Long Ride 2014 - Day 3 - Bourke to Charleville

Bourke, NSW to Charleville, Qld
Distance - 593km (1615km)
Weather - Sunny 35 degrees

Day 3 of the Long Ride started in perfect conditions, it finished in anything but.

We left Bourke quite early after a biggish night at the Kidman Camp.  The riding was great as we headed towards the Queensland border and Mary's last pub in New South Wales just outside Berringun. We'd stopped here last time and with 90 year old Mary being such a character we had to stop for a beer.

Mary again gave us the history of the place and her thoughts on world affairs before we crossed the border.

The next stop was Cunnamulla, around an extra 120km further north.  The ride here was quite pleasant especially as we spread out were able to ride alone for a while.

The Charleville bridge explosion ...
it put an end to my Long Ride.

I dropped back and sat between two groups.  Quickly losing sight of those in front I felt like I was the only person here.  This became even more evident when the riders behind me disappeared.  It was actually starting to become a little worrying.

After 20 minutes or so I pulled over to wait.  Some time later they appeared, it was nothing too serious just one of the bikes had run out of fuel and needed a quick top up.

We grouped together and rode into Cunnamulla to refuel our bikes and ourselves.  A few of us to use this break to plan the next stage of the days riding, one that would see us take the original detour put in place when the bridge near Charleville was destroyed by an explosion.

This detour would see us ride an additional 50km by taking on around 70km of dirt track.  This is where the real adventure would start.

We rode 100km to Wyandra, stopped at the Gladstone Hotel for a quick cold Coke and a chat to the publican who told us the route we would be taking was in pretty good condition.

With this in mind we ventured on our way and took to the dirt.

Initially the road was a little rough and had deep patches of bulldust - very fine talcum like sand that has an almost fluid affect when pressure is applied to it.  In this stuff the bikes squirm and become very unpredictable.  We overcame the worst of it and continued on.

The remainder of the track was fine, or so I thought.  With just a few hundred metres of dust remaining before we would the bitumen, my bike ploughed into a deep patch of bulldust, it immediately twitched to the left, then the right, and finally violently to the left.  As it did this I was thrown sideways making the bike skip, bucking me up and over the handlebars.  I came down heavily on my left side as the bike rolled over the top of me.

The dust settled and a constant drone was the first thing I recalled, out the corner of my eye I could see the bike on it's side with pieces scattered all over the place. I tried to prop myself up to switch the bike off, the drone was actually the horn sounding.  Propping myself up was the first sign something was wrong, my shoulder popped, the pain was immense.  Then I noticed that my left hip was also in trouble.  Funnily I knew immediately that my shoulder was broken, I also thought I'd broken my pelvis as I was unable to stand.

The others came back for me and set about getting me and the bike off the road.  Immediately a bloke in a ute stopped, asked a few questions, but offered no help before heading off.  As I began to slip into unconsciousness another ute stopped.  Brendan, the driver immediately started loading my gear into his car, and then got me in.  The next 30km's were the hardest I have ever done as he took me to hospital.  The pain was immense.

My Long Ride finishes here.
The Long Fly or Drive is just
beginning.

The hospital staff were fantastic and set about getting me fixed.  Xrays showed no head  or neck injuries, despite my helmet suggesting otherwise - thanks Shoei.  My hip was also alright, just severely bruised. Unfortunately my left collarbone was broken in a number of places and at first surgery was suggested, thankfully this was counted out but the solution was bloody painful - a weird corset like contraption around my shoulders.  At least I can get back on the road even if it means by plane, train or automobile ... the bike is out of the question.

While the ride continues I feel remorseful in the fact that I have let down the many businesses and individuals who have helped me fund raise, they will be some that I won't be able to visit but will do my best to get to the others.  I do hope that this doesn't set me back too much in reaching the target of $20,000.