At
last a chance to hit the road for the second tour on the (relatively) new Honda
Crosstourer.
A
few things fell in to place at work which allowed me to take a week off at very
short notice. Planning and looking forward kept to a minimum. My very generous
wife did not object too much.
I
had half planned a trip north last September and had a week off, but had no
bike. That was when the Honda was being de-sheeped for 9 weeks.
This
time all good so far. I got away from home about 9.30, and after a false start
having forgotten a few things, headed for the mountains. There is no easy way
to get out of Sydney. The M5, M7 and M4 are the fastest way out west but are
absolutely no fun at all. Stressful is a better description. Even when you get
up in the mountains the traffic is not good. Being a Saturday morning during
the Blue Mountains music festival was probably not the best choice.
I
had a stop at Blackheath for coffee and lunch. I find Blackheath much easier to
stop at than Katoomba. You can usually find a spot to park without leaving the
highway with a choice of cafes right there.
On
to Lithgow, a quick stop for petrol and then into the wild blue yonder. It
doesn't really feel like you are out of the rat race until after Lithgow. The
traffic thins out and highways open up. Within 10 minutes of Lithgow I passed 2
police cars busy booking people which kept me very close to the allowable limit
for some time.
I
took the usual detour through Kandos and Rylstone to have look. Just a quick
stop at Rylstone for a photo. I was tempted by the famous Rylstone chines
dumplings, but it was too soon after my lunch at Blackheath.
 |
| Rylstone |
A
short run from there into Mudgee. The farmland around Mudgee is a lovely mix of
vineyards, cattle, sheep and horses. Always a pleasant ride.
Got
into Mudgee about 3pm, checked in to the Wanderlight Motel, a quick shower and
change and read the paper and off down town to quench the hard earned thirst. I
had been looking forward to another visit to the Mudgee Brewery. I had really
enjoyed their beers last time I was in town. You wouldn't believe it, as I was
heading to the Brewery, a wedding party was making its way from the church on
the corner straight into the brewery. Hundreds of them. Too much competition for me. I headed the
other way and found The Mudgee. Among many other things they had Kilkenny on
tap. That was it for me. It was also very comfortable inside and I settled in
for an hour or two.
 |
| The Mudgee |
 |
| Inside the Mudgee |
 |
| The Brewery |
I
left The Mudgee feeling pretty bloody good and ready for a bit of hunter
gathering. By sheer chance I wandered up a small lane and stumbled (probably
literally) into Alby and Esther’s wine bar in a small cobblestoned courtyard
completely covered in vines. A beautiful spot. They served share plates and
glasses of wine. I had white anchovies with thinly sliced apple and fennel and
aioli. Second course was 2 seed crusted lamb cutlets with spicy relish. A
dessert of lemon curd tart with fresh raspberries finished me off nicely. It
wasn't as big as it sounds. Washed down with one glass of local chardonnay and
one of rose. Back to the motel and straight to bed.
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| Entrance to Alby and Esthers |
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| Inside Alby and Esthers |
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| Wanderlight Motel - Nudgee |
Sunday
15th March, 2015
Mudgee-
Gulgong - Dunedoo - Gilgandra - Gulargambone - Coonamble - Walgett - Lightning
Ridge - 460km
In
the morning I ventured down to the local Market cafe for a breakfast sandwich
of local bacon, eggs, cheese and tomato relish on sourdough and coffee. It was
cool (12c) and overcast in the morning. I considered rugging up a bit for the
trip, but decided against it, luckily.
I
left town about 9.00am and had a short run to Gulgong. I had a quick cruise
around the centre of town but did not stop. Lots of very old and historic
buildings and a very narrow winding main street. On to Dunedoo. A bit smaller
than I thought. Quick stop for petrol and away to Gilgandra. A slightly bigger
town but still hasn't discovered espresso coffee. On to Coonamble and the country
started to flatten out and turn brown. Not a lot of scenery but plenty of wide
open spaces. Coonamble looks like a nice old town, but I didn't see anything
open. I considered some lunch, but after that breakfast I thought perhaps not.
