A travel diary and blog written by Flying Solo Gear Co founder, Amanda Phoenix as she completes a full 18,000km, 40-day journey around Australia on a 2007 Suzuki GSXR600 sportbike.
Riding clockwise from Melbourne, she writes about:
- Numerous near misses with wildlife
- Her experience spending weeks on the saddle in the dusty red Outback
- Having to tough out 60km of 4WD-Only track on a bike designed for the opposite
- 6 deep water crossings following a cyclone in Northern WA
- Camping amongst the insects and frogs (she's not a fan of frogs)
- Finding her way to the nearest town using only the light of the moon
- Adjusting a needy chain on the side of the road
- Losing a footpeg at the worst possible time, and making a new one
- Her strategies in riding in extreme heat, during cyclone warnings, through torrential downpours, and on bald and squared off tyres
- Making her way all the way home keeping the shiny side up - almost
- Crossing the Nullarbor, watching an Uluru sunrise, visiting the Daintree Rainforest, and chats with the locals throughout Australia
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Day 1: Melbourne to Adelaide - The First KM
Day 2: Adelaide to Ceduna - The First Taste of Loneliness
Day 3: Ceduna to Madura - The Nullabor in all its glory
Day 4: Madura to Esperance - The 90 Mile Straight test of endurance
Day 5: Esperance to Albany - The BROWN PANTS DETOUR
Day 6: Albany to Margaret River - The First Corner of the Country
Day 7: Margaret River to Perth - The World's Most Isolated City
Day 8: Perth to Cervantes - Camping Under a Cloud of Bats
Day 9: Cervantes to Denham - The Pinnacles Desert
Day 10: Denham to Monkey Mia - Playtime with the Dolphins
Day 11: Denham to Nanutarra - The Start of the Red Country
Day 12: Nanutarra to Port Hedland - Wet Season Warning
Day 13: Port Hedland to Broome
Day 14: Broome WA to Halls Creek WA - The Brave Wet Journey
Day 15: Halls Creek to Kununurra - When Cows Outnumber People
Day 16: Kununurra to Katherine - Northern Territory Welcomes You
Day 17: Katherine to Darwin - Tropical Storms in the Top End
Day 18: Darwin City - Capital of Northern Territory
Day 19: Darwin to Daly Waters - Bras on the Wall
Day 20: Daly Waters to Devils Marbles - Karlu Karlu Up Close
Day 21: Devils Marbles to Alice Springs - Seb's Alpine Ski Hut
Day 22: Alice Springs to Uluru - Preparing to Meet a Legend
Day 23: Exploring Uluru - The Sacred Monolith
Day 24: Uluru to Alice Springs - The Biggest Backtrack Ever
Day 25: Alice Springs to Devils Marbles - Back and Ready for More
Day 26: Devils Marbles to Mount Isa - A Single Turn into Queensland
Day 27: Mount Isa to Normanton - The Savannah Way
Day 28: Normanton to Cairns - Sleeve of Wizard
Day 29: Cairns City - The Chain Saga
Day 30: Cairns to Port Douglas - Birthday Footpeg Party
Day 34: Port Douglas to Townsville - Cyclone Debbie has Come and Gone
Day 35: Townsville to Rockhampton - Beating the Flood Rush
Day 36: Rockhampton to Brisbane - Losing My Soul to Highways
Day 37: Brisbane to Byron Bay - Finding My Inner Peace
Day 38: Byron Bay to Coffs Harbour - Nude Pizza and Kate
Day 39: Coffs Harbour to Sydney - Old Friends in The Harbour City
Day 40: Sydney to Melbourne via Canberra - The Final Adventure
