Winter ride...

My absence from aus.moto during most of June can be explained thus...

Day 1 Melbourne to Wagga Wagga.
Not much excitement. Aim to get as far north as possible, so Melba Hwy
to yea, Then Midland link Hwy towards Benalla, some backroads through
Tatong, Greta West, Glenrowan, then east to Myrtleford, north to Yack,
Wodonga, on the Hume at Albury and off it again onto the Olympic Hwy and
to Wagga Wagga.

Day 2 Wagga Wagga to Windsor
Olympic Hwy through Junee, Coota, Young, Blaney, Bathurst.. the
obligatory photo stop and lap around Mt Panorama, then off the Hwy to
Oberon, too wet and foggy to enjoy the Jenolan caves road so shortcut to
Lithgow, then Bells Line to Windsor for the night. The wet weather gear
came out midway between Young and Cowra and stayed on for most of the
day. Light rain around Cowra, lots of fog around Oberon/Lithgow and then
again near Richmond where it turned to rain for the last few km to
Windsor.

Day 3 Windsor to Wyong.
Went to visit Joe from Underdog Leathers for breakfast then he led us
through Galston Gorge and up the Old Road to the Road Warriors Cafe at
Mt White where Boky's family were planting a tree and a plaque and his
ashes in his memory. From there Pisshead Pete led us astray, up the rest
of the old road and to his house where the rest of the afternoon is best
remembered by she who didn't have a beer in her hand for the remainder
of the day and night. Happy Birthday Pete!

Day 4 Wyong to Muswellbrook.
Finally a destination which doesn't start with "W"! After getting lost
by missing a Kulnura turnoff, we were back on track, down to Mangrove
Mtn, down the Wisemans Ferry road, across that ferry, and the Sackville
ferry north of Windsor we run the Putty Road from Wilberforce to Bulga,
then left to Jerry's Plains and a few km thereafter right to cut the
corner to Muswellbrook. Slowed down a few km short of Muswellbrook
because the ratio of roadkill to road is increasing, and stopped at the
crest of a hill to take some scenic photos shortly afterwards. Once we
were checked into a motel closer inspection of a photo Jo had taken
revealed no less than 25 roos standing about 100 metres from the
roadside.

Day 5 Muswellbrook to Port Macquarie.
First stop of the morning is Singleton where we have a pie for breakfast
at the bakery we have been well advised by a Ulyssian who approaches us
in town is the place where all bikers go. We must have looked
particularly hungry. As luck would have it the bakery is a few metres
down the road from the local bike shop, which I need because I lost my
throttle side bar end somewhere back near Bathurst and my throttle
handgrip keeps wanting to slide off the end of the bar. The dealer gives
me the part numbers I require and I take a punt on them arriving in
Lismore before me and order them from the Lismore Honda dealer over the
phone. We're off the Hwy again, to Dungog via Gresford on a likely
candidate for the most potholed road of NSW award. Then north on
Bucketts way to Gloucester and Nabiac for a poke around the National
Motorcycle Museum before taking the Pacific Hwy north through Taree. Off
the Hwy again at Kew, around the beach to Lake Cathie and to Pt Macq for
the night.

Day 6 Port Macquarie to Ebor.
Up early and run the Oxley Hwy west to Tamworth, then north again
retracing a few km of ground already covered to Uralla, off the hwy
again and some backroads to Gostwyck, some pretty good dirt and gravel
roads leading from there around to Dangar Falls, but there is no water
falling, north to Armidale and then onto Waterfalls way to Ebor falls
and I've already booked a motel room at the Ebor Falls Hotel. The sun is
just setting as we arrive, and the thermometer is dipping substantially.
The bar of the pub is warmed by an open fire and our motel room is
already warm because the owners have fired up the heater in the room
pending our arrival. They win our unanimous vote as the best place we've
stayed at on the trip, and retain that title throughout the trip.

Day 7 Ebor to Gold Coast.
Not too early a start today, when we wake up the bikes parked in a
carport overnight are covered in ice crystals. We wait until the sun has
melted the frost on the grass and ice on the roads... and also until the
sun has warmed up the BMWs fuel lines enough to let the fuel flow and
the engine kick over, then Dorrigo, Bellingen, Coffs Harbour, and up the
Pacific Hwy to Grafton. North on the Summerland way to Casino where a
check of my phone messages reveals the parts have arrived in Lismore,
which is only another 30km down the road. Good timing. They're fitted
and we're off again, in search of some backroads to Nimbin. After
getting lost we're running out of daylight, so we take the road to
Mullumbimby which looks much more sealed on the map than in person, then
the Pacific Hwy across the border to the Gold Coast.

