Tropical Punch Motorcycle Adventure - Episode 2 Tropical North Australia

Motorcycle Adventure Dirt Bike TV supported proudly by Adventure Spec in the UK, Rally Raid Products, Giant Loop in the United States, Adventure Moto in Australia, Pirelli Tyres, Motel Oils, RK Chains and Australian Adventure Bike Magazine. Nugget and I have had two great wins. Firstly we've been invited by Craig Woody Woodward and the Lease of Elwood Motorcycle Adventures to join them on a 10 day adventure from Cairns to Darwin and then go exploring with them in the Western Australian Kimberleys where they hope to expand their motorcycle adventure tours. And to make it even better Husqvarna Australia have given Nugget and I two brand new Husky 701s to ride on this 7000km adventure across Australia's tropical top end. Nugget and I were over the moon when Husky offered us the bikes. I'd recently ridden the Husqvarna Long Range and had been very impressed. The Huskies are light and powerful with excellent suspension and handling. Out of the box they are a premium adventure mount and require little modification, just an off-road bash plate, metal hand guards and rally pegs. In the previous episode we rode from Cairns to Coorumba. The second day the leg was 560km with muddy conditions that challenged riders and stretched fuel ranges beyond the bike's limits. But this is the beauty of an organised ride. Everyone arrived at Coorumba even if it was a little late. But what they did walk away with was a bag full of lifelong memories. Nugget and I are loving the Husky 701s that ate up those conditions. Funniest moment for me was when Nugget weaved beside his bike and got Squid to believe he had major mechanical issues. What's coming out of your bike? Tail back to your bike, look. Oh shit. What's that? I don't know mate, I just started coughing and sputtering actually, that's why I pulled up. Well we've got a problem there mate, you've got something's going on, that's fuel. No. You reckon? Fuel? Is that fuel? Have a taste, it doesn't taste like blood. Oh you, that's great. From Coorumba we're moving into the Gulf of Carpentaria and have our sights set on Lawn Hill which has a stunning gorge for swimming. But first I have some bike maintenance to tend to. My fork steels really didn't like yesterday's mud and they're leaking so I need to give them a quick clean. So I just found this bit of plastic in the garbage bin, it's just the right thickness. So the secret with that if you make one is just see how it's tapered, so it just slips straight underneath. This may work, may not. We're heading roughly along Savannah Way which is a mixture of tar and dirt. We're taking a couple of detours here and there to see the sights. Tonight we'll catch up with a support vehicle that we haven't seen for a couple of days and that means a cook meal, a big campfire, lots of bench racing, a couple of beers and dessert. Where's Nugget? What the, what are you doing over there? Oh friendly Nugget. Here I am out in the boiling sun filling my bike up with fuel. So we're talking start of origin. Yeah well. Oh he doesn't mind football. Yeah it's nice and cool here, air conditioning blowing on my hairy back, drying my hair, that's what it's doing. Paid actor, is that it? I ain't no paid actor, I'm just one of his three mates who can get some time off. The only one of his three. Yeah this is Ewan McGregor, this is our competition Ewan. Yeah I reckon you've got it all over him mate, he's got no personality. We're coming for you Ewan. We've got a bit of downtime here because of an accident, so he's a little bit injured, the big tenere. I'm just coming over here and gonna hop in for a sleep. That'll probably let you. Yeah I'll see if you've got a little kids bunk in there. Little kids bunk. Yeah this is my world, Nugget's got the Nugget's got the long range over there and this is my world, dual bladders. Up here the LR is king, long range husky, that's what you need to do adventure in the top end. Here they go, they're off the bikies, Elwood adventures. Look at them, Kamusta, we could get paid a lease. Flash, oh how'd it go with this? Hey big boy how's this? We're at a beautiful little place, god it was dusty getting in here. So I'm going to go El Natural tonight, no not too natural, just a bit of fly screen. I'm not going to put the cover on, I'm going to risk it, I don't think it's going to rain. Now that mud looks like concrete, it'll be interesting if that seal keeps its integrity tonight, we'll find out in the morning. So Darren ended up with the his shoulders broken just up the top, he's got a fracture at the top of his shoulder and so if you're gonna do an injury he's done a really good one. I can't believe he rode out with that injury but anyway, he needs a medal. Good Samaritan nugget. Yeah but again we had to pay you nine