[ST] Trip report

[Mal Stainkey <artmgs@xxxxxxxxx>]

Thanks for all the replies to my long distance in
general question.

I am back from my weekend trip, 1044km of fun. We had
3 couples. An Aprila Falco, and CBR250 (top box), a
BMW R1150GS two-up (top box and hard bags) and myself
on the RS (triumph saddle bags and sleeping bag tied
to rack) and Deanne on my VTR250 (small tail bag)

The Townsville to Kuranda trip took us from 8:30am to
2:30pm, straight highways with 5mins of mountain range
in the middle.

After unloading our gear we went for a round trip.
Deanne was worried about riding back tomorrow (today
was her first trip of over 300km) so she went on the
back while we rode Mareeba-Atherton-(the Gillies
range)-Gordonvale-Kuranda. 2-excellent twisties and
not a bad highway. 

Back in time for tea around 7:00pm, fish and chips and
various beverages transported back in the sadelbags of
the RS and the top box of the BMW and good
conversation into the night. I was having fun testing
out the sleeping bag on the veranda of the cabin until
about 3:00am when Deanne came out and said I was
keeping everyone awake by snoring, so I came back and
slept inside (I suspect she just wanted someone to
cuddle as she was freezing :)

In the morning the guys went for a ride from 9:30am
till about down Kuranda and half way along the captain
cook highway, most beautiful road in the world!!! Lots
of traffic so not one you can speed on, unless you are
insane and ride Falco :) Which almost ran out of fuel
while we were looking for some PULP. It was switch off
the engine time with about 1km to go till the servo!

The Trumpy got the best fuel consumption but that was
due to me taking it easy, I have a lot less experience
than the other two riders so I was making sure I was
not coming home in an ambulance.

Anyhow back to pick up the girls, who had to clean out
the room while we were having fun! and all rode out
for lunch after going down Kuranda range (again :) and
via Gordenvale up the Gillies (again:) after lunch at
a popular bike stopping point. It was 2:30pm when we
left. I stayed with Deanne while we went up the
Gilies, her first time on that sort of twisty mountain
road. She did very well but we had to go really slow
and I was very sore by the time we had finished the
~40km. The others had stopped at Kairi by the time we
caught up with them they were ready to go but I
stopped for a stretch and had some ibuprofen.

On via the back roads to Milla Milla then down the
Palmerston (good mountain range but not as much fun as
the other two) to Innisfail. I lead the group on the
highway to relax a bit before dropping back with
Deanne for the ride down the Palmerston, and I only
found out when we got fuel in Innisfail that a van had
pulled out on to the road in front of her and she
locked her brakes trying to avoid it. The falco was
riding with her and knocked the mirrors off the van
for me, lucky I wasn't there as I probable would have
killed the driver, but at least Deanne managed to
avoid plowing into the back of it.

Anyhow after getting fuel we joined up with the other
who were waiting just outside of town and rode back to
Townsville getting home about 8:30pm. Excellent time
was had by all, I'm getting more camping gear as we
speak :)

=====
bye for now
        Mal
        artmgs@xxxxxxxxx
"Don't think..... feel"    Bruce Lee
"Feel......don't think" Qui-Gon Jinn

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