Some Jobs, Some Responsibilities, No Better Time Than Now: Cruising to Margaret River and the like

So, for the past month or so Kristi and I have settled into our new existence here in Australia. However, things haven't been completely boring! Kristi rides her scooter to work 5 days a week, and is getting more comfortable with riding as each day goes by. It's a lot of fun for her, which makes me happy. I'm ever so slightly instilling the idea that Asia to Europe on mini-motos will be an excellent 12 month honeymoon. By the time we leave Australia, it will have been her idea from the very beginning. What do they call that... Inception right? I'll master it!

Meanwhile a couple of weeks ago, Kristi was bored. She wanted to get out Perth on our two days off. Let's go to Margaret River, she said. Lets take the scooter, she said. We can take the back roads, it says so on Google Maps, she said.

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA.

I'm a nice guy, I didn't laugh in her face, however, I did laugh at the idea. Margaret river is 250km's, or roughly 150 miles south of where we live. The Piaggio Fly 125 barely hits 90kmph with Kristi and I riding on it two up. Quite a few of the speed limits down to Margaret river are 100kmph, and 110kmph. We can't even go the speed limit when riding two up. Well that didn't phase her. However, I am a bit more realistic, and effectively she doesn't have any motorcycle traveling experience other than a few day trips to eastern Washington (180 miles on the back of my BMW K75), whereas I've traveled a bit.

So, needless to say, together we underwent an exercise in futility. If it was a 125cc 56 peed CBR125, or even a fuel injected 125cc moped, or a two stroke 125cc engine, it would have been a different story. BUT it wasn't, so it turned out to be quite the experience.

It started with an easy 80kmph zone. Not too bad. However, it soon progressed to a 100kmph zone, and I soon found myself drafting behind cars to catch up to trucks, to scoot in behind the trucks for 10-20km's at a time. Suddenly I found myself cruising at an easy 100kmph, tackling hills at 95kmph behind the trucks. Holy shit... We might make it all the way there without riding in the shoulder!?

NOT. WE spent about 100km's riding in the shoulder. If that wasn't hairy enough, getting passed by semi's got a bit interesting. Kristi trusts in the bike though, and the rider, and looked straight ahead and didn't freak out. More than can be said for some others I think. Awesome.

Kristi and I started well, and ended well. But it was a 5hr experience at around a 50kmph/average both there and back.

It was a nice sunny day when we left. Around 85*F. Bitchin moped weather.

Starting mileage

About 80minutes later, we crossed the bridge over a river, crossing into Mandurah.

A quick rest stop along the route

And we're almost there!

When we got there, because we had left around noon, it was time to settle into our hostel and hit the town for some food for dinner. And so we did. Here's a quick shot of Kristi posing in front of an advertisement sign.

Parked in front of the hostel, where it's quite normal to pay $100/night for a queen sized bed in a private bedroom with a private bathroom. Camping is the only way to tackle Australian travel on a strict budget. Good thing we have jobs!

That night, we had a great dinner at a local restaurant. I didn't have the camera/phone to snag a photo unfortunately, but it was great.

The next day we had to hit the road early. Kristi worked at 6am the next day, and I worked at 8am. We left at 1pm and made it back by 6pm. On the route we snagged a few shots of the landscape.

Some farmland

ZOOM ZOOM!!!

Same river on the way home

And there you have it. A 530km round trip ride (just over 300miles) in 2 days, on a Piaggio Fly 125. It was a whirlwind, ass hauling adventure that didn't result in much except to teach a lesson. We don't have time while we're working to take trips on mopeds father than 100km each way.

Well, the good times didn't stop there. The next week we were invited over to Andy's place for a full lamb on a spit roast. 30lbs of lamb cooking away on the spit is AWESOME.

Carving up 30lbs of spit roasted lamb is even more awesome.

I'm telling you, it's straight up awesome.

Just eat it. There is nothing else to do at this point.

Between Andy, Charlie, his brother Andrew, Kristi and I, Cass, and Charlies sister, we made short work of it.

Kristi went to town on it. YES!

Of course, during all of this, I'm still going to work 5 days a week. So I get to see some pretty cool sights. Here's an Australian navy vessel doing some firefighting exercises.