick up a few bottles of wine and some cheese and dips to take along. We really enjoyed the camaraderie and hospitality of Ewen, Liz, Micko, David and John just to name a few! Ewen cooked up roo and we sat and chatted until late into the evening. Thank you so much for arranging the event and sharing your stories, ideas and dreams with us!