The Super Adventure: Nambucca Heads

Saturday 14 September 2013

Penrith, Katoomba, Lithgow, Kandos, Rylstone, Denman, Muswellbrook

My wife has been doing a bit of house sitting again, this time for our ex neighbours who have moved to Nambucca Heads. I had a week off to go and spend some time with her, but wanted to make it a bit of a bike adventure as well. So I decided to take the long way to Nambucca over 2 days, allowing me to see some of the inland towns I hadn't been to before and also avoid the Pacific Highway.

I got away from home about 9.30 on the Saturday morning and made for the M5 and headed towards Liverpool. No fun here. Traffic everywhere. Great caution required at all times. At Liverpool I got on the M7 which took me up to the intersection with the M4 and left towards the mountains. A lot of Ms I know. Going this way always makes me realise how lucky I am to be so close to the Southern edge of Sydney and to be able to be out of the city in about 10 minutes form my home.

Anyway, up the M4 to Penrith and then up the mountains. I realise that this is the first time I have ever ridden a motorbike up to the Blue Mountains. Unfortunately I will not be doing it again in a hurry. Traffic is constant and speed limits change continually, rarely getting above 80. Occasionally you get a glimpse of a beautiful valley stretching away on either side, but they only last for seconds and don't make up for the riding conditions.

Finally, approaching Lithgow the country starts to open out and the traffic thins. You can now start to ride more freely and take in a bit of the surrounding scenery. I stopped in Lithgow for coffee and to give the old buttocks a break, and then headed into uncharted waters.

From Lithgow I remained on the Great Western Highway for only a short distance before turning on to the Castlereigh Highway to head for Kandos. Just after Ilford I turned right on to the Bylong Valley way. This was to be one of the highlights of the trip. I got to Kandos and decided to stop for lunch.

I filled up with petrol first then I rode through town and checked a couple of likely looking venues. I came across a café/motorcycle museum that seemed perfect. I parked and went in. There was nobody else there which should have been a sign. There were lots of things for sale, mainly clothing, motorbike related, and not at what I would call “budget” prices. There was a section of the cafe “walled” off with a heavy black curtain guarding the entrance. This was the museum section and it was going to cost $6 to enter. I decided to check the menu first, which was a good thing because they had nothing that I was willing to eat and I assure you I am not that fussy. With very few misgivings I decided to forgo the hidden treasures behind the black curtain and find somewhere that had some acceptable food.

The Kandos pub had a couple of bikes parked out the front so I thought that was as good an invitation as I was going to get. A classic country pub serving counter lunches as they should. I have been trying to stay off carbohydrates of late and I thought the lamb cutlets and vegetables would be a safe bet. Imagine my surprise when it turned out to contain a very large portion of chips, two large scoops of mashed potato and a couple of slices of white bread on the side. Needless to say that by the time I had finished the aforementioned items remained and still looked like a sizeable meal. I should add that the lamb cutlets, peas, beans, carrots and corn were very nice.

Looking out the front window of the Kandos Hotel

From Kandos it was on to Rylstone. A lovely town with a very large group of motorcycles gathered around the pub in the middle of town. They had the good sense to bypass Kandos and go the extra few kilometres to Rylstone. Too late for me. I was full of food and petrol so it was on to the mythical Bylong Valley.

Bylong Valley Way stretches from Rylstone to Denman in the upper hunter valley. I have heard that it is a good ride and it certainly lived up to that reputation. The road is mostly very good, a bit narrow and a few rough spots, but generally in good order most of the way. Much of the 140 kilometres is through a beautiful, fertile valley with some areas having magnificent, dramatic cliff faces on either side. The road winds snakelike along the valley, contented cows watching on from the lush, green pastures. There a a couple of twisty climbs and drops as you cross a mountain from one valley to another, all of which makes for an interesting and exciting motorbike ride. When I left Sydney in the morning, the skies were overcast and threatening, in the blue mountains it looked like it was about to pour, but by the time I got to Bylong the sun was shining in a clear blue sky. The Bylong Valley is what motorcycle touring is all about. Going a little bit too fast, enjoying leaning the bike through the corners, surrounded by beautiful scenery. What more could you want.

On the Bylong Valley Way

The Bylong valley way ends at a t intersection with the Golden Highway which takes me into the town of Denman. I have heard a bit about Denman from friends who have spent some time here and it is indeed a nice little town. I found a nice spot for a cup of coffee and had a chat to an older gent also on a bike who was curious to know where I was from and where I was off to.

I then headed to Muswellbrook on Denman Road. Before reaching Muswellbrook I could see huge dark grey mountains on either side of the road and I eventually realised that these were the visible signs of open cut coal mines. What they do to the country side does not make a pretty picture. In looking at satellite pictures of the area, these mines are bigger than medium size towns.

