Aussie - clockwise or anti clockwise?

**xgnr** · 15th January 2011, 07:29

Howdy folks

We are off to the big red Island in April and are now having fun deciding the must do's and getting a route together.

Idea is that we start at Melbourne in Mid April and do the following route

Melbourne
Perth
Darwin
Alice Springs
Melbourne

Any suggestions on this or do it the other way (anti-clockwise) ? All advice welcome.

I have the Aussie Mbike touring atlas so obviously we are doing as many of the great 200 rides that we can fit in.

Cheers
Stu

**Stylo** · 16th January 2011, 19:43

Originally Posted by xgnr

Howdy folks

We are off to the big red Island in April and are now having fun deciding the must do's and getting a route together.

Idea is that we start at Melbourne in Mid April and do the following route

Melbourne
Perth
Darwin
Alice Springs
Melbourne

Any suggestions on this or do it the other way (anti-clockwise) ? All advice welcome.

I have the Aussie Mbike touring atlas so obviously we are doing as many of the great 200 rides that we can fit in.

Cheers
Stu

Been thinking about doing the same in a year or so, were thinking of going clockwise but undecided , like you guys ...what are you riding ?

**Highlander** · 16th January 2011, 19:47

Got sent this link by a friend and read it as the guy was doing it, might be something usefull in there for you guys....

http://www.mt-maunganui.co.nz/OZBike%20Trip.htm

Note the tabs on the right hand side to see pre trip planing etc....

**xgnr** · 16th January 2011, 20:17

Originally Posted by Highlander

Got sent this link by a friend and read it as the guy was doing it, might be something usefull in there for you guys....

http://www.mt-maunganui.co.nz/OZBike%20Trip.htm

Note the tabs on the right hand side to see pre trip planing etc....

Very good thanks... lots of handy tips here that we will check out

**xgnr** · 16th January 2011, 20:20

Originally Posted by Stylo

Been thinking about doing the same in a year or so, were thinking of going clockwise but undecided , like you guys ...what are you riding ?

Hi

We have a Suzuki 650 Vstrom a Beemer R1150rs and a Honda ST1300

I guess we can leave it until we get there and see what part is flooding or burning

**shafty** · 16th January 2011, 22:43

Stu I recall reading about a similiar trip some time ago where they rode anti-clockwise and doing the full lap it made a significant saving in mileage....sorry I canny remember where I read it.... made me really think

**FJRider** · 16th January 2011, 22:52

It doesn't really matter which way you go .... Aussies can't tell time, and most of the roads look the same no matter which way you're travelling ...

And the further west you go ... the further back in time you go ... (just like NZ)

**Highlander** · 17th January 2011, 00:09

Originally Posted by shafty

Stu I recall reading about a similiar trip some time ago where they rode anti-clockwise and doing the full lap it made a significant saving in mileage....sorry I canny remember where I read it.... made me really think

I remember reading something like that too.
They were working on the theory that if you imagine the two lanes of the road basically being a circle within a circle by the time you work the outside one to equate the 20,000 ish km you will do in an Australian circmnavigation, the inside one is down to about 18,000km just by being 2m smaller all the way around.
I don't pretend those numbers to be accurate but they illustrate the pont.

**banditrider** · 17th January 2011, 18:28

It's funny, when I've been sitting there dreaming about doing Oz, I always imagine doing it anti-clockwise - no idea why, that just seems to be the direction that comes to mind.

But, maybe you'd consider the time of year you were going to take advantage of the weather? So maybe if going while it's still warm head south and then west and then end up doing the North when it cools down a bit?

Either way, have fun - I dead keen to give it a go one day so will look forward to the tales of derring-do!

**paturoa** · 17th January 2011, 18:51

Me too!

Getting excited now.

**ducatijim** · 19th January 2011, 14:23

The Nullabor is easier travelled 'with' the wind, ie west to east from my experience. So that = anticlockwise. But, youre only doin it once so, wot the hell?

**shafty** · 19th January 2011, 16:05

Originally Posted by paturoa

Me too!

Getting excited now.

Are you going too Bro? Good on ya! (There goes the trip decorum lol)

**shafty** · 19th January 2011, 16:07

Originally Posted by ducatijim

The Nullabor is easier travelled 'with' the wind, ie west to east from my experience. So that = anticlockwise. But, youre only doin it once so, wot the hell?

DucatiJim should know - good advice here.....

**paturoa** · 19th January 2011, 19:33

Originally Posted by shafty

Are you going too Bro? Good on ya! (There goes the trip decorum lol)

Yep. Me, Xgnr and a buddy of his from up norf.

Piggy Muldoon had the right idea. People going to Ozzie raise the average IQ of both cuntries! So my challenge is to raise the decorum of both!

**SPman** · 20th January 2011, 17:04

Originally Posted by ducatijim

The Nullabor is easier travelled 'with' the wind, ie west to east from my experience. So that = anticlockwise. But, youre only doin it once so, wot the hell?

The Nullabor is easier travelled in the "Indian Pacific", reading a book and having a drink, or several, with your bike in the baggage car.........