Bungendore - Canberra - Goulburn

Sunday 6^th March

Braidwood – Bungendore - Canberra – Goulburn

Awoke about 7.30am on Sunday morning. Cool morning in Braidwood. About 10 degrees. I zipped in the removable liners in my jacket and pants to keep the cold out and dug out the winter gloves. Shower, coffee packed and on the road at 8-30.

The road from Braidwood to Bungendore is a good ride. The hills are a little bit lower and the trees are thinning. Rolling brown hills stretch off into the distance. A few bikes on the ride but very little traffic at this time on a Sunday morning. An opportunity to open up the Thunderbird a bit. It seems to settle into a very relaxed and comfortable rhythm at 120 kph. Sitting just on 3,000 revs. There is no strain on the motor whatsoever, and plenty of room for quick acceleration if needed. I read a discussion recently about the art of overtaking and the various ways to go about it. I am firmly in the camp that says if you decide to overtake, get it over with quickly. None of this dragging along beside another vehicle on the wrong side of the road.



Loaded Thunderbird - Bungendore

I reached Bungendore about 9am and had thought I would stop there for some breakfast. Not much happening in Bungendore at 9am on a Sunday morning. The Gunna Doo Bakery was open and there were a couple of other bikes already there. A Triumph Speed Triple and a Ducati Desmo. Two fine machines. A bit sporty for my liking. It was coffee and a pie on offer for breakfast which I did enjoy.

On through more pleasant country side to Queanbeyan and then into Canberra.  I fancied a photo of the Thunderbird in front of Parliament House. You can’t miss Parliament house. You can see it from the outskirts of Canberra. I headed for it and when I got there it was very, very quiet. The obligatory group of Japanese having their photo taken in the front and a couple of cops wondering around the outside, happy to exchange a wave. I got the photo and you can see the result on this page.


Capital Thunderbird - Canberra

I wound through Canberra, taking my time. The roads are good, the signage seems to have improved since I was last there, and the place is like a ghost town at 9-30am on a Sunday morning. All  making for a leisurely, stress free cruise through the centre of town with plenty of time to look for signs and gawk at the architecture.

I found myself on the Federal Highway and back in the countryside winding along the banks of Lake George. There was some water off in the distance, but on the whole it looked pretty dry. I had heard a story once that the roads around Canberra get some extra attention and funding because all the politicians frequent them. That was easy to believe. From Bateman’s Bay right through Braidwood. Bungendore, Queanbeyan, Canberra and on to Goulburn, the roads are in pretty good condition.

The journey became boring from here on. Dual lane highways with no decent bends and constant speeds make for very dull bike riding. So I gritted my teeth and settled in to kill the time. I decided to stop at Goulburn for something to eat and fuel.

For many years now I zoomed passed Goulburn on the bypass. In my younger days, before the bypass, you had to drive right through the middle of Goulburn. It brought back a few memories driving through the old town. I found myself parked in front of the Paragon Café, this is a classic old style Café that prides itself on its history. It was doing pretty good business for a Sunday morning. I asked the waitress if they had a specific breakfast menu and she pointed to a spot on the very large all purpose menu saying “Oh yes. We have bacon and eggs AND sausages and eggs.”

I spotted an omelette and ordered that. It came as a main meal with peas, corn carrots and creamed scalloped potatoes which is not what I had in mind, but it filled the void.


Paragon Cafe - Goulburn

I refuelled and left Goulburn at 12 noon, refreshed and ready for the ride home. Straight down the highway passed Mittagong to the Picton Road turn off, through Wilton to Appin. Down Appin Road to Bulli Tops and up the old Princes Highway to Helensburgh. I had thought about going through the National Park, but I was getting near 2 hours by now and decided to head home. I got there just after 2pm. The touring seat had worked it’s magic once again and I felt quite fresh considering I had just had 2 hours in the saddle. The trip meter read 720 kms since I left home the day before. A very pleasant weekend.