[26kB 640x480] 1,500km of this!

[64kB 640x480] Mick Murray welding repairs the bike frame's weak point.

Eddy, a champion at Australia's version of the Paris-Dakar, at Mick Murray Welders did the frame for free using some moly-chome something or other weld, and beefed up the other side. It was a truly massive workshop where road trains pulled in for suspension work - there is an 80km corrugated road to a new mine in the area.

I changed the swing-arm needle-roller bearings too, not gone but on the way out, flown in from Sydney thouhjgh that wasn't the expensive bit. Might as well get the bike in tip top condition for the next 1,500km of unsurfaced road. Changed the rear tyre too, the touring Metzeler still not worn down completely from Darwin but I needed off-road capability to reduce weight. The Sahara rear is a dual purpose and fgood for off-roading though i'd have preferred a nobbly. I've also posted away some items of baggage not really needed eg: jacket & pants liners (I don't plan to be anywhere in cold winter) and a few momentoes, a road safety report... I throwing some things away too or will give them to Aborigines.

[55kB 640x480] Bike all set for dirt roads, suspension in 'up' position, Alice Springs, October 2000

After this I'm off for a quick look at the local museum before loading up, test riding (this is the first time I've had the bike in the up position while fully loaded). At 300kg (I took the courage to weigh my wagon in NSW) too much up and down movement could make the bike unstable, yet harden up the shocks and it sits too high for my short legs! The new Konis are fine after I was a bit suspicious at first.

The road ahead

I'm quite excited about this ride through the centre. The Warburton Road crosses the Great Victorian Desert, going SW from Alice Springs. There are differing reports about the state of the road, I'll get everything it seems from sand to corrugations. I'll be loaded with 14 litres of water, 45 litres fuel and three days of food. Some stretches are up to 300km without fuel. I'm looking forward to meeting Aboriginees in their lands and have equipped myself with three different land passes.

[46kB 640x480] Kings Canyon, 200km from Alice Springs on dirt road.

Apart from what is bound to be beautiful scenery I shall visit King's Canyon on a 200km unsurfaced stretch, return to the bitumen for the road to Uluru (Ayres Rock) before getting back onto the long unsurfaced bit. I was hoping to have the tracker working properly for safety reasons but never mind.
Thanks though to CLS-Argos Australia for their help.

As you can see I have decided to do Australia 'properly' and not just a 'D' shaped half. I've got less than 4 weeks to go to Perth and come up the West and North coasts, the boat leaves Darwin on 23 November. I won't have time for much fundraising it would seem.

Flores

Thanks for your support about medical delivery in Flores. Wili Bala's plan will be posted on www.millennium-ride.com probably in the Groups section shortly. Riders for Health is now preparing his training syllabus based on this.

Some people think that aid like this is a waste of time because there will always be problems. But I belive that all human beings have the same right to basic primary medical services, as a biker it's something dear to my heart anyway!

Bye for now

Simon