Background

On Boxing Day I shall be departing Adelaide for Melbourne by scooter, and at some point in the following three weeks, be arriving back in Adelaide by the same means. Contained within the scooter will be everything, save food and drinks, that required for the journey.

The scooter in question - a 2007 Hyosung Rally - has an engine capacity of 50cc with an official output of 3.5bhp (2.57kW), a top speed of 60km/h (on a good day and on the flat), and almost 12000km on the odometer. Other than for the storage box mounted on the back, it is in stock form. It weighs 88kg (with rider and luggage will be approximately double this), and has a fuel tank size of 4.8L.

In other words, hardly a fearsome beast.

With such a racy top speed, the destination is ultimately unimportant - it's about the journey. Each day will be taken as it comes, rather than planning meticulously in advance. There will be no fixed goal for each day, with the sights of the road determining the speed with which Melbourne is reached.

In order to assist the scooter handle the long distances, a small jerrycan will be taken along for the ride (the scooter has a range of 120-130km, depending on conditions, but with the additional load, this will likely drop). A small toolkit shall also be packed, but that's about it.

Accommodation will consist of a lightweight one-person tent and a sleeping bag pitched at a caravan park or camping site each evening. Food will be purchased on route as needed. A water bottle will provide liquid between towns.

In order to keep this blog updated, a netbook and mobile phone will be taken, as will a camera to capture the journey in images.