dollars to do that. One beer. One beer was it? Oh I'll take the beer. They're deer out here, I'm gonna have to swap the shirt for crew. I said don't, like I got the old tours on them, well I made two days on the tour. Yeah so we haven't seen the truck for three days, this is the day, so it's good to see it. That's a kind of an unsupported ride, you just go along with camping gear. Where are we Woody? Where are we? Looks beautiful. Have you been down the water yet? No I'm just about to head down. You better get down there before the sun goes down. Yeah okay. It's worth swimming now? Definitely. All right. Half the crew are already down there. All right, I'll get down there. All right, although I'm only a little bloke here. Jesus, here he goes. He's in. Well I've had two great hamburgers, we're out doing it tough. I'm just about to put the billy on and cut some cake up. Oh cake, for my cake hole, that's a good idea. It's a bit of bench racing going on here. Look at this, trying to start Woody's bike. Here they go, they're, oh no, have we got it going? Oh no, oh no, this is not good. He's in a cloud of dust. There's me as a pensioner. All right, watch this, this is quick, clutch starting Woody. And up here, that's the way, that's the way you do it. There's a nice little spot, straight through, then up, go up to the other side, and yeah that looks good. Clear water is always deeper than it looks though. So what Elise and I are riding on now is the airstrip for Lawn Hill station, and these farms are enormous, and I'll just, I'll just turn around, and this is the, and this is the airstrip, straight down there, we're heading this way. Keep running into Brahma cattle at the moment, it's muster time. Thank you, thanks mate. Season's been good. God, there's a lot of them. What do we come around the back of them there? Keep your toes in. You do not want to twist your ankle on something here. Oh wow, those, those Brahmans just keep coming and coming. God, there must be a couple of thousand head. Hey mate. The willy-willy in the distance was throwing up the dust on this huge grass plain, and just added to the sense of adventure. We were in far northwestern Queensland, near the Gulf of Carpentaria, and the twin trails stretched to the horizon. It wasn't technical riding, but it was great soul food, and in this moment I was having a feast. Woody, I know you're on a good tour, but I'm a bit worried about your support truck. That thing's older than Squid. Righto boys, on the Jenga bus, hands up. Woody's adventure tours. We're having a late lunch at a small town called Dumadji. The fried chicken there is brilliant, and it was good timing as Squid's DR had a problem with his chain, and Nugget was very proud to tell me he towed a DR into town. But the highlight for all of us was receiving an informal welcome to country from a young Indigenous man who had a fishing camp close to town. I say informal because normally a welcome to country takes place at events. A welcome to country recognises Indigenous people as the first custodians of the land, and formally acknowledges Indigenous people's ongoing connection to the land. It was heartfelt, and we were very touched that he welcomed us in this way. Mad Max! What have you done boys? Oh yeah. Pump them up and keep it going. We're going Darwin. Yeah, man that's a pisser. He's down there fishing. The old Hilux hey, don't make them like they used to. That'll never come undone. At least you've got a seatbelt. You've got a puncher. It doesn't seem to be going up does it? It's only flat on the bottom. I think it might be a hole in that one. It just happened. All right. That means come, hello my friends, come and see our country. And you guys are going there, so we say see you later. Thank you, very privileged. What country are we riding through next? And where are you from? What country were we in last night while we were at Dales Grove? So that was your country? Yeah. Thanks for letting us in your country, brother. Yeah, thanks for coming too and having a look at our country. You stay safe in that car there with them. It's all side doors you've got on there. Yeah, and it's four by four. Yeah, yeah. Barely hanging on there. Thank you. Show us how you get into them. Young fella? Yeah, yeah. I was going to show them, but if you can get in there or I could get in there, what do you reckon? They're in. Dukes of Hazzard. See you, boys. Thanks, a great privilege coming through your country. Yeah, thank you. Thank you very much. See you, bye-bye. Yeah, it's going like a steam train. It's just a joining link. It must be from the factory. Let's just break the end off it, so we just need to grind that off. Grind this off and put a new joining link on. There she is. Hard on the gear, Dave. Mate. Nah. And look what I found in my tool kit. There we