If you have already read day one of this ride, BBG1500 please scroll down to the *

The year 2005 was a good year for me, I discovered I could ride 1000m/1600k in 24hrs and I discovered I enjoyed every minute of it. I also decided I would tackle one of the biggest rides the IBA (Iron Butt Association) has on their list. It’s not for the faint hearted but obviously is doable with planning. It had been listed as an “extreme” category ride (since removed but still able to be certified) and it’s the 50CC Quest Gold. In our case here in Australia that is Brisbane to Fremantle under 50 hours or to those in the US it’s usually New York to San Francisco. It has never been certified with the IBA in Australia, meaning no one had done it. At the time of writing this only 39 had been certified with this ride in the US. A further point for readers from the US is our roads and speed limits. There are no multi lane interstates on this trip, it is all backroad single lane with an occasional double lane for overtaking. Our speed limits are strictly enforced, over the distance travelled approx 1,000k (600m) is speed limited to 100kph (60mph) and the remainder is 110kph (68mph)

How I got from 500k days to here is a story on its own, how I got to complete it is dedication to planning the ride and riding the plan plus the ability to alter that on the fly if needed if problems arose. Toss in a lifetime of positive thinking, determination and willpower. Willpower to succeed, I did this for me and no one else. I also write this for me, the fact many have asked that I put it into text makes me happy and humble. You can achieve any goal you set with enough determination and planning as long as you do it for yourself. It has to be “your” goal.

Brisbane, or more precisely the BP Truck Stop at Port Brisbane Lytton. It’s 3am the 13th of January 2006 and I am off on the longest road so far. I rode down to Brisbane and settled into the motel yesterday with my family who had followed in the car. We spent an afternoon and an evening together, why ? I needed things to be as normal as possible to “get my head right”. I went to bed at 8pm intending to sleep until 2am, get up and leave for the BP at 2.30am ready for a 3am kickoff. I tossed and turned eventually getting to sleep at 1.37am, I awoke at 2.27am and freaked. I had a rush to be away, not the best way to start this adventure with only 1 ½ hrs sleep at max and setting off on a straight 24hr run of 2464k to Ceduna SA before I would get some sleep.

I will not write this as a blow by blow travelogue. I did however have in my mind that if I could keep ahead of schedule for the first two stops (983k) I would have a real good shot at making Ceduna within 24hrs. That is what the IBA call a BBG1500 or 1500m under 24hrs. I did Moree in 4hrs 33mins, 505k… I was on my way. Only stand out from this section was a wide load of 8m, very wide indeed. The UHF was very handy here as I called and the escort told me to slide by carefully, they even had two police in the leading escort.

Two more things that pop their ugly heads up on this leg were. My Camelbak decided to split where I had been leaning back on my aux fuel tank and empty its 2 litres of Staminade (like Gatorade) all over my jeans and sheepskin seat cover. It took 20hrs for me to eventually feel dry, I sat in it all that time and that’s what created the real saddle sore. The other thing was that after 128,000k my speedo cable decided it was tired and quit working. (I found out on my arrival at Fremantle that it had broken at the wheel) This made everything very difficult, with no GPS at that stage I had almost no way of calculating my speed and averages. I did however have a CDMA mobile phone connected to an external aerial, I flattened the battery over the next 20hrs talking to my wife and daughter.

While on that let me thank my wife Wilhelmina and eldest daughter Kristy. They kept everyone updated on my progress via posts to my message board. I think they now understand the camaraderie amongst riders all over the world.

I am still on a southern heading, down past Narrabri, Coonabarabran and to Gilgandra at 10.45am where I start my run west into the sun. It’s 33C and I am riding into a hot arid area for the next 8hrs or so. Feeling good and enjoying the ride.

I left Lytton at 3am for many reasons as I also chose the exact date 7mths prior. The timing was for two reasons but one fundamental. We have Kangaroo’s plus many other roaming wildlife such as pigs etc. The Cobar to Broken Hill section and later on the Nullarbor should not be ridden at night as many had advised. I enjoy my life so see no need to take silly chances. By leaving at that hour I could cover both these sections in daylight. A point here although I may be getting ahead of myself is that I saw only a handful of Roo’s the whole trip and very little sign of anything likely to send me sliding down the tarmac. This again came down to timing and planning.

