Today is our last day in the Flinders, basically we are making our way to Broken Hill so not much exciting adv riding. Not sure why we didn't stay another night or two, it would have been good to do some more exploring, it feels like we are leaving too soon. After breakfast we loaded up and start riding off, Dave pulls up and says "There's something wrong". Checking over the bike, that feeling of dread pressing on the back tyre and it squashes down.
But lucky for us we pulled into the Arkaroola service station with compressor and Dave got out the puncture repair kit. Had it fixed within 5 minutes and ready to roll again. Something to be said for tubeless tyres.
With it being so dusty and dry out here you could see other vehicles coming from miles away. We saw a couple of cars coming so we got going again before being showered in dust.
Not far up the road we saw this little fella taking a nap. What's up Skip, had too much to drink.....
It was 300kms from Arkaroola to Yunta in the south, all but 20km was gravel of varying quality. Some of it was thick and lose and the bikes were weaving around at 90kmh+. We came across a section that was suddenly soaking wet. WTF. We rode through it slowly as it was slippy as f*ck, then over the crest was a road crew. They always dump water on the road just as I come along.
We didn't stop at all along here and rode for hours, until near 20kms from Yunta where we came across the Waukaringa Ruins. We had a gander at the smelter ruins on the hillside first.
Riding down to the homestead ruins we could see a group of adventure bikes parked up. There was a group from Newcastle on their way up to the Flinders, they'd stopped to cook some snags for lunch.
Dave said lets go take a look at Silverton, I wasn't so keen but when he said he was going anyway I decided to go too, can't sit around by myself doing nothing besides it was only 25kms. Riding into the low setting sun was hard work especially scouting for Skippy's on the way.
Silverton is famous for the filming locations for several famous Aussie movies starting back in the late 70's with Mad Max 2, Razorback and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.
We stopped in at the iconic Silverton Hotel for a ice cold beer and had a look at some of the memorabilia that adorned the walls of the famous pub.
That motor is almost as big as that beetle, would have some serious stomp. Soon enough we were back in Broken Hill at our motel room. We decided on a more up market pub tonight and had diner and drinks at the Broken Hill Pub. It was pretty busy and the food was pretty good.
Broken Hill seemed very busy with many people after the time we spent in the Flinders Ranges where most days we were lucky to spot a handful of people at best. I really enjoyed the isolation and how remote it was, especially coming from living in a city of 5.5 million people.
Some of the most spectacular scenery anywhere in Australia and superb adventure bike riding, mostly relatively easy riding, but that can ramp up quickly once off the main roads. If you haven't been to the Flinders before put it on your bucket list of places to do. You won't regret it.
I would have loved to spend a few more days, it was over too soon. The adventure doesn't finish here, tomorrow is the trip back to Dubbo and beyond.
Dave went and picked up the Prado and came back and we then loaded the bikes up Saturday morning. The trip back to Dubbo was pretty much the reverse of the day we came out, its pretty boring, so if you read that post in reverse you'll have the idea.
Making Dubbo near sunset we walked down to pick up some beers/wine and some pizza for a night in at the motel. I said to Dave I wasn't ready to go home yet I've got the week off. A dim light went off in his head and said alright we are going to Barrington Tops tomorrow to ride around there and beyond. The adventure continues...........
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