Sun, 17 Sep 2000 23:19:32 GMT
From: simon @ millennium-ride.com
To: sponsors @ millennium-ride.com

2k/09/01
Hot Spot Timor

2k/08/28
West Timor - where next?

2k/08/09
Smiling Indonesians

2k/07/25
India making me laugh and cry

2k/07/17
Whitewater frights

2k/07/12
Aid, kayaks & muddy ruts

2k/06/12
Nepal, the launch-pad

2k/06/02
Priceless Pakistan
+April 08+22

2k/03/28
Karachi-bound

2k/03/08
Hi from Dubai

2k/02/19
Greetings from Jeddah

2k/02/09
South Sinai sun & scuba diving

2k/01/28
Istanbul

2k/01/21
Lap of the Med. instead

2k/01/10
Libya visa problem

99/12/26
I'm outa here

99/12/26
Tracker info

99/12/23
Yes I'm still alive ...

99/10/
Hello Sponsors

99/09/23
Millennium Motorcycle emerges as a Sponsor Monster

99/09/06
Medical

99/07/28
Engine swopping

99/07/17
Tea-table survival & Gambia

99/07/11
Note to Sponsors with pin badge

99/06/12
Bike moves & Budget

99/05/04
things fall into place

99/04/10
TV and the first jabs

[24kB 640x480] It was just so orgasmic to me here at Sydney's famous Opera House! Well, I was simply trying to get into the Olympic Spirit that's all.

I'm glad I took the Merpati flight out of West Timor to Darwin when I did because a few days later marauding pro-Indonesian militants dragged four aid workers from their hotels and killed them. Thanks for the advice, UN.

[27kB 640x480] the bike safely loaded onto the 737 jet bound for Darwin from Kupang West Timor. I took the kind Merpati offer of US$145 to flying me and the bike instead of riding to East Timor and risking violence at the hands of militants. No boats available. What a culture shock in Darwin, I'm missing Indonesia already after 12 hours!

Now I'm at the heart of the Olympics in Sydney Australia. I made it to the city a day before the opening ceremony, though unable to wangle a free ticket I watched it on TV! The parade of national teams made me feel quite international, bringing back memories of those countries I'd ridden through and it was good to see the East Timorese there as independants. You can't do anything here without it being affected in some way by The Games.
Schools and work places have closed and city parking is banned. There's general euphoria among the hoards people at this giant party, although many have had enough in the seven years leading up to the event - most of the people I met within a few hundred km of the city were getting as far out of town as possible!

It was a long hard ride from Darwin to get here: I managed to keep up a 500km per day (9 days) average in the hope of cashing in on the opportunity for charity fundraising at the Olympics. There sure is alot of money flying around but getting access to it is damn hard. I'm not allowed to park anywhere where the people are gathered nor anywhere else to sell the idea of sharing this amazing adventure! Getting in the media is also out of the question, Australia is too busy cheering their national teams - harmless nationalism I suppose.

[43kB 640x480] Colourful aboriginees busking at the Sunday evening market in Darwin Australia, complete with digeridoo.

If you saw the opening ceremony of TV then you know that Kathy Freeman, an aboriginal athlete, lit the Olympic flame. This gesture of reconciliation by Australian whites was not supported by all, many who think the aboriginals get enough help from the whites. The biggest question now, aside from the ongoing legal moves about land rights, is over the 'lost generation', when in the 50s the government took children from aboriginal families without their consent and integrated them into white society. The indigenous people want a formal apology from the government who have so far declined for fear of sparking further compensation claims.

I did find interesting the recent Melbourne protests against economic globalisation and free trade when the Premier of Western Australia was a captive in his own car for an hour while it was painted! It was difficult to get a clear picture from the media about the protestors' specific grievances, I wonder if they have a clear picture themselves. But the conference delegates' assurances that the current model of globalisation being the best way to alleviate global poverty is pathetic.

It took about a week to become accustomed to Western society again. I got a few individual sponsors in Darwin while concentrating on preparing the bike for 4000km of outback roads to Sydney. I managed to shred a new primary drive belt due to leaving a loose bolt in the compartment (potentially a very serious setback) during the general service I did at the local Harley shop, found a good second-hand pair of shocks at the local 'wreckers' which are now dead, cost me Aus$150 though, and Metzeler came up with a new touring rear tyre. That's now looking pretty much squared off. I was planning to do some major work on the bike in Melbourne but here in Sydney I need to get a front tyre and sort out a few other items because I need a roadworthiness certificate in order to get some insurance ahem.