Day 8 Gold Coast Hinterland day
Through Nerang to Canungra for breakfast, then take the 40km trip to
O'Reilly's Guesthouse. Back to Canungra, then to Beechmont, Advancetown,
down the Numinbah Valley Road, turn off to Natural Bridge, and Best of
All Lookout, then back to the Gold Coast via Mudgeeraba.

Day 9 Gold Coast to Lismore
First north on the motorway to Yatala for a pie for breakfast, then via
Tamborine and Beaudesert to the Mt Lindesay Hwy, take the Lions road
turnoff about 10km before Rathdowney, across the border and onto the
Summerland way to Kyogle, across to Nimbin, then off the beaten track,
this time finding road through The Channon and Dunnoon and then on to
Lismore.

Day 10 Lismore to Brisbane
Was planning to head back into QLD via Murwillumbah and the Numinbah
Valley this morning but the low clouds and forecast of rain send us to
the coast. First to Ballina, then up the Pac Hwy again to Brisbane. Wet
roads and a couple of small showers to the coast, then a very brief but
heavy downpour near Byron Bay. Over the border again and a find and dry
run into Brisbane. A bed, a fridge full of cold beer and MotoGP racing
on Foxtel.. thanks Clem.

Day 11 Brisbane to Noosa Heads
Dayboro Road and Mt Mee, then to Woodford to visit Elvis Parsley's
Grapelands and to see the singing greengrocer. Back down the D'angular
to Caboolture, Beerbarrum, Beerwah, left to Peachester and a loop around
Candle Mountain with a detour around Melany, Montville, then down the
hill to Palmwoods, a gem of a road, Woombye, Nambour then around about
700 roundabouts to get to Noosa Heads.

Day 12 Noosa Heads to Bundaberg
Tewantin, then Gympie up the Pacific Hwy for most of the run. The roads
are wet but no rain yet. Wet weather gear on in Gympie and we're off the
Hwy again to Tin Can Bay. A shower on our way into town which clears.
North to Maryborough and Harvey Bay where the sun is out, but the wets
stay on, because on the rain starts when we get to Childers and it's
bucketting down all the way into Bundy. As fate would have it as soon as
we get ourselves settled into a motel the rain stops and the skies
clear. Unpack the bike and discover the Ventura rack has started to
crack just above where the rack sits in the l-brackets.. another trip to
the bike shop to order a new one from Melbourne.

Day 13 Daytrip to 1770
There's really only one road to 1770 and back. Through sugarcane fields
with terribly undulating and bumpy roads at first, then onto some more
reasonable roads. Huge lunchtime servings at the cafe in the township
opposite the beach.

Day 14 Lazy day.
short ride out to South Kolan to view the "Mystery Craters" which were
much more mysterious before we entered Qld'd version of pissweak world
Stop at the bike shop to see when they think the rack might arrive, only
to be told it wasn't ordered till this morning. They give me my money
back and I take the broken one to a welder for a $10 repair.

Day 15 Bundaberg to Kingaroy
Bundy to Childers, this time via Elliot. The roads are dry from
overnight shower by the time we hit Ban Ban Springs. North up the
Burnett hwy to Mundubberah, Boondooma, Proston, Murgon, Goomeri, south
on the Burnett and into Kingaroy for the night.

Day 16 Kingaroy to Rathdowney
On Glitch's recommendation we head out to the Bunya mountains. WHAT A
fucking RIPPER!!!!!!!!!!!! The 25km through the mountains there would
just about be the best road we've ridden this far in the trip, and hard
to imagine any better still to come. Next we're on the plains, and the
roads are relatively straight and flat through Goombungee to the New
England Hwy. South and then off the Hwy at Hampton for the run to Esk,
another great road. Esk to Somerset Dam, then down through Mt Glorious
and Mt Nebo to the outskirts of Brisbane, a quick squirt up Mt Coot-Tha,
then the motorway to Ipswich. Had planned to spend the night here but
unable to find any accommodation so we head south to Boonah. A few km
short of Boonah we can see rain ahead, so divert east to Beaudesert
expecting there will be a better chance of finding a motel there..
there's a chook festival of some sort in town and a tour bus has booked
out all the motels, but the lady at the motel we chose does a ring
around, finds Boonah is also full, but there's one room left at the
Rathdowney hotel. Another great place to stay. Excellent rooms in the
motel units and great counter meals in the pub.

Day 17 Rathdowney to Tenterfield
This morning we head down the Mt Lindesay Hwy, across the border for the
final time, Woodenbong, Urbanville and down another contender for
potholed road of the year. Fortunately the road improves the closer it
gets to the Bruxner Hwy. East down the Bruxner then north on the New
England to Ballandean and back again, stop for a quick squiz at the
Tenterfield Saddler and have some lunch. After lunch I have a look at
the rear tyre on Jo's bike. The metal belts are exposes the whole way
around the centre of the tread, and it's sunday so we head straight for
a motel and search the yellow pages for the local bike shop.

