Riding Across Australia on a Yamaha XV1000

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Time for gas: Karen McIntyre standing with a lonely-looking sign on the way to Kununurra in northeast Western Australia.
Time for gas: Karen McIntyre standing with a lonely-looking sign on the way to Kununurra in northeast Western Australia.
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Road Warrior: Neale Bayly on the Yamaha XV1000, somewhere in the Australian outback.
Road Warrior: Neale Bayly on the Yamaha XV1000, somewhere in the Australian outback.
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Checking out Stokers Siding Pottery during the ride north. The shop is still there.
Checking out Stokers Siding Pottery during the ride north. The shop is still there.
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Looking south down the coastline in Queensland.
Looking south down the coastline in Queensland.
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Scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef.
Scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef.
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A very lonely road in the red center of Australia.
A very lonely road in the red center of Australia.
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Ayers Rock in Uluru, south of Alice Springs.
Ayers Rock in Uluru, south of Alice Springs.
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The 1982 Yamaha XV1000 loaded with camping gear.
The 1982 Yamaha XV1000 loaded with camping gear.
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Neale makes a new friend along the way.
Neale makes a new friend along the way.
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The roads were often narrow, just 18 feet or so, with gravel shoulders.
The roads were often narrow, just 18 feet or so, with gravel shoulders.
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A huge three-trailer “road train” fuel truck.
A huge three-trailer “road train” fuel truck.
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The town of Broome, on the western coast of Australia’s Kimberley region.
The town of Broome, on the western coast of Australia’s Kimberley region.
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The open sky at sunset, just one of the beautiful sights seen while camping in the bush many a night throughout the trip.
The open sky at sunset, just one of the beautiful sights seen while camping in the bush many a night throughout the trip.

It was a sunny May day in Sydney, Australia, when my fingers stopped on an advert in the local newspaper I was reading: “1982 Yamaha XV1000. Racks, bag, stainless pipes, new tires, $1,750 OBO.” That’s the one for us I told Karen, and a few hours later our friend Dave Peach was driving us out of the city to see the bike and take a test ride.

As soon as I saw it I knew it was the right bike, and after parting with $1,550 cash we were heading back to Sydney on the motorcycle that would end up taking us around Australia. Having landed six months earlier in Darwin on one-way tickets from Indonesia with just $22 to our names, it was hard to contain our excitement knowing the next adventure was about to begin.

Gearing up

With a total investment of $50 in plastic bags, bungee cords and waterproof gear, we headed off, rumbling out of Sydney on Australia’s southeast coast bound for North Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef. The road out of Sydney is motorcycling perfection — or at least it was then — weaving and winding through the hilly countryside, passing the Blue Mountains and on to the rolling hills of northern New South Wales as we headed north. Goodbye, Sydney Opera House, Curl Curl Beach, the Peach family and our other good friends we had made over the six months we lived in this great city. Hello, Australia, here we come.

  • Published on Apr 11, 2017
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