Day 102,103,104,105,106 & 107

Day 102 began from Kununurra and headed for Doon Doon roadhouse and then another 40 kms before setting up my tent at a road works rock supply depot.

Grounds that hard you cant put your pins in for your tent anywhere up North.

The scenery around this area is quite different than what I've been seeing lately as there are plenty of rocky hills and winding roads to look at as you go past and wonder how the hell they formed millions of years ago

Had to be there.

Day 103 was much the same but had no energy and needed to stop suddenly and lie down and eat some food to get going again. I just had enough energy to make up a day bed in the shade before  consuming some sandwiches while in the horizontal position. Side winds and hot weather don't do it for me.

My  quick day bed 

Its funny how your energy level fluctuates with the type and amount of food you eat. Bluce was commenting how my poo's would be quite healthy from eating well,you know, no junk. Well the volume seems to be O.K.but i just can't seem to keep it together.

A think i need a bit more ruffage 

After reaching Warmun roadhouse at night i decided to carry on for a while to set up my tent about 85km from Halls creek so it would be an easy day the following day to rest up for the big 290km to Fitzroy Crossing. Tell you what i'm starting to look like some of the animals ouy here i've been here so long.

Hang on, i will just turn this down, i can't here myself think.

Same old tent set up but without the cover to see the stars.

Day 104 was a lazy ride into Halls Creek and on the way met some nice caravan people who i enjoyed having a nice cuppa with and a good chat.

John and Jill with Tilly who has stopped them from entering any national parks because dogs are not allowed. Stuff the national parks ,take the dog any day.

On entering Halls Creek straight to the motel,ah ah not at 160 dollars for the basic room. Off to the caravan park and who do i run into, my good old mate Tom who i met down South of Perth and he ended up staying with Joy for a while.

Good to see each other again.

Real good.

We ended up going to the Pub with another fellow, Leo who Tom had met earlier, and we had a good time chatting away till i was ready to go to bed and left. In the morning Tom was telling me that he was approached by a girl ,well he thinks it was a girl, and asked him on a date which was, going to the local dump on Tuesday with her and shooting rats in a organised competition. Strange buggers up here. Its actually starting to get to me ,these places are just the pits as far as tourist sites go. No wonder people drag there own homes around with them because you couldn't associate with the locals,there too far gone.
Even I'm starting to turn into one of the locals as you can see in the next photo.

Day 105 was a biggy, its had me worried when i first took on this ride as the distance is the longest i had to do, only by 3km mind you but however a long one. Said my goodbyes to Tom at Down Town Zero of Halls Creek and off i went. Well not until i gave my toy dog to a cute little girl at the shops who walked in with two huge Aboriginal guys

She might be able to use the little toy to wipe under her nose.

With a tail breeze and a bit of night riding i made it to Fitzroy Crossing in the one day. I was helped off the bike by a couple of guys and crawled to the Fitzroy Lodge counter and managed to lift myself up and mumble,booking under Jackie. .......Sorry Sir no booking under that name ,165 cash. Shocked ,i said not even a early birthday present.....No Sir.  O.K Give me an un powered tent site at 15 dollars . Still i had my counter meal just the same.

Day 106 was a late start as i showered to get my monies worth and soldered on to about 70 kms from the Derby turn off and set up my tent where i met Mac and Nolene who is going to pray for me and she is also going to get onto her other group prayers and to tell them to pray for me too. I hope so because i bought a lotto ticket in Fitzroy Crossing and need a bit of luck. They helped me out with a bit of hot water and they might be coming to my house one day to set up there caravan for a few days.
Day 107 started early because three old German girls made a racket at 5.30am so i just got up and packed,took off and now i am at the Roebuck Plain Rip Off Road House. Heres a few pictures of a few things for you to look at.

Crocodile hole means in Aboriginal,Keep out Danger

This B.H.P hat had to go,not producing so i found the fattest nest i could find, you know , fat cats.

Why is when i see something like this i immediately think of Tony F  from  Sydney

Just another day at the office.

