Freddy and I pulled out of Beautiful Downtown Lavington on Thursday just before lunch and headed off into decidedly dodgy looking weather. We made Pinnaroo just on dark and got a bed in the big old stone pub. Next morning we headed out fifteen Ks and stopped on the side of the road and lit a fire and cooked breakfast. After the rush of yesterday we were in the mood to take it easy. After our wayside dalliance we headed off to Blanchtown for a night with friends and then up to Port Pirie where Fred stayed with his sister and I bludged a bed with PJ. PJ and I had a good night eating pizza, drinking beer and telling lies.

Next morning we headed up the coast towards Port Augusta in brilliant sunshine and crossed through the beautiful Pitchi Richi Pass where we stopped in a dry creek and cooked jaffles and coffee for lunch before we moved on to Quorn. From Quorn we bypassed the HWY and went north on the dirt where we camped in the scrub near the ruins of Simmonston. Although there were dark clouds about Fred was adamant that it wouldn’t rain so we didn’t bother with the tent. It was a great first night camping out and sitting around the campfire although we had frost on our sleeping bags by morning.

After we broke camp a short run in beautiful morning sunlight got us to Hawker where we met the troops en mass. RTO and The IWC, The Swiss and a few new faces. Sam on his way to his first OCR decided to adopt us and we showed him the benefits of dawdling along stopping for cups of tea and photo opportunities. Our campsite in Wilpena Pound saw a large gathering of Oz Adventure Riders including Chris and Sally and Charlie Brown who had just hot footed it back from the Border Run and others all excited at the prospect of getting to the OCR. There was a bunch of us like minded people camped together for a great night of socializing and revelry around the fire.

Most people departed for Arkaroola while the Yamaha Bros and Old Sam headed off to Blinman where we had a look at the old copper mine and then headed out for a photo opp in the beautiful Parachilna Gorge. We camped just south of the railway ghost town of Old Beltana and next morning headed in to explore the fascinating old town.

Back on the main road we stopped at a nice little Café in Copley for lunch and then at the viewing area for the great open cut Leigh Creek coal mine before we motored up to Farina to spend the night in the lovely little campground behind the old ghost town. Just on dark we were joined by Dave Ward and his mates Bill and Chris who had also been to the Border Run.

Back at Lyndhurst next morning we fuelled up chock a block ready for the run up the Strzelecki Track to Innamincka. Nick and Stacy from W.A who I hadn’t seen for yonks and their two little kids turned up on their K100 outfit just as we were about to leave. They had washing and showers to take care of so we left them to it and headed north-east on the Strez.

We pulled off the road fifty Ks up and lit a fire and cooked toasted sangers and coffee and tried to shelter from a very persistent wind and have a break. From there we entered the very stark Cobbler Desert and after a run over fairly average road we arrived at the lunar landscape at Monte Collina Bore to find all the others with their camps all set up. We had another great night although the wind never died down and it spent all night blowing grit into all our gear.

Friday morning everyone drifted out in ones and twos headed for Innamincka. The road improved although the wind kept up carrying a layer of sand along about six inches above the ground. Fred worked behind the bars leaving the harsh Cobbler behind and moving through undulating arid country. Here we started to see power lines and roads going off to the oil and gas fields and then we came across the Moomba pumping station looking like something out of Mad Max.

We arrived at Innamincka where there were a huge number of bikes already parked out front of the pub. Fred and I did a meet and greet for an hour or so and had the odd cold beer to celebrate our arrival.

Down on the banks of Cooper Creek we set up camp among the other sidecar riders and then went ten Ks back out the road with Chris to collect firewood. John Cecil and Bones, Harry and Jane, John Sargent and Greg and Robyn Doubleday had made an exciting crossing of the Simpson Desert from Dalhousie Springs to Birdsville in their sidecars. They have joined an elite club of about a dozen outfits to ever make a complete crossing.

Saturday was spent socializing over a few beers and catching up with people who travel from all over Oz to attend the OCR. Saturday night us single blokes all cooked a magnificent stew between us in Sarge’s Bedourie.

It was a huge night at the pub with around two hundred people in attendance and the party went well into the night. Consensus was reached and the next OCR is set for Gascoyne Junction in W.A in August 2006.

Sunday morning John Cecil and I went around and counted around 170 bikes although some had already left on the Saturday and a few had hit the road early before we got up to do the count. This is the best attendance at an OCR to date doubling the previous best. There were a few people feeling a bit ordinary first thing but we spent a very relaxed Lazy Sunday mostly just sitting around the fire yarning, having a beer and catching up.

A lot of the old faces came out of the woodwork as well as a heap of new ones. Its good to see that outback touring is seeing such a resurgence in popularity and this will undoubtedly ensure the success of the OCR.

Sunday night most of the crowd of stayers partook of roast night at the pub before we returned to camp and sat around the fire.

Monday morning a group of sidecars including Bruce, Cecil and Bones, Sarge, the Doubleday’s, Claude and Lynda and Slab who had had the tenacity to ride a Postie bike from Bendigo to the OCR and the Yamaha Bros set out together and travelled down the Old Strzelecki Track. We had lunch by the side of the road and then went on to Camp at Cameron’s Corner.

From Cameron’s Cnr we moved along towards Tibooburra. We had a few stops when John Sargent had fuel pump trouble that took a couple of goes to sort. At one of the stops we lit a fire and made a brew and had some nibbles proving that breakdowns can turn into nice little social occasions. Sarge was a bit unhappy that he had a breakdown and even more peeved that I recorded it on video.

We topped up with supplies in Tibooburra then moved on to Milparinka where we found a lovely little camp beside the dry creek at the back of the town. It was a great camp and the seven single blokes dined again on a superb stew cooked in Sarge’s Bedourie.

Next morning we motored south and stopped off to have a Bundy and Coke at Baron Creek with our mate Andy. We had coffee and pies for lunch at Packsaddle before heading to White Cliffs.

As the day was slipping away we grabbed the ingredients for another cook up and headed south till we found a lovely campsite twenty Ks down. We had another great night around the fire and sat up talking till well into the night.

Fred and I decided that it was time to make a mile and head for home and after we packed up we put the Yamaha to work. We fuelled in Wilcannia and had lunch at Ivanhoe then headed down to Griffith and arrived home just on dark.

Fred and I had a great couple of weeks loafing along (except for the first and last days). We had some great bush camps and saw some amazing scenery. The OCR went well and we had a great time meeting up with mates and fellow travellers.

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