After a very busy 4 weeks having our first child I managed to sneak out for a ride. I thought of a smallish route through some twisties to one of my favourite bakeries. I decided to take the missus bike (1992 Honda CB250 Nighthawk) for a descent spin as I’ve just finished fixing a few things and wanted to see how much oil it’s using. I packed a few tools and some oil into my touring tailbag which looked a little ridiculous on the back of the little CB250 but it did the job. I left home early and wound my way through the Adelaide Hills to Amberlight Café in Lobethal. A great bike friendly café. After a quick stop I was off to one of my favourite bakeries, is it to only have a single favourite bakery? I pointed the little CB250 north through Chain of Ponds, through Kersbrook and Williamstown, some great sweeping corners. I was having way too much fun on a little ‘commuter’ styled bike, unfortunately I ran out of corners and arrived at the Lyndoch bakery. Decisions decisions, I ended up with a peppersteak pie, highly recommend! Still no word from the missus, back on the bike. While I was out north I decided to keep going. Topped off the tank in Gawler and headed to Port Wakefield via Mallala. I stopped at the entrance to the Australian Government Proof and Experimental Establishment just south of Port Wakefield for this picture. This is a 155mm Long Tom M1 gun on a M1 Carriage which came into service circa 1943. This type of Carriage is still used as a firing platform today. Some specs for military weapons enthusiasts: Weight: 12,564kg Muzzle Velocity: 853m/sec Maximum Range: 23,221 metres Projectile weight: 43.1kg Projectile length: 67.8cm Straight through Port Wakefield then turned south to cruise down the Yorke Peninsula. Luckily there wasn’t much wind as we were now on the highways humming along at 100km/hr. Before I knew it I was at Ardrossan. Ardrossan is an interesting mixture of a quiet family holiday destination and a port. It is located on the western shore of Gulf St Vincent and is an important port on the Yorke Peninsula with a 1000 metre long jetty and bulk grain storage facilities. The mine opened in the mid-1950s so the dolomite - which is used as a flux in the steel making process - could be mined and shipped to Whyalla and Port Kembla. The jetty was opened around the time the mine started producing and today it is used to ship both dolomite and salt (from solar saltpans at Price up the coast). I managed to wrangle the little CB250 up to the BHP Lookout: By now the missus has realized I’ve gone on a day ride, don’t worry I’ll be home for dinner…..maybe. Seeing as I’m already a quarter of the way down the Yorke Peninsula I may as well check on the shack while I’m over here. A quick oil check on the CB250 after the higher rpm slab work, used a little, she’ll hold. Southwards we go! Pulled into Minlaton to top off the tank, petrol cheaper here than in Adelaide? Rosie still only gets 91 octane though. Nothing better than a full tank of juice, westward towards the shack.
I’ve made it to the shack on the mighty CB250, time for a beer! I wonder if I’ve got time for a quick flick? Better not push my luck. Shared a beer with Hutty and Scruff and topped off the oil in the CB250. Back on the bike for the 246km of slab home. I stopped for fuel at Port Wakefield and continued slabbing it home. The day trip totaled 558km and around 7 hours on the bike. Map:
Congratulations on your baby, and nice work doing the trip across there too. It's a fair drive in the car let alone on a bike, i think on the FZR i'd need quite a few stop's to stretch the leg's etc We used to go on a lot of holiday's down that way, Port Vincent and Edithburgh but that was year's ago