On
to Walgett. The roads out here are 110km limit, very straight and with very
little traffic. 120 to 130 seems the more practical speed. The temperature had
risen to 36c by now which put the new summer touring jacket to the test. It
passed with flying colours. Even at that temperature I was quite comfortable
with all the air vents open for maximum ventilation. I went through a few small
swarms of grass hoppers. Fortunately they were all down low coming off the road
and mainly got me on the boots and lower pants. They are no fun when they
explode all over your face visor. The good thing about the high temperature is
that the kangaroos go and find some shade and have a sleep rather than hang
about the highway waiting to fling themselves at unsuspecting motorcyclists.
I
had a quick stop at Walgett for water and I called ahead to make sure I could
book a Motel room at Lightning Ridge. It was only another 75 km but I didn’t
want get there and find it booked out. I needn't have worried.
Approaching
Lightning Ridge, the ground turns rocky and white mounds of earth start to
appear all over the place. Riding into town there is much evidence of mining
activity on both sides of the road. A quick ride around town, which has a lot
more houses than I had anticipated, and then into Blueys Motel to find I was
the only guest for the night so far. Good thing I booked.
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| Shop in Lightning Ridge |
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| bluey's Motel Lightning Ridge |
After
a shower, a read of the paper and a little rest, it was time to wander down
town. There really is no CBD as such so the wander down town didn't take long.
The place was deserted. This was about 5pm on a Sunday afternoon. I headed for
the bowling club where I expected to have dinner.
I
found everyone. The bowling club was much bigger than I expected and there was
a large crowd enjoying the Sunday evening raffle and members draw in the air
conditioning. I had a couple of beers and perused the menu from the Bistro.
It
was at this point that I had a philosophical, culinary revelation. (I hadn’t
eaten anything since breakfast). You don't need 5 stars. You don't need 3 hats.
All you need for fabulous food is a very sharp appetite. Crumbed lamb cutlets
with chips, salad and gravy tasted as good as any meal I had ever had.
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| Lightning Ridge Bowling Club |
Monday
16th March, 2015
Lightning
Ridge - Hebel - Dirranbandi - St George - Surat - Roma
I
left Lightning Ridge about 9am and headed north. The country changed gradually,
but there were lots of scrubby trees on both sides of the road. Lots of dead
kangaroos on the road, but no live ones. The scary thing was where the
undergrowth came right up to the edge of the bitumen so that if there was a
kangaroo there, you wouldn't know it til it was too late.
I
crossed the Queensland border and came into Hebel, a tiny Queensland town. This
is where I saw the only live kangaroo I had seen on this trip so far. He hopped
leisurely across the road in the middle of town.
 |
| Between Lightning Ridge and Hebel, near the QLD border |
The
next community was Dirranbandi. Again I
didn't stop, but on my way through I really didn't see any reason to stop.
After Dirranbandi the country started to look a little less wild, and as I
approached St George, it became particularly green, almost lush. Leaving
Dirranbandi I saw some signs that I have never seen before. "Unfenced road
- beware of stock". Fortunately I did not see any stock.
I
got into St George in time for some lunch and found a cafe. After lunch, I had
a wander down to look at the Balonne River which is really a big river. St
George Calls itself the best inland fishing place in Queensland and apparently
it is well known for Murray cod, catfish and yellow belly. It was named by
Major Thomas Mitchell who crossed the river on the 23rd of April, St George's
Day.
 |
| Pub in St George |
From
St George to Surat and on to Roma, the country remained remarkably green. I
don't know if this is normal or if they have had a lot of rain. There were some
happy looking cattle along the side of the road. Straight though Surat and on
to Roma. Very pleasant country all the way, good roads and virtually no
traffic. I like that.
 |
| On the road to Roma |
I
didn't realise I had gained an hour when I crossed the border, so I was in Roma
about 2pm. Into the Motel, shower, rest and up the town. The motel was nicely
air conditioned and when I left to walk up town I was a bit taken aback by the
heat. It was still about 33c, very still and very dry.
I
found 4 pubs and tried them all before I settled on The Golden Dragon Chinese
Restaurant, Duck with mushrooms and vegetables, a small fried rice and 2 glasses
of chardonnay. Very enjoyable. Back to the motel. Time to crash.
