Its tough being in the West. Once you’ve done all the backroads and Deserts (and there is a lot of ‘em here) then you have to venture ‘over East’ in order to tick off a couple of items on your Bucket List. In my case it was Cameron Corner (Junction of SA/NSW and QLD), Innamincka and the Strzelecki Track. Why? Because they are a couple of the places I hadn’t been to and that I had read about often. Besides, I’ve got the bike and I’ve got the time.

In my case I approached Tibooburra from the South which was being threatened by a major weather front late in the afternoon. There was a quick but heavy downpour so the idea of venturing onto the Cameron Corner Road had no appeal (not after rain). I spoke to the local Copper and he suggested allowing it to dry overnight before continuing. I listened to his advice; after all, these are the guys who end up rescuing you when it all goes pear shaped and I did not want to become a headline.

Tibooburra at Sunset after a heavy downpour.  Time to find a place to stay locally and continue tomorrow.

The road to Cameron Corner is all unsealed and although I had done my homework I was still a little spooked. I was travelling solo on a fully loaded R1200 which is a handful in good conditions. If I encountered any real snotty conditions I could find myself out of my depth. Additionally, I was aware of an Adventure Riders fatality on this road in 2009 and that caused me some anxiety. The Rider, Brad Holmes was thrown from his F800 and the bike (the rear peg) landed on him tearing his aorta.  Brad bled out on the track before assistance arrived. He was part of a small group but before the remainder of the group reached him he had passed away.

The Memorial to Brad Holmes at the site of the accident. Brad was 44 years old, married with two daughters. RIP Brad.

Thankfully, my journey to Cameron’s Corner was seamless with little complication. There’s not much at Cameron Corner! The Plinth, indicating the junction of the 3 States, and The Corner Store. The store reportedly has a Queensland liquor license, a New South Wales postal code and a South Australian telephone number. The Corner was named after John Brewer Cameron, from the New South Wales Lands Department.

The Plinth at the Corner.

After the necessary refuel and can of Coke I continued toward Innamincka expecting to arrive just before last light the same day. There was evidence from the rain the day before and some of the conditions were a bit tricky with areas that looked firm until you broke the surface. Usually momentum would get you thru. I could tell there was another storm brewing. I was just hopeful I would reach Innamincka before the rains hit. It was not to be!

I could see the Storm Front in the distance. I was just hopeful I would make it to my destination in time.

The wind started to pick up and I knew I was in trouble. The storm hit with a vengeance. The combination of strong wind and heavy rain forced me to pull over until the storm front passed. I had about 1 hour of daylight and 25 km to go. Sadly, once again, it was not to be.

By now, the road was soaked resulting in very challenging and difficult riding conditions. I was determined to reach Innamincka by nightfall because the options weren’t pleasant. Even in first gear and trying to maintain momentum it was fruitless. The result was inevitable.

Inbound to Innamincka after the thunderstorm. Even at a snail’s pace it was difficult riding. Once your tyre tread fills up with mud traction becomes a problem. This was like riding on ice. I could smell victory but ended up camping on the side of the road that night.

Remarkably, I was able to stand the bike up by myself…adrenalin played a part. It was obvious that continuing was not an option so I camped on the side of the road that night. The following day was clear (weather wise) and after the road dried out a bit I limped into Innamincka arriving just before noon. All surrounding roads were closed so it was time to bunker down and wait for things to improve.

I looked at all the alternatives tracks to leave Innamincka but there were no clear options. Might as well get comfortable.

It took 48 hours before the roads and tracks were deemed trafficable and so I made my way down the Strzelecki Track passed the Moomba Gas Works and onto Lyndhurst. From there it was a case of slabbing it back home to Perth. I had ticked off those from my bucket list and was happy to be heading home. My adventure was ending.

Author – Steve Bly, WA