Muswellbrook was another lovely old town with some great old buildings. I had booked a motel room here for the night and I was in the room hitting the shower by about 4.30 in the afternoon. A long soak and lie down to read the paper and I was ready to venture down town. If Saturday night is a big night in Muswellbrook, I would not like to see a quiet night. I had a beer in the RSL Club, a beer in a pub and then found the Muswellbrook Chinese Restaurant. One person in a Chinese restaurant can be a bit limiting, so I try to find one dish to get me through. This night it was the steamed duck combination that hit the spot. A few veggies, a tasty sauce and lots of duck made for a filling dinner.

Muswellbrook Chinese Restaurant - another big Saturday night

Best pub in Muswellbrook

Sunday 15 September 2013

Muswellbrook, Aberdeen, Scone, Murrurundi, Tamworth, Walcha, Uralla, Armidale, Dorrigo, Bellingen, Nambucca Heads.

I decidedly not to order breakfast from the motel, but just to pack up, check out and see if I could find a breakfast venue on my travels. I did. About 2 minutes after I left the motel. In the middle of Muswellbrook, a lovely cafe that did a very tasty cooked breakfast. There were three other motorbikes parked in front which is always inviting.

Back on the road and I followed the New England Highway north. I don't know if was just that it was a Sunday morning, but the road was very quiet. The weather was clear and sunny, about 20 degrees and no wind. Absolutely perfect motorbike weather. I had a wonderful day riding up through Scone and Murrurundi to Tamworth. Lots more cows and some large fancy looking horse studs on both sides of the highway. Very little traffic, and lots of safe overtaking spaces meant that there were very few times when I had to slow down. All systems go. This was lovely country with wide valleys, rolling hills with the occasional dramatic mountain in the distance and rich grazing lands as far as the eye could see. Beautiful.

I stopped for petrol at Tamworth and while I was at the pumps, an older gentleman pulled up on a Honda ST1300. He got off and looked at my bike and said “I've got one of those on order”. I assured him he would not be disappointed.

The Golden Guitar - Tamworth

After Tamworth I turned off the New England Highway and on to the Oxley Highway which would take me to Walcha. Last November I went to Walcha then rode south on Thunderbolts way to Gloucester. This time I wanted to ride north from Walcha on Thunderbolts way to Uralla and then Armidale. Walcha is a lovely little town that seems to have artworks (sculptures) all over the place. I stopped here for a coffee. All morning I had been seeing groups of bike riders going in all directions. While having a coffee in Walcha, there must have been 30 or 40 bikes in various groups go past. All heading for or coming from Thunderbolts Way, famous in Australian bike lore as a must try road.

Carved wooden bench - Walcha

Walcha roundabout - artwork everywhere

After the coffee I headed north on Thunderbolts Way. I don't know what it is about this road, but there is an overwhelming urge to ride too fast. An absolute rush. This brings you out at Uralla and it is then a short ride to Armidale. This was first time in this part of the country and I was keen to have a look at Armidale, a city I have been hearing about all my life. That Sunday lunch time, Armidale seemed to be having a sleep in. I went down to the city centre and it was very quiet. I was looking for some lunch by that stage, but nothing leapt out at me. Eventually I decided to push on.

At this point I was on Waterfall Way, starting from Armidale. This would take me right through to the coast, just north of Nambucca.

Another great road going through a few smaller towns. Eventually the landscape becomes more and more dramatic as the road follows ridges with the sides getting steeper and steeper dropping away to long winding valleys. This culminates in the town of Dorrigo which sits atop the Dorrigo plateau on the edge of an escarpment which drops suddenly to the coast. Dorrigo is another fine old coutry town, originally formed around the timber industry.

Dorrigo Pub

Dangar Falls - Dorrigo

Dorrigo rainforest skywalk

From Dorrigo it is straight down the side of the mountain, along the banks of the Bellinger river and eventually through the beautiful small town of Bellingen, and emerging on to the Pacific highway just north of Urunga. From there it was a quick 20 kilometres into Nambucca Heads.

The next 4 days saw the bike securely locked in the garage while my wife and I spent some time touring the district, including a return trip to Dorrigo and 2 visits to Bellingen. Both highly recommended for a visit.

David Helfgott sculpture - Bellingen

Thursday 19th September

I had allowed 2 days for the return journey and had a look at the map to perhaps find a different route. But I had enjoyed the trip up so much that I decided to go back the same way. I had great weather and the touring went perfectly. Another night in Muswellbrook, the other Chinese Restaurant and the last day was the run back through Bylong Valley, over the Blue Mountains and home. A great way to spend a week.