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| Pub in Roma |
 |
| Inside an Irish pub in Roma |
Tuesday
17th March, 2015
Roma
- Miles - Chinchilla - Dalby - Toowoomba - Warwick - 430kms
Nice
morning in Roma. I wandered down the street looking for coffee. I found an
Indian restaurant open for breakfast and decided to give it a try. I had an
Indian egg wrap which was a tasty omelette with mushroom and onions rolled in
Indian bread. Very tasty. The coffee was good as well.
On
the road and the traffic was now heavier than it had been for the last couple
of days. The roads were long and straight and there were quite a few long
stretches of road works. Every second vehicle seemed to be a Toyota land
cruiser of Hilux with an orange light on top. If they all put the lights on at
the same time it would look like Christmas.
I
had coffee at Chinchilla and filled the tank. Seemed to be a lot of activity
here. Mining, farming, power stations, it’s a busy place.
I
was in the middle of the Darling Downs at this stage and the long straight
roads went through cops as far as the eye could see on both sides of the road.
It certainly is a very productive area and doesn't really seem to be a sensible
place to start drilling for gas. Every 20 kilometres or so there seemed to be
huge grain silos on the rail line running along the side of the road.
My
aim was to get in to Toowoomba and find a motel near the centre of town, but I
had looked up Toowoomba's profile and found that the population was 110,000
which rang a few alarm bells. Cities that big become a bit tricky to navigate. I got in to the centre of town and started
looking for a motel that was in walking distance. I soon tired of the traffic,
traffic lights and lack of motels. I decided to leave Toowoomba and head to
Warwick which was only another 80 Kms.
It
was a nice run down the New England Highway from Toowoomba to Warwick through
rich farming country over roaming hills and wide valleys. I was in Warwick by
about 3pm and soon found a motel close to the action. The Jackie Howe Motel.
Jackie Howe was a champion shearer, after whom his favoured blue singlet was
named. Hay is the home of the Shearer's hall of fame and Jackie is well
featured there. Turns out he was born near Warwick. A tenuous connection but
I'm claiming it anyway.
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| Jackie Howe Motel - Warwick |
 |
| The Warwick Hotel |
 |
| inside the Criterion - Warwick |
 |
| Warwick Town Hall |
I
found a couple of pubs down town to sample. Great old buildings but the food
didn't really tempt me. I wandered in to the Warwick Condamine Sports Club in a
beautiful old heritage listed building in the middle of town. A good spot for a
dinner.
Wednesday
18th March, 2015
Warwick
- Stanthorpe - Tenterfield - Glen Innes - 200kms
Woke
up this morning in Warwick to the sound of thunder and heavy run. I checked the
radar and it looked like the storm would pass in a couple of hours and sure
enough, by about 8.30am the rain had stopped.
I
headed out of town shortly after and went south to Stanthorpe. No long legs on today’s
trip. Stanthorpe was a bit of a revelation. It was bigger than I had thought.
But coming into town I passed lots of crops, orchards, vineyards, goats,
cattle, you name it. I saw signs for cheese factories and breweries. It looked
like a place that could produce anything and did. It reminded me of coming into
Mildura. The same sort of eclectic industries going on.
I
had the opportunity to visit a friends farm 12 Kms out of Stanthorpe which was
a nice break in a beautiful area.
Back
on the road I was off to Tenterfield which was only another 50 k down the road.
I had a quick look around. A nice old town. I couldn't see the Saddlers shop.
Saw 4 other guys on bikes pulling into town. Bikes have been very scarce on
this trip. Saw a few in Mudgee on the first day. Then I don't think I saw
another until the 3rd day between Roma and Dalby. Saw 2 there and then a few
more today.
 |
| Tenterfield |
After
Tenterfield it was 100 Kms through to Glen Innes. Beautiful country coming out
of Tenterfield. Steep rock walls and green valleys. It has flattened out a bit
by the time I got to Glen Innes.
