VOL. 52 ISSUE 37 SEPTEMBER 15, 2015 P85
Four hours into the day's ride, we're knack-
ered, spent from having the bikes pinned for so
long and laughing and grinning so hard our faces
hurt.
"It's days like these I remember why I really
love dirt bikes!" Adrian, a property developer
from Queensland's Gold Coast, belts out. We all
nod, smile and agree. And go back to lying half
comatosed after lunch and get ready for the QAA
line into Birdsville.
The previous four-and-a-half days gave real
meaning to the term "adventure." This is not a
ride to get coffee. This is real adventure, on light
bikes built for speed—Honda CRF450Xs—some-
thing I guess you'd expect from one of Austra-
lia's most successful MotoGP exponents. It's
like a week's worth of rider training and fitness
has been given to us as an added extra. Our
ride snakes from Alice Springs in the Northern
Territory, through Mount Dare and into South
Australia, before looping back into Queensland
and eventually Birdsville (the first group went
Birdsville-Alice Springs). We get pounded on
the French Line, swim in 97ºF desert water in
Dalhousie Springs and camp under the shadows
of the famous Lone Gum tree.
And we all make 10 new mates.
Before the crew met in Alice Springs, most rid-