Day 18 Tenterfield to Grafton
Straight to the bike shop this morning. Jo needs a 160/60 rear. The only
road tyre they have in stock is a 170/70 which will be too big to fit
without rubbing. They do a ring around and find a suitable tyre at
Stanthorpe. Armed with their address I ride the 50km north back across
the border to collect the tyre. The Andy Strapz which Jo has been
carrying for the whole trip finally find a use securing the tyre to the
bike. We're back on the road again and stop for lunch in Glen Innes
before heading across the Gwydir Hwy to Grafton and find a cheap room in
a pub.

Day 19 Grafton to Gloucester
Up early again and down the road to Ebor for breakfast. Then turn off
the waterfall way and head to Guyra. About halfway there I look in my
mirror for Jo to see my bag in the wrong place.. and Jo stopping behind
me. My Ventura rack has broken again. The welds on both sides have
broken and the rack and bag has completely detached except for the strap
holding it onto the pillion grab handle. I stop and examine it,
contemplate it for a while, before hanging it in a tree on the side of
the road. The rack bag has straps which make it a backpack. For the 2nd
time in two days the Andy Strapz come out and I strap the rack bag to
the seat bag on my pillion seat. The bag sits on the seat bag and i keep
it steady by wearing it loosely as a backpack as well. Armidale is only
about 50km away and I hope I can buy some throwover panniers there...
which I do. The contents of the bags swapped at the bike shop and the
rack bag parcelled up and posted back to my home. Visit a friend in
Armidale for a 3 minute chat in the afternoon then we have to get
moving, because we've set Gloucester as our destination for the night
and have over 200km to cover in little over 2 hours of daylight left.
Thunderbolts way is a quicker run than I remember, and we roll into
Gloucester just as the twilight fades.

Day 20 Gloucester to Woronora
Yet another early start. No idea what the overnight temperatures have
been on this trip but this one is no warmer than any of the others.
Bucketts Way south to the Pacific hwy, duck into Karuah for breakfast,
then south again on the Hwy to Hexham, then Kurri Kurri, Cessnock,
Broke, Wollombi, Bucketty, Kulnura, Peats Ridge to Hornsby. Armed with
the knowledge that it'll be an easy job navigating the Cumberland Hwy to
the #5 Motorway all I need to do is follow the #7 signs. This works well
for a while, say 2 or 3 km, and then I discover that the RTA has gone
and covered over all of the numbers on the signs... so now I have to
navigate by road name and town name. How convenient. Some signs are
labelled by Cumberland Hwy and some by the road's specific local names.
Some point to Parramatta, others to Liverpool or Canberra. After a few
mis-navigations, and much cursing of the RTA we finally make it to the
#5 motorway, take the Heathcote Rd exit and follow Heathcote Rd all the
way back to the Princes Hwy. Within stones throw of the caravan park
we're staying at I stop to check directions. Jo stops and points at her
almost new back tyre. Within a few minutes it's dead flat. Get some
rough directions to a bike shop from some shop assistants and with the
help of a compressed air cartridge she's back on the road again. A few
minutes later and another cartridge and we get to a petrol station, with
an air pump and better instructions to a bike shop. With 40PSI in the
tyre it's leaking air so fast it sounds like the valve is missing. It's
late and the shop can't repair the puncture today so we leave the bike
overnight and they'll do it first thing in the morning. The van park is
just a short taxi ride away for Jo, and following the taxi saves me the
trouble of trying to navigate around the city with no straight roads.

Day 21 Woronora to Narooma
A not-so-early start due to puncture repairs. Straight into the Royal
National Park, through Stanwell park, across the new Seacliff bridge
which really has to be seen to be appreciated, through a dozen little
villages before bypassing Wollongong on the Fwy and visiting the Nan
Tien Buddhist Temple, up Macquarie Pass to Robertson, gross
disappointment at the lack of potato pies at the pie shop, down Kangaroo
Valley to Nowra then the Princes Hwy to Ulladulla, Bateman's Bay and
Narooma for the night.


Day 22 Narooma to Sale
Off the Hwy soon and along the coastal road to Bermagui, Tathra,
Merimbula for breakfast, back on the Princes Hwy then off just before
the border and onto the Imlay Road, one of my favourites (and they've
sealed the final 400 metres). Down the Monaro/Cann Valley Hwy to Cann
River, the Princes Hwy again to Newmerella, the back way to Buchan (some
sections of this road appear to have been upgraded recently and plenty
of road workers paint on the road marking other sections likely to be
smoothed out in the near future. Lunch at the Buchan pub then Bruthen,
Bairnsdale, off the highway again shortly after and then backroads
through Bengwarden to rejoin the Hwy right on the outskirts of Sale.


