Boxerworks.com

it's really just a bunch of (not terribly good) images from a ride Airbear and I did a couple of weeks ago.

We went to the Grampians National Park, approx 250 km west of Melbourne.
It's a nice compact park with some good roads and really lovely vistas (ie. much better than these):





The geography in the park is pretty spectacular, especially since the surrounding country is generally flat and covered with unrelentingly dull farm land.
(Unfortunately I didn't get any of the really iconic images this place is famous for, so if you want to see them you'll have to either go there yourself or look 'em up on the net...)

On the way we stopped for a look at a large wind farm. Wind farms are very contentious 'round here. But me? I like turbines...



We got to the Grampians Sunday afternoon, got a map to a potential camping site, paid our o'night camping fees, and headed off... only to find some very sandy tracks that proved a bit of a handful at times.



When poor 'ol Brunhilde went over this time she swallowed a lungful of engine oil... no worries, just pulled the plugs and pumped it out. Messy business that. But all good, off we go again.

It took some time and grunting but we finally got there.



Nice spot, so we camped here for a couple of nights and checked out the local highlights...

Like the creek.





And the mysterious Aboriginal rock paintings.







The park is obviously pretty healthy at the moment with plenty of wildlife hopping, crawling and flying around...

Like this wallaby (if you look closely you'll see that she's carrying a joey - well, she just looks a bit fat but she was carrying a young'en.)



This (Laughing) kookaburra was right at home around the camp. it even swooped the camp table and swiped a piece of my lamb chop... cheeky bugger. It was happy to sit on this fireplace thingie despite it being very close to a very hot and smokey fire...



Charlie packed up his tent and found this little monster lying under it... and he was wondering where the lump under his back came from. I believe these are called Shinglebacks. If anyone knows any better please let me know. They're pretty friendly, only getting cranky when you try to pick 'em up.



Oh yeah, and there was this 'ol bugger poking around as well...



Note those fancy bags... nice!

After a very pleasant stay over at the Grampians we headed southward for the Otways NP. We camped in another nice spot, close by a rushing stream, not far from Lavers Hill. It was rain forrest, so keeping the fire going needed a lot of work and considerable patience. but all in all it was another fantastic night out...



From there we had a lovely run down the Great Ocean Road... pity these pics barely give any indication of how good it can be, even at 80kph. That road just hugs the coast for mile after gorgeous mile...



Had to get a shot of this mad photographer bloke and those dirty 'ol bikes...



We stopped for a magnificent lunch of oysters, prawns and raw tuna at the Lorne pier...



and that's about all there was too it...

Thanks for a bloody good week away Charlie. Bloody fantastic!

Fuckin' great stuff you two!
The Grampian Champions.

Only seven sleeps until the next one

That shingleback looks like a pine cone. I like the hairstyle of the cookaburra. The bikes look grand. Thanks for not putting up a ride report.

Chuey

Good stuff, thanks for sharing!

DucatiPete wrote:

What was the emergency that made you guys assemble at the 'emergency assembly point'?
Spliffin'?

An excellent non-ride-report, Pete. I'll add a few pics.
Here's a mother roo with her extra head. It's a neat arrangement, both being able to nibble grass at the same time.



And here's poppa roo, at least twice the size, and looking like he can handle himself.



Here's Pete and the impeccable 'Slashie'. She kept herself nice throughout - none of this lying down business.



After the fabulous run along the Great Ocean Road I headed off to catch up with some old friends at Barwon Heads. Couldn't find them so needed to find a camping spot. Fortunately there is a huge camping ground by the Barwon River. It was closed for maintenance before the busy holiday season and there were proper 'No Camping' signs up. Perfect spot with sheltered bays amongst the ti-trees and paperbarks along the foreshore.



I then made my way back to Pete's for another night of hospitality and a bit of fettling. Brunhilde's Ikon shocks have needed a refurb for a long time, and with Pete's help and excellent facilities we were able to get them apart and new seals installed. I had tried before and had no luck - the gland nuts were really really tight. My homeward journey was a lot less bouncy. Thanks Pete. Yes, it was a good run. Great to see a bit of western Victoria, and the sea, and experience the GOR. We sensibly did the GOR in the middle of a Wednesday arvo and were able to do long windy sections without the burden of traffic and police-people. Highly recommended bit of road for sure, especially if you ignore the silly numbers on those sign thingies.

The new bags worked really well - very pleasing result there. I'm now preparing for the run to Geehi. A new smaller lighter el cheapo tent will take up a lot less room, and I am trimming down on the amount of stuff I carry.

ps: I don't like sand. Sand is just fine on a beach but makes a very unsuitable road surface. Brunhilde will back me up on this one. She managed to keep her dignity throughout, even when coughing up oil.

What a poser that roo is
Great pics Charlie.
Sand..........well there's sand, and there's sand.
Here's some beach sand.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQ9q0sxuyKo

That looks like a crakin good non ride!

I've got to get out and not ride a spell too.

Excellent post! Excellent trip.

Thanks for the great photos/yarn. Glad to see you back in the saddle again Pete. Since you just had the bike apart Charlie, why did you decide to give it a sandblast?