Well what can i say,107 days

Whooosy Dooosy

Grant

Day 99,100 & 101

Day 99 Left early from Katherine as the next stop was 195km to Victoria River. Pleasant enough ride but a strong cross breeze gave me the felling i was pushing into it.  Nothing really happened along the way except i  came across a snake sunning itself and i just rode past it and it didn't move so i stopped and took a photo. Not sure if it was dead or alive so i threw a rock at it and it looked up. It could of been hit by a car earlier because it just laid there till the next car came along and  exploded like bubble wrap and i heard it from 100mts away. Poor bugger.

Mr Bubble wrap

Off i went again and not far down the road i came across this sign and thought what the bloody hell am i doing here

Snakes now this.

Pulled into the first rest area and what now, a bloke walking a fat feral cat on a lead. This is becoming a very weird day

This is just one of the three feral cats he has in his caravan.  No
 mate, I'm right for a cuppa

His a big cuddly boy who likes a scratch just like a domesticated one.

Back on the road and came across where Keith and the boys go every summer up from Port Fairy for there holi's

On the other side of the creek someone had stolen the sign as a souvenir. Bring it back Keith

One more sign made me laugh as i was looking for a place to stop and rest, then i saw this one

Theres no way I'm going down there ,bound to be eaten alive or bitten by a snake with a head on him like Joe Peci. Now that's scary.lol

Finally arrived at Victoria River and booked a basic room for 50 bucks , had a meal and retired for a good nights sleep.
Day 100 was a picturesque ride from Victoria River Road House through the hills to Timber Creek along the Victoria River. Stopped at Timber Creek to check the blog and for suppliers.

Leaving early from V.R R/H . Pic doesn't do it justice.

My first Boab tree of thousands.

Victoria River ,and I'm worried about if I've  enough water.

End up falling in a heap at dusk after about 70kms and set my tent up and had a beautiful night under the stars without my tent cover on so it was like a Michael Jackson Bubble.

The morning after

Day 101 was a grind as i still had about 100kms to get to the Border. When arriving i did the standard photo to prove I was actually there.

101 days to go from my front door around Australia and return to the W.A border anti clockwise,if that makes sense.

From the sign i pedalled up to the  quarantine building and the guys immediately asked for the bike to be put through the x ray machine and  if i had packed the bike myself. It came back with a positive reading of either high grade cocaine or speed in the frame, which they suspect I've been dabbling in to be able to get around so fast. I played dumb as though "i know nothing" They said it was near the seat area and they will have to take a sample to the lab and analyse it

Now its in here Sir and whatever you say now will be held against you later.You are allowed one phone call to your lawyer if it gets nasty

Luckily it came back registering as  an old 87yr old fossil which must of crawled up the frame work from some camping ground.  I was all clear to go and head to Kununarra and i made it in good time to book into the Pub. Here some miscellaneous pics to pass the time.

This is my small toy Fran from the Cafe in Larrimah gave me as i left which i shall give to a little Aboriginal girl at the right time. He sits up on the radio scouting  for snakes.

There you go Bluce , been there done that. Just West of Vic River.

One more thing before i go, because this will be the last blog for a while as I'm going off air to concentrate on getting through the kms until a place called Pardoo R.H. Still, perhaps i will be able to check any comments that you put through when i have reception.
Let me elaborate about the last day of the "15000km JIM KELLY MEMORIAL". That's right folks,that's what this has all been about. The day he was talking about bike riding and said to me " Your not a man till you've gone around the paddock" and planted the seed, was the day i knew he would love to see me do it. Only eight weeks out and rubbing his hands together saying ,not long to go now and grinning, there was no stopping me to give him the thrill of getting everybody together and all having a great time talking and laughing about the blog. Unfortunately for me that wasn't to be, but with Pat's and Joy's blessing the show has gone ahead regardless as i had made a promise i wanted to keep.
My entire motivation of pedalling and writing the blog everyday without hesitation is because while I'm doing this, to me, he has not entirely left yet. Perhaps people comment ,and think Jim is reading it.
So what I'm trying to say , lol, is that the last kms of the 15000km , Jim would  love you to be there with him riding home ,because honestly, its been him riding my bike all the way.

Who Roo?

Grant

Day 98

Day 98  blog is really only for my records. Due to having to visit the bike shop for new pedals, tubes and a spare tyre and to buy food this morning to take with me on  the next stage i decided to  energise the body by not leaving till tomorrow and to just take it easy and kick back.

