October 2011

21^st October, 2011

The weather is finally starting to warm. Thank you. Although I have managed to keep riding throughout what has been a colder than usual winter in the Sydney area. I haven’t done too mnay lengthy rides of late. We seem to have had more than our fair share of wet weekends.

A friend, Ian, bought himself a BMW F650Gs, which is actually an 800cc twin and a very nice bike. We have done 3 rides together, covering Nattai and Picton, Mittagong and Burrawang, Bundanoon, Robertson, Mt Kembla. They have been very enjoyable rides and Ian is good company.



BMW F650GS - besdie the Thunderbird

Two weeks ago I Had Thursday and Friday off work and had half planned a longer trip and possibly an overnight stay, but the weather conspired against me. I didn’t even uncover the Thunderbird all day Thursday and Friday. Although it didn’t actually rain, it looked like it was about to all day. Finally on the Saturday I put on the wet weather gear and took off toward Picton. As it turned out, Sydney got no rain again, but I got plenty going through Wilton and Douglass Park. It was heavy for about 20 minutes which meant slowing down considerably. After that it was just drizzle. The wet weather gear did an admirable job. I don’t mind riding in the rain as long as I am prepared for it. Of course it is not like riding into a clear blue sky with bright sunshine bouncing off the gleaming countryside. But it’s a lot better than not riding at all.

Last weekend turned out to be very nice. Saturday morning was overcast which gave me an opportunity to do some jobs around the house. Mainly preparing for the arrival of builders the following Monday who are going to extend the roof over decks at the front and rear of the house. Verandahs, just in time for summer. By early afternoon the sun was out and I took my wife for a lovely ride through the national park to Stanwell Tops where we stopped long enough to have a hot chocolate and take in the magnificent view.

Sunday was beautiful from beginning to end. I took off at 9-30 and stopped at The Oaks for petrol. The attendant commented on the number of bikes out and about, and mentioned that they were heading to Warragamba for the bike show. That sounded interesting so I plotted a course for Warragamba.

It was actually the Warragamba Dam Fest, an annual event featuring amusement rides, helicopter flights, food and market stalls, live entertainment, and, more importantly, a car and bike show. The festival was spread out over the large park and sport area adjacent to the dam. There was a big crowd there, but fortunately plenty of good parking specifically for bikes.

I bypassed all the stalls and rides etc and found the car and bike show. There was a lot of bikes lined up. Many customs, some vintage and the usual dollop of Harleys. It appears that pretty much anyone with a bike could register their bike and ride in and park and display. There were prizes awarded, but long after I left. There were some nice cars on display as well, but after about half an hour, I could feel the call of the thunderbird and I was off to Nattai, Picton for a light lunch and home via Stanwell Tops and the national park. Time to break out the summer gear.

Some Photos from Warragamba.

Australian Motorlife Museum

19th June, 2011

Not such a long ride, but a wonderful glimpse into the history of motoring in Australia. The Australian Motorlife Museum is a new facility at Kembla Grange (near Wollongong) which houses a beautiful collection of automobiles, motorcycles and motoring paraphernalia of all kinds, charting the history of motoring in Australia. My friend Arthur, the proud owner of a Harley Davidson Ultraglide (pictured below), suggested a trip to the Museum.

So, on a recent Sunday afternoon we met at the museum, paid our $11 entry fee and spent an enthralling 2 hours wandering around and drooling over the exhibits. An elderly volunteer who took our money at the door, was the only other person in the building, and so he accompanied us around the exhibits and shared much information about the history of many of the items. A lovely afternoon.

Rather than bore you with an attempted description, I thought I would let the photos do the talking. Enjoy.



The Riley Automobile Club dropped in for a visit.




Thunderbird in front of the Australian Motorlife Museum








Arthur's Ultraglide



Bilpin - Mt Wilson

20^th May, 2011

The Bells Line of Road is somewhere that I had been hearing about for many years, especially with regard to riding motorcycles. Likewise, Mt Wilson is a place that I have been interested in visiting for some time. I had read an article about it in a recent motorbike magazine from the point of view of a rider visiting there for the day. Over the past few weeks I had been keeping an eye on the weather, social and family commitments waiting for the opportunity to venture north west.