go. Yeah, but that one might not come out. Oh, I see. You get what I'm saying? Did I find that one as well? Where's the new one? Right here, brother. Nugget, look, I'm sorry I couldn't film it, but is that true that you towed a DR into here? I've been known to tell a few fibs, so maybe we'll ask Boggo, the proud owner of the DR. Boggo? Boggo. Yeah, I got a 36 litre tank and I ran it dry. And yes, he did tow me in. Oh my God. He called me safety nugget. That's right, safety nugget. The only one who's got the Husky towed in. A KTM rider. Say that again. The Husky towed in, no worries at all. Actually, halfway he said I'm going to have to put the steering damper on because it hasn't gone so fast. I don't remember that bit. I told you I'd tell a few fibs. Yeah. It's worth it, towed him all the way in, so it's going to be from footpeg to footpeg, out of tow road. You never towed me in. No, no, I wasn't towing you in. We're on the road. Tonight, we're heading to the Hell's Gate Roadhouse, a green oasis in the middle of nowhere, and the only place I know where you can drive your motorbike up to the bar and be served with a beer. After four solid days riding, this was the ideal location for Nugget and the crew to let their hair down. Look at that. Sensational. Watch the damage. You can't drink with the helmet on. You can't drink and ride. Bloody excellent. Put it down, put it down. He's a thirsty bloke. So, would you like another one? I'll have another seven. You know, you know the rule here. It comes from India, get it India. Nugget's back around there. It's ten past five, Nugget. What's happened? The choker chicken's late. He's had a sleep in. He had a big night. Did he? I think he must have been singing too much. Yeah, I think someone poisoned the food. Poisoned the food? I don't feel the best. Don't you? Mate, you're singing in tune and that's all that counts. So, Nugget's met John. He's the bloody owner of Hell's Gate. Apparently, you two have got something in common. We're both farmers. We've been talking, yeah. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, we're both farmers. Got cattle. Hang on a minute. We own a bike. Hang on, how many head of cattle have you got? Twelve. You know their names, don't you? Yeah. How many have you got? Oh, I don't know. Last count of it, I don't know. Three thousand. Three thousand? How do you remember all their names? Well, I don't. They just remember me, but I look after them. I've got Princess Butterfly, Sharky. I've got a shark. I've got... Oh, God, don't tell me he's got cow photos. What's the white one? That's Sharky. Oh, that's Marilyn. Marilyn Monroe, because she's blonde. There we go, though. Nice, pretty. Oh, bloody excellent. Yeah, look at the green grass. What else have we got in common? Um, no hat. Oh, yeah. And how many acres you got? Oh, 422,000 acres. Only a little place up here, mate. I've got 50. You'll ride that way today, and you'll go past million acre places. 1.7 million acre places. You know what you've got in mind? That's as big as a country, isn't it? But I might have everything on my thumb, but I do not have a ride up bar. No. I heard that. Yeah, interesting. John had to separate me last night. Me and the ringer here, we'll go on great guns. You got the drive-in coffee, mate. Now you've got the drive-in coffee. That's a good night. Yeah, it's good. Thanks for having us. I loved it here. Yeah, come back. Oh, mate. Mad TV fans, get to Hell's Gate. It might take you a while to get here, but it is a hoot. Yeah, it is. Great night. Thanks for having us, John. Righto, mate. Thanks, mate. See ya. So, Elyse, what is this, day five? We're on day five, halfway. Where are we heading today? So today, we are going through Borraloola into Lorella Springs million acre property tonight. Million acres. Million acres, yep. Wilderness park in there. So we cross the border today. Wow. Into the Northern Territory. Wow. What's going on here? Like, mate, he's won over the... Just hold on a bit. Oh, right. Driveway service out here, I tell ya. Mate, head polished and goggles done. Yeah, 3.20 to go. You got 3.20 on you on board, Dave? Yeah, I got 3.20 on board. The owner's dog has headed off, followed the bikes. He has. And he's not going to stop, is he? He will not stop. He's a red dog. So he's a red dog. So he will not stop. He'll try to herd those bikes up. So the owner's got to go out on the bike to go and get him to say, hey, mate, come on. You got to come back. We wait for red dog to come back or what? They reckon he'd make Borraloola. He'd be a bit knocked up, but they reckon he could make Borraloola, which is 3.20 without fuel. 3.20 without fuel. He's got a long range tank, the red dog, apparently. That's amazing. Oh, no, he's got him now. So how far out did you have to go? Oh, only two k's. Two k's. Two k's, red dog