The idea

When he first suggested we go to Australia it seemed quite appealing. Both of us wanted to go to the central outback for different, but overlapping reasons.
Cris wanted to take photos, experience the desert in its various moods and get away from work.
I wanted to take photos, experience Cris in his various moods(so far I only know grumpy) and I wanted to get even further from work. Oh, and I was keen to cross the Simpson and maybe do some of the iconic routes, such as the Canning Stock route, Hays River track and whatever else came our way.
When we started looking into it in more detail it became clear that what I had in mind is an expedition, not a holiday, and that neither of us had any of the skill set needed to put such a thing together. Clearly the solution was to get the right people on board and get dragged along on their coat tails. This approach has worked admirably for me in the past and so the feelers went out.
After quite a rigorous selection process we managed to get one more person locked in. He had almost all the required criteria in that he lives in Sydney (and therefore is now our outback specialist). He has a 4x4. He has balls the size of melons or he is daft as a plank, I can never be sure which. Mostly though, he was willing to come along. He is Lucien, identified generally as Big Luce. 
So we hatched a plan to do a loop from Sydney to Adelaide to Alice and then back home. Myself and Luce would travel on dual-sport bikes and Cris would follow in the vehicle containing all the necessities.
After weeks of poring over maps, planning logistics and poring over more maps we came to the inevitable conclusion. The addition of Big Luce had not solved our skill set gap. We also had the inconvenience of jobs and families that we could not, tempting though it might be, desert for several months. Also, none of us felt ready to die in the desert.
Plan C was hatched. We would hire vehicles in Darwin, travel South to Alice, do a tourist loop of the centre with perhaps some intriguing diversions and then back to Darwin via Kakadu. More details will be forthcoming as we do the trip but for now we work on a need to know basis (I have learnt never to say too much as the plan always evolves).
So,a bit about my travel partners. I work with Cris and so, quite obviously, I have to be measured in what I have to say..
He is Romanian. Nuff said.
I don't work with Luce and see him far to infrequently. Therefore I can be more forthright shall I say. Firstly, I love him. Secondly he is a very bad man. Naughty. His lovely wife Melissa is almost saintly in her patience. He may be worth it but I doubt it. I think he is probably a spy or something, as there is so much I would like to say but it is all classified.
Cris and Luce have never met. Its lovely to watch their email exchanges. So polite. So considerate. Neither of them realises the other is an arse yet. Bringing them together in a situation from which there is no escape is half the reason I am doing this trip. Expect to be entertained.
So, what about the bikes. Rentals rather than my own beloved 990. Two BMW 800GS's. They are competent all rounders and lets face it, the Germans don't make rubbish so I am quite keen to see how they go. 
We will be riding more straight sealed roads than I care for, but also some dirt and the odd 4x4 track. Bring it on.
And now I really must start packing!