In late September 2024 I met up with my mate Nathan for a coffee. To be fair, we thought it best to find a place equidistant between us, Ultimately then, we arrived in Tottenham NSW, about 900km to my south and 800km to the north of Nathan.

Failing to find a Starbucks, under great duress we compromised and patronised the Pub instead. Plan B is always better. Well, often.

As fate would have it the BMW Touring Club of NSW had decided to hold their annual ‘Far Cairn Rally’ to coincide with our coffee date.

The Far Cairn Rally is held within hopping distance of the geographic centre of New South Wales. There a cairn marks the point of destination, a safety measure that prevents attendees from venturing too far out into the desert.

The Rooney Tuned 1150 ‘Baja’ was the right choice for the ride. Agile and with long legs it thrives on the sparse pickings of the semi arid regions, though does get thirsty when pushed to hard. But pushing on would be necessary and so I sacrificed a EO-9 Dakar rear tyre to the gods of the cairn and that it seemed was enough to keep my skinny butt from making high speed contact with the endless ribbons of rock and red dirt. Mostly.

Eventually Nathan and I ran out of jokes about meeting for coffee and decided just to go home. For me that meant a slight diversion with a night or two each in the Pilliga Scrub, Warrumbungles and Kings Plains.

The Pilliga Scrub is brilliant. Yowies or no. Timmallallie National Park sits within the south end of the Pilliga Scrub. The Dandry Gorge walk during wildflower season is stunning on its own, but the inclusion of sculptures created by the Gamilaraay People knocks it out of this world. Honestly I thought it sounded a bit kitsch when I heard about it, but the reality was exceptionally moving and so very well integrated with the landscape.

It would be easy to get lost in the Pilliga, the extent of cypress pine stands mess with your sense of distance travelled and points of reference. But if you keep heading in the same direction long enough you will find a way out.

Or, you can just climb the fire tower.

If you’re ever considering visiting the Bungles, throw caution to the wind, be prepared to dodge a bit of wildlife and ride in from the west on sunset. Trust me. Just do it.

I had not been expecting to stop at Kings Plains but when getting close the sky opened up and gave me what excuse I needed. Best excuse I ever had. Brilliant campground all to myself. So I stayed two nights and spent my days exploring waterholes along Kings Plains Creek. Superb.

That bought my coffee jaunt to an end. The Rooney 1150 Baja performed consistently brilliantly . I did occasionally, but I rest a whole lot better than it. Arguably.

There are many more pictures of course but below is my favorite bike shot. The story written in the wheel ruts….On occasion I came up behind people with giant 4×4 towing giant caravans all throwing up massive clouds of lingering dust. They will never see you (some I’m sure never look to) and so the best option to come around was to get over on the shoulder, flash the light, sound the horn and shoot past. But you have to get that right, or, it might all go wrong.

Safe travels folks.