mate. Good on you, red dog. Got a good fuel tank on him. Yeah. No, he's a bit tuckered now. Yeah, he'll be all right. He's a good dog. He is a good dog. Have a good day, boys. See you, mate. Oh, have a go at that rocky outcrop there. And that's the reason why they call this Hell's Gate. In the 1880s, people used to come here, which surprises me in itself. But they knew there was nothing for hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of kilometers after they passed those rocks. You're not close until it's underwater. Get the momentum up. Ride it like you stole it. I've never wanted someone to come off so much in my life. Please, God. If there's a God, make him fall. Please, God. That was crap. Missed the dust. How good was that? Day five was coming to an end, and everyone made it to Lorello Springs. Some of the river crossings had been challenging, and although Nugget's undeniable desire for me to take a swim was obvious, my will to stay with my head and cylinder above the water prevailed. But by the looks of those legs falling short of the pegs, Nugget had shrunk during the day. Another couple of days of cracking memories and fun, and we were only halfway through the tour. For those interested in more adventure and fun, there are a heap of outtakes that will make you smile. Episode three gets us to Darwin, so stay tuned. It'll be out in a fortnight. Jerry, day three. What was day two like? It was a train wreck. It was tough, wasn't it? But no, it was really good. It was really good. And the bike looks like it's deserving of the adventure badge. Absolutely. Yep, absolutely. Mate, how are you going? Good, mate. Good. Two blown fork steels. Well, I probably just need to clean it out, but they're leaking a bit of oil. Yeah. Hopefully get it fixed. Apart from that, it's been performing like a tractor. Yeah, the mud is just like rock. Yeah. It just sticks on stuff, and it's like rock. It's pretty caked on. I've probably got an extra 10 kilos of mud there that I don't need, but I reckon it'll slowly break off throughout the day. Yeah. Oh, we get off. Vloggo. Mate, to be continued, I think we've got to go, but we'll have a little discussion. This is what happens when you ride after dark. Yeah, a little bit. No, fast. Fast. When you ride after dark, you go slow. I did. No, we got word that he wasn't. How fast was I going? Does anybody want... So, it's weird. Buddy Burke and Wills were pretty hungry when they got here. This is one of their blaze trees here that were blazed originally when they camped, and the worst thing was about being up here is they're just uneducated. They brought stock with them from England that weren't acclimatized to these climates, tried to push them up through this country, which was just really harsh. They came at the wrong time of year during the wet season, and then the saddest thing was they were scared of the Indigenous, and they were actually trying to help them, and the country they starved in was actually some of the highest fodder and wheat, natural wheat that they used to harvest and make into a patty, and they actually died of starvation in an area that was just absolutely livid with food, which is a shame. When they'd come to them, Indigenous, they'd actually take off, and they'd keep moving camp. By the time they actually found him, I think they tried to save Wills at the end, but he actually perished. It was too late. It's a sad day. We've got a lot to learn, haven't we? We have, mate, and the sad thing is after all that, they come to Noah Bay and didn't even make it. No, landed in a bunch of mangroves. Yeah, like he just would have been hostile. But make sure it's your own name. All right, you ready? Okay. Chris from Carroll. Scott from Brisbane. Jerry from Summerhill, Sydney. Greg from Long Bay, Cracksville facility. Ian from Beaufort, Victoria. Say it again. Tony from Geelong. John from Melbourne. Looks like a bush range with that helmet. Nick from Sydney. Woody from Gregory Downs. Dawson, stand off. Bruno from Coppabella. FA, Newcastle. He was a keen climber. Chris Hemsworth, Sydney. Oh, you liar! Rob from Riddles Creek. Andy Richards, Airlie Beach. Daryl, Brisbane. There we go. Elwood Adventures and it's the worst light in the world. Shooting into the sun. One, two, three. So our beloved leader. It's nice to know you. Into a crocodile infested river. Do they eat DRs? Nah. They want to have tough teeth. All right. Get ready to run in. Yeah. Well. Oh! Oh, I don't want the husky to tow you out. Nugget! Nugget, come in. You want me to go across? Yeah, you want the husky to tow him out or what? Yeah, I know. I thought he might have needed a tow. Here comes the T7. He's a guy who's got faith in his... Give it to it, Nugget. There he goes. Yeah, what is happening here? It's a zip tie. No, no, no climb gear for him on