One very important note too , it's my Mothers Birthday tomorrow , the 22nd and i thought i better wish her a Happy Birthday now as who knows if there is any reception where I'm going.
HAPPY 81ST BIRTHDAY....... PATRICIA MARY KELLY.....HIP HORAH...HIP HORAH...HIP HORAH.

Also i spoke to Mr Fantastic (Yern) and he is pumped about riding me in, hang on let me reword that, hoping to do the last couple of days riding into Perth by my side.  This would be fantastic if others decided to do the same whatever distance to get a thirst up and escort me home, down Marmion Ave and to celebrate on the back lawn of Pearl Pd ( perhaps a sunny Sunday.)  It could be 100 Kms or just 10Kms you do on your old bike but it would make my day. So the challenge is out there to get yourselves organised and be apart of it.

So until we text again keep watching the "spot tracker" and keep those comments coming in because as i ride into the road houses and flick the lappy open i need inspiration from you guys to drag me through as I'm entering the hardest  and gruelling part of the entire trip.

Hooosy Doooosy, im pumped and ready to attack.

Grant

Day 97

Day 97 started with a flurry of complaints that Lind's is too old for the blog. Well that's just not fair as i have seen his Senior Blogging Concession Card (S.B.C.C) and his membership is up to date. I understand that the cut off period for the blog is 64 but because he is my third best cousin (T.B.C.) i have waived that rule as the blog did start when he was 64. 

I got away to a late start  this morning as i had to explain to a lot of people (100 's ) that Lind's is living his dream. Every morning he goes to the shed and gets his fixed gear bike he bought 45 yrs ago and leans it against the clothes line and puts a bit of air in each tyre. Then back into the house to turn the computer on to the blog" Track Spotter". With  one eye on the bike through the kitchen window and one on the computer, sipping coffee , he stays in that position fixated for hours until he gets up and walks out and pinches the bike tyres to check the air pressure. Then back into the house to the same position, sweating out the kilometres and thinking hard and long what comment he is going to put with the least amount of effort to make the most stirring impact. Come 5 o'clock and he knows the show is over for the day and he reluctantly puts the bike away in his Lycra wear, cramping up as he does ,.....while drinking from his water bottle...... till the next day.
So what I'm asking from you guys it to cut the poor, hen pecked bastard some slack and let him live his dream through me, I've got big shoulders (well i had big shoulders). Just let him enjoy his Birthday on Monday and stop giving  him a hard time.

Today's ride was a shortish but tail assisted intense ride into Katherine as i knew i would have to come in sweating to honour Cadel, his birth place

Bloody hell, could you imagine .Welcome to HORSHAM. .... BIRTHPLACE OF GRANT KELLY. Hey i like it.

One thing i did see on the ride today that made me think that some people might be taking the govt for a ride and collecting the pension dishonestly was the dressing up of termite nests and imitating how some people act .You know,stand around and do nothing all day and hold the hand out, and this guys probably picking up about 700 for the week for all we know.

Arrived in town and thougth it was Saturday as all the shops where shut. Found out its Katherine's Show Day,whoopi .This, i did not want to happen as i need a new pedal for the bike , the bearings have gone and don't want to risk it falling off and having to ride home with one leg clipped in .What would the other leg do? Plus i need more tubes and i will grab another tyre just in case. I will just have to get it tomorrow and might even stay another day for the onslaught into the unknown. Booked into a motel as the place is full everywhere, they wanted 145 and i said that's too much for me.  She said how much do you want to pay and i said 100, O.K.she said.

Now to close the gap and put this finally to bed.lol

So I'll just let time play out and see what eventuates after the visit to the bike shop tomorrow , if there open and see how the body is feeling. I have a fair bit of time up my sleeve so the wise man should rest and Carb up to be at my strongest for the hardest part yet.

You old Silver Fox Bluce.

Who Roo ..................Grant

Day 96

Day 96 Let me first start by announcing that its Lindsay's birthday on Monday the 23 -7 -2012 and he will be 65, so if you have enjoyed Lindsay's input into the blog so far  i think we should at least wish him a happy birthday for next Monday. Three cheers for Linds. I'm sure he would love to hear a comment from everybody.