Glen
Innes was another nice old town. Wikipedia says it is the coldest area of
Australia outside the Snowy Mountains and Tasmania. Not sure I'd come back in
winter. I found a motel just off the main street and after a wander around town
and a stop in a couple of the pubs, I finished up having dinner in a pub right
next to the Motel. Good country Fare
 |
| Glen Innes |
 |
| Glen Innes |
 |
| Glen Innes Town Hall |
Thursday
19th March, 2015
Glen
Innes – Guyra – Armidale – Uralla – Walcha – Gloucester – 307 Kms
After a quick look at the standing
stones I headed South down the New England Highway towards Guyra. This is
beautiful country with plenty of cattle on the nearby properties. I had only
been as far north as Armidale in the past, but it just gets better as you keep
going.
Straight through Guyra and on towards
Armidale. Clear blue skies, about 23c, no wind and little traffic. Motorbike
touring does not get any better than this. I did not go through Armidale as
such, the New England takes you around the outskirts. But I did have a coffee break
in Uralla before leaving the New England Hwy to continue down Thunderbolts Way.
 |
| Uralla |
Thunderbolt’s Way is recognised as one
of Australia’s favourite motorcycling roads. This is the 3rd time I
have ridden it and I enjoy it more every time. It begins through low rolling
hills, long open valleys and a few scattered farm houses. It is only a short
run to Walcha where I had a lunch stop before tackling the more adventurous end
of Thunderbolts.
After lunch and fuel I headed off
towards Gloucester. The country gradually becomes more mountainous until you finally
go over Baxter’s Ridge Trail where there are some magnificent views and very
tight corners. There are lots of signs advising Motorcycles to slow down.
 |
| Lookout on thunderbolt's way |
Just over this range there are a
couple of camping areas on the Manning River which had attracted my attention
the last time I came this way so this time I stopped at one of them and had a
quick look around. Just before stopping there I had come across a fellow on a
well packed Honda Postie bike, 110cc, with a line of cars stuck behind him. He
was travelling about 50 kph and taking absolutely no notice of the cars behind
him. I was able to overtake the cars and the bike, but after I had stopped at
the camping ground I came up behind him again. All the cars had got passed him
at this stage so I was able to pass him easily. I don’t know how far he was
going, but it was going to take a while.
 |
| Camping are - Manning river - Thunderbolt's way |
Shortly after that I was in Gloucester
and checked in to a Motel for the night.
 |
| Gloucester |
Friday 20th March, 2015
Gloucester – Dungog – Singleton – Mt Thorley
– Wilberforce – Liverpool – Oyster Bay – 410Kms
Another absolutely perfect morning in
Gloucester, just a bit of fog lifting as I left town. Dew covered emerald green
grass and grazing cows on either side of the road made an absolute picture.
 |
| Cows crossing the road - Near Stroud |
I followed the GPS instructions to Dungog
which took me on some very small back roads. I even had to stop and wait for
some cows to cross the road at one point. Once through Dungog, it kept me on
some minor backroads to Singleton. One road in particular, Bingleburra Road,
from Dungog to East Gresford would have to be one of the most spectacular roads
I have ridden. It’s only 26 Kms, but it follows the ridge of some quite big
hills with beautiful green valleys falling away on either side. Well worth a
visit. It was along this road that I came around a tight corner to see a small
kangaroo in the middle of the road. I wasn’t going fast anyway, but I hit the
brakes. There was a steep slope on one side of him and steep drop on the other
and I thought he might not be able to get away. In three bounds he was up the
steep slope and gone into the bush.
This brings you into the back of
Singleton. Straight through onto Putty Rd and on to Mt Thorley and a fuel stop
at Bulga. There were already a few bikes here that had just come north on Putty
Road and looked like they were out for the day.
Putty Road is another famous
Motorcycle road and is a very pleasurable ride as long as there is not too much
traffic, and this morning there was practically no traffic. The first section
is lots of tight corners following a stream and then it opens out to longer straight
stretches.
About half way down I stopped at the
Grey Gum Café for some lunch. There were already about 20 bikes stopped there.
There is absolutely no phone reception here, which I’m sure is a strong
attraction.
The rest of Putty Road is very
enjoyable until you hit civilisation at Wilberforce with a heavy dose of
reality. Through Windsor and Richmond and on to the M7 for the trip to
Liverpool and then Heathcote Rd to home. A bit tired after that day, but with
2,600 Kms behind me, a very enjoyable week indeed.
