Around Australia by Motorbike - Episode 2 - Hells gate to the WA Border.

Join Pete and I again as we negotiate Australia's worst road from Hells Gate to Borroloola.

[@Chartil]

Just found your channel mate great job. Love the relaxed style

[@abitofadetour7315]

@@Chartil Good to have you aboard.

[@andrewdavis8137]

Riding solo has given you more time with your video production and it really shows. Very nice framing of shots and also time taken to show smaller items in the landscape like flowers and trees. Very nicely done. You are a natural with the camera.

[@abitofadetour7315]

Riding on my own certainly have me the feeedom to muck around with the camera/a a bit more but not sure about ‘the natural’ part!

[@scottastell9415]

Like this episode as much as the last one. Sure cheered up my day. Think I'll actually go outside and do something useful now. Taa much for the motivation. Cheers Scott of Tiger 1050 riding.......

[@Hungry_Hunter]

When it's all said and done a good night in a deluxe donga makes life worth living.

[@abitofadetour7315]

It was one of the better dongas I've stayed in.

[@garyingleton5255]

hello Steve , enjoyed watching your adventure . Gary from Hells Gate

[@abitofadetour7315]

Hey Gary! Trust you finally got home again and the KTM is back on the road. Hope you get back out to the Simpson sooner rather than later.

[@garyingleton5255]

@@abitofadetour7315 i took a week to get back to phils via mt Isa . took another 2 weeks for someone to remove the key. planning next trip.

[@abitofadetour7315]

@@garyingleton5255 Two weeks to get the key out! Good luck with the next trip, and remember to take the spare key this time.

[@grahamcairn8379]

Awesome thanks for sharing your adventures..I really like your since of humor 😀..a bit of a shame your mate didn't keep going ...but I like riding on my own ...cause it's your ride your speed and you don't have work into other people's plans . Awesome work 👏

[@stevehutchison5515]

Once I got used to the idea of a solo ride then I actually enjoyed the freedom of only having to worry about myself.

[@Bruski68.]

The pile of dirt on the side of the road is a termite mound🤣

[@abitofadetour7315]

My idea of a joke!

[@clubsportr08]

@@abitofadetour7315 Ahh yes sarcasm nice one 👍👍

[@warrensalter2706]

I wouldn't want to fall in that. Yikes!

[@cheechychongz7124]

Built by kangaroos???😂😂 LMMFAO

[@patchpaddy]

Really stating to enjoy these videos 👍👍

[@tonymcdonough994]

You just got love Australia beautiful country

[@andrewcatchpoole1750]

Thanks for the videos, well shot with good music. A shame your friend couldn't continue. Hope to follow in your footsteps one day. Much better to do it on a bike and experience the outdoors, than in a tin box I think. Well done 👍

[@abitofadetour7315]

Thank you. It was a shame Pete didn’t get all the way around but I’m already annoying him about coming along to Tassie in 2024.

[@johnstaring3210]

Was that $60 at Kakadu for two nights ? Prelim' planning for a trip later in 2023. I noticed the Michelin tyres you had on at the start, how did they hold up with touring load ? Also, the story about the Nackaroos is a good one, worth reading about how tough some troops had it without leaving Australia in WW2. I had a coffee in Timber Creek that was so bad that if I had tipped it into the Victoria River it would have eliminated all the crocs !

[@abitofadetour7315]

$60 for one night, but it was for two people as when I booked it Pete was still onboard. The Michelins were pretty cooked by Perth, the rear especially of course, but still hanging in there. I used the same ones again to get me home and I need rear but the fronts Ok (but I'll probably replace them as a pair). Yes, the Nackaroo story, I'd forgotten about that. A surprisingly nice campground at Timber Creek but I didn't eat there, fortunately by the sounds of it!

[@richardburles5007]

😂😂😂 built by kangaroos, that’s the funniest thing I’ve ever heard

[@abitofadetour7315]

You're too kind!

[@debtrs1]

Well done mate. Huge effort to keep pushing on solo.

[@abitofadetour7315]

I ended up enjoying the solo aspect after a while, but not sure I would have set off on my own.

[@rlands5134fd]

Well done for toughing it out.👍

[@abitofadetour7315]

It was never an option to turn back for me, although my wife wasn't thrilled.

[@ronaldsands9948]

Outstanding photography. I am planning on doing this trip next winter from Sydney on probably a Kawasaki 650 Versys. What month did you travel and any advice?

[@abitofadetour7315]

I left in late June and got back in mind August. I’m not a big fan of riding in the heat so this worked well for me. Best advice I can give is to pack as light and as low down on the bike as possible and then hit the road. Have fun out there and stay safe.

[@bcuzicancuellar5478]

Great vid. I prefer to ride solo. To your credit, you exemplify what a rider looks like-you keep riding regardless of the circumstances (losing your riding partner and going it alone). Btw, what tank bag are you using? Ride safe.

[@abitofadetour7315]

Nice of you to say. The tank bag is my old Dririder from 2000. It’s quite big and can expand if required but long since discontinued I imagine.

[@raloud8317]

Excellent production. Little bit sooky( typical of travellers), honest reflection, ( stay home, it is safer) generally very good outlook on travelling life. Bit sad BMW man went home, how to reach posted speed limit? Did same/similar on DR, yes you did very well on interstate speed machine, and with calming commentary

[@peterdoyle3463]

Thanks for the video. Ive travelled this road decades ago. Any details about the BMW?

[@abitofadetour7315]

The GS's problems are revealed in the next episode, I think. In any case it was a melted brush holder in the starter motor which Pete managed to bodge up on the roadside.

[@cwarren4396]

Could you advise what exactly made your ride across that long stretch of dirt so bad? Where was the bike a problem? I know the suspension on mine is crap but from the video the road didn't appear that bad. Thanks for your info.

[@abitofadetour7315]

It was a combination of large, endless corrugations, bulldust and sand. Combine that with rubbish suspension and 460 odd kilograms of bike and rider and it was an extremely challenging day, to say the least. There isn't much video from that day as I was simply concentrating on keeping the bike upright and didn't really have the mental bandwidth left to film it all as well.

[@DonT7]

Enjoying the series , you said the road from hells gate was tough , is it harder than the Oodnadatta track or plenty highway ? Keen to know as I want to travel that way back next year on my tenere 700

[@abitofadetour7315]

Much worse than the Oodnadatta, haven't been across the plenty. On a T7 with minimal gear it would be OK I reckon but on a fully loaded big adventure bike its hard work!

[@bondradman7353]

Easter 2002 I met a cyclist crossing the Nullarbor who was also from Hobart. Maybe that was your Steve? And I thought riding a motorbike across was a challenge.....

[@abitofadetour7315]

Steve had ridden from Hobart to Cairns and Perth to Hobart previously on his bike. He was in the middle of Cairns to Perth when we ran into him. A very interesting, chilled out bloke.

[@coobye]

And yet another KTM fails to proceed😂. Why would you not take a spare key. Lesson learned the hard way.

[@abitofadetour7315]

I feel like Gary had the very question running around in his had for some time! I had a spare key with me.

[@raloud8317]

21" wheel on BMW or have I overdosed the medicine cabinet? Easier to creep across one rock at a time, like the Johnny Cash song, except no Chevy to show for your efforts

[@stephenhopps910]

Termites think that's how you spell it mate