[31kB 640x480] One of those famous road trains, three times the length of European trucks, thundering by on Northern Territory outback roads with no speed limits, they stop for nothing.

The outback roads were a big change to Indonesia's hairpin bends. Corners were a novelty until I arrived at the Blue Mountains West of Sydney: I'm talking 200km straights. I could put my feet up on the highway pegs but not exactly relax - I was still very tired and in the Northen Territory there are no speed limits: gigantic 'road trains' three times the length of European trucks thundered by and blew even my heavy bike all over the place!
It's really best to stop and wait for the dust to settle, the red dust of Australia's red centre. There was a strong headwind most of the way reducing fuel consumption to a measly 14km/litre, normally its 23km. So of course I ran out of petrol once or twice, but it's never a problem because everyone stops to help. I also fell off once, simply because I was looking down at the drive chain to check out the noise (the split link had broken) but that time I was on the hard/soft shoulder snaking around at about 60km/h: down I went breaking my 10 litre water container and bending once again the headlight crash frame which looks decidedly lop-sided now.
That can wait till Melbourne.

You've also got to keep your eyes peeled for the suicidal outback wildlife.
Kangaroos bound along beside you before cutting in but the emus are even more dangerous. Faster than 'roos they get startled by the engine noise and from a few hundreds metres off in the bush will dart at 90 degrees across the road. You see them coming and slow down, but like a heat sensor missile they head straight for you and you resort to emergency braking! Crazy beasts. Birds of prey, hawks I think, dive-bombed me but backed off 20m above, they had me quite scared once or twice and reminded me of WWII fighter planes in the films. 'Roadkill' (squashed kangaroos) is a common sight, providing easy meals for the birds, easier than me anyway. Millions of red, brown or white termite mounds several metres high line the main roads which are generally in pretty good shape. In Sydney magpies actually attack humans causing injuries.

[61kB 640x480] Typical outback signpost, what a long way to go!

You get used to seeing signposts indicating your next main destination as 1000km away. In under two weeks in Australia I've ridden 10% of my total mileage so far, it's massive.

Readings from the superb Touratech motorcycle computer are now:

• Total km on bike: 36,800
• Km in Oz: 4020

• 32,000km, 226 days ridden, 311 days total.
• Maximum speed: 140km/h on 7.9.00 at 14.21h
• Max. temp. outside: 50.9 degrees C on 11 May at 13.34h (Delhi India)
• Min. temp. outside: -6.7 degrees C on 23 Jan at 08.33h (Turkey)

Riding at night is out of the question because the 'roos like the relatively warm road surface. I camped at 'roadhouses', ocurring every few humdred km, for free.

My last night camping before arriving in Sydney a few days ago in the Blue Mountains was the coldest since Turkey. I was welcomed into Sydney by Christine and Ray Gilbert of the Motorcycle Council of New South Wales.
They are really nice people and are putting me up and feeding me: perhaps I can put on a few kgs because when people see photos of me before the Ride they exclaim "what happened?". They are both 'pommes' (British) and I've met a good number of other Committee members too. I'm going to spend a week or so here depending on how fundraising goes. The Council is considering making a charity donation via the Millennium Ride and will be the 6th rider organisation to do so joining the AMA (US), CMA (Canada), FIM, MAG UK and the North American M/c Union.

[62kB 640x480] Millions of these 2m high termite mounds in the Australian outback.

Australia is the first country on the Ride where there is established riders' rights activity: it seems like a lifetime since I discussed the issues, which still fire me with indignation! The motorcycle community has recently formed the Australian Motorcycle Federation comprising all rider groups along with industry in a nationwide forum designed to represent common motorcycle interest views to the Federal Government.

I felt somewhat uncomfortable from the moment I entered the state of New South Wales from Queensland - Big Brother keeps his eye firmly on you with speed cameras as common as they are in the UK. Current motorcycle legal issues in Australia include moves to introduce front number plates (the cameras often can only get you from the front!), prosecutions for reckless driving following all motorcycle single vehicle accidents even if you fall off on gravel left by government road workers, and noise limits. The Environmental Protection Agency is making recommendations to the Federal Government on new noise limits but refuses to talk in a meaningful way to the rider groups (sounds familiar?) who oppose anything less than 94 decibels, the current limit, and prefer raising it to 100 decibels.

Anyway, I'm off to rattle some cages and shake out some dollars.

See you later

Simon

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