Now back to me, Left Daly Waters and headed to Larrimah this morning and while cruising along a left hand drive car came up to me filming me and asking me questions about what i was doing and then they asked me to pull over to take some pictures. It ends up that these two German guys are about to embark on a record fast car drive from Melbourne to St Petersburg which are sister cities to deliver a letter to the Mayor. This guy,Rainer Zietlow has got his shit together organising sponsors so he can attempt these thrill seeking joy rides all over the world and get a bucket full of money at the same time. He gave me his web site as ...Challenge4GmbH.....but its in German. Check it out,the guys got brains to put it all together. P.S. They cracked up when they saw my big dinosaur radio on the front of the bike, i told them i'm from "old school" but i don't think they new what that meant.

Rainer is doing all his filming and pics now as he won't have time to do it when he starts his record attempt

Off i went feeling as though my little trip was not that exciting till i arrived at the Pink Panther Pub at Larrimah which had a free zoo. This is where i saw my first Salt Water Croc, Sneeky Sam.

Sneeky SAM

Can never get this close to these buggers in the wild.

Left the Pink Panther and went to a cafe at the Northern end of town as advertised on the Highway coming into town,home cooked scones etc etc.  Frans Cafe, and this is where i had lunch. Turned out to be real nice food and a real nice lady and we got on well talking about how she's been there for 26yrs.  Actually the sign in the doorway said it all, no holding back old Fran.

Biggest Termite nest I'd seen yet.

After reading the nice welcome sign i read the next one down and commented to her about it and that broke the ice, mates forever.

Look Out Thorpe

Thought i had known Fran her for years.

Off i went eventually to Mataranka and dip the body into the natural hot Deep Springs next to my rammed earth motel room i have booked into for the night.Well sorry about the blog tonight  but it is not behaving as the photos won't go where there supposed to go and the print ,never mind.

Roo Who ?as they say here in the N.T.

Grant.

Day 90,91,92,93,94,95

Day 90 was the day i left Mt Isa  at 5.30am to get a good start as the next place of call was Camooweal some 190kms away. I was very disgusted with Isa as the mine next to the town looks like a big Tumour growing  on the side of the town. The town looked messy and the infrastructure was poor for a so called boom town. Still that's not my problem now.
The wind was forecast for S/E and ended up being a Westerly all day. Even so due to the rest at Isa i went O.K and got to the Camooweal Pub and booked a room around 6pm.The only real exciting thing on the way was i saw another walker,well i thought i did until i noticed a car further up from him and when i got to him he said that he had broken down and heard a big bang going along and thought something had fallen off so he was looking for anything on the road. He introduced himself as Moritz from Hamburg.

Moritz,completely confused.

He asked me if i knew anything about cars and i immediately thought it could be a trap and this guy was going to steal my bike. I checked the water and oil while still on the bike (with difficulty) and told him he had no oil in the motor. He produced some oil and i poured it in and off he went again till he completely blew the motor up about 5km further. I never said i was a mechanic. When i arrived again some other people said they would send a Tow truck back for him. I continued to Coomaweeland when  arriving at the Pub and waiting for service for a lemon squash the barman ignored me and started serving other people who came in after me and i roared HEY,WHAT ABOUT ME. We locked eyes and with my" The Butchers Dog Look" as my mate from Birmingham the walker said i looked like the first time we met,  he could see that i was not joking and I won that staring competition. You don't ride 190kms into the wind and look normal while waiting for a fizzy drink.lol The next day I was having a chuckle to myself ,didn't they write a song with those words.

I had my standard counter meal and saw Moritz outside talking to some other people so i went and said hello. He said Hi and i said, i see you got towed into town.Yes,what would you do if you where me he said. Well i told him that it would be $400  in fuel to get to Darwin where he was heading but a truck might cost $700 to take his car there perhaps ,so its really only $300 more and that might be an option because the town mechanic wants $5000 dollars to fix the motor and should be cheaper in Darwin.. The funny thing is he didn't recognise me and thought i had a truck and he starts trying to knock me down in the price, i let him go on for a while and then told him i was the bike rider.you had to be there, but boy was he embarrassed and confused. In his broken English,you have no hat on ,you have different shirt on, you shave.lol The other great thing that night Lucinda,Bruce and Wills from Burke and Wills R/H where all at the Pub  visiting there son, Al so we all had a good chat and a laugh.
Day 91 was the almighty big one as far as distances go ,260kms from Camooweal to Barkley Road House. Left early and stocked up on food at the local Road House and again had a big goodbye to  Lucinda,Bruce,Wills and AL as they where having an early start and breaky.. It was only 14kms to the boarder and i was excited as i rode up to the sign.