The previous weekend, all had looked good, until a cold snap showed a predicted top temperature at Mt Wilson of 7 degrees with a reel feel of 3 degrees. Too cold for me.

This week the temperature looked more like 17 degrees. Good enough. My wife decided to come as well, but opted to drive rather than pillion. This was OK with me as I like to try out a road on my own first before committing to a long ride with a pillion. Some roads are more suitable than others.

We got away about 9 am and went out through Casula to Bringelly and then turned right on to the Northern Road. This takes you north through Luddenham and the eastern edge of Penrith. Then on to Londonderry Road, through Londonderry and straight on to Richmond.  Then right on to Kurrajong Rd, across the Hawkesbury river and then you are on Bells Line of Road.

The initial climb through North Richmond and Kurrajong heights is steep and fairly slow going, but then you level out somewhat and wind through Bilpin. The countryside is beautiful with occasional view off through the valleys to the mountains beyond.

We stopped at the Bilpin Fruit Bowl for coffee and to buy some of the compulsory apples. Right in the middle of the shop they have a woman baking fresh apple pies and the smell as they come out of the oven gives the seller an unfair advantage over the buyer.

Bilpin Fruit Bowl - Watch out for the hot apple pies.

From there we continued along Bells Line of Road passed the Mt Tomah Botanic Gardens, which look like a nice place to stop on future visits, until we came to a spot called the Walls lookout. We parked in the small car park and took the 1 km trek to the lookout which had the most spectacular views over the Grose valley. Well worth the trek. This took about 1 hour all up.

The wife and I - At the Walls Lookout - Bells Line of road.

The Walls

We then carried on the short distance down the Bells Line of Road to the Mt Wilson (two, three, ) turnoff. As you approach Mt Wilson you can see the change in vegetation. The bush becomes much more lush with more ferns and larger trees. The rich soil, higher rainfall and cooler climate has made it a popular place for large English style gardens since it was settled around 1875.

At this time of year, the deciduous trees are changing colour and trees are beautiful shades of red green and gold. It is a very impressive place to drive into at this time of year. We stumbled onto a private garden at a home called WindyRidge and spent half an hour wandering around. It was a very beautiful place. Have a look at the photos. We spent the 45 minutes looking around Mt Wilson and enjoying the sites of the huge, colourful trees and the avenues lined with fallen leaves.



Windyridge Garden



Windyridge Garden

Windyridge Garden

Windyridge Garden

Windyridge Garden

Windyridge Garden

Windyridge Garden

Windyridge Garden

Windyridge Garden

Curch Lane - Mt Wilson

Curch Lane - Mt Wilson

Curch Lane - Mt Wilson

Mountain bike - Thunderbird at Mt Wilson

Time was ticking away and we were looking for a late lunch. The only café advertised in Mt wilson was closed on the day. We had earlier had thoughts of going on to Lithgow but it was getting too late for that, so we decided to head back to Bilpin to find somewhere to eat.

In The Apple Bar - Decision time.

We stopped at a the first place that served food that didn’t say hamburgers or pies on the sign out the front. As it turned out, this was the find of the day. We were at the Apple Bar and as soon as I saw the Good Food Guide sticker on the front door my confidence lifted. The apple bar was a gem. Have a look in Cafes and pubs for more info.

After an hour or so over a very tasty lunch, time was getting away. We hit the road for the trip home. We went back the same route, only now the roads were getting busier with people coming home from work. Fortunately the heavier traffic was going in the opposite direction to us, but it still took quite a while and it was dark by the time we got home. A small serve of fresh apple pie was all that was required.

All in all it was a great day and great ride. The Bells Line of Road is highly recommended for a cruise on the bike. Next time I will make sure I have ti,e to go all the way to Lithgow. My wife might even go on the bike.