It’s getting hot, very hot 39C now. The leg from Nyngan to Broken Hill is 588k, I had planned to ride that straight through but two things changed that. At my rate of knots I was burning more fuel than usual plus the heat was rising, 41C as I came into Cobar. I read recently in the Ron Ayres book entitled "Against the Wind" that sometimes you need to stop to go further. Meaning that to fuel up myself with Gatorade and the bike was the best thing I could do right now to go harder into Broken Hill, that’s what I did. 1116k in 10hrs 29mins

Open road with straights that go on forever next. Almost no fencing so animals roam which is why I think I had been warned off this section at night. It’s getting hotter.

About 2.30pm I get a call from Kristy that Ron (a member of our GTR-AUS group) is going to ride up from Mildura to meet me at Broken Hill with a GPS and another Camelbak, that’s a 250k ride each way. Riders helping riders, never ceases to amaze me. I just hope I don’t get there before him as I am making excellent time even in this heat. It’s getting hotter 42.4C at Wilcannia so I get more Gatorade into me with a lightning stop, toss two down and head off.

Just after 5.20pm my time I get to Broken Hill 1574k in 14hrs 21mins (978m which is almost the SS1000 mark in under 14.5hrs) but I am (aussie term) rooted from the heat over this last section. For those unfamiliar with our lingo I am stuffed. I fuel up, chat with Ron and head for the shade under a tree. Grass is very comfortable. Ron talks and I sort of listen (no offence Ron) as I am still well into my zone. I take a long 40min break here, the first so far as I am 2hrs ahead of schedule. (the only one I take in this 24hr period apart from 7-10min fuel stops)

6pm I head off. Ron rides with me for a short way before peeling off to head home. It’s cooler now and I am heading southwest to Port Augusta.

I enjoy night riding, actually I prefer it. I run better, the bike runs better and there are fewer vehicles apart from trucks. This is a good leg, temps are going down.

Port Augusta comes into view, there are bends just before you get into PA from the Peterborough side and they are about the only ones I will see from now on.

Port Augusta, 1995k in 19hrs. Definitely BBG time (a Bun Burner Gold is 1500m or 2414k under 24hrs) so it looks like I have proved myself wrong and will get to Ceduna under 24hrs. In and out apart from taking 10mins longer to add some charge to my mobile phone, yeah I talk too much. It’s 10pm at home so my wife will get some sleep, hmm that’s a good idea.

I loved the section from Port Augusta to Ceduna (had a great run coming back that way also) and made good time here. Pulled into Ceduna at 2.21am Qld time, that’s 2464k in 23hrs 21mins by my fuel receipt and that’s a BBG1500 subject to certification. I am one very happy boy.

*

My wife hated the idea I was going to sleep at the IBH (iron butt hotel) or out in the open for those new to this. Quick chat to the man on duty and I had me a room for a few hours, best $75 I have ever spent. Set the alarm and snap I am out of it.

5.30am my time I am riding out of Ceduna, I had 2hrs sleep and feel great. Border Village next which is not really anything more than a truck stop just inside the SA border before crossing over into WA (West Aust). Now the road opens into the longest stretches I have ever seen, there are lots more of these. The road also goes within walking distance to the coastline along here, very picturesque.

Arrived at Border Village at 9.30am and the temp is a wonderful 19-20C. I feel strong and it has been a pleasant section. I decided to eat, two toasted sandwiches and a drink took about 30mins but was time well spent. They have had lots of rain recently so the normally barren landscape is green with small scrubby bushes. It’s called the Nullarbor for a reason (no trees)

I don’t eat much if anything at all on 24hr rides, I drink. But over a period of two days I knew I needed something, this was all I had but that’s just me. Everyone is different and you must be attuned to your body and listen to it. I have also done a few 2000k days so it’s not like I just set off across Australia.

Here I made a mistake, not for my riding but the mental wellbeing of my family. I had checked the mobile CDMA coverage maps and had known there would be no mobile coverage from west of Border Village almost to Norseman some 6-7hrs. But I forgot to tell my wife and family.

West of Border Village I saw a car behind me closing in, acting rather suspicious. I backed off a little as I had been sitting just over but not enough to get caught. He closed in then sat back behind me. It wasn’t a cop car but I still felt uneasy so I spotted a good picture spot at Eucla and pulled over. A car behind him slid past also, sleek sporty thing. As I pulled out my camera a Police car pulled out past me from Eucla and headed west, nice call David. I took my pictures and headed off. The road drops down coming out of Eucla and opens onto a huge straight. There sits the Police car and the sporty one, sad but not me.

Madura Pass is a pretty part, it reminds me of tablelands with mountains surrounding it. Not very high but very stunning. Temp is still quite pleasant and I feel I can ride forever.

