first 2 days of the trip as a quick update.

[lupine]
if we're lucky, our good friends Dingo and Hillbilly are forwarding text messages and posting these for us so you know what's happening to a certain degree. and you can follow us on the spot pages. hurrah for technology

[Lupine]
day one.
started late and stayed that way. we were supposed to be off at 6am and finally waddled out the gate at closer to 10:30. this is a theme that would continue for the day. every quick stop turned into a long pause while we faffed and fucked around doing... stuff.
got as far as roma, which is about 500 klms into what was suppossed to be a 900 klm day.
yep, we're off to a good start.
on the plus side, everything works perfectly. the carriers for the fuel and water sit exactly how i want them to, and the camp set-up, while more than we would usually use, will be great in about 2 weeks time when the incubator for the spawn of dark gods wants to be comfy after a long dirt ride.


[lupine]
day two. upearly to make up time from yesterday. then we went back to sleep.
up not so early to catch up on yesterday.
left roma around 8am, had breakfast in mitchell about 100klm up the road. then off we went.
decided to find out the range of the safari with all the stuff on the bike and a 14 tooth front sprocket.
Boo has decided that she is most comfortable at about 120kph, but that's because she has the only 15tooth front. i'm going to swap it out on her when she's asleep tonight. because i'm running the bike harder i'm only getting about 16klm/ltr, where she's getting 20. and i'm carrying more stuff.
ran on to reserve in a 33ltr tank at 480. then ran out at 500. seems i have a reserve of 20klm! fuck, glad we found that out now. it's a long walk in some places...
got to barcaldine and decided to keep going to longreach. it was getting dark and the lights aren't great and we're riding right into suicidal skippy happy hour. sat behind a truck for a few minutes but he was doing 85 so we went past with a car following us. we dropped down to around 95 and the car just sat behind us. i'm bitching and swearing at the asshat for driving up my ass while he's got better lights and a chance of surviving a centerpunch on skippys cousin.
he finally comes round when we drop to 90, and then he hares off at 120. we drop in behind him and use him to clear the road for us for a way. the finger he waved out the window was funny.
got to longreach and decided to stay in a pub so we can start early tomorrow. we have to get to Mt Isa fairly early since it's my birthday and the nephews want to do stuff apparantly.
let's see how we go.