Very nulabor look about it.

One thing about the N.T they go faster

Probably because your not likely to hit a tree.

Ended up peddling till i got about 40 kms from Barkley Road House and that was it for the night as it was dark and the front tyre was going flat again for the second time today. Luckily it lasted till i got to a caravan rest stop. Put my tent up near a caravan and the fellow came out and lent me his hammer to straighten my tent pegs. You really need a cordless hammer drill to put these pegs in. The guys name was Geoff and he was curious about how old i was because he said i was no spring chicken,cheeky bugger.lol
Day 92 started off different with a huge argument between two caravan guys because one started his generator at 6.30am. It wasn't till about 8.30am the argument started so i think the big guy of the two saw the other guy was a  midget and old so he started grandstanding till i sang out,HEY,YOUR ON HOLIDAYS while standing with my kitchen knife and tights on complete with helmet from a distance. They both stopped and went to there caravans,i must have been a sight. Walked out to the main road and it was like a tsunami of bitumen that took me for a long ride toward the Stuart Highway because of the strong wind and  after visiting the Barkley R/H still fell short by 40kms of the highway
Day 93 was a ride to the the Stuart highway to turn ,right and stopped at the Three Ways R/H (no milk or fruit)  and then took off to Banka Banka

Neil and Marion living the dream.

Didn't get much sleep that night as i had a gut ache and a bus load of adventure kids kept playing night cricket and giggling till late.
Day 94 was just the same as every other day ,ride,ride and ride.Went through Renner Springs and then on to Elliot to get a room as i had spent 3 days in my tent and all my batteries where flat so i needed power. Elliot was a huge disappointment as they had no rooms and the place was a dump. Couldn't stay there so off i went and soon stopped by a van with a fellow jumping out,it was Danial from Berlin who i met early on my trip and he ended up staying with Joy and Dan at my house.

Good on Danial for tracking me down on the blog to stop and say hello

Kept going on my way till i found a caravan rest stop.Met some nice people straight away there.
Ended up having dinner with Philis and Charles in there caravan who i have invited to my place when they get to Perth. Actually Ive met and invited so many i don't know what i will do if they all show up together. John and Mary from Adelaide or was it Chris and Peter from Sydney,hang on was it Peter and Mary from Tassie. I think i will just have to make name tags when they all get there. Oh yeah ,throw Moritz in the mix too.
After dinner i thanked them and i went to my tent to find 6 modern day backpackers all sitting next to my tent rolling cigarettes and drinking and trying to be cool to two French girls who giggled at everything the blokes said .I told them not to be all night because i need my sleep,but they where and i ended up losing it and telling them to f... off after the second time of telling them I'd had enough.
P.S .Definition of a modern day backpacker now is.....Don't hitch hike anymore,get a van and live like a pig zooming around picking fruit for money subsidised by the govt and rolling your own ciggy's and clasp on to your beer as though its all your got left. Bring back Ivan Milat.
Day 95 was exciting as i was making progress to Katherine and the road stops are not that far apart for the time being.I  have reached Daly Water R/H and booked into a room to charge everything up and catch up on the blog.What i have noticed in the N.T is that there is no road kill or for that matter wild life compared to QLD. The place is baron,no rabbits,snakes,or even wallabies. the only thing Ive seen is a cat with its three little kittens on the road.

A few photos to look at.......

One for my little girl in Mackay.

Good old bus, notice the cut out section at the top like a boat viewing area at the top back covered with removable plastic

Your gotta be joking

Ah Bluce, can you give me an all clear on any Charlies in the area ,copy.

This makes the nulabor look like heaven.

Just didn't look right ,all Lycra-ed up in the most remote area of Australia , looking too serious

wot

Hoo    Rooo

Grant.