top. Yeah, I just had a big night, you know. I know you did. I heard you all night. I had a big breakfast. I also heard you in the toilet this morning. You know what he did? I went in the toilet. There's a big green frog in the toilet. So I said, look, there's no way in the world I can crap on that green frog. It's just not right. So I went in the other toilet. So I says to him, Nugget, there was a green... He said, yeah, I crept right on him. He crept on the green frog and then flushed him down. Then he came back out. Securing fuel bladders. All right, so when you're securing a fuel bladder, you got to be so sure to be sure to be sure. So I put it through a loop. Comes through the loop, through the loop and then through the loop again. That's one. Because if you lose this, you are knackered. Like this is gold. It's nothing worse than being in the outback with no fuel. So that one goes in there. And then one in the handle. One through the handle to make sure. And people are surprised once you get the corrugations, everything comes loose. Everything comes loose. So this comes through and then through again. So looped on the end. All right. Mate, will you be able to fill that with that hose from there? Some bikes' hoses are longer than others. Some are built more like them, I suppose. I don't know what you did there, mate, but you dropped your train of thought. Yeah, come on, we'll have another go. Take two. Take two, Nugget. All right, here we go. Hey, Squid, you reckon you could reach my fuel there with your hose? Yeah, mate, shouldn't be a problem. Some bikes' hoses are longer than others. Some are rounder than they are long. It is true. Some are short and stubby like you too, mate. Yeah, they say short and thick knows the trick. Long and thin, too far in. Kidding me, little man? Hey, I've got another tank here. I know, you're in a bit of a hurry. That's the trouble, you long-range blokes with two tanks, you're kidding me. Has he kept it up? We're in the middle of nowhere, at least. He kept it up, as Woody kept it up. There are flowers on your dashboard. There is. There's beautiful white flowers on my dash. Come on, we've got to have a look at this. Look at this, fellas. This is how to win a girl's heart. Look at that. It's so beautiful. He fuelled it up, cleaned my helmet, put flowers on here for me. He's a sweetie. God, one in a million. Hang on to that one. I will. What's this about electricians, Squid? Well, I am a plumber, mate, and we go on site and every other trade. Builders, concreters, carpenters, they all sit down together in the sparkies, mate. They're a bit queer. There's something weird about them. Pens are always straight, coals straight. They have smuggo by themselves. They're just different, mate. I'll tell you why. They're talking just coming from a plumber. There you go, see? There you go. Even the doomingy Michael says, yep. See this, see this. The electricians are not all there, bud. See, look at this. And I guess, you know, this is a great ride, Woody and Elise's Elwood Adventures ride, because, you know, we're supported, but we're not. Like, we haven't seen a truck for two days, and we won't see it for another two. And it only comes into activation if someone breaks down, a bike breaks down and can't be fixed, or a rider's injured and can't ride. And, you know, that's a wonderful safety net when you're in these areas of isolation. You know, if something happens, you're not going to put your life at risk. And more importantly, you're not putting rescuers' lives at risk. I mean, the medical services out here are stretched, and you don't want to add to their burden if you're not self-sufficient, and that's what I really like about it. The person who really needs the ambulance is not the motorcyclist tripping around and, you know, breaks his leg or shoulder. It's actually the farmer whose child is critically injured, or a tractor rolls on someone while they're trying to earn a living. And that's why I think it's really important, you know, tours such as this give you some autonomy. You know, you've got to make your decisions. How are you finding it? Great. What's your favorite day so far? Second day. That was the toughest, though. That was the toughest. It was just unexpected. Yeah, tough day. Lots of mud, dust, river crossings. Adversity makes memories. It does. It does indeed. Yeah, it's been a challenge, but a good challenge. Yeah. Northern Territory, we're there. Hop in. Nugget, you've got me up at five o'clock. What, we're going to have a life-changing experience, are we? We're going to go. We're going to go up to Inspiration Point. I think you're meant to do this sort of stuff with your wife, but... Sorry, Sonia. Let's go. You've promised me, though, it's not more than a thousand steps, so let's go. A thousand steps, that's what I said.