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Read a report I wrote about the 2012 Challenge
here:
Kathy's 2012 Postie
Bike Challenge
Or download a PDF copy here:
Kathy's 2012 Postie Bike Challenge
You can see photos, videos and blogs that other Challenge
participants have shared at the following links:
Photos at PhotoBucket:
Postie Bike Challenge 2012
Blog by Karen & David:
WA Postie Bike Challenge
Visit the Official
Postie Bike Challenge
Website
|
Some of the photos
Ron's friend Chris took before we left Perth ...
Some of the photos I
took ...
Some of the photos Ron took when we arrived in
Broome ...
|
The map below is the route
I travelled
as recorded by my Garmin eTrex Legend GPS ...
You can access a map
of the whole trip here:
2012
Postie Bike Challenge Route
or the individual days here:
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8
Day 9
Here's a link to the 2012 Postie Bike Challenge
as recorded by my SPOT GPS
Messenger
A table showing the start point for
each day and the daily and total distances we rode.
|
Day |
Start Point |
~Daily
Km |
~Daily
Mi |
~Total
Km |
~Total
Mi |
|
1 |
Perth |
367 |
228 |
367 |
228 |
|
2 |
Hyden |
367 |
228 |
734 |
456 |
|
3 |
Kalgoorlie |
428 |
266 |
1162 |
722 |
|
4 |
Sandstone |
196 |
122 |
1358 |
844 |
|
5 |
Meekatharra |
424 |
263 |
1782 |
1107 |
|
6 |
Newman |
326 |
203 |
2108 |
1310 |
|
7 |
Tom Price |
417 |
259 |
2525 |
1569 |
|
8 |
Karratha |
479 |
298 |
3004 |
1867 |
|
9 |
80 Mile Beach |
379 |
235 |
3383 |
2102 |
|
|
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About me ...
My name is Kathy
Leslie and I live in Canberra, ACT, Australia. I've been
a keen motorcyclist for more than 30 years and
I currently own a Honda CX500, a Honda NT700V Deauville and a
BMW
F650GS.
Having completed
the 2009 Postie Bike Challenge
I've decided to have another go!
About this year's challenge ...
The direct route from Perth to Broome is
about 2,200kms. There is no point in taking the easy way when you
can take the adventurous - 3,200km (including up to 1,000km of unsealed roads) - way at a top speed of 70 kph!
The organisers have decided that, having
done previous routes through Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria,
South Australia and the Northern Territory, it is time the Postie Bike
Challenge visited Western Australia.
The route from Perth to Broome will take us through regions more remote
than can be found in any other state of Australia. It will take us
through incredible country, including Eighty Mile Beach, Millstream
National Park, Karajini National Park and Opthalmia Range around the
Pilbara region. We'll avoid the tourist route along the western
coastline, and instead take the more interesting route east from Perth
through Kalgoorlie prior to winding our way north to Broome.
The beauty of the changing landscapes and vastness of the countryside
are matched by the harshness of the dirt, corrugations and bulldust we
will encounter. No-one can argue ... this will be adventurous!
A
table to show average minimum and maximum temperatures
during the month of September along the way.
|
Day |
Region |
Min
Avg oC |
Min
Avg oF |
Max
Avg oC |
Max
Avg oF |
|
1 |
Perth |
9.4 |
48.9 |
20.1 |
68.2 |
|
2 |
Hyden |
5.8 |
42.4 |
20.3 |
68.5 |
|
3 |
Kalgoorlie |
8.9 |
48.0 |
22.7 |
72.9 |
|
4 |
Sandstone |
8.8 |
50.9 |
24.1 |
77.7 |
|
5 |
Meekatharra |
10.6 |
51.1 |
25.8 |
78.4 |
|
6 |
Newman |
13.7 |
56.7 |
29.2 |
84.6 |
|
7 |
Tom Price |
16.8 |
62.2 |
31.1 |
88.0 |
|
8 |
Karratha |
16.9 |
62.4 |
30.5 |
86.9 |
|
9 |
80 Mile Beach |
15.7 |
60.3 |
33.4 |
92.1 |
|
10 |
Broome |
18.4 |
65.1 |
31.7 |
89.1 |
Map showing relative sizes of Australia,
the United States of America
and the United Kingdom.
|
My Preparation Checklist ...
| 1 |
Register for event |
☺ |
| 2 |
Put in leave application |
☺ |
| 3 |
Create website and update
regularly |
☺ |
| 4 |
Book flights to Perth and
from Broome |
☺ |
| 5 |
Purchase travel insurance |
☺ |
| 6 |
Work out possible route
using clues from PBC website |
☺ |
| 7 |
Take
Academy of
Off Road Riding "Adventure Bike" course |
☺ |
| 8 |
Buy sheepskin seat cover and
soft handgrips |
☺ |
| 9 |
Work out average min/max temperatures
along the route |
☺ |
| 10 |
Setup link on SPOT Trip
Manager to track the Challenge |
☺ |
| 11 |
Get RAM fittings to mount SPOT
and GPS on Postie Bike (don't forget the spanner this time!) |
☺ |
| 12 |
Make cover for milk crate
and work out How to Carry Wet Weather Gear |
☺ |
| 13 |
Book accommodation and hire
car for time in Perth/Fremantle |
☺ |
| 14 |
Book extra accommodation and hire
car in Broome |
☺ |
| 15 |
Purchase 'AA' and 'AAA'
lithium batteries
for SPOT and GPS |
☺ |
| 16 |
Work out what stuff I need
to take (and/or can't live without) |
☺ |
| 17 |
Verify SPOT Messenger is
working |
☺ |
| 18 |
Get a
name tag made |
☺ |
| 19 |
Work out how much stuff I
can fit in an 90 litre duffle bag and
keep the weight to 15kg or less |
☺ |
| 20 |
Work out what else will fit
in the milk crate (apart from a 5 litre fuel container, two
x 1 litre water bottles, a lunch box, a First Aid Kit and a Hema
Motorcycle Atlas) |
☺ |
| 21 |
Work out possible route
using clues from PBC website and newsletters |
☺ |
| 22 |
Find out about
TPP/Comprehensive insurance for
the Postie Bike |
☺ |
| 23 |
Fly to Perth |
☺ |
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