A
fter spending a few months riding a 300cc scooter around the Swiss Alps, I began planning
my next adventure. I quite fancied circumnavigating Australia but on what? Anyone can cross the
Nullarbor on a 1000cc bike... I needed a challenge!
Having being continually told to “get a real bike” I went out and purchased a Honda CT110cc Postie
Bike – and called him Mo. He had done his 3 years as a proper Postie Bike and then rebirthed as a
tourer with long-range fuel tank and oil cooler fitted. I added knobby tyres and then proceeded to
teach myself to ride on gravel – a skill sadly lacking on my scooter-bound CV.
The itinerary was rough, the route clockwise to follow the seasons as parts of Australia are unrideable
during “The Wet”. At a cruising speed of 70km/h I reckoned 18 months should see me comfortably
doing a “Lap Around the Block”.
Packing for a year on the road and fitting it all in the Postie panniers was my first challenge. A
tendency to overload is usually my downfall and on a bike that corners like a washing machine at
the best of times, it’s quite critical to get the balance right.
To save on accommodation costs I intended to free camp as much as possible and then freeload
the rest of the time relying on the generosity of fellow motorcyclists from Horizons Unlimited and
other clubs. One pannier was thus filled with camping/cooking gear and the other with clothes for
all seasons. Although bulky, the weight was less than a regular load of mail.
Mo still steered like a household appliance, but totally manageable if approached with an attitude
of a glorified bicycle.
First event on the calendar was the Snowy Ride, an annual fundraiser in Thredbo, NSW for roughly
3000 bikes. This would be my 5th Snowy Ride and Mo certainly made an impact on the Mass Ride.
I got my first chance to hone my off-road skills when I hit the dirt south of Mitta Mitta. I learned
quite quickly that Mo was quite good at knowing what to do if only I allowed him to get on with it
and didn’t interfere too much.