‘Out where the river broke, The bloodwood and the desert oak, Holden wrecks and boiling diesels, Steam in forty five degrees….’ So goes the legendary Midnight Oil tune ‘Beds are Burning’, a song – one of many perfectly appropriate Aussie classics – that played daily on Broken Hill’s Hill FM last week.
Bicycling Australia recently spent a dream week in the Outback – allocating a week to make the most of the staggering scenery, breathtaking landscapes and surprising cycling opportunities between Adelaide & Sydney via the remote Barrier Highway.
Focus Paralane In The Outback
Test riding a Focus Paralane, an endurance bike fitted with Shimano Ultegra disc and CX then later Schwalbe G-One 35mm tyres, we explored roads, tracks and paths in the various towns, large and small, along the way.
A full review of the Focus Paralane will feature in a forthcoming print edition of Bicycling Australia, and a destination article on ‘Riding the Aussie Outback’ is coming soon. You can also see a video we filmed along the way with Broken Hill bike shop proprietor Ricky Cooper who has a novel way of solving an Outback puncture problem.
Enjoy the gallery!
https://youtu.be/D7akB4edTvU
Early morning around 200km south of Broken Hill.One of the many country roads along the way – a launch point to test ride the Focus Paralane.Dawn in the historic village of Silverton.Alongside the Barrier Hwy between Broken Hill and Wilcania.Bulldust quickly coated the Focus Paralane’s Shimano Ultegra groupset.Visiting Burra House, made famous on the cover of Midnight Oil’s Diesel & Dust album cover.Emu’s patrol Broken Hill’s Lakeview Caravan and Camping Park.The Ten Dollar Town Motel in Gulgong, NSW – the famous mining town that featured on the Australian $10 note.The Focus Paralane at dawn – a full review of the impressive endurance machine will feature in a forthcoming edition of Bicycling Australia.Camp for the night alongside the Barrier Highway in Far Western NSW.The Focus Paralane near the historic Silverton cemetery.One of the many well-preserved historic buildings in the town of Gulgong.At the township of Olary in South Australia.The welcome to Silverton in Far West NSW.The Focus Paralane alongside a wrecked car and ruins in Silverton.The author after a morning ride and before a visit to the Mad Max Museum in Silvertone (highly recommended!).‘Holden wrecks and boiling diesels …’One of the many old Holden’s seen alongside the road.Sunrise in Far Western New South Wales.Bulldust on the bike and shoes after a morning ride in the far west.Arkaroola in the Flinders Ranges … maybe next time.A stop at the site of the childhood home of Henry Lawson between Gulgong & Mudgee.Stormfront on the return ride to Gulgong from Mudgee.A far western sunrise – worth it for the view alone.
Nat Bromhead