Day 23 Sale to Melbourne
Our last day and plans for it to be our biggest. The forecast is for
afternoon showers so we set off at the crack of dawn to cover as many
miles as we can before then. Straight off the Hwy and Longford,
Rosedale, Glengarry, Tyers, Walhalla, Willow Grove, Icy Creek, Noojee,
Powelltown, Yarra Junction, Warburton, Reefton Spur, Marysville bakery
for lunch, then down the black spur, Chum Creek road to Toolangi,
Kinglake, backroads to Diamond Creek, then home tired and exhausted.
What do they say about the best laid plans? We get to Yarra junction and
park for a rest. Given the amount of moisture on the road through
Noojee-Powelltown I decide to skip the spurs.. they'll be wet too.. and
head straight to Healesville. Then Jo kicks her rear tyre. Hang on...
it's not supposed to make an impression in it when you kick it. I get
down for a closer look. There's a nail sticking out of it, only a few cm
from the first puncture repair... but it isn't leaking audibly and is
doing a reasonable job of retaining air. Decide to head straight to
Ringwood for another puncture repair. An air cartridge for starters and
then a few petrol station stops to keep it going and we're in Ringwood
at lunchtime. The bloke at Treads n Things tells us it'll be ready in 30
mins. After lunch I try to resurrect what's left of the ride, by heading
home via Warrandyte, Eltham. Got home a few hours earlier than expected,
and beat the rain 23 days, about 8700km covered on most of the best
roads in Australia. Can't wait for next winter to see how I will top it


My photos are here...
http://www.thisstupidurl.com/June2006

& Jo's are here..
http://www.thisstupidurl.com/JoBigTrip

Nev..
'04 CBR1100XX

 

Just putting some nuggets in the pan eh Nev?
http://www.thisstupidurl.com/JoBigTrip/Jo/Trip/slides/20060610.080.html

 

I had gussetts welded to the mounting bracket to stop it flexing on my rack.
Lushy

 

Faaark !! Nice one Nev (and Jo). Sounds fantastic. Just wondering what
possessed you to do criss-crosses of the Great Divide in the middle of
winter ? That must have been bloody cold through Ebor and Armidale and etc.

JL
(seriously jealous

 

Well, it's the third time I've done a Melbourne - Qld trip, and each
time I've left Melbourne on the Queen's Birthday long weekend, so I knew
what I was in for. They're cold places, but only at night. During the
daytime the temperatures are probably a couple of degrees warmer than
Melbourne at the same time of year... and dryer (Well maybe not much
dryer than Melbourne this year, but definitely dryer than Brisbane. I
believe the week we spent north of Brisbane it rained every day. It was
dry the day we left and the day we got back there)

Nev..
'04 CBR1100XX

 

A great read, and obviously a fantastic ride. What I loved most that
even after the best part of a month in the saddle, you still weren't
content to let a puncture ruin your ride (when only an hour from home),
and made sure you got home via the most scenic route possible.

Classic!

 

rather large snip

well written Nev

that's one hell of a trip

ck

 

Brilliant stuff! I printed it out to keep inspiring me to do my Big
Trip one day.

betty

 

You can do some really great stuff with Google Earth. I've saved all
the GPS tracks from my trip with waypoints which contain links to
associated photos in format which Google Earth likes. The file can be
downloaded here http://www.thisstupidurl.com/June2006Trip.kmz

Nev..
'04 CBR1100XX

 

You should have gone for a quick detour to Mt Glorious since you were that
close. It's a really good ride, if you have not done that one already.

 

You should have kept reading before you posted...

Day 16 Kingaroy to Rathdowney
SNIP
England Hwy. South and then off the Hwy at Hampton for the run to Esk,
another great road. Esk to Somerset Dam, then down through Mt Glorious
and Mt Nebo to the outskirts of Brisbane, a quick squirt up Mt Coot-Tha,
SNIP

The Mt Glorious road had promise, but it was still wet from overnight
rain when we got there, so not as much fun as it might otherwise have
been, especially through the hairpin bends on the climb up the hill from
the west.

Nev..
'04 CBR1100XX

 

Buggar! Damm dyslexia!!!
Eyes got crossed before I got that far and it was early am. Pity about the
weather conditions but if you do try it again, head up Mt Glorious from
Samford. I think its a better ride from that way because you can take
advantage of the corners with the throtle rather than the brake (yeh I know,
call me chicken).

 

Sorry meant to say really nice work by the way, must have taken some effort,
would have taken me days.