I decided to keep it relatively local for my first trip, think of it as a 'shake down ride' before heading off somewhere remote, a chance to test my gear and decide if this motocamping malarke was for me. My thinking was to find somewhere that felt remote but was close enough to a town, was basic but preferably had at least a toilet (a shower would be a bonus!) and wasn't honkingly expensive.
After a lot of searching and asking around I finally found a website/app that appeared to offer what I was after. HipCamp appears to be a direct clone of the very popular AirBnb website (perhaps it's the same company?!) but tailored to camping. The ability to filter by amenities, location features (lake, river, farm, beach etc.) and activity was really great and I soon had a fairly extensive list of places that fitted the bill.
The clear winner was Bushywood at Woodfordskilake. Not only were the reviews excellent, the location was perfect in that (as the names suggests) the campsite is on a lake (with fish in it!), it had a toilet/shower block, was just outside Woodford (so perfect for supplies) and as an added bonus, the owner could supply firewood! It sounded amazing.
My extensive research had resulted in me forking out for some excellent Kriega OS-18 Adventure Pack bags complete with the Kriega OS Base Pannier Bag Mounting System to fit them to the bike and a Nelson-Rigg RG-HS Exhaust Shield to stop everything melting the plastics on the bike. I figured two of these bags plus the ROK-Straps already on the bike would give me enough storage space with the tent strapped in place on top. Complete the set up with a Denali Kakadu II Hike Tent, a Mountain Designs Airlite 5.5 sleeping mat​, an old zone 1 sleeping bag I still had kicking around from when we travelled around Australia in 2005 and a 360 Degrees Furno Stove & Pot Set and I had everything for a quick overnight camping trip off the bike.
Now for my first mistake: for some crazy reason I decided that leaving after work on Thursday afternoon was a good idea... And instead of opting for the cruisy ride to Dayboro and over Mount Mee I thought I'd just blast up the highway...
I was rolling by 4pm and of course instantly got stuck in traffic. The highway was solid and it took me ages to get into Woodford and pick up supplies, I was literally racing the sunset to the campground. Not ideal as I didn't really know where I was going and dusk is a terrible time to be hacking around tiny Australian roads as that's when the kangaroos love to hop out of the undergrowth and argue with vehicles.
But by some miracle I managed to get there unscathed just as the last rays of the sunset were leaving the sky! After a quick chat with the host, I picked up my bag of firewood, got down to my spot by the lake and set up camp in a cloud of mosquitoes (luckily I had Aeroguard otherwise I think I'dve been eaten alive...).
It was a beautiful spot, I wished I'd got there earlier to check it out in the daylight. But after wrestling with the tent for a bit (note to self: always set up new kit at home first. It's a lot easier to figure out when it's not dark!) I got all the kit off the bike and stowed away before getting the campfire going. Dinner on this occasion was going to be simple: noodles and beer! Nothing gourmet, just simple and filling.
By this time it was pushing 10ish and I was knackered... The heat, the rushed drive up and setting up in the dark had taken its toll and I was ready to crash out. The night was really quiet and I actually slept pretty well and awoke to an amazing sunrise over the water.
According to the host, the two lakes do have fish in them but I couldn't get them to bite! I got the distinct impression there are a lot of Tilapia present and I didn't have the right bait (well, that's my excuse!) but I'll defo be having another go at them on a return trip.
The day warmed up really quickly and after a quick shower I packed up the bike and got back on the road, this time taking the more scenic route up over the hills and home via Mount Mee and Dayboro.
The good news is that I loved the Motocamping experience and all my gear performed perfectly. Luckily I chose a great camping spot as Bushywood at Woodfordskilake really is a fantastic place - incredibly friendly hosts, amazing location (especially by the water), basic but good facilities and all at a reasonable price ($23.36 for the night and $20 for a big bag of firewood.
I'll definitely be back, next time with some worms to chase those Tilapia down!