Just before Caiguna (pronounced Ky-Goona) they are doing long sections of roadworks. I get held up here for 15mins or so but something interesting happens. I pull up behind the car that had been acting suspiciously way back heading out of Border Village. He gets out of his Holden Statesman and walks back to me, we have engines off as the stop go guy says it will be a while. Turns out what I thought was odd behaviour was just him reaching behind to his esky (ice box) for drinks. He is a West Australian on the way back home from Sydney. I enlighten him about my understanding of the policing of this section and he says “well lets turn up the wick” I tell him I have a fuel stop just ahead at Caiguna so we head off.

Not much to say here, nice roads and limit could be higher but hey that’s the law.

Norseman and its 3676k for just under 38hrs, not bad at all. Problem is I had planned a sleep here but it’s too hot and sunny so I decide to head on. Never know how tired I may get later and certainly not sleepy at all now. Two Japanese riders on heavily laden big single dirt bikes fueling up beside me. We chat a while and they are amazed how far I have come. I am amazed they are heading east at this hour and their attire. They had wet weather pants on and rubber over boots, its SUNNY guys with no clouds at all. Ah well. On the return trip the road workers at Caiguna waved me down and said to be careful on the road as a well packed dirt bike had gone down on the gravel road last weekend, wonder who that could have been.

This is part of a post my wife did onto my web site after my non mobile section:
“That was a stressful couple of hours. Out of all the things that go through your mind when you try to think of why DH (dear husband) hasn’t rung as scheduled, I must admit that no phone service was not one of them. But all is well”

Less than 5mins out of Norseman heading north with the sun on my left a car zooms by. Yes it’s my mate again in the Statesman and he waves me on to follow. Well it’s his home state so I recon he knows what he is doing, I follow. Nice to get a traveling partner even at this late stage in the ride. We run together for 150k or so until he gets held up with a truck and I wiz past. I suspect he turned off to Kalgoorlie as I never saw him again.

Almost there, last turn along the top at Coolgardie and its west or bust. I need a wagon train I think, head west young man comes to mind.

Southern Cross, last fuel stop apart from the end one. 4034k covered in 41hrs, it’s 8pm my time which is 6pm WA time. I have been talking to Glen and they should be at Tammin to meet me. It’s still a 2hr ride to the end from there but having company will be nice.

Heading right into the setting sun and I am very pleased I made the alterations to my visor. I have a tall screen on the GTR and ride with my helmet visor up all the time. I also have the visor in my car down for the similar reason. The road is down here, I don’t need to see the sky all day. It’s not only extra strain on the eyes it’s a waste of brain power to process useless information. For this reason and to stop getting my nose and face sunburned I used 100mph tape (duct tape) to secure the visor in a position to act as a shade and then ran tape across it to block out the sun. The setting sun was so bad that if I had not had the advantage of tilting my helmet down to block it out I would have had to pull over. It was extremely bad at one stage and we all crept along at 30-40kph.

10pm my time I head into Tammin, spot the servo and turn in. Apparently they had arrived 10-15mins earlier so timing was good. This was not a fuel stop so quick pictures and off. Colin in front, Glen with his wife Dianne at the rear and now three GTR’s zipping along the highway.

Fremantle at last, there it is I can see its lights. As I get within 10mins of the end of my adventure it’s as if my body realizes and my right arm starts to spasm. I ride mostly one handed and although I had been good to this point it seems my right arm had decided enough was enough. I get to the BP, fuel up and get pictures. It’s now only around the block for WA sand and sea water to make it final.

4430k in 45hrs 22mins start to finish, I am a happy guy indeed. Many months of planning and wondering if everything would be ok and here I am. I call my wife and daughter, everyone is happy to see it completed. I think my family is happy they can get some sleep now without the mobile ringing at all hours.

Reflection on other parts of the ride, mostly my thoughts along the road will be put into another story. I still need time to get my head around what I told my wife was “the toughest day of my life” this is the story of my return trip from Fremantle to Sydney or “50 Degrees on the Nullarbor” .

A good site with maps - Nullarbor Net

2464k (1531m) in 23hrs 21mins for IBA BBG1500
4430k (2752m) in 45hrs 22mins for IBA 50CC Gold

Some Pictures

* Message board updates - IBA 50CC Gold - Brisbane to Fremantle
* MTF board updates - Brisbane to Fremantle to Sydney
* Message board updates - Fremantle to Sydney